Chapter 11: Energy and Power in Digital Circuits vocab

Power

The rate at which energy is transferred, stored, delivered, or dissipated.

Energy

The total amount of work or electrical power used over time.

Power Dissipation

Conversion of electrical energy into heat or another non-recoverable form.

Average Power

Total energy dissipated divided by the length of the time interval.

Static Power

Power consumed by continuous current flow when a circuit is not switching.

Dynamic Power

Power consumed while charging and discharging circuit capacitances during switching

Associated Variables Convention

The convention where current entering the positive-voltage terminal means power is absorbed.

Thermal Management

Methods used to control heat generated by electronic circuits.

Load Capacitance

The total capacitance driven by a logic gate output.

Switching Frequency

How often a circuit changes logic state per second.

NMOS Logic

A logic style using n-channel MOSFETs for both pullup and pulldown functions.

NMOS Pullup

An always-on n-channel MOSFET that pulls an NMOS output toward the supply voltage.

Depletion-Mode MOSFET

A MOSFET with a negative threshold voltage that can conduct when its gate-to-source voltage is zero.

Enhancement-Mode MOSFET

A MOSFET that requires sufficient gate-to-source voltage to turn ON.

CMOS

Complementary MOS logic that uses both n-channel and p-channel MOSFETs.

NFET

An n-channel MOSFET used in a CMOS pulldown network.

PFET

A p-channel MOSFET used in a CMOS pullup network.

Pulldown Network

The NFET network that connects a CMOS output to ground.

Pullup Network

The PFET network that connects a CMOS output to the supply voltage.

Complementary Networks

Pullup and pulldown networks designed so only one conducts in a stable logic state.

Leakage Current

Small unwanted current that flows even when a transistor is supposed to be OFF.

Static Loss

Power loss caused by continuous supply-to-ground current.

Dynamic Loss

Power loss caused by repeated charging and discharging of capacitance.

Power Gating

Turning off unused circuit blocks to reduce power use.