A multi-processor platform for signal processing

The Acoustic Signal Development Platform (ASDP) was designed so that mature and experimental signal processing algorithms can be rapidly tested on real target hardware. Changing the number of processors, sensors, and configurations is accomplished through the use of drop-in modules and simple software changes. Open VME architecture and Texas Instruments TIM processor module standards allows for easy changes and upgrades to accommodate changing sensor requirements. In addition to a built in debugger, the interface between the processor modules and the host PC is accomplished using standard C function calls directly in the processor module software. This allows the processors to communicate directly with the host PC for disk storage, data analysis, and GUI displays. Thus, the ASDP allows the full development of a sensor package on real hardware before any custom system is built. Although the system was designed for acoustic signal processing, it is fully capable of performing other sensor processing tasks, such as RF and image processing.