{"id":28939,"date":"2022-03-21T09:31:07","date_gmt":"2022-03-21T16:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/?p=28939"},"modified":"2025-01-22T14:49:07","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T22:49:07","slug":"digital-signal-processing-with-fpga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/digital-signal-processing-with-fpga\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Signal Processing with FPGA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ongoing digital transformation process across all industrial sectors involves doing away with conventional processes and embracing interconnectivity, digitalization, and streamlined data management. Although <a href=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/what-is-digital-signal-processing\/\">conventional digital signal processors (DSPs)<\/a> continue to be applied to process signals and aggregate data, hardware and technological limitations mean more agility is required for DSPs to function optimally in modern facilities and systems. Hence, hosts of relatively more modern signal processing solutions are required, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/shop\/boards-and-components\/system-boards\/fpga-boards\/\">field-programmable gate array (FPGA)<\/a> falls within this contemporary category. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28940\" src=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/DSP-FPGA-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"457\" height=\"312\" data-wp-pid=\"28940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/DSP-FPGA-1.jpg 457w, https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/DSP-FPGA-1-135x93.jpg 135w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 457px) 100vw, 457px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To better understand the need for versatile signal-processing processes, a more in-depth analysis of the limitations of traditional DSPs is required. The time-consuming programming process for DSP software is generally highlighted as a bottleneck, but the main challenge associated with traditional DSPs is the rigidity of their architecture. DSP processor hardware architecture is famously inflexible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Purchasing a DSP means it must be used until the end-user decides to go for an upgrade. Throughout its use, you are limited to its:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fixed architecture<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fixed computing resources<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fixed hardware features<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rigidity of DSP features makes them unsuitable for use in dynamic applications. In a scenario where a facility intends to increase the operational capacity of a system, older DSPs become redundant. The DSP\u2019s processing capabilities cannot be reconfigured, so it must be discarded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discarding older DSPs for newer upgrades comes at a cost. Older, general-purpose DSPs may cost between $1 to $300 depending on their features and applications. But for application-specific upgrades in a field like manufacturing <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where maximum processing power is routinely required <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the cost of a new DSP fluctuates from $1,000 to $3,500. For example, to double the computing performance of a system with two DSPs, four DSPs will be required. What\u2019s more, this increase will need reconfiguration and task-scheduling to get the system to function optimally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cost requirements, programming requirements, and architectural rigidity associated with DSPs mean <a href=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/what-is-an-fpga\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FPGAs<\/a> provide a more flexible solution for signal processing and data aggregation across data-intensive industries.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Features, Functions, and Applications of FPGAs<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-27900\" src=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-FPGAsale-600x600.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" data-wp-pid=\"27900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-FPGAsale-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-FPGAsale-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-FPGAsale-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-FPGAsale-800x800.png 800w, https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-FPGAsale-300x300-cropped.png 300w, https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-FPGAsale.png 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/shop\/boards-and-components\/system-boards\/fpga-boards\/\">FPGA devices<\/a> are designed with logic elements and memory that are configurable. A generic FPGA can be configured to operate and support diverse applications as needed. The designs of FPGAs are also modular, and the end-user can implement multiple hardware designs to ensure the FPGA fits into specific systems (<a href=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/why-does-fpga-form-factor-matter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">form factor<\/a>). The end-user or programmer can take advantage of hardware description languages such as Verilog HDL, VHDL, and SystemC to implement the hardware\u2019s design.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FPGA devices are also equipped with embedded memory, embedded processors such as ARM Cortex-M, and DSP blocks thus creating a standalone system built for specific applications. For example, an FPGA device that can manage large data sets eliminates the need to include external memory devices to support its use. The versatility of the FPGA\u2019s design empowers designers with the option of implementing its system components in the embedded processor and designing hardware components using its general logic resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The average cost of an <a href=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/what-is-an-fpga\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FPGA<\/a> fluctuates according to its features, but the more advanced solutions fall within the $1,000 range. The extended features an FPGA provides such as embedded processors, memory, and hardware flexibility coupled with its cost make it the more efficient signal processing unit compared to traditional DSPs. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What&#8217;s the Difference Between DSPs and FPGAs?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A clear understanding of the differences between a traditional DSP and an FPGA can help the end-user in making a choice. Here, the differences between both options will be highlighted using the features, functionality, configuration process, and cost as criteria.<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><b>Digital Signal Processor (DSP)<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Operation\/Functionality<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instruction-based signal processors require approximately four instructions for any operation. Data must first be captured at the input, transferred to the processing core, and processed within the core for every operation.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FPGAs are clock-based, and every clock can perform mathematical operations on the incoming data stream. This speeds up the processing process.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Programming Language\/Mechanism<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Standard DSPs are programmed using standard C. Designers must be proficient with a DSP\u2019s design to implement its use.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FPGAs utilize an extensive variety of legacy codes to perform functions. This simplifies the designer\u2019s task.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Features\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rigid hardware and limited computing resources. Increasing its performance capabilities requires an increase in the number of DSPs within the system.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flexible hardware, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/digilent.medium.com\/embedded-measurement-a-digital-transformation-c6241b9a3f18\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">embedded memory<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and embedded processors make it a functional system with extendable computing resources.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Cost\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generic DSPs are relatively cheap, while application-specific DSPs are expensive. Reconfiguring DSPs is also a costly process.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FPGAs can be repurposed to fit diverse applications. This versatility makes them easy to use.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Are Development Boards the Best Option for You?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conventional DSPs handle signal processing or data analysis using a one-dimensional approach. However, in a digitalized environment where applications are broad and intertwined within a system, signal processing solutions with flexible, extended, and decentralized capabilities are required.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FPGAs provide a reconfigurable solution that meets the requirement of diverse DSP applications. The use of legacy codes to perform functions empowers developers to design flow combined with hardware acceleration without extensive technical knowledge of hardware description language.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FPGA and SoC development boards also provide designers with extendable tools for rapidly prototyping embedded systems such as DSPs. Leveraging a development board allows end-users more design flexibility when compared to the average microprocessor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/shop\/eclypse-z7-zynq-7000-soc-development-board-with-syzygy-compatible-expansion\/\">Eclypse Z7<\/a>\u00a0is <a href=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/putting-the-new-eclypse-z7-to-work\/\">a development ecosystem that enables designers to plugin Zmods<\/a> of choice to start the prototyping process. Hence, the user can design, update, and scale the functionalities of DSPs and FPGAs at need. The Eclypse Z7 ecosystem comes at a relatively cheaper cost of approximately $500, compared to the cost of reconfiguring traditional DSPs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Still unsure? Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/six-reasons-you-should-consider-fpgas-over-asics-or-cpu-gpus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">6 reasons why you should consider FPGAs over ASICs o\u0131r CPU\/GPUs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moving from traditional DSPs to the flexibility host development boards provide is the right decision for your applications. If you have decided to make the move, Digilent\u2019s Eclypse Z7 ecosystem will provide you with the flexibility and integration versatility your DSP applications require at affordable costs. Learn more about the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eclypse ecosystem<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for digital signal processing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class='watch-action'><div class='watch-position align-left'><div class='action-like'><a class='lbg-style6 like-28939 jlk' data-task='like' data-post_id='28939' data-nonce='8896bc70a6' rel='nofollow'><img src='https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wti-like-post-pro\/images\/pixel.gif' title='Like' \/><span class='lc-28939 lc'>+1<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class='action-unlike'><a class='unlbg-style6 unlike-28939 jlk' data-task='unlike' data-post_id='28939' data-nonce='8896bc70a6' rel='nofollow'><img src='https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wti-like-post-pro\/images\/pixel.gif' title='Unlike' \/><span class='unlc-28939 unlc'>0<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div> <div class='status-28939 status align-left'><\/div><\/div><div class='wti-clear'><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ongoing digital transformation process across all industrial sectors involves doing away with conventional processes and embracing interconnectivity, digitalization, and streamlined data management. Although conventional digital signal processors (DSPs) continue &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":28940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,1563],"tags":[4366,4351,1662],"ppma_author":[4502],"class_list":["post-28939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fpga","category-guide","tag-digital-signal-processing","tag-eclypse","tag-fpga"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/DSP-FPGA-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":4502,"user_id":50,"is_guest":0,"slug":"davidh","display_name":"David Horn","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/917c337136844f075c76fcf4a0c3b94aa8c225366009ebf63c08fcb9ce6d0e52?s=96&d=mm&r=g","1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":"","9":"","10":""}],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28939"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31305,"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28939\/revisions\/31305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28939"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=28939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}