An efficient state-sequential very large scale integration (VLSI) arch
itecture and low-power design methodologies ranging from the system-le
vel to the layout-level are presented for a large-constraint-length Vi
terbi decoder for code division multiple access (CDMA) digital cellula
r/personal communication services (PCS) applications. The low-power de
sign approaches are also applicable to many other systems and algorith
ms. VLSI implementation issues and prototype fabrication results for a
state-sequential Viterbi decoder for convolutional codes of rate 1/2
and constraint-length 9 are also described. The chip's core, consistin
g of approximately 65 k transistors, occupies 1.9 mm by 3.4 mm in a 0.
8-mu m triple-layer-metal n-well CMOS technology. The chip's measured
total power dissipation is 0.24 mW at a 14.4 kb/s data-rate with 0.921
6 MHz clocking at a supply voltage of 1.65 V. The Viterbi decoder pres
ented here is the lowest power and smallest area core in its class, to
the best of our knowledge.