April 1996, vol. 13, no. 2
DSP architecture: MIPS are only
part of the equation
It seems inevitable that every announcement
of a new DSP or other microprocessor must be accompanied by confusing
specsmanship. Unfortunately, even when the numbers are valid,
potential users can find themselves scrambling to figure out exactly
where the new device fits along various measures of application
performance. While DSP vendors have (quite rightfully) taken to
characterizing processors in mixed terms such as price/performance,
performance/power, performance/area, and so on, the least common
denominator still seems to be the MIPS (million instructions per
second) rating. Measuring MIPS remains somewhat non-standard and
subjectively application dependent, leaving many users uncertain
as to just how level the playing field is when it comes to comparing
various processors.
Trademarks, Important Notice!