Comparison of FPGA, ARM, and DSP in digital signal processing architecture

Compare the advantages of FPGA, ARM, and DSP from the perspective of digital signal processing architecture, develop fixed-point Deep Recurrent neural networks using Theano, Python, PYNQ, and Zynq, and implement Linux UIO design on Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC.

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1. Contents

Signal processing systems are generally not just analog signals or digital signals, but generally both. Signal processing focuses on the representation, transformation, and operation of signals and the information they contain.

Figure 1 Typical digital signal processing system

1》The input of analog signal generally includes (sound, electricity, light, heat, etc.) analog continuous signals;

2. Analog signal anti-aliasing (an TI -aliasing filter) hopes to separate two or more aliased signals, or enhance certain signals;

3》AD converts analog signals into digital signals;

4》DSP/FPGA/ARM/MPU digital signal processing.

The entire system is divided into three domains, from analog to digital, to digital signal processing, and then to digital to analog.

The content generally studied in digital signal processing involves sampling, filtering, transformation, detection, spectral analysis, estimation, compression and recognition; the theory and algorithm of digital signal processing are inseparable; compared with analog signal system processing, digital signal processing has the advantages of small size, low power consumption, high precision, easy large-scale integration, and two-dimensional and multi-dimensional processing.

The performance of a digital signal processing system depends on three factors: sampling frequency, architecture, and word length.

2. Typical processor comparison

DSP chip, also known as digital signal processor, is a microprocessor that is particularly suitable for digital signal processing operations. Its main application is to implement various digital signal processing algorithms in real time and quickly. According to the requirements of digital signal processing, DSP chips generally have the following main features:

(1) One multiplication and one addition can be completed in one instruction cycle;

(2) The program and data spaces are separated, and instructions and data can be accessed simultaneously;

(3) It has fast RAM on-chip, which can usually be accessed simultaneously in two blocks through independent data buses;

(4) Hardware support for low-overhead or no-overhead loops and jumps;

(5) Fast interrupt processing and hardware I/O support;

(6) Having multiple hardware address generators operating in a single cycle;

(7) Multiple operations can be performed in parallel;

(8) Support pipeline operation so that operations such as instruction fetch, decoding and execution can be performed in an overlapping manner.

Of course, compared with general-purpose microprocessors, other general functions of DSP chips are relatively weaker.

MPU (Microprocessor Unit)

The central processing unit (CPU) in a microcomputer is called a microprocessor (MPU), which is the core component of the microcomputer and can be said to be the heart of the microcomputer. It controls the operation of the entire microcomputer, generates control signals to control the corresponding components, and performs corresponding operations.

The functional structure of the microprocessor mainly includes three parts: arithmetic unit, controller and register:

The main function of the arithmetic unit is to perform arithmetic and logical operations.

The controller is the command center of the entire microcomputer system, and its main function is to control the execution of the program, including decoding and storing instructions, and completing the specified operations according to the instructions, namely instruction control, timing control and operation control.

Registers are used to store operands, intermediate data and result data.

FPGA has a regular programmable structure that can implement various logic functions.

1》Strong computing power and parallel capability.

2》There is great flexibility in the design process.

3》System costs can be reduced through integration.

3. Hybrid system

Figure 2 FPGA as a co-processing system

Figure 3 FPGA as a preprocessing system

Figure 4 FPGA+DSPs+ARM digital signal processing system

As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the digital signal processing systems can be used in different situations, and different systems can be selected based on the advantages of each chip.