Home TopicsDsp

Digital Signal Processing (DSP)

Digital signal processing is a common software process that many people use everyday, although they aren’t familiar with the technology. A method of converting audio signals into digital information (and vice versa), DSP is increasingly replacing standard audio equipment.

Defining Digital Signal Processing

Defining Digital Signal Processing is no simple task. DSP technology uses highly complex mathematical algorithms to convert audio or electrical signals into digital information. Digital signals can then be converted back into audio signals.

Why convert to digital if you’re just going to convert the information right back to an audio signal? DSP software can filter unwanted interference out of the audio signal, resulting in clearer sound quality.

DSP Software and Shortwave Radio Receivers

DSP software is increasingly common in software radio receivers. Shortwave radio stations are “crammed” together with only 5 kHz separating each station on the shortwave frequency band, making interference from neighboring stations a frequent problem.

Shortwave signals also vary in strength and may “travel” within their broadcast range. DSP software is able to compensate for these problems and result in a stronger, clearer audio output.

Shortwave radio receivers often include a board DSP. Some systems allow the user to manually set DSP filters, depending on how they use their radio.

DSP Software Applications

Digital signal processing technology is one of the fastest growing electrical engineering fields. The need for DSP engineers increases with every passing year.

Board DSP (DSP processors) and DSP software is standard in consumer products used by the general public. DSP software can compress and depress audio signals, allowing for faster signal transmission.

In fact, the computer you’re using right now probably has a board DSP and DSP software: the computer industry adopted direct signal processing in the 1980s. Other common items employing DSP include:

amplifiers
CD players
cell phones
DVD players
GPS systems
high definition televisions
modems
surround sound systems
video recorders.

DSP is also used to amplify and alter music recordings. Both the Yamaha DSP and the Fender DSP are two of the most popular examples of direct signal processing in the music industry. The Yamaha DSP-1, created in the 1980s, was responsible for ushering in the era of home theater surround-sound systems.

Direct signal processing isn’t restricted to the entertainment industry. A DSP engineer can find work in fields as diverse as:

aerospace
communications
computer generated animation
economic forecasting
medical devices
radar
seismology
sonar
speech recognition systems
weather forecasting.

Why DSP is so Widespread

Direct signal processing owes its success to several variables. In terms of versatility, DSP can produce results that are impossible with audio alone. For instance, an ECG monitor records the heart’s electrical signals. An ECG signal can be distorted by electrical interference, making the results unreliable. An ECG machine that includes a board DSP can filter out interference and produce an accurate record.

Secondly, and almost as importantly, DSP is cheap. A DSP system rarely costs more than the equivalent audio equipment and, in most cases, costs less. This combination of value and versatility enabled the spread of direct single processing systems.

DSP Resources

Add a Comment

Print this Article

Email to a Friend