Digital signal processors: Toward Vision 2001

The AT&T concept for the 21st century - Vision 2001 - anticipates an environment in which communication is both easy and convenient, and in which every type of related service is ubiquitous and readily accessible. Today, the increasing sophistication of telephone equipment, modems, and computer multimedia is driving the need for high-volume implementation of application-specific digital signal processors (DSPs) having particular emphasis on low-voltage battery operation, moderate cost, faster time to market, software flexibility, and improved performance. This paper discusses these factors, and it also examines the engineering trends of modern DSPs as they relate to Vision 2001. Several basic hardware features are briefly reviewed, and the impact of advances in silicon-process technology on DSP architectures is considered. Evolving trends that affect the design of DSP software and algorithms are presented. The paper also provides some specific examples of DSP-based products within the Vision 2001 environment.