Qualcomm recently opened up the QDSP6 (aka "Hexagon") DSP core in its Snapdragon SoCs to programming access by its customers and software developer partners. Multimedia applications, for example, can benefit from leveraging QDSP6 processing resources, boosting overall performance, minimizing overall power consumption, and freeing up the CPU to tackle other tasks. And mobile application processors such as Snapdragon are increasingly finding use in a diversity of embedded applications beyond the SoCs' smartphone and tablet foundations.
But it can take significant time and effort to get up to speed on a new processor architecture and make optimum use of its potential, no matter how much development tools strive to ease your efforts. Such was the situation faced by an audio algorithm provider when it prepared to tackle porting and optimizing its latest code for QDSP6. Time was short; the algorithm provider’s OEM customers had tight schedules for their own products.
Further complicating this particular project was the fact that the algorithm reference code was still under active development by the algorithm provider; the QDSP6 porting and optimization work would need to occur in parallel with refinement of the algorithms. After a careful analysis of the pros and cons involved in tackling an internal engineering effort, the developer instead decided to engage BDTI’s engineering services. BDTI's engineers were already very familiar with QDSP6 by virtue of past benchmarking and other projects, reflected in BDTI's short-list status as a Hexagon DSP Access Program member.
BDTI's engineers worked closely with their counterparts at the audio algorithm provider, iterating the QDSP6-optimized software as the foundation code evolved. Despite the complications of a parallel development effort, BDTI met the aggressive schedule targets, enabling the algorithm provider to deploy its algorithms to OEMs on time. And, despite the aggressive schedule, the algorithm provider and Qualcomm both judged BDTI’s QDSP6-optimized code to be bug-free.
If you're getting ready to develop, port or optimize software for Qualcomm's QDSP6, consider leveraging BDTI's Hexagon software expertise in order to meet your project's schedule, budget, and performance requirements. For more information, contact Jeremy Giddings at +1 925 954 1411 and giddings@BDTI.com.
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