From Block Diagrams To Graphical Programs In Dsp

Abstract

Recent Control Systems, Communication Systems and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) courses have relied heavily on MATLAB and/or C, representing the state of the art in textual programming, for their standard computer tools. Many textbooks are published containing examples, if not sections, utilizing these textual languages. Whereas this environment may be efficient in manipulating equations, textual implementation of processes best described by block diagrams loses its intuitive substance. In this paper, we will describe experiences in a DSP course with an alternative graphical programming environment, namely LabVIEW, from both a student's and an instructor's perspective. We will describe the adjustments that have to be made by individuals trained in conventional, textual programming environments during the transition to the graphical environment. We will give examples of implementations that are better left graphical, such as direct form, canonical, transpose of canonical and cascade realizations of IIR filters. We will conclude with a summary of student feedback on the effectiveness of the graphical programming environment in the presentation of DSP topics.

Preparation Of A Virtual Toolkit For Communication Systems

“…In a previous paper, we wrote: "However, the instrument-like user interface of LabVIEW, its abundance of analysis VIs make it very attractive and inviting to implement most DSP routines" 1 . That paper also argued that for processes best explained by block diagrams, a graphical language such as LabVIEW is very intuitive to use.…”

“…The personal computer has now become ubiquitous and more powerful than the mainframe computers of the late 70's and early 80's while the educational utilization of the computer has been transformed from writing specific programs in FORTRAN for carrying out calculations for individual problems to mastering specialized applications for simulations or for data acquisition/processing. With the proliferation of special purpose applications, undergraduate electrical engineering courses have been enriched with computer simulations with many textbooks incorporating some form of computer-aided tool 1 . Simulations have made 'what if' type investigations possible even in situations where accessing the actual hardware to experiment with is, for one reason or another, impractical.…”

“…This project was undertaken upon the enthusiastic suggestion of the senior Communications Systems students in spring '01 who had taken Digital Signal Processing (DSP) the previous semester. LabVIEW was employed as the tool for data processing in the DSP class and the experience is described in an article presented last year 1 with a follow up this year 2 . This paper will describe the development of the toolkit specific for Communications Systems.…”

Explorations In Communication Systems Using A Virtual Tool Kit

“…We also described the particular class environment and the process in which the software development tool, namely LabVIEW, was chosen. Although MATLAB is the standard software tool employed in the areas of signals and systems, as evidenced by the proliferation of books [2][3][4] devoted to MATLAB based exercises in those subjects, the choice of the software tool is justified in 1,5,6 . In a separate paper, Adams and I discuss this choice from an engineering design aesthetics point of view 7 .…”

Comparing The Walsh Domain To The Fourier Domain With A Labview Based Communication Systems Toolkit

“…Those papers also describe the particular class environment and the process in which the software development tool, namely LabVIEW, was chosen. Although MATLAB is the standard software tool employed in the areas of signals and systems, as evidenced by the proliferation of books devoted to MATLAB based exercises in those subjects, the choice of the software tool is justified in several previous publications 5,2,6 . This paper will report on the results of a term project carried out in ELE 402, Introduction to Communications Engineering class.…”