A flexible floating-point format for optimizing data-paths and operators in FPGA based DSPs

Video signal processing requires complex algorithms performing many basic operations on a video stream. To perform these calculations in real-time in a FPGA, we must use innovative structures to meet speed requirements while managing complexity. As part of a project aiming at the development of a video noise reducer, we developed an optimized processing stream that required some floating-point calculations. This paper presents the rationale for developing a floating-point unit, justifies the data representation used, its implementation in a Xilinx VirtexE FPGA and reports the performance we obtained. A divider using this representation is also presented, with its implementation and performances in the same FPGA