A data-flow processor for real-time low-level image processing

A chip featuring two coupled data-flow processors (DFPs) has been designed. It is to be mesh-connected into large processor arrays dedicated primarily to image processing. Each processor operates on 25 Mbyte/s data flows and performs up to 50 million 8- or 16-b arithmetic operations per second. The chip has been processed in a 1- mu m CMOS technology. It includes 160000 transistors in a 84 mm/sup 2/ die size area; its clock is at 25 MHz; and it is packaged in a 144-pin PGA package. The approach is to perform computations on the fly on a data flow that comes from a digital video camera. The set of available operators on the DFP has been defined to cover as widely as possible the range of low-level image processing functions.<<ETX>>