Code Optimization Techniques to Reduce Energy Consumption of Multimedia Applications in Hybrid Memory

This paper proposes code optimization techniques to reduce energy consumption of complex multimedia applications in a hybrid memory system with volatile dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and non-volatile spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive RAM (STT-MRAM). The proposed approach analyzes read/write operations for variables in an application. Based on the profile, variables with a high read operation are allocated to STT-MRAM, and variables with a high write operation are allocated to DRAM to reduce energy consumption. In this paper, to optimize code for real-life complicated applications, we develop a profiler, a code modifier, and compiler/link scripts. The proposed techniques are applied to a Fast Forward Motion Picture Experts Group (FFmpeg) application. The experiment reduces energy consumption by up to 22%.This work was supported by Basic Science Research Programs through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the MSIP (2013R1A1A1013384) and by IT R&D program MKE/KEIT (No. 10041608, Embedded system Software for New-memory based Smart Device)