Exploiting statically schedulable regions in dataflow programs

Abstract

Dataflow descriptions have been used in a wide range of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) applications, such as multi-media processing, and wireless communications. Among various forms of dataflow modeling, Synchronous Dataflow (SDF) is geared towards static scheduling of computational modules, which improves system performance and predictability. However, many DSP applications do not fully conform to the restrictions of SDF modeling. More general dataflow models, such as CAL [1], have been developed to describe dynamically-structured DSP applications. Such generalized models can express dynamically changing functionality, but lose the powerful static scheduling capabilities provided by SDF. This paper focuses on detection of SDF-like regions in dynamic dataflow descriptions -in particular, in the generalized specification framework of CAL. This is an important step for applying static scheduling techniques within a dynamic dataflow framework. Our techniques combine the advantages of different dataflow languages and tools, including CAL [1], DIF [2] and CAL2C [3]. The techniques are demonstrated on the IDCT module of MPEG Reconfigurable Video Coding (RVC).

Synthesizing Hardware from Dataflow Programs

“…As we have pointed out, the implementation tools themselves provide many opportunities for improvement, involving sophisticated analyses, static scheduling of those parts of a system that can be statically scheduled [9], cross-actor optimizations, folding, and other program transformations and refactorings such as automatic multi-channelization (i.e. multiplexing the same design for multiple streams of data).…”

Parameterized Sets of Dataflow Modes And Their Application to Implementation of Cognitive Radio Systems

“…The concept of statically schedulable regions itself is not new, and has been studied in depth, for example, in the implementation of CAL programs [11]. Our contribution in this section, which we refer to as PSM-level static scheduling, is to demonstrate methods for integrating the concepts of PSMs and statically schedulable regions, therefore combining the benefits of both approaches, and enabling structure exposed from PSMs to help guide the construction of efficient schedules.…”

Modeling and optimization of dynamic signal processing in resource-aware sensor networks

“…Static regions can be exploited in quasi-static scheduling by processing them with streamlined SDF scheduling techniques, and embedding the resulting SDF "region schedules" within the control of a global dynamic, inter-region scheduler [6]. By using CFDF modes as the basic primitive of static region construction, designers and tools generally have available a larger design space of static regions compared to conventional static region techniques, which are restricted to actorbased regions.…”