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INTRODUCTION

1.1 DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING

Digital signal processing is an area of science and engineering that has developed rapidly
over the past 40 years. In the present scenario digital signal processing plays a major role in
every technology that emerges and develops. Signal processing ranks among the most
demanding applications of digital design concepts and practices. It is a mature technology
domain wherein the demands for enhanced performance and reduced resource utilization have
risen exponentially over the years.
The rapid development of DSP is a result of the significant advances in digital computer
technology and integrated-circuit fabrication. These inexpensive and relatively fast digital
circuits have made it possible to construct highly sophisticated digital systems capable of
performing complex digital signal processing functions and tasks, which are usually too difficult
and /or too expensive to be performed by analog circuitry or analog signal processing systems.
Not only do digital circuits yield cheaper and more reliable systems for signal processing, it also
provides greater degree of flexibility (i.e., digital processing hardware allows programmable
operations and through software one can easily modify the signal processing functions to be
performed by the hardware).

1.1.1 APPLICATIONS OF DSP

DSP technology is commonplace in devices like mobile phones, multimedia
computers, video recorders; CD players, hard disc drive controllers and modems, and are
replacing analog circuitry in TV sets and telephones. DSP signal compression technology
allows people not only to talk to one another but also to see one another on their
computer screens, using small video cameras mounted on the computer monitors, with
only a conventional telephone line linking them together.
The various other applications of signal processing are as follows:

 signal processing for communications

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  audio and speech signal processing(speech recognition, speech compression and
transmission in digital mobile phones, high fidelity loudspeaker crossovers and
equalization, MP3 compression)
 digital image processing(medical imaging such as CAT scans and MRI,
computer-generated animations in movies, image manipulation, video
compression)
 control of systems
 RADAR,SONAR
 sensor array processing
 statistical signal processing, spectral estimation
 biomedical signal processing
 seismic data processing, weather forecasting

1.2 CONVOLUTION IMPORTANCE IN DSP

Convolution is at the very core part of DSP. It is similar to polynomial multiplication,

correlation, integer multiplication, Vedic multiplier and FIR filtering .The concept of
convolution applies everywhere and thus an efficient convolution system will benefit a number
of applications.

1.3 CONVOLUTION SYSTEM

The requirements and solution to design an efficient convolution system are discussed below

1.3.1 REQUIREMENTS
 Area, Power Efficiency
The advent of portable DSP devices such as mobile phones, hearing aids, radar echo
signal simulator, CDMA system, personal digital advisors and wireless sensor nodes has
lead to the need for designing devices which are area and power efficient.

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 Flexibility
In case of convolution and filtering operations, if there is a need to change the
coefficients, the designed system should not be completely redesigned rather it should be
flexible.
 Speed
Real time applications requires speedy convolution. In real time applications like radar
echo signal simulator, CDMA system, mobile phones, video and image processing, the
input to output delay (latency) in a convolution operation is the major constraint.

1.3.2 SOLUTION
1.3.2.1 Application Specific Instruction Processors(ASIP)
The best solution to the first two requirements is to design an ASIP.
The ASIPs are processors with application specific dedicated functional units which can
be incorporated as an ASIC with the features of re-programmability (i.e. it provides high
throughput and is flexible).

Why ASIP?
 Area, power efficiency
Portable devices in general are battery powered and area efficient. In such cases, only
minimum resources will be available, hence the system for convolution should be
designed in such a way that the whole process should be done with the sequential use
of these available resources. AS ASIP is a processor which performs the instructions
given to it sequentially with the available dedicated units, it best suits the above
requirements.. Also reducing the area will in turn decrease the power consumption to
a greater extent.
 Flexibility
If we design an ASIC for convolution, it provides various advantages such as good
performance, less area and power by finding an optimal architecture and has higher
integration. But for the system to be flexible ASIC is not suitable as it is specially
designed for one behavior and is difficult to adopt any changes at the later design
stage. In contrast, an ASIP can be easily adapted to different applications by changing

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 only the programs. Hence by designing an ASIP for convolution, the above
requirement will be satisfied.

1.3.2.2 Coefficient Partitioned Model

The third requirement can be fulfilled by using coefficient partitioned model.
In real time applications, the input data rate will be very high hence the convolution
should be of high speed in order to get the convolved output at the same rate. But when
we increase the speed, area is sacrificed as there is always a tradeoff between speed and
area. Coefficient partitioned model can be used to increase the speed by parallel
processing. The coefficient partitioned model consists of a number of ASIP processors
(with a single processor for each set of partitioned inputs), running in parallel with each
having their own thread of control and a central control unit governing the whole
system.
Thus area and power efficient, high speed and flexible real time convolution processor can be
designed.
tively.