Software synthesis and code generation for signal processing systems

The role of software is becoming increasingly important in the implementation of digital signal processing (DSP) applications. As this trend intensifies, and the complexity of applications escalates, we are seeing an increased need for automated tools to aid in the development of DSP software. This paper reviews the state of the art in programming language and compiler technology for DSP software implementation. In particular, we review techniques for high-level block-diagram-based modeling of DSP applications; the translation of block-diagram specifications into efficient C programs using global target-independent optimization techniques; and the compilation of C programs into streamlined machine code for programmable DSP processors using architecture-specific and retargetable back-end optimizations. We also point out important directions for further investigation.