Macro I/O Unit for Image Processor Versatility and Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional image processors either consume high energy due to versatile software development environments or are limited in functionality due to custom-designed fixed-function circuitry, lacking a balance between versatility and power efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An image processor with a macro I/O unit that includes multiple logical channel units for efficient data formatting and addressing, enabling versatile application software development while reducing power consumption by processing larger blocks of data, such as line groups and sheets, and utilizing reformatting circuitry to optimize data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If general purpose processor with vector instruction enhancements is used, then application software development versatility is improved, but power consumption per unit of data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The image processor is divided into multiple specialized functional units (macro I/O unit, line buffer unit, sheet generator unit, stencil processor unit) that work together in a pipeline architecture. Each unit handles specific tasks efficiently, combining the benefits of specialized hardware with programmable flexibility through the virtual processor interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor uses a unified virtual processor interface that can be configured to perform multiple different image processing functions. The same hardware infrastructure supports various processing modes (e.g., different stencil operations, memory access patterns) through programmable control, providing software-like versatility without the overhead of general-purpose processing.
2Use of energy by moving object
If custom designed fixed function circuitry is used, then power consumption per unit of data is reduced, but task versatility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The processor employs dynamically configurable functional units that can adapt their behavior based on the processing task. The virtual processor interface allows the same hardware to be reconfigured for different operations, enabling the system to optimize for power efficiency while maintaining task versatility through runtime configuration rather than fixed functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (such as data block size, processing mode, memory access patterns) to optimize performance for different tasks. By adjusting these parameters, the processor can efficiently handle various image processing operations while maintaining low power consumption characteristics of specialized hardware.
3Adaptability or versatility
If finer grained data structures are used, then application software development platform versatility is improved, but energy consumption per unit of data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processor introduces a new dimension of organization by processing data in large two-dimensional blocks (sheets) rather than traditional one-dimensional pixel streams. This dimensional change enables more efficient memory access patterns and data transfer, reducing the overhead associated with fine-grained processing while maintaining programming flexibility through the virtual processor model.
4Use of energy by moving object
If larger blocks of data are processed, then power consumption per unit of data is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processor implements a nested data organization hierarchy where lines are grouped into line groups, which are further grouped into sheets. This nesting allows the system to efficiently manage large blocks of data by breaking them down into manageable units that can be processed in parallel, reducing the effective complexity while maintaining the power efficiency benefits of large-scale data processing.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processor is described. The image processor includes an I/O unit to read input image data from external memory for processing by the image processor and to write output image data from the image processor into the external memory. The I/O unit includes multiple logical channel units. Each logical channel unit is to form a logical channel between the external memory and a respective producing or consuming component within the image processor. Each logical channel unit is designed to utilize reformatting circuitry and addressing circuitry. The addressing circuitry is to control addressing schemes applied to the external memory and reformatting of image data between external memory and the respective producing or consuming component. The reformatting circuitry is to perform the reformatting.