A multiprocessor digital signal processing system for real-time audio applications

This paper describes the design and application of a multiprocessor digital signal processing system. Incorporating six VLSI digital signal processors, the fully programmable system is a powerful laboratory instrument that provides real-time digital signal processing to facilitate speech and audio research. The system capabilities include: up to 15 million 16-bit multiply-accumulate operations per second; two analog input channels sampled and converted to 16-bit values each at the rate of up to 50 kHz; and two 16-bit digital-to-analog output channels with conversion rates to 50 kHz. The implementation of a four-channel hearing aid is described to provide an understanding of a typical application to which this system is well suited.