Performance of DSP operations implemented using a soft microprocessor: a case study based on Nios II

Abstract

Digital Signal Processors are microprocessing units specially designed for performing operations on signals while optimizing performance. Soft-core processors are fully implemented using a hardware description language and are synthesized using the programmable logic resources available in a Field Programmable Gate Array.The objective addressed in this paper is measuring the ability of soft-core processors in performing digital signal processing algorithms. This paper presents the implementation of some signal processing operations in the Nios II soft-core Reduced Instruction Set Computer based processor. The performance of these operations is then evaluated by ensuring proper execution of functions and benchmarked against the TMS320DM64x+ DSP by Texas Instruments.