This project includes the design of a custom instruction on the Mic-2 microprogrammed processor architecture. The instruction performs color-based blob detection on image data stored in D-Cache memory.
The project was developed as part of the BIM 327 Computer Architecture course.
- Project report - time analysis & architecture diagrams
- Microcode steps
In the worst-case scenario, when the blob is located at the last pixel of the image, the total number of micro-operations is calculated as follows:
Initialization stage: 5 micro-operations Pixel scanning loop: 65,536 pixels × 6 micro-operations = 393,216 micro-operations Coordinate calculation: 4 micro-operations
Total number of micro-operations: 5 + 393,216 + 4 = 393,225 micro-operations
Given that each micro-operation takes 1 ns, the total execution time of the custom instruction is: 393,225 ns → 0.393 ms
The system operates at 120 frames per second (FPS), so the maximum allowable time per frame is approximately 8.33 ms. The calculated worst-case execution time of 0.393 ms is well below this limit. This result indicates that the designed custom instruction is suitable for timing requirements in real-time autonomous systems.