| What is Signal processing? |
Processing means operating in some fashion on a signal to extract some useful information e.g. we use our ears as input device and then auditory pathways in the brain to extract the information. The signal is processed by a system. In the example mentioned above the system is biological in nature.
The signal processor may be an electronic system, a mechanical system or even it might be a computer program. |
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| Analog versus digital signal processing |
| The signal processing operations involved in many applications like communication systems, control systems, instrumentation, biomedical signal processing etc can be implemented in two different ways |
- Analog or continuous time method
- Digital or discrete time method..
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- Uses analog circuit elements such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes etc
- Based on natural ability of the analog system to solve differential equations that describe a physical system
- The solutions are obtained in real time...
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Digital signal processing
The word digital in digital signal processing means that the processing is done either by a digital hardware or by a digital computer.
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- Relies on numerical calculations
- The method may or may not give results in real time..
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The advantages of digital approach over analog approach
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- Flexibility: Same hardware can be used to do various kind of signal processing operation,while in the case of analog signal processing one has to design a system for each kind of operation
- Repeatability: The same signal processing operation can be repeated again and again giving same results, while in analog systems there may be parameter variation due to change in temperature or supply voltage.
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The choice of choosing between analog or digital signal processing depends on the application. One has to compare design time,size and thecost of the implementation. |
