A video-processing benchmark suitable for implementation on both programmable DSPs and FPGAs
Overview
As part of its High Level Synthesis Tool Certification Program (HLSTCP), BDTI created two benchmark workloads that are suitable for implementation on both programmable DSP processors and FPGAs: the BDTI Optical Flow Benchmark and the BDTI DQPSK Benchmark. These benchmarks are available for use separate from the HLSTCP program.
The term “optical flow” refers to a class of video processing algorithms that analyze the motion of objects and object features (such as edges) within a scene. The BDTI Optical Flow Workload operates on a 720p resolution (1280x720 progressive scan) input video sequence and produces a series of two-dimensional matrices characterizing the apparent vertical and horizontal motion within the sequence.
In designing this workload, BDTI has increased the control complexity relative to what might be found in a simple optical flow algorithm, in order to create a workload that is more representative of a complete real-world application and that represents a challenging test case for the tools. More specifically, BDTI incorporated dynamic, data-dependent decision making and array indexing into the optical flow workload.
Technical Details
There are two Operating Points associated with the BDTI Optical Flow Workload, each of which uses the same algorithm but is optimized for a different metric.
- Operating Point 1 is a fixed workload defined as processing video with 720p resolution at 60 frames per second. The objective for Operating Point 1 is to minimize the resource utilization required to achieve the specified throughput. (Resource utilization refers to the fraction of available processing engine resources required to implement the workload.)
- Operating Point 2 is defined as the maximum throughput capability of the workload implementation on the target device for 720p resolution. The objective for Operating Point 2 is to maximize the throughput (measured in frames per second) using all available device resources.
License to the BDTI Optical Flow Benchmark
A license to the BDTI Optical Flow Benchmark provides:
- The BDTI Optical Flow Benchmark™ Specification for use in benchmarking one processor, FPGA, or processing platform
- Benchmark reference source code
- Test vectors for verifying the functionality of the implementation
- One-year license to use the above items for one project
- Training and technical support
Next Steps
To license the BDTI Optical Flow Benchmark, initiate an analysis engagement, or discuss your benchmarking needs, please call us at +1 925 954 1411 or contact us via the web.