Design of multimedia processor based on metric computation

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method for designing multimedia processors by analyzing application metrics, selecting suitable architectures, and generating tailored hardware solutions to meet real-time media processing demands efficiently.

Contribution

It introduces a three-step approach combining application analysis, architecture selection, and generation for customized multimedia processor design.

Findings

Feasibility demonstrated with image and video algorithms

Efficient metrics guide architecture customization

Tailored hardware improves performance for media applications

Abstract

Media-processing applications, such as signal processing, 2D and 3D graphics rendering, and image compression, are the dominant workloads in many embedded systems today. The real-time constraints of those media applications have taxing demands on today's processor performances with low cost, low power and reduced design delay. To satisfy those challenges, a fast and efficient strategy consists in upgrading a low cost general purpose processor core. This approach is based on the personalization of a general RISC processor core according the target multimedia application requirements. Thus, if the extra cost is justified, the general purpose processor GPP core can be enforced with instruction level coprocessors, coarse grain dedicated hardware, ad hoc memories or new GPP cores. In this way the final design solution is tailored to the application requirements. The proposed approach is based on three main steps: the first one is the analysis of the targeted application using efficient metrics. The second step is the selection of the appropriate architecture template according to the first step results and recommendations. The third step is the architecture generation. This approach is experimented using various image and video algorithms showing its feasibility.