Microcontroller MAC Unit Integration for DSP Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional microcontrollers, such as the 8051, are inefficient in performing digital signal processing (DSP) operations due to their poor performance in Multiply-Accumulate (MAC) operations, which are essential for digital filtering, leading to high computation times and increased overhead, making them unsuitable for low-cost DSP applications.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a hardware Multiply-Accumulate (MAC) unit within the CPU of a microcontroller and extending its instruction set to include dedicated MAC instructions, reducing the need for separate MAC coprocessors and minimizing hardware resources, thereby lowering costs while maintaining performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a dedicated DSP is used for high performance digital filtering, then processing speed is improved, but cost and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the MAC unit with the CPU to form an integrated processing core, merging previously separate functional units into a single cohesive processor that delivers DSP performance without requiring a dedicated DSP chip

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The CPU is designed to perform multiple functions including general-purpose computing and specialized MAC operations for digital filtering, eliminating the need for separate dedicated hardware for different processing tasks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If a separate hardware MAC coprocessor is added to the microcontroller, then MAC operation performance is improved, but device complexity and hardware resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveMAC operation performanceVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The MAC unit is merged into the CPU architecture rather than being implemented as a separate coprocessor, reducing the number of independent hardware components while maintaining high MAC operation performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The CPU is enhanced to serve dual purposes: executing general-purpose instructions and performing specialized MAC operations, thereby eliminating the need for separate dedicated hardware units

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Device complexity

If MAC operations are implemented entirely in software on a conventional microcontroller, then device complexity is reduced, but computation time increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidcomputation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces software-based MAC operations with dedicated hardware MAC circuitry integrated into the CPU, substituting sequential software execution with parallel hardware computation to dramatically reduce processing time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS7797516B2Microcontroller with low-cost digital signal processing extensions

Publication Date: 2010.09.14 ATMEL CORP

AI summary

A set of low-cost microcontroller extensions facilitates Digital Signal Processing (DSP) applications by incorporating a Multiply-Accumulate (MAC) unit in a Central Processing Unit (CPU) of the microcontroller which is responsive to the extensions.