A computer-implemented method is provided for coding a digital signal quantized on a given number N.sub.d of bits and intended to be processed by a digital computing system, the signal being coded on a predetermined number N.sub.p of bits which is strictly less than N.sub.d, the method including the steps of: receiving a digital signal composed of a plurality of samples, decomposing each sample into a sum of k maximum values which are equal to 2.sup.NP−1 and a residual value, with k being a positive or zero integer, successively transmitting the values obtained after decomposition to an integration unit for carrying out a MAC operation between the sample and a weighting coefficient.

A circuit for mapping N coordinates to a 1D space receives N input bit-strings representing respective coordinates, which can be of different sizes; produces a grouped bit-string therefrom, in which the bits, including non-data bits, are grouped into groups of bits originating from the same bit position per group; and demultiplexes this into n=1 . . . N demultiplexed bit-strings, and sends each to a respective n-coordinate channel. The nth demultiplexed bit-string includes a respective part of the grouped bit-string that has n coordinate data bits and N-n non-data bits per group, and all other groups filled with null bits. Each but the N-coordinate channel includes bit-packing circuitry which packs down the respective demultiplexed bit-string by removing the no-data bits, and removing the same number of bits per group from the null bit. The packed bit-strings are then aligned relative to one another according to the corresponding bit positions, and combined.

A computer-implemented method for coding a digital signal intended to be processed by a digital computing system includes the steps of: receiving a sample of the digital signal quantized on a number N.sub.d of bits, decomposing the sample into a plurality of binary words of parameterizable bit size N.sub.p, coding the sample through a plurality of pairs of values, each pair comprising one of the binary words and an address corresponding to the position of the binary word in the sample, transmitting the pairs of values to an integration unit in order to carry out a MAC operation between the sample and a weighting coefficient.

An encode apparatus and an encode method may be provided. The encoding apparatus may comprise a first stage and a second stage. The first stage may be configured to receive a first input, decode the first input, and produce a first output comprising the decoded first input. The second stage may be configured to receive a second input, receive the first output from the first stage, and convert the first input and the second input from a first coding system to a second coding system based on the second input and the first output. The second stage may produce a second output comprising the converted first input and the converted second input.

An encode apparatus and an encode method may be provided. The encoding apparatus may comprise a first stage and a second stage. The first stage may be configured to receive a first input, decode the first input, and produce a first output comprising the decoded first input. The second stage may be configured to receive a second input, receive the first output from the first stage, and convert the first input and the second input from a first coding system to a second coding system based on the second input and the first output. The second stage may produce a second output comprising the converted first input and the converted second input.

The energy consumed by data transfer in a computing device may be reduced by transferring data that has been encoded in a manner that reduces the number of one “1” data values, the number of signal level transitions, or both. A data destination component of the computing device may receive data encoded in such a manner from a data source component of the computing device over a data communication interconnect, such as an off-chip interconnect. The data may be encoded using minimum Hamming weight encoding, which reduces the number of one “1” data values. The received data may be decoded using minimum Hamming weight decoding. For other computing devices, the data may be encoded using maximum Hamming weight encoding, which increases the number of one “1” data values while reducing the number of zero “0” values, if reducing the number of zero values reduces energy consumption.

The energy consumed by data transfer in a computing device may be reduced by transferring data that has been encoded in a manner that reduces the number of one “1” data values, the number of signal level transitions, or both. A data destination component of the computing device may receive data encoded in such a manner from a data source component of the computing device over a data communication interconnect, such as an off-chip interconnect. The data may be encoded using minimum Hamming weight encoding, which reduces the number of one “1” data values. The received data may be decoded using minimum Hamming weight decoding. For other computing devices, the data may be encoded using maximum Hamming weight encoding, which increases the number of one “1” data values while reducing the number of zero “0” values, if reducing the number of zero values reduces energy consumption.

An encoding system may be provided. The encoding system may comprise a first stage and a second stage. The first stage may be configured to receive a first input, decode the first input, and produce a first output comprising the decoded first input. The second stage may be configured to receive a second input, receive the first output from the first stage, and convert the first input and the second input from a first coding system to a second coding system based on the second input and the first output. The second stage may produce a second output comprising the converted first input and the converted second input.

A successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter includes a capacitance digital-to-analog converter (CDAC) having, a voltage storing circuit connected to an output terminal of the CDAC and including a plurality of capacitors connected in parallel, an output voltage of the CDAC being stored in a selected one of the capacitors, a selector configured to output a voltage stored in the selected one of the capacitors, a comparator configured to compare a voltage input to an input terminal thereof, which is connected to an output terminal of the CDAC, with a reference voltage, and a successive approximation register configured to control the CDAC based on an output of the comparator, and cyclically control the voltage storing circuit and the selector, such that the output of the selector is output to the output terminal one or more cycles after the output voltage was stored in the selected one of the capacitors.

A hardware module comprising circuitry configured to: store a sequence of n bits in a register of the hardware module; generate a signed integer comprising a magnitude component and a sign bit by: if the most significant bit of the sequence of n bits is equal to one: set each of the n−1 of the most significant bits of the magnitude component to be equal to the corresponding bit of the n−1 least significant bits of the sequence of n bits; and set the sign bit to be zero; if the most significant bit of the sequence of n bits is equal to zero: set each of the n−1 of the most significant bits of the magnitude component to be equal to the inverse of the corresponding bit of the n−1 least significant bits of the sequence of n bits; and set the sign bit to be one.