DSP algorithms and VLSI system design

Digital signal processing (DSP) is steadily gaining importance, especially since signal processors and corresponding modules have become commercially available. While theoretical foundations of the digital signal processing were laid down years ago, it was the arrival of very-large-scale-integration (VLSI) technologies that has made economic realization of signal processing systems possible. Design of such systems, however, presents great difficulties due to its high complexity. Actually, an imaginary "good" designer of a DSP system integrated on a silicon chip should possess interdisciplinary knowledge of information sciences, computer architecture, signal theory, communications, network theory, circuit design, solid-state physics, device modelling and semiconductor technology. In addition, experience in design for testability, measurement techniques know-how and capability of tackling all computer-aided-design (CAD) tools would be indispensable as well. In practice, all these aspect s are handled by a team of specialized designers who cover all levels of design hierarchy

Circuit and system design for silicon microsensors

This contribution presents recent advances in CMOS electronics for silicon and silicon-based sensors. It describes the principles of sensor instrumentation and features practical solutions accompanied by examples of advanced sensory microsystems

Scannerless 3D-ToF-sensors

In this talk the state of the art of "scannerless" 3D-Time-of-Flight sensors is presented. The principle, different realization approaches, performance limits, possible technology realizations, sensor examples, and future developments are considered

Speed comparison of digital BiCMOS and CMOS circuits

Today BiCMOS technologies are becoming more and more attractive and offer an interesting alternative to existing technologies. In the paper it will be shown that in digital circuits the bipolar transistor does not necessarily improve BiCMOS speed performance over CMOS in all circumstances. We shall show what conditions are necessary to achieve superior speed and how they can be met. The results depend on channel length and can be easily applied to downscaled BiCMOS technology as well. The estimation is based on theoretical considerations and the results are compared to those achieved on already realised BiCMOS technologies

System and chip design for neural and auditory signal processing

Speech recognition and understanding is one of the most difficult tasks to be carried out by machines while it is readily performed by humans. Although modern electronic and computer engineering has greatly advanced in recent years, construction of a perfect electronic speech recognition system, i.e. inexpensive, fast, speaker-independent, capable of handling continuous speech, and exhibiting high recognition rate still eludes our endeavour. In this communication we describe an effort to build an advanced speech recognition system that combines the most recent progress in psychoacoustics, auditory perception, neural networks, and silicon technologies

Secant distance analysis for corner point detection

In this paper a new algorithm for corner point detection based on object contours (chain codes) will be presented. The algorithm, which is well suited for high speed VLSI hardware implementation, analyses the distance of the contour points to the object boundary secants and is therefore called secant distance analysis (SDA) corner detection