Teaching DSP concepts using MATLAB and the TMS320C31 DSK

A graphically-oriented MATLAB program written by the authors facilitates teaching real-world digital signal processing concepts such as quantization of digital filter coefficients that occur in fixed-point processors, for example the widely used TMS320C5x. While many universities have or plan to buy the inexpensive floating-point TMS320C31 DSKs for pedagogical reasons, this MATLAB program simulates certain fixed-point effects on these floating-point devices and eliminates the need to purchase expensive specialized software programs or extra hardware. The program described in this paper provides an interactive graphical user interface which communicates directly with the DSK, and demonstrates in real-time how coefficient quantization adversely affects filter performance, without the need for tedious programming of the TMS320C31.