Digital Signal Processing with Field Programmable Gate Arrays (Signals and Communication Technology)
A practical and fascinating book on a topic at the forefront of communications technology. Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are on the verge of revolutionizing digital signal processing. Novel FPGA families are replacing ASICs and PDSPs for front-end digital signal processing algorithms at an accelerating rate. The efficient implementation of these algorithms is the main goal of this book. It starts with an overview of today's FPGA technology, devices, and tools for designing state-of-the-art DSP systems. Each of the book’s chapter contains exercises. The VERILOG source code and a glossary are given in the appendices.
Why Read This Book
You will learn how to take common DSP algorithms and implement them efficiently on real FPGAs, with emphasis on architecture-aware optimizations and Verilog examples. The book mixes algorithmic background, number-format tradeoffs, and hands-on implementation guidance so you can move from MATLAB models to synthesizable HDL and real device implementations.
Who Will Benefit
FPGA and DSP engineers or graduate students who need to map signal-processing algorithms to FPGA hardware and optimize them for throughput, area, and fixed-point accuracy.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Basic DSP concepts (FIR/IIR/FFT), digital logic and number systems, and basic HDL familiarity — knowing Verilog helps but is not strictly required.
Key Takeaways
- Implement common DSP building blocks (FIR, IIR, FFT) in synthesizable Verilog targeting FPGAs.
- Optimize fixed-point arithmetic and resource utilization for FPGA architectures.
- Map algorithmic constructs to FPGA primitives (multipliers/DSP slices, block RAM, routing) to meet throughput/latency goals.
- Design pipelined and parallel architectures to scale performance for high-throughput DSP tasks.
- Use a practical FPGA toolflow (simulation, synthesis, place & route) to verify and deploy DSP subsystems.
- Evaluate trade-offs between algorithm accuracy, word-length, and hardware cost through examples and exercises.
Topics Covered
- 1. Introduction: FPGAs in Modern DSP
- 2. FPGA Architectures and DSP Hardware Primitives
- 3. Number Systems and Fixed-Point Arithmetic
- 4. HDL Coding Styles for DSP — Verilog Primer and Examples
- 5. FIR Filter Design and FPGA Implementation
- 6. IIR Filters, Stability, and Implementation Issues
- 7. FFT Algorithms and Efficient FPGA Realizations
- 8. Multirate Signal Processing and Filter Banks
- 9. Adaptive Filters and Real-Time Algorithms
- 10. Hardware/Software Co-Design and System Integration
- 11. Case Studies and Complete Design Examples
- 12. Design Flow, Tools, Exercises and Verilog Appendix
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
Covers similar application-focused FPGA/DSP ground as 'FPGA-based Implementation of Signal Processing Systems' (Woods et al.) but Meyer-Baese is more example-driven with direct Verilog sources; for HDL-centric prototyping skills consider Pong Chu's 'FPGA Prototyping by Verilog Examples'.
