Copy propagation optimizations for VLIW DSP processors with distributed register files

Abstract

High-performance and low-power VLIW DSP processors are increasingly deployed on embedded devices to process video and multimedia applications. For reducing power and cost in designs of VLIW DSP processors, distributed register files and multi-bank register architectures are being adopted to eliminate the amount of read/write ports in register files. This presents new challenges for devising compiler optimization schemes for such architectures. In our research work, we address the compiler optimization issues for PAC architecture, which is a 5-way issue DSP processor with distributed register files. We show how to support an important class of compiler optimization problems, known as copy propagations, for such architecture. We illustrate that a naive deployment of copy propagations in embedded VLIW DSP processors with distributed register files might result in performance anomaly. In our proposed scheme, we derive a communication cost model by cluster distance, register port pressures, and the movement type of register sets. This cost model is used to guide the data flow analysis for supporting copy propagations over PAC architecture. Experimental results show that our schemes are effective to prevent performance anomaly with copy propagations over embedded VLIW DSP processors with distributed files. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.