Microprocessor Benchmarks - A Detailed Look at Techniques, Problems and Solutions

Benchmarks are used to evaluate performance of various systems. When measuring the performance of Microprocessors, Microcontrollers or Digital Signal Processors, fair benchmarks help defining certain qualities of such systems. There are some parameters, structural characteristics and conditions of the system that possibly distort the benchmarks or even make them more difficult. The presentation illustrates test objects as well as the definition of test conditions of Microprocessor (and MC/DSP) Benchmarking. Beginning with the attempt to classify current benchmark techniques, suggestions on how different units like processor core, IO peripherals and memory (memory structure, memory location, etc.) of Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs are shown. But it also concentrates on problems that may appear while testing, e.g. regarding to the used compiler (with or without optimization, included libraries, etc.). In order to get comparable and fair results, the presentation focuses on solutions and reveals results of self developed test code - the benchmarks developed at Harz University (HSH -- Benchmarks).