Technical Editor Robert Cravotta explores processor and software-processing architectures and the impact they have on system and software development. Relevant architectures include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), multiprocessor architectures, processor fabrics, coprocessors, and accelerators, plus embedded cores in FPGAs, SOCs, and ASICs.
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Thursday, March 5, 2009
Digging for the best processor
Mar 5 2009 12:26PM | Permalink |Comments (3) |
The available choices for digital signal processors are constantly evolving especially as many of the signal processing architectures targets the different tradeoffs for each specific application space. We regularly update the DSP Directory to help you dig through all of the available options and help you find the best processors to meet your project’s needs.
I would like to encourage you to visit the latest edition of the DSP Directory; the 2009 edition is now live. You can always find the latest version of the directory at www.edn.com/dspdirectory. In fact, we have gone the extra step to retain a copy each year of the directory so that you can find older companies, products, and specifications. Having access to the older information can provide valuable tradeoff insights into the legacy behind a contemporary architecture.
The directory is organized online to help you find what you need without having to examine all of the material. The sum total of information in the directory would exceed a hundred printed pages. A long-term goal of the directory is to provide an engineering resource that enables you to explore more design options before you lock down 80% of your project's cost. The ability to do quick and meaningful explorations of different design configurations and understand the implications of each approach can help reduce the risk when choosing the ultimate project implementation details. This requires first and foremost, a breadth of material to sift through.
A short-term goal of this resource is to make your job easier when starting a new embedded project, so we would love to hear your thoughts about what is and is not working for you with the current presentation of the material. You can post in the comments or send an email to mailto:dspdirectory@edn.com. You might also want to check out the sister directory for microprocessors and microcontrollers; the most current version of that directory is always available at www.edn.com/microdirectory.Reader Comments
at 5/1/2009 6:09:12 AM, The real facts said:
The DSP directory is just an industry snapshot of the manufacturers marketing collateral. It really doesnt help you choose the BEST horse for the course. That choice will be a combination of what horse others have chosen for a similar workrate, its development tools, and of course, the cost of both. Unfortunately the players in the electronics industry, including this magazine, do not reveal those decision-making facts. Good hunting and good luck !
at 5/1/2009 5:30:01 PM, Robert Cravotta said:
I’m not sure I would agree that the DSP Directory is a “just” an industry snapshot. First, you cannot consider options you are not aware of. As for identifying processors used for similar work rates, the development tools available, and of course, the cost of both – the directory has been an evolving online resource to provide those very types of information. The application taxonomy structure was added to both the DSP and Microprocessor Directories in 2006 precisely to explore ways to allow you to find processors based on use cases. Each company has been explicitly encouraged to discuss their development support for their products with special design support entries on their detail information pages. Some companies participate in exposing their design support more enthusiastically than others – even to the point of including design support sections for each specific product family. The directories also include a specific section with separate entries for those software development companies that do not have silicon offerings. Pricing information is available whenever a company is willing to expose that information – such as in the device tables and in the design support pages.
The directories fall short of the vision I have been driving them to over the years, but that is an economics issue more than a technical issue. While your access to the directory is free, it is not a free activity to put it together. Bluntly put, there has been no budget to build tools to allow us to push the directories faster than we have been. Plain and simple, the directories are completely built by hand
at 5/1/2009 5:32:49 PM, Robert Cravotta said:
(Continued from above) Plain and simple, the directories are completely built by hand; we can only do so much with the limited labor resources that are asked to perform more each year in these trying economic times.
My vision for the directories has always been to build a BOM (bill of materials) exploration tool based on the type of project you are working on - not just for the processors, but for all of the components that go around the processors, such as memories, analog components, and software. The BOM exploration tool would also expose the application relevant board level and system level support options available as these types of resources are playing an increasingly important role. But this type of tool requires resources we currently do not have to build more directories for these other types of components; perform further experimentation with linking these disparate resources (adding the software development tool companies was the first foray into such experimentation); building a robust database with dynamic search and filter mechanisms (we have made several attempts at this over the years, but there are issues with maintaining them across the years with the web tools changing all the time).
We will eventually reach this vision, but we will do it in a fashion that does not sacrifice all of the other priorities that are necessary to keep our publication relevant to you.
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