Nonvolatile Processor Architecture Exploration for Energy-Harvesting Applications

This article provides insights into the design of nonvolatile processors (NVPs) for batteryless applications in the Internet of Things (IoT), in which ambient energy-harvesting techniques provide the power. Achieving reliable, continuous, forward computation with an unstable, intermittent power supply motivates the transition from conventional volatile processors to emerging NVPs. The authors discuss the various design factors and tradeoffs involved in optimizing this forward progress. This article provides a guide for future IoT applications, revealing inherent features of energy-harvesting NVP design.