TDMA-based communication scheduling in system-on-chip video encoder

An analysis of TDMA-based communication scheduling in a system-on-chip (SoC) video encoder is presented. Heterogeneous IP (intellectual property) block interconnection (HIBI) forms the platform for the system, enabling the possibility of exploring timeslot-based arbitration in addition to more traditional priority-based arbitration. To illustrate the effects of heavy communication with real-time periodic data transfers, a video encoder is used as a case study. A simulation environment and a tool for monitoring the communication are described. Analysis of communication and scheduling optimization methods in HIBI are given. Analyses show that HIBI is capable of exploiting the predictable nature of continuous-media processing when the TDMA method is employed. However, dynamic refining of timeframe allocation is necessary to utilize maximally the advantages of TDMA scheduling.