Exploring configurable non-volatile memory-based caches for energy-efficient embedded systems

Non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies have recently emerged as alternatives to traditional SRAM-based cache memories, since NVMs offer advantages such as non-volatility, low leakage power, fast read speed, and high density. However, NVMs also have disadvantages, such as high write latency and energy, which necessitate further research into robust optimization techniques. In this paper, we propose and evaluate configurable non-volatile memories (configNVM) as a viable NVM optimization technique, and show that configNVMs can reduce the cache's energy consumption by up to 60%, with minimal performance degradation. We describe the knowledge gaps that must be filled to enable configNVMs, and show that configNVMs offer new opportunities for energy efficient caching in embedded systems.