Low-power Embedded Systems

Low power embedded design

Effective low power embedded design starts by understanding how and when a system uses energy. Processing requirements, connectivity, sensors, interfaces and operating modes all influence the final power consumption.

TOPIC considers these factors at system level, allowing hardware and software choices to be made around the actual application rather than optimizing individual components in isolation.

Balancing power and performance

Higher performance does not always have to mean higher energy consumption. Selecting the right processing platform and assigning tasks efficiently can significantly influence both power usage and thermal behaviour.

FPGA acceleration can, for example, provide higher throughput with lower power consumption for suitable workloads.

Reducing energy consumption

For battery-powered devices, every unnecessary active circuit or data transfer affects operating time. In other applications, reducing dissipation can limit heat generation and make passive cooling possible.

TOPIC applies low power embedded design techniques across electronics, processing and power management. 

Component selection and system architecture are considered together to reduce consumption without compromising required functionality.

Designing the complete system

Reliable low-power embedded systems require more than efficient components. Processing load, interfaces, power delivery, thermal behaviour and software activity all influence the energy profile of the final product.

By combining board development, FPGA and embedded software expertise, TOPIC can optimize these elements as one system. 

The result is an embedded architecture in which performance and power consumption are balanced around the application.