IEEE Micro Special Issue on Ultra-low-power Processors

Guest Editors:
David Brooks, Harvard University
John Sartori, University of Minnesota

IMPORTANT DATES:
Submissions due: Apr 29, 2017
Decision made: Jun 17, 2017
Revised papers due: Jul 15, 2017
Final versions due: Aug 19, 2017
Publication: November/December 2017

Emerging applications for connected sensing and wearable computing create robust demand for ultra-low-power (ULP) edge computing devices and associated system-on-chip (SoC) architectures. In fact, the ubiquity of ULP processing has already made such embedded devices the highest volume processor part in production, with an even greater dominance expected in the very near future. Emerging applications like the internet of everything are calling for a processor embedded in every object, and the number of processors is projected to be in the billions or trillions. At the same time, the explosion of data generated from these devices, in conjunction with the traditional model of using cloud-based services to process the data, places tremendous demands on limited wireless spectrum and energy-hungry wireless networks. Smart, ultra-low-power edge devices are the only viable option that can meet these demands.

This special issue of IEEE Micro will explore novel design techniques for ultra-low-power processors, bridging the gap between VLSI/CAD, microarchitecture, and lower levels of the compute stack, in the context of emerging applications that are driving the ultra-low-power revolution.

Areas of interest for this issue include the following:
– Application-aware design and optimization of ULP processors
– VLSI, CAD, and microarchitecture techniques for ULP processors
– Studies of new device technologies (e.g. TFETs) applied to ULP processors
– Energy harvesting approaches in conjunction with ULP processing
– Power reduction techniques for end-to-end ULP systems, including techniques that target communication costs with smarter edge computation

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Log in to ScholarOne Manuscripts and submit your manuscript. Acceptable file formats are Microsoft Word document and PDF. Please direct ScholarOne questions to the IEEE Micro magazine assistant (micro-ma@computer.org). Manuscripts should not exceed 5,000 words, including a maximum of 12 references, with each average-­sized figure counting as 250 words. Please include all figures and tables, as well as a cover page with author contact information (name, postal address, phone, fax, and email address) and a 200­-word abstract. Accepted articles will be edited for structure, style, clarity, and readability. For more information, please visit the IEEE Micro author guidelines. Submitted manuscripts must not have been previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere, and all manuscripts must be cleared for publication. All conference papers must have at least 30 percent new content compared to the original.

Questions?
Contact the guest editors at mi6-2017@computer.org, or the EiC at lieven.eeckhout@ugent.be.