We tend to think of digital signal processing as being computationally demanding, since it typically involves applying math-intensive algorithms to real-time streaming data. And, compared with many other types of embedded processing tasks, digital signal processing does indeed make heavy demands on processors. But that doesn't mean that DSP always requires expensive hardware.

The prodigious transistor budgets delivered by modern semiconductor processes enable designers to create powerful processor cores and chips. However, this silicon potential will be for naught if it can't easily be harnessed by algorithm developers. Consider the non-trivial die area and development time consumed by a processor core, along with the notable competitive differentiation that can be accrued by its effective utilization. Clearly, the ease by which coders can gain robust access to silicon capabilities is a critical objective.

As embedded processors and applications become increasingly complex, good benchmarks are more important than ever. System designers need good benchmarks to judge whether a processor will meet the needs of their applications, and to make accurate comparisons among processors. Processor developers need good benchmarks to assess how their processors stack up against the competition, and to prove their processors' capabilities to customers.

But what exactly comprises a good benchmark?

Analog Devices becomes the latest semiconductor manufacturer to standardize on the increasingly pervasive Eclipse open-source IDE (integrated development environment) and extensible plug-in system with the CrossCore Embedded Studio software suite for C++ and assembly language-based software development, which the company officially unveiled last month at the DESIGN East conference.

Texas Instruments recently stated that it intends to de-emphasize application processors for smartphones and tablets, and instead refocus its OMAP processors on embedded applications. And Qualcomm, which has been very successful lately in smartphone and tablet application processors, is dipping its toe in the embedded space as well.

In one of last month's InsideDSP articles, I wrote:

Last year, I wrote about how gesture user interfaces are becoming mainstream. Today, with the IMS Touch Gesture Motion conference coming up next week in London, I thought I'd revisit that topic from a different angle.

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.