Programmable filter architecture

A filter with interconnected modular basic units and with a delay line, equipped with takeoff points, to furnish delayed sampling values (x, . . . , xN; xi) of a digital signal (x). Each basic unit contains a programmable weighting device, a linkage device, and a delay device, which delays the data conducted to it by a single period (T) of the sampling clock pulse or by a simple integer multiple thereof. The filter further contains a programmable control device, which switches over or switches off a part of the data inputs of the basic unit to achieve forward and/or backward filtering and/or sign inversion and/or a change of the active filter length.