Cluster architecture for reconfigurable signal processing engine for wireless communication

We describe a dynamic reconfigurable baseband signal-processing engine suitable for mobile communications that require short operation latency. Signals are processed using a cluster group, which consists of clusters containing heterogenous processor elements (PEs), inter-PE networks, and a sequencer that controls dynamic reconfiguration. The cluster group also has dedicated shared signal processing resources. In the cluster, combined data transfer and operations are carried out within one cycle to minimize operation latency, except for the multicycled PE. We evaluated the architecture by mapping several physical-layer IEEE802.11a and 11b wireless LAN algorithms. The results confirmed a shorter processing latency.