3/9/2016

ABeginner'sGuidetoDigitalSignalProcessing(DSP)|DesignCenter|AnalogDevices

A Beginner's Guide to Digital Signal Processing

(DSP)
ThefollowingdocumentdescribesthebasicconceptsofDigitalSignalProcessing(DSP)andalsocontainsa
varietyofRecommendedReadinglinksformoreindepthinformation.

What is a DSP?
DigitalSignalProcessors(DSP)takereal
worldsignalslikevoice,audio,video,
temperature,pressure,orpositionthat
havebeendigitizedandthen
mathematicallymanipulatethem.ADSPisdesignedforperformingmathematicalfunctionslike"add",
"subtract","multiply"and"divide"veryquickly.
Signalsneedtobeprocessedsothattheinformationthattheycontaincanbedisplayed,analyzed,or
convertedtoanothertypeofsignalthatmaybeofuse.Intherealworld,analogproductsdetectsignalssuch
assound,light,temperatureorpressureandmanipulatethem.ConverterssuchasanAnalogtoDigital
converterthentaketherealworldsignalandturnitintothedigitalformatof1'sand0's.Fromhere,theDSP
takesoverbycapturingthedigitizedinformationandprocessingit.Itthenfeedsthedigitizedinformation
backforuseintherealworld.Itdoesthisinoneoftwoways,eitherdigitallyorinananalogformatbygoing
throughaDigitaltoAnalogconverter.Allofthisoccursatveryhighspeeds.
Toillustratethisconcept,thediagrambelowshowshowaDSPisusedinanMP3audioplayer.Duringthe
recordingphase,analogaudioisinputthroughareceiverorothersource.Thisanalogsignalisthen
convertedtoadigitalsignalbyananalogtodigitalconverterandpassedtotheDSP.TheDSPperformsthe
MP3encodingandsavesthefiletomemory.Duringtheplaybackphase,thefileistakenfrommemory,
decodedbytheDSPandthenconvertedbacktoananalogsignalthroughthedigitaltoanalogconverterso
itcanbeoutputthroughthespeakersystem.Inamorecomplexexample,theDSPwouldperformother
functionssuchasvolumecontrol,equalizationanduserinterface.
ADSP'sinformationcanbeusedbyacomputertocontrolsuchthingsassecurity,telephone,hometheater
systems,andvideocompression.Signalsmaybecompressedsothattheycanbetransmittedquicklyand
moreefficientlyfromoneplacetoanother(e.g.teleconferencingcantransmitspeechandvideovia
telephonelines).Signalsmayalsobeenhancedormanipulatedtoimprovetheirqualityorprovide
informationthatisnotsensedbyhumans(e.g.echocancellationforcellphonesorcomputerenhanced
medicalimages).Althoughrealworldsignalscanbeprocessedintheiranalogform,processingsignals
digitallyprovidestheadvantagesofhighspeedandaccuracy.
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ABeginner'sGuidetoDigitalSignalProcessing(DSP)|DesignCenter|AnalogDevices

Becauseit'sprogrammable,aDSPcanbeusedinawidevarietyofapplications.Youcancreateyourown
softwareorusesoftwareprovidedbyADIanditsthirdpartiestodesignaDSPsolutionforanapplication.
FormoredetailedinformationabouttheadvantagesofusingDSPtoprocessrealworldsignals,pleaseread
Part1ofthearticlefromAnalogDialoguetitled:WhyUseDSP?DigitalSignalProcessing101An
IntroductoryCourseinDSPSystemDesign.

What's Inside a
DSP?
ADSPcontainsthesekeycomponents:
ProgramMemory:Storesthe
programstheDSPwilluseto
processdata
DataMemory:Storestheinformationtobeprocessed
ComputeEngine:Performsthemathprocessing,accessingtheprogramfromtheProgramMemoryand
thedatafromtheDataMemory
Input/Output:Servesarangeoffunctionstoconnecttotheoutsideworld

RecommendedReading
FormorespecificinformationaboutADIProcessorsandPrecisionAnalogMicrocontrollersweinviteyouto
explorethefollowing:
SHARCProcessorsArchitecture
SHARCProcessorsSelectionGuide
BlackfinProcessorsArchitecture
BlackfinProcessorsSelectionGuide
PrecisionAnalogMicrocontrollersSelectionGuide
DigitalSignalProcessingisacomplexsubjectthatcanoverwhelmeventhemostexperiencedDSP
professionals.Althoughwehaveprovidedageneraloverview,AnalogDevicesoffersthefollowingresources
thatcontainmoreextensiveinformationaboutDigitalSignalProcessing:
FixedPointvsFloatingPointDigitalSignalProcessingTechnologyOverviewandApplication
Considerations
TheScientistandEngineer'sGuidetoDigitalSignalProcessing
AnalogDialogueSeries:DigitalSignalProcessing101AnIntroductoryCourseinDSPSystemDesign
Part1:WhyuseDSP?DSPArchitectureandDSPAdvantagesOverTraditionalAnalogCircuitry
Part2:LearnMoreAboutDigitalFilters
Part3:ImplementAlgorithmsonaHardwarePlatform
Part4:ProgrammingConsiderationsforRealTimeI/O
Let'sTalkDSP:CommonlyUsedWordsandWhatTheyMean
DSPworkshopsareaveryfastandefficientwaytolearnhowtouseAnalogDevicesDSPchips.The

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ABeginner'sGuidetoDigitalSignalProcessing(DSP)|DesignCenter|AnalogDevices
DSPworkshopsareaveryfastandefficientwaytolearnhowtouseAnalogDevicesDSPchips.The
workshopsaredesignedtodevelopastrongworkingknowledgeofAnalogDevices'DSPthroughlectureand
handsonexercises.Forscheduleandregistrationinformation,visittheLearningandDevelopmentpage.

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