IITK DSP Work Station

DSP is digital signal processor. It is used for quick and on-line processing of electrical signal for almost immediate and smart output. This may be used for industrial process control, internet operation (while uploading or downloading) with data and image compression, speech synthesis, use in the automobiles and large number of electronic gadgets. DSP chips are made by companies like Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, Motorola etc.

However only these chips can not do the necessary operations some of which are mentioned above. One has to design an entire board with DSP as one of the component but it requires 2 to 3 dozens of other chips/components. The board, thus obtained, is connected to the serial or parallel (depending on the design) port of a computer. The Work Station, made, is a remarkable tool for all types processing mentioned above. The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, has applied for the patent for the IITK DSP Work Station, developed in this institute.

Areas of Applications:

DSPs used in this manner are called embedded controllers. These are stand-alone applications. To achieve this targets, one has to learn programming and its veri¬cation by executing it. IITK DSP Work Station provides a platform where writting the programs and its execution may be done. Obviously the places of applications will be different Engineering Colleges, Research Institutes, Science Departments of Universities etc.

Advantages:

IITK DSP Work Station is very student-friendly. All the steps of operations e.g. programming in the assembly language, passing it through assembler linker program-splitter, downloading the program from PC to DSP, execution, uploading the result from DSP to PC are all very 'transparent'. The progress of downloading is made visible on the PC's monitor. The clock of the DSP board is independent of PC's clock and it is easier to control external circuits. There is an A-to-D converter driven by DSP. The latter can also pass out data through DAC to CRO, audio-ampli¬er or to motor
control circuit.

Stage of Development: Fully developed and available commercially.

Inputs required:

All electronic chips, ICs, DSPs, CPLDs etc are freely available in Indian market. Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) may be manufactured or got it done through sub-contracts. The outer cage may be made from metal sheets or plastics.

Economic Data:

About Rs. 20 Lakhs including the manufacturing of PCBs. If the latter is done through sub-contract, Rs. 10 Lakhs will be enough.

Transfer forms: Technology transfer through Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

Source:
Dr. G.C. Ray
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.