A laboratory experiment for real-time echo cancellation using a BeagleBoard

Practical experience is an important aspect of the training of every engineer. One way to develop such experience is by hands-on laboratory experimentation which involves cutting-edge technology. In this paper, we present a signal processing lab experiment developed for undergraduate students. Throughout the experiment, students first learn the basics of adaptive filtering and implement an adaptive echo cancellation algorithm using MATLAB. Then, students use a software framework for implementing the same echo cancellation algorithm on a BeagleBoard development platform using both ARM and fixed-point DSP cores of an embedded system-on-chip from Texas Instruments. In a relatively short amount of time (8 hours at the lab and a few additional hours of homework), students learn an important signal processing technique, as well as use complex state-of-the-art DSP hardware to implement it as part of an application running in real-time.