High-Performance DSP Development Platform for Real-time Multi-mode Remote Sensing Applications

Stream Processors (SPs) form a new class of image processors that offer performance scalable to Teraops, have efficiency comparable to ASICs, and are completely programmable from high-level languages. SP technology was developed over 8 years of DARPA-funded research in Stanford University that resulted in a working prototype IC, 3rd-generation software tools and working application software on an engineering board. Phase I of this SBIR evaluated the use of SPs for multiple concurrent DSP tasks such as audio/video processing in a remote sensor. The broad conclusions are that SPs provide excellent performance, efficiency and programmability for such tasks, can support multiple applications running currently, have excellent IO capability, and with a development platform that includes a modular software framework, SPs can benefit a wide range of products. While SPI is commercializing this technology by building SP ICs and focused reference designs for specific products within its target markets, Phase II proposes to build such a development platform to broaden the usability of these SP ICs, especially to benefit military systems with multiple video and other demanding signal processing tasks such as multi-mode remote sensing applications.