Gain insight into the relationship between DSP and arm (same and different)

Dsp:

DSP (Digital singnal processor) is a unique microprocessor, with its own complete instruction system, is a digital signal to process a large number of information devices. A digital signal processor in a small chip includes a control unit, an operating unit, a variety of registers and a certain number of storage units, etc., in its periphery can also be connected to a number of memory, and can communicate with a certain number of external devices, there is a comprehensive function of software and hardware, itself is a microcomputer. The DSP uses the Harvard design, that is, the data bus and the address bus separate, so that the program and information are stored in two separate spaces, allowing the command and execution instructions to completely overlap. That is, the execution of the previous instruction can be taken out of the next instruction, and decoding, which greatly improve the speed of the microprocessor. It also allows for transmission between the program space and the data space because of the increased flexibility of the device.

It works by receiving analog signals, converting them to 0 or 1 digital signals, and then modifying, deleting, hardening, and interpreting digital data into analog or real-world formats in other system chips. It is not only programmable, but in fact, the speed can be up to a number of seconds to thousands complex instruction program, the stream more than the general microprocessor, digital electronic world is increasingly important computer chip. Its powerful data processing capability and high operating speed are the two most commendable features.

DSP chip, because of its strong computing power, fast, small size, and the use of software programming with a high degree of flexibility, so to engage in a variety of complex applications to provide an effective way. Its main application is to implement various digital signal processing algorithms in real-time and quickly. According to the requirements of digital signal processing, the DSP chip generally has the following main features:

(1) One multiplication and one addition can be done within a single instruction cycle;

(2) The program and the data space are separated, can access the instruction and the data simultaneously;

(3) on-chip with fast RAM, usually can be accessed through separate data bus in two blocks simultaneously;

(4) Hardware support with low overhead or no overhead cycle and jump;

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

(6) Having multiple hardware address generator in single cycle operation;

(7) Multiple operations can be performed in parallel;

(8) To support pipelining operations, so that the operation of the reference, decoding and execution can overlap execution.

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

The advantage of DSP is that it has a unique multiplier, a command can be completed multiplication, but the GPP (general processor) processing is generally used to replace multiplication, n multi-CPU cycles, although the CPU is fast, but still a considerable time, This is now the GPP has basically been able to do internal single-cycle operation multiply plus instructions.

Digital signal processing is a method of processing real-world signals by using mathematical techniques to perform transformations or to extract information, which are represented by a sequence of numbers. Over the past more than 20 years, digital signal processing has been widely used in communications and other fields.

ARM:

ARM (Advanced RISC machines) can be thought of as a company name, or as a generic term for a class of microprocessors, or as a technology name. In 1991, ARM was founded in Cambridge, UK, where it sells the licensing of chip design technology.  At present, the use of ARM technology intellectual property (IP) core microprocessor, which we commonly referred to as ARM microprocessor, has been throughout the industrial control, consumer electronics, communications systems, network systems, wireless systems and other products market, ARM-based microprocessor applications occupy about 32-bit RISC microprocessor 75 More than the market share, ARM technology is gradually penetrating into all aspects of our lives. ARM Company is specialized in RISC-based chip design and development company, as an intellectual property supplier, itself is not directly engaged in chip production, but the transfer of design license by the cooperative company to produce various characteristics of the chip, the world's major semiconductor manufacturers from arm companies to buy its design arm microprocessor core, According to their respective application areas, the appropriate peripheral circuits are added to form their own ARM microprocessor chips to enter the market. Currently, dozens of large semiconductor companies around the world use arm company's authorization, so that both arm technology access to more third-party tools, manufacturing, software support, but also reduce the overall system cost, make the product easier to enter the market is acceptable to consumers, more competitive.

ARM's biggest advantage lies in fast speed, low power consumption, high chip integration, most of the arm chips can be counted as SOC, basically peripheral plus power and drive interface can be made into a small system.

The embedded system based on ARM core processor is more and more used in various embedded systems which need complex control and communication function because of its rich resources, low power consumption, cheap price and many supporting manufacturers.

arm vs. DSP comparison:

Difference:

Because of the rapid development of the two processors in their respective fields, now the high-end or more advanced series of products, are to make up for their shortcomings, and expand their own advantages, so that some of the obvious difference between the two are no longer so obvious, and even appear in the combination of the two trends (such as ARM's Amba bus, DSP or other processor can be integrated in a chip, as well as the DSP two series Omap and Leonardo da Vinci series, is directly for the broad application of both to combine the two to maximize their respective advantages, in addition, the two different series of product focus is not the same, So here are some comparisons in the traditional sense.

In general, the main differences are:

ARM has a relatively strong transaction management functions, can be used to run the interface and applications, and its advantages are mainly embodied in the control, its speed and data processing capacity in general, but the peripheral interface is rich, standardization and versatility to do well, and in the power consumption and other aspects of doing better, Therefore, suitable for use in some consumer electronic goods;

And DSP is mainly used for computing, such as encryption and decryption, modulation and demodulation, the advantage is a strong data processing capacity and high speed of operation. Because of its control algorithm and other aspects of good, so suitable for use in the control of high-demand occasions, such as military navigation, motor servo drive and so on.

If you are only looking at embedded applications, the difference between embedded CPU and DSP should only be a heavy emphasis on the control of an operation.

Other than that:

The kernel open source Linux and the ARM system processor combine, can play the Linux system supports the various protocols and the existence multi-process scheduling mechanism the merit, thus causes the development cycle to shorten, the expansibility enhances.

In detail:

The main advantage of the

DSP is speed, which can be used to complete one multiplication and one addition at a time in a single instruction cycle, which is well suited for fast Fourier transform requirements. DSP