Consumer applications: a driving force for high-level synthesis of signal-processing architectures

An overview of design alternatives for the translation of signal processing systems into silicon addresses for digital signal processing in consumer applications is presented. Since the most appropriate approach varies with the life-cycle phase of the application, the alternatives range from general-purpose to application-specific approaches. The architectures of the Piramid compiler, which supports digital audio, low-end digital video, telecommunications, speech processing, and control applications, and the Phideo compiler, which supports digital video applications such as HDTV in which sampling rates typically approach the maximum feasible clock rates in state-of-the-art CMOS fabrication processes, are discussed.<>