On the Implementation of Energy and Area Efficient Microcontrollers – Our Approach on the Use of RISC-V Architecture

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Contents of the Talk

In this talk, we will present our efforts to implement an energy and area-efficient microcontroller based on the known RISC-V architecture. The initial focus was on creating a microcontroller suitable for implantable systems, necessitating low power consumption and reduced silicon area. These requirements guided our architectural decisions, including the use of a customized version of RISC-V. We will discuss the design process, optimization strategies, and techniques employed to minimize area without compromising functionality.

Our insights and experiences in working with the RISC-V ecosystem to meet specialized needs for biomedical applications will be shared, along with potential future directions for more powerful and versatile microcontroller platforms. This presentation will provide an overview of both the challenges encountered and the solutions developed as we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in low-power, high-efficiency embedded systems.

Short CV

Pablo Mendoza received his Licenciatura degree in Electronics engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica in 2008. His graduation project introduced him to the world of digital communications and FPGA design by developing a DAB modulator, as well as working on different digital communications systems at Canam Inc., a telecommunications design company stablished in Costa Rica. In 2010, he received a European scholarship from the Erasmus Mundus Cooperation Fund. Thanks to this scholarship, he was able to pursue a master’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering at Politecnico di Torino, Italia. He finished his master’s studies in 2012 by presenting his master’s thesis in the development of a digital television demodulator implemented in software radio. After his master’s, he moved back to Costa Rica, where he joined the Electronics Department at Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica as a lecturer. During his first years as lecturer, he taught undergrad courses in linear systems analysis, electrical communications, and logic design. Also, he taught the FPGA prototyping course for the master’s program in VLSI and Embedded systems. In 2015 he moved to Hamburg, Germany, where he joined the Integrated Circuits Institute at the Technische Universität Hamburg to attend the doctoral program. During his stay at Hamburg, he worked towards a prototype of an implantable device for cancer monitoring. His research allowed him to get in deep knowledge on the fields of digital and analog design flows for ASICs.

In 2021, he returned to Costa Rica to join back the Electronics Department at Tecnológico de Costa Rica, as lecturer and researcher. In the last years, he has joined research projects in digital design, ASIC design, and IC testing. He is currently collaborating with CERN in the design of new ASICs for the particle detectors.