Forward Concepts' 2005 DSP Survey

Instructions

If you have experience with products or services associated with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) or multimedia technology, please answer questions as they relate to you or your organization. For most answers, check the boxes most applicable or fill in the blanks. All questions require an answer (even if your answer is "Don't Know") except those labeled as optional.

Basic Questions


1.

Which best describes your company or organization?

OEM/System Maker

ODM/System Manufacturer

Design Services

IC Vendor, DSPs or FPGAs

IC Vendor, Other

Silicon IP Provider

Software IP Provider

Military Contractor

University/College

Technical Consultant

Other:


2.

How big is your company or organization?

Less than 10 Employees

10-50 Employees

50-100 Employees

100-1,000 Employees

1,000-10,000 Employees

>10,000 Employees


3.

Which best describes your job?

Company Executive

Technical Manager

Educator

IC Designer

System Architect

Hardware Engineer

Software/Firmware Engineer

Chief Engineer/Principal Engineer

DSP Algorithmist

DSP Software/Hardware Architect

Scientist/Researcher/Mathematician

Marketing/Product Planning/Business Development

Technical Consultant

Other:


4.

In what country are you located?

U.S.A.

Canada

China

Finland

France

Germany

India

Israel

Japan

Korea

Russia

Sweden

Taiwan

United Kingdom

Other:


5.

Are you associated with applications that involve DSP technology?

No

Don't Know

Yes, A Little

Yes, A Lot


6.

Your association with applications that involve DSP Technology is primarily:

Don't Know/Not Applicable

A Chip-level Product

An IP-level Product

A Board-level Product

A System Product

EDA Tools

Software Development Tools

DSP Applications Software

Other:


7.

What is (are) the primary DSP-centric end product(s) your organization makes or that you are involved with?


8.

What industry categories best describe the primary markets that your DSP involvement addresses?

(Select all that apply.)

Don't Know/Not Applicable

Audio (other than cellular/PDA)

Automotive, Drive Train

Automotive, Engine Control

Automotive, Entertainment/Information/Navigation

Automotive, Safety

Biometrics

Broadcast Equipment

Consumer, Entertainment

Consumer, Appliances/Other

Computer/Peripherals

Imaging

Industrial

Instrumentation

Medical

Military/Aerospace

Motor Control

Security

Speech

Telephony/Wireline

Video, Surveillance

Video, Entertainment/Other

Wireless, Cellular

Wireless, Other

Other:


9.

Which chip types are employed for DSP algorithm execution (rather than data processing) in your applications?

(Select all that apply.)

Don't Know

General-purpose Fixed-Point DSP

General-purpose Floating-Point DSP

Proprietary Programmable DSP core

Licensed DSP Core

Licensed RISC Core

DSP/DSP Chip (Homogeneous)

RISC/RISC Chip (Homogeneous)

RISC/DSP Chip from a single vendor (Heterogeneous)

Chip employing a hardwired DSP implementation

DSP with an FPGA as an algorithm accelerator

FPGA as a stand-alone DSP Engine

FPGA as a DSP Engine with embedded RISC

Massively Parallel Processor for DSP

Real-time Reconfigurable Processor for DSP

General-Purpose MPU for DSP (e.g., Pentium)

Media Processor/Video Processor

Other:


10.

What is the typical DSP performance requirement (in millions of 16-bit multiply-accumulates per second--MMACS) for your organization's primary DSP-centric product?

Don't Know

< 100 MMACS

100-600 MMACS

600-1,000 MMACS

1,000-6,000 MMACS

6,000-10,000 MMACS

>10,000 MMACS


11.

In achieving the DSP performance level in the previous question, how many DSP-centric chips are employed?

Don't Know/Not Applicable

One

Two

Three

Four

Other:


12.

If your involvement is with a programmable DSP chip, a DSP application-specific standard product (ASSP) chip, or a media processor, which does your organization use, or is likely to use in its next design(s)? (Cellphone Baseband and Application Processors are in separate questions below)

(Select all that apply.)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

ADI 218x/219x

ADI Blackfin (ADSPBF53x, 56x)

ADI SHARC (ADSP 2106x,2116x,2126x,2136x)

ADI TigerSHARC (ADSPTS101, 2xx)

ADI Fusive Network Processor

Agere 16xx

Agere 16xxx

Cradle CT3400 (media processor)

Equator (media processor)

Freescale 563xx

Freescale 56F80x

Freescale 56800E

Freescale MSC8101,8102,8122

Freescale MSC76xx

Intel MXP5800 (media processor)

LSI Logic LSI140x (ZSP)

Philips Nexperia (for non-cellular applications)

Stretch S5xxx

TI C24xx/C28xx

TI C33

TI C54xx

TI C55xx

TI C62xx

TI C64xx

TI C67xx

TI DA1x/2x (audio ASSPs)

TI DM26x/27x (multimedia ASSPs)

TI DM64x (video/imaging ASSPs)

TI TNETV1/2/3xxx (telecom ASSPs)

Other:


13.

If your involvement is with cellphones, which Baseband DSP processor chip(s) or IP brand(s) is(are) employed or under strong consideration for your next design?

(Select all that apply.)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

Agere Systems

Analog Devices

Alcatel Shanghai Bell

ARM (IP)

Atheros

Broadcom

CEVA/DSP Group (IP)

Chongqing Chongyou IT

Commit

EoNex

Ericsson Mobile Platforms

Freescale Semiconductor

Icera Semiconductor

Infineon

Intel

Maxim

National Semiconductor

Philips

Qualcomm

Renesas

Skyworks

Silicon Laboratories

Spreadtrum Communications

StarCore (IP)

STMicroelectronics

T3G

Terax

Texas Instruments

Via Telecom

Other:


14.

If your involvement is with cellphones or PDAs, which programmable Application Processor (or graphics accelerator) chip(s) or IP brand(s) is(are) employed or under strong consideration for your next design?

(Select all that apply.)

None Employed

Not Applicable

Don't Know

It is on the Baseband Die

ATI

Broadcom

Centrality (Atlas-M)

Freescale (i.MXxx)

Hantro

Intel (XScale PXA 2xx)

Nazomi (JA108)

NEC

NeoMagic

Nvidia

Philips (Nexperia)

PowerVR MBX

Renesas

Samsung

Sanyo

STMicroelectronics (Nomadik)

Takumi

TI (OMAP2)

TI (Other)

TTPCom (AJAR)

ViMicro

Zoran

Other:


15.

If a licensed programmable DSP core is employed in your present or planned DSP-centric product(s), which brand(s) is(are) it(they)? (RISCs with DSP augmentation are covered in other questions below)

(Select all that apply.)

Not Applicable

Don't Know

Our own Proprietary DSP Core

3DSP

ADI Blackfin (IP)

Atmel

Cast

CCL

CEVA/DSP Group

ChipWrights

Clarkspur

Elixent

Ensigma

Evatronix

Faraday

Hyperstone

Improv

Intrinsity

LSI Logic/ZSP

Metagence

Morpho Technologies

Sandbridge

Silicon Hive

StarCore

Telairity

Other:


16.

If your involvement is with a programmable DSP or DSP core, does it execute the majority of your control code (in addition to DSP algorithms)?

Don't Know

Yes, Some Control Code

Yes, a Lot of Control Code

Control Code is its Primary Mission

It's employed as a numeric processor (e.g., encryption)


17.

If a RISC core is employed (for any purpose) in your DSP application, which brand(s) is(are) used or being strongly considered for your next design?

Don't Know

Not Applicable

Our Company's Proprietary Core

Altera (Nios/Nios II)

ARC

ARM

MIPS

Freescale (ColdFire)

PowerPC-AMCC

PowerPC-Freescale

PowerPC-IBM

Renesas

Tensilica

Xilinx (MicroBlaze/PicoBlaze)

Intel XScale (IP)

Other:


18.

If a RISC core is employed, does it execute DSP algorithms?

Not Applicable

Don't Know

Yes, Some DSP

Yes, A Lot of DSP

DSP is its Primary Mission


19.

If the RISC core executes DSP algorithms, it is enhanced by:

(Select all that apply.)

Don't Know/Not Applicable

Employing one or more multiplier-accumulators (MACs)

Employing custom instruction extensions for DSP

Employing a vector coprocessor

Other:


20.

If one or more FPGAs are employed for DSP computation in your current or planned DSP-centric application, which brands are they?

(Select all that apply.)

Don't Know/Not Applicable

Actel

Altera

Atmel

Lattice

QuickLogic

Xilinx

Other:


21.

What external bus interfaces will your organization likely be using in its next DSP-centric designs or applications?

(Hold down the CTRL key and select all that apply.)

22.

Which operating system is employed or being considered for your organization's DSP-centric platforms?

(Select all that apply.)

Don't Know/Not Applicable

Supplied by DSP chip supplier

In-house OS

BREW

CMX

DSP/BIOS

eCos

Integrity

itron

Linux

LynxOS

MTOS

Nucleus

OSE

pSOS

QNX

Quadros RTXC

RMX

RT Unix

SavaJe XE

Symbian

ThreadX

VRTX

VxWorks

Windows CE

Windows Mobile

Other:


23.

Which of the following are used during system modeling/DSP algorithm development in your organization?

(Select all that apply.)

Don't Know

Assembly Code

C Code

Embedded C Code

C++ Code (not just C++ Compilers)

Java

LabVIEW

Matlab

Simulink

SPW

SystemC

VHDL/Verilog

Other:


24.

If your organization purchases DSP software IP or hardware IP (other than DSP cores), please indicate the type.

(Select all that apply.)

Not Applicable

Don't Know

Basic Algorithms (e.g., FIR, FFT, CELP, DFE, etc.)

Applications (e.g., MP3, OFDM, JPEG, MPEG-4, G.729, etc.)

End Solutions (e.g., GSM, IP Phone, V.92 modem, etc.)

Other:


25.

If your organization purchases licensed DSP hardware IP (other than DSP cores), please indicate from which companies employed or being strongly considered.

(Select all that apply.)

Don't Know/Not Applicable

Cast

eInfochips

Evatronix

Hantro

Ingenient

InSilicon/Synopsys

Ittiam Systems

Mentor/Inventra

NewLogic

Nova Engineering

QualCore Logic

Sasken

SciWorx

Tality

Wipro

Other:


26.

If your organization purchases licensed DSP software IP, please indicate from which companies employed or being strongly considered.

(Select all that apply.)

Don't Know/Not Applicable

ART Technologies

ccWW

Comsys

CuTE Solutions

eInfochips

Emuzed

Espico

FedTec

Gao Research

HelloSoft

Ingenient

Invensys Technologies

Ittiam Systems

Pace Soft Silicon

PC-Tel

QSound Labs

Sasken

Signals & Software

Spirit

SRS Labs

Surf Communications

Tata

Trinity Convergence

TTPCom

Virtual IP Group

Wipro

Other:

DSP Chip Selection Criteria

OPTIONAL: If programmable DSP chips (or media processors) are employed in your current or future DSP-centric product, what are the important selection criteria? Please assign a rating on a 5-point scale, where 1 represents "Not Important" and 5 represents "Very Important."

 

1-Not Important

2

3

4

5-Very Important

27.

Maximum MIPS/MMACS

28.

Optimal MIPS/MMACS

29.

On-Chip Memory

30.

I/O

31.

Power Consumption

32.

Development Tools

33.

Development Boards

34.

Available Algorithms

35.

Available Hardware Accelerators

36.

Packaging

37.

Vendor Support

38.

Vendor Roadmap

39.

Third-Party Support

40.

Code-Compatible Upgrade Path

41.

Reference Designs Available

42.

Competitive Price

DSP/RISC Core Selection Criteria

OPTIONAL: If a licensed DSP core or RISC core for DSP application is employed in your current or future DSP-centric product, what are the important selection criteria? Please assign a rating on a 5-point scale, where 1 represents "Not Important" and 5 represents "Very Important."

 

1-Not Important

2

3

4

5-Very Important

43.

Hard Core Availability

44.

Soft Core Availability

45.

Instruction Configurability

46.

Maximum MIPS/MMACS

47.

Optimal MIPS/MMACS

48.

Power Consumption

49.

Software Development Tools

50.

Test Chip Availability

51.

Available Algorithms

52.

Available FPGA Emulation

53.

Development Boards

54.

Vendor Support

55.

Vendor Roadmap

56.

Low Licensing Fee, Higher Royalties

57.

Higher Licensing Fee, Lower Royalties

58.

One-time Licensing Fee Only

59.

Infringement Indemnification

FPGA Selection for DSP

OPTIONAL: If an FPGA is used in your company's current or future DSP-centric product, what are the important selection criteria? Please assign a rating on a 5-point scale, where 1 represents "Not Important" and 5 represents "Very Important."

 

1-Not Important

2

3

4

5-Very Important

60.

MPY Performance (Clock Speed & No. of MPYs)

61.

Internal Memory Performance

62.

I/O Flexibility

63.

Soft Processor Availability (e.g.,NIOS, MicroBlaze)

64.

Embedded CPU Cores (ARM, PowerPC, etc.)

65.

Small Package Size

66.

Development Tools

67.

Convenient Path to ASIC

68.

IP Availability (FFT, Filters, Video, etc.)

69.

IP Protection/Security

70.

Best Performance/$

71.

Best Performance/Watt

72.

Total Power Consumption

Suggestions for Vendors

OPTIONAL: If you would like to tell vendors your opinions on what new products or features you wish for, please answer one or more of the questions below.


73.

Other than faster, cheaper and lower power, what new DSP-centric products or improvements would you like to see from chip vendors?


74.

Other than faster, cheaper and lower power, what new products or improvements would you like to see from DSP or RISC core vendors?


75.

What new products or improvements would like to see from EDA vendors, software IP vendors, or hardware IP vendors?

Drawing

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76.

Your E-Mail Address


77.

Would you also like to be added to the Forward Concepts mail list for quarterly DSP Market Bulletins and occasional announcements?

Yes

No

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