Micro-programmable digital filter

A micro-programmable digital filter includes a plurality of programmable filter elements, an instruction memory for storing a control program, at least one instruction decoder for programming the filter elements based on the control program, and arithmetic logic for selectively scaling and accumulating output values received from the filter elements and providing accumulated values as inputs to the filter elements. The filter elements are typically coupled in series so that a coefficient output from one filter element can be passed to an adjacent filter element for implementing longer filters. A separate instruction decoder may be included for each filter element. Execution of the separate instruction decoders is typically staggered so that the instruction decoders can share the instruction memory and an accumulator without collision. Each filter element can be programmed to implement a different filtering function, or multiple filter elements can be programmed to operate on a single filtering function.