Real-time Digital Signal Processing Demonstration Platform

Abstract

In order to demonstrate various digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms to students or potential students, a program was developed that runs in real-time on low cost, commercially available hardware. The program includes several common DSP algorithms such as lowpass filter, highpass filter, echo, reverb, quantization, aliasing, simple speech recognition, and fast Fourier transform (FFT). The program allows the user to easily switch between algorithms, to adjust the parameters of the algorithms, and to immediately hear the results. The demonstration hardware consists of the TMS320C5515 eZdsp USB Stick, a powered microphone, an audio source such as an MP3 player or cellphone, and speakers. Undergraduate electrical engineering students were shown the demonstration and were surveyed to determine which algorithms they found most interesting. The C language source code for the software is available from the author for free, so this program can be modified by instructors who wish to make their own demonstrations or used as a convenient starting point for student projects.