Date of Award

12-1996

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

First Advisor

Gary B. Lamont, PhD

Abstract

Digital signal processing (DSP) has become a popular method for handling not only signal processing, but communications, and control system applications. A DSP application of interest to the Air Force is high speed avionics processing. The real time computing requirements of avionics processing exceed the capabilities of current single chip DSP processors, and parallelization of multiple DSP processors is a solution to handle such requirements. Designing and implementing a parallel DSP algorithm has been a lengthy process often requiring different design tools and extensive programming experience. Through the use of integrated software development tools, rapid prototyping becomes possible by simulating algorithms, generating code for workstations or DSP microprocessors, and generating hardware description language code for hardware synthesis. This research examines the use of one such tool, the Signal Processing WorkSystem (SPW) by the Alta Group of Cadence Design Systems, Inc., and how SPW supports the rapid prototyping process from an avionics algorithm design through simulation and hardware implementation. Throughout this process, SPW is evaluated as an aid to the avionics designer to meet design objectives and evaluate tradeoffs to find the best blend of efficiency and effectiveness. By designing a two dimensional fast Fourier transform algorithm as a specific avionics algorithm and exploring implementation options, SPW is shown to be a viable rapid prototyping solution allowing an avionics designer to focus on design trade-offs instead of implementation details while using parallelization to meet real-time application requirements.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GE-ENG-96D-18

DTIC Accession Number

ADA321331

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