DSP SHARC Processors PART1
DSP SHARC Processors PART1
PROCESSORS
This chapter briefly describes the SHARC processor’s architecture and key
features and compares available models.
Topics include:
• “What are SHARC Processors?” on page 1-1
• “Three Generations of SHARC Processors” on page 1-5
What are SHARC Processors?
SHARC is the name of a family of high-performance 32-bit floating-point
processors based on a Super Harvard Architecture. SHARC processors
dominate the floating-point digital signal processing market, delivering
exceptional core and memory performance complemented by outstanding
I/O throughput. The industry standard SHARC family makes floating-
point processing economical for applications where performance and
dynamic range are key considerations such as home, professional, and
automotive audio, medical, and industrial and instrumentation products.
The SHARC processor portfolio currently consists of three generations of
products providing code-compatible solutions, ranging from entry-level
products priced at less than $10 to the highest performance products
offering fixed- and floating-point computational power to 400 MHz/2400
MFLOPs. Regardless of the specific product choice, all SHARC processors
provide a common set of features and functionality usable across many
signal processing markets and applications. This baseline functionality
enables the SHARC user to leverage legacy code and design experience,
while transitioning to higher-performance, more highly integrated
SHARC products.
By integrating on-chip, single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) processing
elements, SDRAM, and I/O peripherals, SHARC processors deliver
breakthrough signal processing performance.
SHARC Applications
The combination of a high performance core surrounded by appropriate
peripherals, a large software library, and award-winning development tools
makes SHARC processors the ideal choice for audio and broad market
processor applications. Here are some applications:
• Home theater/digital home applications. The ADSP-21266,
ADSP-21365/6, and ADSP-21367 processors permit highly efficient
software implementations of audio decode and post processing
algorithms, such as Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES Discrete
6.1, DTS-ESMatrix 6.1, DTS 96/24™ 5.1, MPEG-2 AAC
LC, MPEG-2 BC 2ch, Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Pro Logic 2x,
DTS Neo:6, and WMA Pro. Libraries of all standard–and many
proprietary–audio algorithms reside in on-chip ROM, eliminating
the need for external ROM.
• Professional audio applications. A number of the third-generation
SHARC processors are well-suited for professional audio applications
requiring high processing power and advanced on-chip
peripherals such as sample rate conversion, S/PDIF transmitter/
receiver, and BGA and LQFP package options.
• Automotive audio applications. The ADSP-2136x, with integration
of sample-rate conversion, DTCP cipher, precision clock
generators, and serial ports, is an ideal choice for new multichannel
automotive audio designs.
• Broad market use. SHARC processors are available in commercial,
industrial, and automotive temperature grade packages. They are
used in a wide variety of signal processing applications, providing
up to 400 MHz performance in a single instruction, multiple data
architecture (SIMD). Applications include imaging, medical
devices, communications, military, test equipment, 3-D graphics,
speech recognition, and motor control.
Architecture Overview
This section describes architectural features of the SHARC processor.
Super Harvard Architecture
The 32-bit floating-point SHARC processors from Analog Devices are
based on a Super Harvard architecture that balances exceptional core
and
memory performance with outstanding I/O throughput capabilities.
This
architecture extends the original concepts of separate program and
data
memory busses by adding an I/O processor with its associated
dedicated
busses.
In addition to satisfying the demands of the most computationally
intensive,
real-time signal processing applications, SHARC processors integrate
large memory arrays and application-specific peripherals designed to
simplify
product development and reduce time to market.
Performance
Real-time signal processing tasks are I/O and computationally
intensive.
In addition to high-speed math units and single-cycle instruction
execution
(including single-cycle multiply accumulates [MACs]), SHARC
processors are designed for maximum I/O and memory access
bandwidth.
This balance of core speed, memory integration, and I/O bandwidth
achieves the sustained performance critical to real-time applications.
ADSP-21262 EZ-KIT Lite Evaluation System
Processor Core
The processor core consists of two processing elements (each with
three
computation units and data register file), a program sequencer, two
DAGs, a timer, and an instruction cache. All processing occurs in the
processor
core.
Processing Elements
The processor core contains two processing elements: PEx and PEy.
Each
SHARC processors achieve efficient execution of audio decode and post-processing algorithms through their high-performance cores and integration of dedicated peripherals like Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) and sample rate converters. They execute single-instruction, multiple-data architectures allowing the concurrent processing of audio channels. On-chip ROMs housing standard and proprietary audio algorithms eliminate the need for external ROM, further simplifying audio decode implementations . The advanced SIMD architecture in newer SHARC processors ensures processing demands are met efficiently .
SHARC processors enhance performance in real-time applications through their high-bandwidth I/O capabilities, including an integrated DMA controller, ensuring zero-overhead background transfers at full clock rate. The architecture facilitates simultaneous instruction cache fetching and dual operand data access, increasing processing efficiency . The separate I/O processor with dedicated memory access busses further ensures data flow concurrency without processor intervention, making SHARC processors ideal for computationally intensive tasks .
SHARC processors are suitable for professional audio applications due to their high processing power and advanced on-chip peripherals like sample rate conversion and S/PDIF transmitters/receivers. Their ability to execute SIMD instructions efficiently fits the needs of complex audio processing tasks that require high precision and speed . The capacity for fast data transfers and real-time processing without user intervention further enhances their applicability in professional settings .
The architectural advantage of SHARC processors lies in their Super Harvard Architecture, which balances exceptional core and memory performance with outstanding I/O throughput capabilities. This architecture includes separate program and data memory busses, an I/O processor with dedicated busses, and integration of large memory arrays and application-specific peripherals. These features allow SHARC processors to handle computationally intensive, real-time signal processing applications efficiently . The inclusion of an instruction cache that supports full-speed execution of looped operations enhances processing efficiency .
SHARC processors cater to diverse applications from home and professional audio to automotive audio and broad market use by combining a high-performance floating-point processing core with various audio-centric peripheral modules. Common architectural features supporting this versatility include 32/40-bit IEEE floating-point math, 32-bit fixed-point multipliers, single-cycle computations with no arithmetic pipeline, circular buffer addressing, and sophisticated direct memory access capabilities . These processors also integrate single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) processing elements which provide efficient execution of stereo channel processing algorithms .
The integrated memory architecture of SHARC processors contributes to their performance by allowing simultaneous accesses to program and data memory through their Super Harvard Architecture. The on-chip SRAM and mask-programmable ROM provide substantial storage for data-intensive processing. The architecture's support for high-speed data flow to the core, enabled by the PM and DM buses, ensures uninterrupted operation for complex signal processing tasks . This contributes to higher sustained performance critical in real-time applications .
First-generation SHARC processors offer performance up to 66MHz/198 MFLOPs with support for 32-bit fixed-point and 32/40-bit floating-point data formats, and are suitable for parallel processing in various applications . Second-generation processors introduced dual multipliers, ALUs, and shifters, enhancing performance in applications like consumer and automotive audio . Third-generation processors provide up to 400 MHz/2400 MFLOPs CPU performance with enhanced SIMD architecture and integrate ROM configurations and audio-centric peripherals, facilitating single-chip solutions for varied audio markets .
The program sequencer in SHARC processors is crucial for maintaining high execution efficiency by supplying instruction addresses, controlling loop iterations, and evaluating conditional instructions with zero overhead looping capabilities. The data address generators enable efficient data transfers by managing memory addressing using dual address generation units (DAGs), which support concurrent dual operand accesses. These units work in tandem with an instruction cache to fetch instructions and data simultaneously, maximizing computational throughput .
Circular buffers in SHARC processors facilitate efficient implementation of delayed line processes and other data structures necessary in digital signal processing (DSP). They automatically handle address pointer wraparound, reducing the processing overhead and simplifying implementation in digital filters and Fourier transforms. This hardware support for circular buffering, including zero-overhead looping and built-in memory address handling, enhances throughput and execution efficiency in DSP applications .
The third-generation SHARC processors significantly impact audio markets by offering enhanced CPU performance up to 400 MHz/2400 MFLOPs, sustained through an improved SIMD architecture. These processors integrate ROM configurations and audio-centric peripherals that streamline the development process and reduce costs by allowing greater functionality in a single chip. This high-level integration facilitates quicker time to market and supports complex audio algorithm executions, establishing SHARC processors as a preferred solution in audio applications .