Function unit specialization through code analysis

Abstract

Many previous attempts at ASIP (application-specific instruction set processor) synthesis have employed template matching techniques to target function units to application code, or directly design new units to extract maximum performance. This paper presents an entirely new approach to specializing hardware for application-specific needs. In our framework of a parameterized VLIW processor, we use a post-modulo scheduling analysis to reduce the allocated hardware resources while increasing the code's performance. Initial results indicate significant savings in area, as well as optimizations to increase FIR filter code performance by 200% to 300%.