The Reconfigurable Streaming Vector Processor (RSVPTM)

ABSTRACT

The need to process multimedia data places largecomputational demands on portable/embedded devices.These multimedia functions share commoncharacteristics: they are computationally intensive anddata-streaming, performing the same operation(s) onmany data elements.The Reconfigurable StreamingVector Processor (RSVPTM) is a vector coprocessorarchitecture that accelerates streaming data operations.Programming the RSVP architecture involves describingthe shape and location of vector streams in memory anddescribing computations as data-flow graphs.Thesedescriptions are intuitive and independent of each other,making the RSVP architecture easy to program.They arealso machine independent, allowing binary-compatibleimplementations with varying cost-performance tradeoffs.This paper presents the RSVP architecture andprogramming model, a programming case study, and ourfirst implementation.Our results show significantspeedups on streaming data functions.Speedups forkernels and applications range from 2 to over 20 timesthat of an ARM9 host processor alone.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.1 PROCESSOR ARCHITECTURES
      C.1.2 Multiple Data Stream Architectures (Multiprocessors)
          Subjects: Array and vector processors

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.1 PROCESSOR ARCHITECTURES
      C.1.3 Other Architecture Styles
          Subjects: Adaptable architectures; Data-flow architectures
  C.5 COMPUTER SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
      C.5.3 Microcomputers
          Subjects: Portable devices (e.g., laptops, personal digital assistants)

  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems
          Subjects: Audio input/output

General Terms:
Design, Performance