Case Studies

Case Study: Shoehorning Maximum Signal Processing into Minimal Processors

Digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms are increasingly important in embedded systems. For example, compute-intensive multimedia functions are finding their way into applications ranging from toys to appliances to telephones. But in many of these systems, cost constraints dictate a processor with very minimal horsepower and limited—or no—signal-processing-specific features.    A classic example of this kind of processor is the ARM7. This architecture was introduced in 1993, has no DSP Read more...

Case Study: Change or Be Changed: Good Business Decisions Require Good Information

The electronics industry has long been a dynamic one, but never as dynamic as it is today. Private equity investors now own some of the largest semiconductor companies and are pushing for improved efficiencies. Many, if not most, of the largest chip companies are making significant adjustments in their strategies. And, as usual, changes in technology—often driven by innovative start-ups—threaten to disrupt the status quo. In this dynamic environment, industry executives and investors are Read more...

Case Study: Multi-Tiered Software Optimization

To obtain the most efficient code, DSP software must be optimized at four distinct levels. First, the software architecture and data flow must be designed to take maximum advantage of the processor’s resources. Second, the appropriate data types must be selected—too big and you’re wasting resources, too small and your system may not work. Third, the software must be optimized at the algorithm level—perhaps by combining multiple algorithms into a single processing step, or by substituting one Read more...

Case Study—BDTI Benchmarks Help Vendors Win New Customers

Smaller fabless chip vendors face an uphill battle: to beat out larger rivals, they must attract the attention of potential customers, prove the advantages of their products, and demonstrate that they will be reliable, long-term partners.  One such company recently used BDTI Benchmarks to accomplish all three of these objectives. This fabless chip vendor sells chips for wireless infrastructure applications.  In these applications, the obstacles for small companies are more challenging than Read more...

Case Study—Optimizing Presentations, Products, and Plans

The best way to ensure that a presentation is effective is to test it with a knowledgeable, critical, and responsive audience. A test audience can also help ensure that the content is correct, relevant, and appropriate for the intended audience. Just as important, a test audience can help presenters gauge the clarity, appeal, and impact of their pitch. After all, superb technical content serves no purpose if the audience loses interest a few minutes into the presentation. BDTI analysts can Read more...

Case Study: How Can You Prove You’ve Got the Best Multimedia Solution?

As multimedia systems grow in complexity, system and SoC developers are increasingly relying on vendors to provide “solutions”—combinations of hardware and software that implement complete multimedia functions such as audio and video compression and decompression.  Vendors have responded by offering a growing number of such solutions. This has created a new challenge for system and SoC developers: vendors’ claims regarding the functionality and performance of their solutions are difficult Read more...

Case Study: Custom Benchmark Analysis—Making the Numbers Work For You

Processor designers, marketers, and users with a sophisticated understanding of benchmarks know that raw benchmark results rarely give the most accurate picture of processor performance for a specific application scenario.  While useful for providing a general impression of processor capabilities, raw benchmark results must be adapted to give a clear sense of how processors will perform in a particular application. For example, one large manufacturer of wireless equipment relies on BDTI Read more...

Case Study: Early Benchmarking Yields Better Products

Chip and IP vendors typically utilize benchmarks for marketing purposes—specifically, to demonstrate the capabilities of their products to prospective customers.  But processor vendors that use benchmarks for marketing purposes alone are missing half the picture:  during the design of a processor, subsystem, or chip, good benchmarks are invaluable for ensuring that the design is as good as it can be. Just as a carpenter needs accurate measurement tools to build a quality piece of furniture Read more...

Case Study: Multi-Tiered Software Optimization

It’s generally accepted that, for processing engines, there is a trade-off between efficiency and generality.  The more a chip is geared towards a specific application, the more efficient it’s likely to be (in terms of speed, energy consumption, and cost).  On one end of the spectrum you have traditional FPGAs, which are completely general-purpose, and on the other are fixed-function chips, which are completely application specific. In between these extremes lie various types of processors, Read more...

Case Study: Multi-Tiered Software Optimization

While nearly all signal processing applications require some degree of software optimization, some applications require a sophisticated, multi-tiered optimization approach in order to meet their performance goals. To obtain the most efficient code, DSP software must be optimized at four distinct levels. First, the software architecture and data flow must be designed to take maximum advantage of the processor’s resources. Second, the appropriate data types must be selected—too big and you’re Read more...