A Case Study in DSP Systems Integration ? The TI 3rd Party Vocoder Demonstration

The Texas Instruments Third-Party Vocoder Technology Demonstration Kit (TDK) illustrates recent advances in DSP software systems integration. The tool allows users to graphically configure multiple channels of several speech-coding algorithms running on a TMS320C6000? Digital Signal Processor (DSP). A key differentiating feature, however, is that the application framework embraced an algorithm standard which greatly reduced the overall system assembly time. This paper presents a case study in DSP systems integration, and aims to solve issues when using algorithms from multiple sources. At its heart lies the TMS320? DSP Algorithm Standard. A component developed in accordance with this standard adheres to a set of rules designed to ensure that it will inter-operate with algorithms from different vendors in virtually any application. The end-result is a speech coder framework running on an inexpensive C6211/C6711 DSP Starter Kit (DSK). At present more than 30 Standard-compliant algorithms from four TI third parties have been successfully integrated. A common set of Application Programming Interfaces (API) further enables one vendor?s implementation to be re-linked in place of another. No source code modifications are required. The intended audience is primarily systems integrators keen to using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) algorithms. Technical highlights in the reduced TDK development cycle are presented with reference to the enabling algorithm-standard features. Consumers evaluating different third-party solutions also benefit from this work, since real-time algorithm performance metrics are clearly displayed in the Graphical User Interface (GUI).