Digital Signal Processing

In the last few years, we have seen the world become more digitally oriented. Music, video, wireless applications, and imaging are just a few of the many technologies following this digital trend. For this reason, digital signal processors (DSP) are playing an important role in the digital revolution. These real-time processors are one of the fastest growing segments of the semiconductor market. They are specifically designed to handle the demand of processing digital information. Therefore, they are becoming an important part in communications applications such as the Internet and cell phones. They're also allowing us to develop and improve medical imaging and performance audio. This is why I compiled this resource page containing some great information about digital signal processors.

Bores

What is DSP?
Digital signal processing (DSP) is used in a wide variety of applications, and it is hard to find a good definition that is general.
I can start by giving you the dictionary definitions of the words:

Digital: operating by the use of discrete signals to represent data in the form of numbers
Signal: a variable parameter by which information is conveyed through an electronic circuit
Processing: to perform operations on data according to programmed instructions

Which leads us to a simple definition of:

Digital signal processing: changing or analysing information, which is measured as discrete sequences of numbers

Note two unique features of digital signal processing as opposed to plain old ordinary digital processing:

signals come from the real world—this intimate connection with the real world leads to many unique needs such as the need to react in real time and a need to measure signals and convert them to digital numbers
signals are discrete, which means the information in between discrete samples is lost

The advantages of DSP are common to many digital systems and include:
Versatility:

digital systems can be reprogrammed for other applications (at least where programmable DSP chips are used)
digital systems can be ported to different hardware (for example a different DSP chip or board level product)

Repeatability:

digital systems can be easily duplicated
digital systems don't depend on strict component tolerances
digital system responses don't drift with temperature

Simplicity:

some things can be done more easily digitally than with analogue systems

DSP is used in a wide variety of applications such as telephones, radar, audio, fax, multimedia, and sonar.
And most share these common features:

they use a lot of maths (multiplying and adding signals)
they deal with signals that come from the real world
they require a response in a certain time

This is just a short excerpt form Boras�s on-line tutorial about digital signal processors. They have set up a wonderful on-line tutorial that is easy to follow. After you have a grasp of what DSP is and how it works they have some more tutorials that go into DSP much deeper and explain some of its more popular uses.

To learn more about DSP, please visit Boras's On-Line Tutorial.

Digital Signal Processing

"DSP stands for Digital Signal Processing - the basis of many areas of technology, from mobile phones to modems and multimedia PCs. DSP devices account for a significant proportion of worldwide semiconductor sales, amounting to billions of dollars annually.

DSP is traditionally a highly mathematical subject, and the standard DSP textbooks contain a lot of mathematical exposition. This is necessary for a profound understanding of the subject. However, many people just want a simple introduction to the basic concepts and techniques of DSP. This site aims to provide just that.

The site arose from an introductory DSP course I used to teach a few years ago. I am no longer actively involved in DSP, but I have kept the site going because I still receive appreciative messages from people who have found it helpful. I hope that by reading this material, and trying out the Java applets, you will gain a basic appreciation of what DSP is about."

This is a basic tutorial about DSP, which examines another use of DSP.

To learn more about DSP and some of its other applications, visit DSP Tutor.

Circuit Cellar provides up to date information for engineers, www.circuitcellar.com for more information and additional articles.
©Circuit Cellar, the Magazine for Computer Applications. Posted with permission. For subscription information, call (860) 875-2199 or e-mail subscribe@circuitcellar.com