Development of a Fast Numerical Algorithm for Conversion of Analog to Digital Signals (FastAlgoASP-DSP)

Development of a Fast Numerical Algorithm for Conversion of Analog to Digital Signals (FastAlgoASP-DSP)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Background to the Study

Signals play significant role in our daily life. Majority of the signals found in science are analog in nature.  A signal is the variable parameter that contains information which is transmitted in an electronic system or circuit [1]. Analog signal is a continuous-time signal with continuous amplitude while digital signal is a discrete-time signal with discrete-valued amplitudes represented by a finite number of digits. However, our contemporary society is driven towards making all actions, activities, and processes digitalized. In Nigeria for instance, the broadcasting industry is determined to digitalize all information and information processing in the year 2017. Signal processing is a technique for extracting information from the signal which in turn, depends upon the type and nature of signal and information it carries [2].

To process analog signals and convert them into digital, an interface between the analog signal and a digital processor is required. This interface is known as analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The output of the analog-to-digital conversion is a digital signal. Existing fast Fourier numerical algorithms (FFNA) for the conversion of analog to digital signals have the average processing speed of 3.47 ms. Numerical algorithms can be used as filters to process digital signals so that their operation times can be determined and compared accordingly. The aim of the study was to develop a fast-numerical algorithm for conversion of analog to digital signals (FastAlgoASP-DSP). The specific objectives were to: (i) investigate the speed of existing numerical algorithms for the conversion of analog to digital signals, (ii) design a FastAlgoASP-DSP, (iii) determine the processing speed of the FastAlgoASP-DSP and (iv) compare the processing speed of the existing algorithms with that of the FastAlgoASP-DSP.