Introduction
The number and variety of products that include some
form of digital signal processing has grown dramatically
over the last five years. DSP has become a key component
in many consumer, communications, medical, and indus-
trial products. These products use a variety of hardware
approaches to implement DSP, ranging from the use of
off-the-shelf microprocessors to field-programmable gate
arrays (FPGAs) to custom integrated circuits (ICs). Pro-
grammable “DSP processors,” a class of microprocessors
optimized for DSP, are a popular solution for several rea-
sons. In comparison to fixed-function solutions, they have
the advantage of potentially being reprogrammed in the
field, allowing product upgrades or fixes. They are often
more cost-effective (and less risky) than custom hard-
ware, particularly for low-volume applications, where the
development cost of custom ICs may be prohibitive. And
in comparison to other types of microprocessors, DSP
processors often have an advantage in terms of speed,
cost, and energy efficiency.