Analog vs. Digital Spatial Transforms: A Throughput, Power, and Area Comparison
Abstract
Spatial linear transforms that process multiple parallel analog signals to simplify downstream signal processing find widespread use in multi-antenna communication systems, machine learning inference, data compression, audio and ultrasound applications, among many others. In the past, a wide range of mixed-signal as well as digital spatial transform circuits have been proposed---it is, however, a longstanding question whether analog or digital transforms are superior in terms of throughput, power, and area. In this paper, we focus on Hadamard transforms and perform a systematic comparison of state-of-the-art analog and digital circuits implementing spatial transforms in the same 65\,nm CMOS technology. We analyze the trade-offs between throughput, power, and area, and we identify regimes in which mixed-signal or digital Hadamard transforms are preferable. Our comparison reveals that (i) there is no clear winner and (ii) analog-to-digital conversion is often dominating area and energy efficiency---and not the spatial transform.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2009.07332,
title = {Analog vs. Digital Spatial Transforms: A Throughput, Power, and Area Comparison},
author = {Zephan M. Enciso and Seyed Hadi Mirfarshbafan and Oscar Castañeda and Clemens JS. Schaefer and Christoph Studer and Siddharth Joshi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2009.07332},
year = {2020}
}
Comments
2020 IEEE 63rd International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems (MWSCAS), Springfield, MA, USA, 2020, pp. 125-128, doi: 10.1109/MWSCAS48704.2020.9184566