Brief Overview of the Hardware and Software Tools

Abstract

The purpose of this initial experiment is to introduce you to the main features of the hardware and software tools that will be used in this course. A variety of signal processing and communication system components will be implemented by writing C and/or assembly language programs for the TMS320C30 DSP. The DSP communicates with the analog world through A/D and D/A converters and with a host PC through the 8-bit PC data bus. The DSP and converters reside on a card called the Evaluation Module (EVM) that plugs into a PC slot. It is important to have a general picture of the hardware platform so you will understand how to write programs to accomplish the desired tasks. First, a very brief history of DSP chips is presented and some typical applications are discussed. Then, the important features of the TMS320C30 DSP are described. Next, a block diagram of the EVM is discussed followed by an introduction to some of the software tools. Finally, you will be guided through some very simple experiments to learn the basics of how to use the system. If you finish these experiments before the end of the lab period, go on to Chapter 2.