Managing Power in Multiprocessor Systems
Multiprocessing is present in all electronic systems today. Some of the key advantages of multiprocessing include
- Fast-paced processing, because of parallel execution.
- Enhanced operating features such as thermal, latency and power with the engagement of a suitable processor for every activity.
Even though there are benefits of using multiprocessor systems, one can also face certain problems because there isn’t a standard for managing the system’s power in heterogeneous multiprocessor systems.
At present, every embedded designer needs to reinvent protocols and APIs for handling power management. They need to invest time in integrating the APIs into codebases, for each processing core present in the system.
Power management in multiprocessor systems can be achieved by creating an API specification which can be reasonably implemented by most embedded designers. This spec could serve as a fundamental power management cover. Heterogeneous systems have their unique needs and therefore API implementation would be possible with the help of a small code amount and even the very small cores could be a part of the overall system power management.
It is important for the API to be adequately generic. This will allow almost all heterogeneous systems to be represented. It shouldn’t be overly generic, so much so that it becomes difficult to use.
