Paged Absolute Addressing Mode Optimizations for Embedded Digital Signal Processors Using Post-pass Data-flow Analysis

Abstract

We address the problem of code generation for embedded DSP systems. In such systems, it is typical for one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), program memory, and custom circuitry to be integrated onto a single IC. Consequently, the amount of silicon area that is dedicated to program memory is limited, so the embedded software must be sufficiently dense. Additionally, this software must be written so as to meet various high-performance constraints, which may include hard real-time constraints. Unfortunately, existing compiler technology is unable to generate dense, high-performance code for DSPs since it does not provide adequate support for the specialized architectural features of DSPs. These specialized features not only allow for the fast execution of common DSP operations, but they also allow for the generation of dense assembly code that specifies these operations. Thus, system designers often hand-program the embedded software in assembly, which is a very time-consuming task. In this paper, we focus on providing compiler support for one particular specialized architectural feature, namely the paged absolute addressing mode --- this feature is found in two commercial DSPs, the Texas Instruments' TMS320C25 and TMS320C50 fixed-point DSPs; however, it may also be featured in application-specific processors (ASIPs). We present some machine-dependent code optimizations that improve code density by exploiting this architectural feature. Experimental results demonstrate that for a set of typical DSP benchmarks, some of our optimizations reduce overall code size and data memory consumption by an average of 5.0% and 16.0%, respectively. Our experimental vehicle throughout this research is the TMS320C25.