Re: GSoc'25 Proposal

Hello Sliverfish,

I spotted your proposal for GPU-accelerated signal processing (gr-cuda + MatX) and wanted to say great work on outlining your approach! I've also explored gr-cuda before but couldn't pursue it deeply due to hardware constraints. However, I did have some helpful discussions with Josh Morman – one of the main contributors to gr-cuda – and he pointed me to a resource that might interest you:
https://github.com/luigifcruz/CyberEther?tab=readme-ov-file#compatibility

Here are a few suggestions you might find useful:

1. Scoping and Timeline:

   • Adding a MatX-specific buffer type plus writing specialized blocks (e.g., kernel wrappers, file I/O) can get tricky quickly. Make sure you have a strong plan for incremental testing. Wrapping entire sets of MatX capabilities might be too big for a single GSoC. You could consider focusing on a smaller, high-impact set of operations (e.g., FFTs and FIR filters) and mark the rest as stretch goals.

2. Integration with gr-cuda Memory Model:

   • gr-cuda provides a zero-copy approach for device memory. Ensure that layering higher-level MatX buffers on top of that doesn't cause redundant data transfers or overhead. A quick proof-of-concept verifying you can maintain zero-copy usage with MatX is a good first step.

3. Testing Strategy:

   • GPU debugging is often more involved than CPU-based code. Set aside extra time to build robust test harnesses, especially for performance comparisons. Mentors typically appreciate seeing a clear plan to measure throughput gains vs. CPU-based blocks under practical scenarios (large chunk sizes, typical sample rates).

4. Documentation & Examples:

   • In addition to developer docs, consider example flowgraphs that compare CPU vs. GPU blocks. Demonstrating real performance improvements for something like FFT or FIR filtering will highlight the immediate community value.

Your plan looks thorough, and it's exciting to see further GPU integration in GNURadio. I'll be following your progress—best of luck, and feel free to reach out if you want to compare notes on GPU aspects!

All the best,
Krish Gupta

On Sat, Apr 5, 2025 at 6:42 AM Shen Yu <jiayu.sjy@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello!

  My name's Silverfish, I'm a master's student studying wireless communications, and I use GNURadio for my work. I would like to contribute to the gnuradio community through GSoC.
   I've written an early version of my proposal and would love some feedback to improve it. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you for your time!

Best Wishes,

Sliverfish