This paper presents a DSP core for multi-core media SoC, which is optimized to execute a set of signal processing tasks very efficiently. The fully-programmable core has a data-centric instruction set and a corresponding latency-insensitive micro-architecture, where the hardware design is optimized concurrently with its automatic software generator. The proposed DSP core has 3/spl times/ performance (in cycles) of those found in commercial dual-core application processors with similar computing resources. The silicon implementation in UMC 0.18/spl mu/m 1P6M CMOS technology operates at 314MHz and consumes only 52mW average power.