Digital Signal Processing Project Guidance And Training

As the name suggests, digital signal processing is the processing of signals in a digital form. DSP is based upon the fact that it is possible to build up a representation of the signal in a digital form. This is done by sampling the voltage level at regular time intervals and converting the voltage level at that instant into a digital number proportional to the voltage. This process is performed by a circuit called an analogue to digital converter, A to D converter or ADC. In order that the ADC is presented with a steady voltage whilst it is taking its sample, a sample and hold circuit is used to sample the voltage just prior to the conversion. Once complete the sample and hold circuit is ready to update the voltage again ready for the next conversion. In this way a succession of samples is made.

The advantage of DSP, digital signal processing is that once the signals are converted into a digital format they can be manipulated mathematically. This gives the advantage that all the signals can be treated far more exactly, and this enables better filtering, demodulation and general manipulation of the signal. Unfortunately it does not mean that filters can be made with infinitely steep sides because there are mathematical limitations to what can be accomplished