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In this paper, we introduce a new verification platform with ARM- and DSP-based multiprocessor architecture. Its simple communication interface with a crossbar switch architecture is suitable for a heterogeneous multiprocessor platform. The platform is used to verify the function and performance of a DVB-T baseband receiver using hardware and software partitioning techniques with a seamless hardware/software co-verification tool. We present a dual-processor platform with an ARM926 and a Teak DSP, but it cannot satisfy the standard specification of EN 300 744 of DVB-T ETSI. Therefore, we propose a new multiprocessor strategy with an ARM926 and three Teak DSPs synchronized at 166 MHz to satisfy the required specification of DVB-T.

In this letter, we present a design of a single chip video decoder called advanced mobile video ASIC (A-MoVa) for mobile multimedia applications. This chip uses a mixed hardware/software architecture to improve both its performance and its flexibility. We designed the chip using a partition between the hardware and software blocks, and developed the architecture of an H.264 decoder based on the system-on-a-chip (SoC) platform. This chip contains 290,000 logic gates, 670,000 memory gates, and its size is 7.5 mm ×7.5 mm (using 0.25 micron 4-layers metal CMOS technology).

In this paper, we propose a novel hardware architecture for an intra-prediction, integer transform, quantization, inverse integer transform, inverse quantization, and mode decision module for the macroblock engine of a new video coding standard, H.264. To reduce the cycle of intra prediction, transform/quantization, and inverse quantization/inverse transform of H.264, a reduction method for cycle overhead in the case of I16MB mode is proposed. This method can process one macroblock for 927 cycles for all cases of macroblock type by processing 4×4 Hadamard transform and quantization during 16×16 prediction. This module was designed using Verilog Hardware Description Language (HDL) and operates with a 54 MHz clock using the Hynix 0.35 µm TLM (triple layer metal) library.

In this paper, we present a performance analysis for an MPEG-4 video codec based on the on-chip network communication architecture. The existing on-chip buses of system-on-a-chip (SoC) have some limitation on data traffic bandwidth since a large number of silicon IPs share the bus. An on-chip network is introduced to solve the problem of on-chip buses, in which the concept of a computer network is applied to the communication architecture of SoC. We compared the performance of the MPEG-4 video codec based on the on-chip network and Advanced Micro-controller Bus Architecture (AMBA) on-chip bus. Experimental results show that the performance of the MPEG-4 video codec based on the on-chip network is improved over 50% compared to the design based on a multi-layer AMBA bus.

An application specific processor for an H.264 decoder with a configurable embedded processor is designed in this research. The motion compensation, inverse integer transform, inverse quantization, and entropy decoding algorithm of H.264 decoder software are optimized. We improved the performance of the processor with instruction-level hardware optimization, which is tailored to configurable embedded processor architecture. The optimized instructions for video processing can be used in other video compression standards such as MPEG 1, 2, and 4. A significant performance improvement is achieved with high flexibility. Experimental results show that we could achieve 300% performance for the H.264 baseline profile level 2 decoder.

We developed a pipelined scheduling technique of functional hardware and software modules for platform-based system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs. It is based on a modified list scheduling algorithm. We used the pipelined scheduling technique for a performance analysis of an MPEG4 video encoder application. Then, we applied it for architecture exploration to achieve a better performance. In our experiments, the modified SoC platform with 6 pipelines for the 32-bit dual layer architecture shows a 118% improvement in performance compared to the given basic SoC platform with 4 pipelines for the 16-bit single-layer architecture.

In this paper, we describe the development of a platform-based SoC of a 32-bit smart card. The smart card uses a 32-bit microprocessor for high performance and two cryptographic processors for high security. It supports both contact and contactless interfaces, which comply with ISO/IEC 7816 and 14496 Type B. It has a Java Card OS to support multiple applications. We modeled smart card readers with a foreign language interface for efficient verification of the smart card SoC. The SoC was implemented using 0.25 pm technology. To reduce the power consumption of the smart card SoC, we applied power optimization techniques, including clock gating. Experimental results show that the power consumption of the RSA and ECC cryptographic processors can be reduced by 32% and 62%, respectively, without increasing the area.

In this paper, we present a design of video and audio single chip encoder/decoder for portable multimedia application. The single-chip called as video audio signal processor (VASP) consists of a video signal processing block and an audio signal processing block. This chip has mixed hardware/software architecture to combine performance and flexibility. We designed the chip by partitioning between video and audio block. The video signal processing block was designed to implement hardwired solution of pixel input/output, full pixel motion estimation, half pixel motion estimation, discrete cosine transform, quantization, run length coding, host interface, and 16 bits RISC type internal controller. The audio signal processing block is implemented with software solution using a 16 bits fixed point DSP. This chip contains 142,300 gates, 22 kbits FIFO, 107 kbits SRAM, and 556 kbits ROM, and the chip size is 9.02 mm × 9.06 mm which is fabricated using 0.5 micron 3-layer metal CMOS technology.

Thick metal 0.8 μm CMOS technology on high resistivity substrate (RF CMOS technology) is demonstrated for the L-band RF IC applications, and we successfully implemented it to the monolithic 900 MHz and 1.9 GHz CMOS LNAs for the first time. To enhance the performance of the RF circuits, MOSFET layout was optimized for high frequency operation and inductor quality was improved by modifying the technology. The fabricated 1.9 GHz LNA shows a gain of 15.2 dB and a NF of 2.8 dB at DC consumption current of 15 mA that is an excellent noise performance compared with the offchip matched 1.9 GHz CMOS LNAs. The 900 MHz LNA shows a high gain of 19 dB and NF of 3.2 dB despite of the performance degradation due to the integration of a 26 nH inductor for input match. The proposed RF CMOS technology is a compatible process for analog CMOS ICs, and the monolithic LNAs employing the technology show a good and uniform RF performance in a five inch wafer.

A new architecture of field programmable gate array for high-speed datapath applications is presented. Its implementation is facilitated by a configurable interconnect technology based on a onetime, two-terminal programmable, very low-impedance anti-fuse and by a configurable logic module optimized for datapath applications. The configurable logic module can effectively implement diverse logic functions including sequential elements such as latches and flip-flops, and arithmetic functions such as one-bit full adder and two-bit comparator. A novel programming architecture is designed for supplying large current through the anti-fuse element, which drops the on-resistance of anti-fuse below 20 . The chip has been fabricated using a 0.8-m n-well complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology with two layers of metalization.