A methodology for architecture exploration of heterogeneous signal processing systems

We present a methodology for the exploration of signal processing architect ures at the system level. The methodology, named SPADE, provides a means to quickly build models of architectures at an abstract level, to easily map applications, modeled as Kahn Process Networks, onto these architecture mod els, and to analyze the performance of the resulting system by simulation. The methodology distinguishes between applications and architectures, and u ses a trace-driven simulation technique for co-simulation of application mo dels and architecture models. As a consequence, architecture models need no t be functionally complete to be used for performance analysis while data d ependent behavior is still handled correctly. We have used the methodology for the exploration of architectures and mappings of an MPEG-2 video decode r application.