HiPAR-DSP 16, a scalable highly parallel DSP core for system on a chip video- and image processing applications

The presented HiPAR-DSP is a highly parallel DSP core for system on a chip video- and image processing applications. The architecture is based on an array of up to 16 parallel data paths steered by a single RISC controller in SIMD style. Each data path consists of three VLIW controlled arithmetical units: a 16 bit MAC and 32 bit ALU and shift & round units. A divided memory concept serves local caches for each data path as well as a special shared matrix memory which enables concurrent access from all data paths in every clock cycle. External connection can be provided via a modular DMA controller which enables an easy interfacing to other on chip modules. The HiPAR-DSP core has been manufactured in the most powerful version with 16 data paths in second Quarter 2001 and delivers with a maximum clock frequency of 100 MHz 4.8 GOPS peak and about 3 GOPS sustained performance. In addition to the core architecture the paper will also present the software development system for the HiPAR-DSP including C/C++ compiler, assembler, simulator and a PCI board with onboard video I/O interfaces.