A flexible instruction generation framework for extending embedded processors

Author

Kavvadias, Nikolaos ; Nikolaidis, Spiridon

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys., Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki

fYear

2006

fDate

16-19 May 2006

Firstpage

125

Lastpage

128

Abstract

Modern platform-based design involves the domain-specific extension of embedded processors to fit customer requirements. To accomplish this task, the possibilities offered by recent extensible processors for their instruction set and microarchitectural customization have to be exploited. In this paper, a design approach that encapsulates automated workload characterization and highly-controllable instruction and application-specific functional unit (AFU) generation is utilized for fast extension space exploration of embedded processors. It is proved that a relatively small number of unique AFUs is needed in order to support embedded applications from the MiBench and Powerstone suites. It is possible to achieve 1.8times to 6.8times performance improvements although further possibilities such as subword parallelization are not currently regarded

Keywords

embedded systems; instruction sets; application-specific functional unit; automated workload characterization; domain-specific extension; embedded processors; flexible instruction generation framework; highly-controllable instruction; Character generation; Costs; Distributed power generation; Embedded computing; Energy consumption; Microarchitecture; Physics computing; Registers; Space exploration; VLIW;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Electrotechnical Conference, 2006. MELECON 2006. IEEE Mediterranean

Conference_Location

Malaga

Print_ISBN

1-4244-0087-2

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MELCON.2006.1653052

Filename

1653052