Parallel implementation of video encoder on quad DSP system

Implementation of H.263/MPEG4 video encoder is presented for a demanding vehicle remote control system. Required features are CIF-sized images, over 25 fps frame rate and flexibility to realize different coding modes and algorithms. A fully DSP-based implementation is chosen, in which the number of processors is scaleable. Out of parallel mapping approaches, a column-wise data parallel method in a master-slave configuration is chosen. A detailed performance analysis shows that the requirements are clearly exceeded with two TMS320C6201 processors while obtaining over 90% parallelization efficiency. Estimations are also -given for a larger number of DSPs and image sizes. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.