Digital Signal Processing with Field Programmable Gate Arrays (Signals and Communication Technology)
Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are revolutionizing digital signal processing as novel FPGA families are replacing ASICs and PDSPs for front-end digital signal processing algorithms. So the efficient implementation of these algorithms is critical and is the main goal of this book. It starts with an overview of today's FPGA technology, devices, and tools for designing state-of-the-art DSP systems. A case study in the first chapter is the basis for more than 30 design examples throughout. The following chapters deal with computer arithmetic concepts, theory and the implementation of FIR and IIR filters, multirate digital signal processing systems, DFT and FFT algorithms, and advanced algorithms with high future potential. Each chapter contains exercises. The VERILOG source code and a glossary are given in the appendices, while the accompanying CD-ROM contains the examples in VHDL and Verilog code as well as the newest Altera "Baseline" software. This edition has a new chapter on adaptive filters, new sections on division and floating point arithmetics, an up-date to the current Altera software, and some new exercises.
Why Read This Book
You should read this book if you need a practical bridge between DSP algorithms and hardware: it shows how to map filters, FFTs and multirate structures onto FPGA architectures, with Verilog examples, design tradeoffs, and performance/area considerations. You will get concrete implementation techniques, verification tips, and exercises that make algorithm-to-hardware design repeatable.
Who Will Benefit
FPGA/DSP engineers, graduate students, and system designers who want to implement real-time DSP (filters, FFTs, multirate systems) on FPGAs or evaluate hardware tradeoffs.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Basic discrete‑time DSP (signals, sampling, filters, DFT/FFT), digital logic fundamentals, and familiarity with HDL concepts (Verilog or VHDL); MATLAB experience is helpful but not required.
Key Takeaways
- Map common DSP algorithms (FIR, IIR, FFT, multirate) efficiently onto FPGA resources and architectures.
- Implement fixed‑point and computer arithmetic strategies to preserve numerical accuracy while minimizing area and latency.
- Apply pipelining, parallelism, and resource sharing to optimize throughput and area for real‑time DSP.
- Write and verify synthesizable Verilog implementations of DSP blocks and integrate them into a toolflow.
- Analyze performance tradeoffs (latency, throughput, resource usage, numerical error) for FPGA DSP designs.
Topics Covered
- Introduction and FPGA technology overview (families, fabrics, DSP blocks)
- Design case study that recurs through the book
- Computer arithmetic and fixed‑point representation
- FIR filter theory and FPGA implementations
- IIR filters and implementation challenges
- Multirate signal processing on FPGAs
- DFT and FFT algorithms and hardware realizations
- Advanced algorithms: adaptive filters, wavelet transforms and others
- Pipelining, parallelism, and resource optimization techniques
- Verification, testing, and toolflow (simulation, synthesis, timing)
- Practical examples, Verilog source code and exercises
- Appendices: hardware primitives and reference material
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
Compared with Woods et al.'s 'FPGA‑Based Implementation of Signal Processing Systems', Meyer‑Baese is more algorithm‑centric with many worked Verilog examples, while Woods et al. is broader on system design and tool‑specific flows.
