ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a concise characterization of the precise times during which tokens are written and read by blocks in the synchronous dataflow (SDF) model that is used in many signal processing block diagram environments. It focuses on techniques for computing the consumed-before-produced (CBP) parameter for several commonly used digital signal processing (DSP) actors. The chapter discusses the technique of buffer merging that enables more efficient buffering in SDF graphs. The CBP parameter allows to characterize the lifetimes of individual tokens as they are produced and consumed by SDF actors. Informally, the CBP parameter gives the best known lower bound on the difference between the number of tokens consumed and number of tokens produced over the entire time that the actor is in the process of firing. The CBP parameter provides a concise and precise method for encapsulating a library developer's knowledge of DSP software functionality in a manner that is valuable for synthesis tools.
