BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™
The BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™ is an application-oriented benchmark based on an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) receiver, as shown in the block diagram below. It is representative of the processing increasingly found in communications equipment for applications such as DSL, cable modems, and fixed wireless systems.
BDTI introduced the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM) in 2001 as a means to evaluate application performance and complex architectures. The BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM) enables the performance evaluation of processors and other implementation technologies on a complex, real-world application. This benchmark was used to compare DSP-enhanced FPGAs to a high-performance DSP processor in BDTI’s Focus report, FPGAs for DSP. (For a summary of this study, see BDTI’s article, “FPGA/DSP Blend Tackles Telecom Apps”.)
BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™: Simplified Block Diagram |
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The IQ block performs demodulation into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signals; the Slicer block maps fast Fourier transform (FFT) outputs to points in a QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) constellation. |
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Energy Benchmarking Annex to the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™
As an annex to the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™, BDTI provides a methodology for benchmarking energy consumption. The energy benchmarking annex to the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM) fills an significant need in processor selection and design today—the need for reliable, credible data on energy consumption.
In the design of a communications system, whether an infrastructure or handheld application, energy consumption is a key consideration. Sadly, reliable data is hard to find. BDTI’s benchmark fills the gap—it defines a standard workload and measurement methodology that enable apples-to-apples comparison. This tool will help both chip vendors and their customers. Chip vendors now have a way to know where they stand. System designers can now understand and compare energy consumption for competing devices.
Using the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™
The BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM) is designed to enable assessment and comparison of a wide range of processing engines including digital signal processors, general-purpose processors, FPGAs, and configurable processors. Results are obtained from the benchmark in terms of number of channels supported (or percentage of resources to support a single channel) and cost per channel.
There are several different plans for engaging with BDTI, described below.
Options for Benchmarking and Analysis
Using the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™
Plan A: License to the BDTI Communications Benchmark OFDM)™
A license to the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™ includes:
- The BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™ Specification for use in benchmarking one processor (or processing device)
- Benchmark reference implementation in C source code
- Benchmark reference implementation in MATLAB (M code)
- Test vectors for use in verifying the functionality of implementations of the BDTI Communications Benchmark
- One-year license to use the above items for one project
- Technical support
The BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM) may be licensed with or without the Energy Benchmarking Annex. However, the Energy Benchmarking Annex is only available to licensees of the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM).
Plan A does not include BDTI review and certification of benchmark results. To maintain the credibility and objectivity of the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™ results, BDTI requires results certification before any benchmark data can be disclosed. Therefore, Plan A is most appropriate if you intend to use the benchmark results only for internal purposes.
Plan B: License to the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™; Certification of Results
In order to disclose BDTI Communications Benchmark results, a vendor must obtain BDTI review and certification of benchmark implementations. Plan B provides:
- All items in Plan A
- BDTI review and certification of the benchmark results
Under Plan B, BDTI performs an audit of the licensee’s benchmark implementation to verify performance and ensure that it is compliant with the specification. BDTI requires either a cycle-accurate simulator or processor hardware development tools to issue results certification. After BDTI has certified the benchmark results, you may release benchmark data in compliance with BDTI’s guidelines for benchmark results disclosure.
Optionally, a licensee may contract with BDTI for implementation of the benchmark.
Plan C: License to the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™; Certification of Results; and Analysis
Plan C provides a vendor with a complete evaluation. It includes:
- All Items in Plan B
- A written analysis of the processor
For processing devices benchmarked using the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM), BDTI’s written analysis provides detailed discussion of the factors influencing the benchmark results. Tables and graphs augment the analysis. For example, BDTI analyzes the functions in the benchmark implementation that dominate processing time, providing insight into how computational and memory requirements map to the device’s architecture. BDTI also examines the types and amount of memory used by the implementation and explains how memory capacity and performance affect benchmark performance.
Benchmark Licensing and Analysis
To license the BDTI Communications Benchmark (OFDM)™, initiate an analysis engagement, or discuss your needs, please contact BDTI.
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