Critical Factors for DSP Solutions

Off the shelf devices

Faster time-to-market

Rapid adoption of standards

Real time prototyping

Flexibility - DSP Processors

Performance - Custom ICs

• Less performance

• Sequential processing

• Complex real-time software

• Extra power dissipation

• Parallel processing

• Support high data rates

• Optimal bit widths

• No real-time software coding

• NRE (Custom IC)

• Long development cycle

• Can’t test in real time

• No mistakes permitted

For the last two decades since software programmable DSP processors arrived on the scene DSP designers have been forced to choose between the flexibility of a DSP processor and the performance of custom IC. The ability to buy an off-the-shelf standard product device, customize it to solve a specific problem, and then test it in real time over a real channel is powerful.

But what do you do when the fastest DSP processor is not fast enough? The only alternative beyond using multiple DSP processors has been to design a custom IC.

Custom ICs, on the other hand can be designed to deliver unlimited performance and are a good solution for high volume products such as cell phone handsets but there are many of applications that can afford the risk, development cost, and design cycles of a custom IC.

Now lets look at how the DSP market values flexibility and performance.