Decidable dataflow models for signal processing: Synchronous dataflow and its extensions

Abstract

Digital signal processing algorithms can be naturally represented by a dataflow graph where nodes represent function blocks and arcs represent the data dependency between nodes. Among various dataflow models, decidable dataflow models have restricted semantics so that we can determine the execution order of nodes at compile-time and decide if the program has the possibility of buffer overflow or deadlock. In this chapter, we explain the synchronous dataflow (SDF) model as the pioneering and representative decidable dataflow model and its decidability focusing on how the static scheduling decision can be made. In addition the cyclo-static dataflow model and a few other extended models are briefly introduced to show how they overcome the limitations of the SDF model.