Towards an FPGA-Based Compilation Flow for Ultra-Low Latency Audio Signal Processing

International audienceField Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have been increasingly used in recent years for real-time audio Digital Signal Processing (DSP) applications. They provide unparalleled audio latency and processing power performances. They can target extremely high audio sampling rates and their large number of General Purpose Inputs and Outputs (GPIOs) make them particularly adapted to the development of large scale systems with an extended number of analog audio inputs and outputs. On the other hand, programming them is extremely complex and out of reach to non-specialized engineers as well as to most people in the audio community. In this paper, we introduce a comprehensive FPGA-based environment for real-time audio DSP programmable at a high level with the FAUST programming language. Our system reaches unequaled latency performances (11 µs round-trip) and can be easily controlled using both a software graphical user interface and a dedicated hardware controller taking the form of a sister board for our FPGA board. The implementation of the system is described in details and its performances are evaluated. Directions for future work and potential applications are presented as well

Towards an FPGA-Based Compilation Flow for Ultra-Low Latency Audio Signal Processing

International audienceField Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have been increasingly used in recent years for real-time audio Digital Signal Processing (DSP) applications. They provide unparalleled audio latency and processing power performances. They can target extremely high audio sampling rates and their large number of General Purpose Inputs and Outputs (GPIOs) make them particularly adapted to the development of large scale systems with an extended number of analog audio inputs and outputs. On the other hand, programming them is extremely complex and out of reach to non-specialized engineers as well as to most people in the audio community. In this paper, we introduce a comprehensive FPGA-based environment for real-time audio DSP programmable at a high level with the FAUST programming language. Our system reaches unequaled latency performances (11 µs round-trip) and can be easily controlled using both a software graphical user interface and a dedicated hardware controller taking the form of a sister board for our FPGA board. The implementation of the system is described in details and its performances are evaluated. Directions for future work and potential applications are presented as well

The European Butterfly Indicator for grassland species: 1990-2013

This report presents the fifth version of the European Grassland Butterfly Indicator, one of the EU biodiversity indicators of the European Environment Agency

Making Frugal Spatial Audio Systems Using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays

International audienceSpatial audio systems are expensive, mostly because they usually imply the use of a wide range of speakers and hence audio outputs. Some techniques such as Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) are especially demanding in that regard making them out of reach to many individuals or even institutions. In this paper, we propose to leverage recent progress made using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) in the context of real-time audio signal processing to implement frugal spatial audio systems. We focus on the case of WFS and we demonstrate how to build a 32 speakers system that can manage multiple sources in parallel for less than 800 USD (including speakers). We believe that this approach contributes to making advanced spatial audio techniques more accessible

Making Frugal Spatial Audio Systems Using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays

International audienceSpatial audio systems are expensive, mostly because they usually imply the use of a wide range of speakers and hence audio outputs. Some techniques such as Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) are especially demanding in that regard making them out of reach to many individuals or even institutions. In this paper, we propose to leverage recent progress made using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) in the context of real-time audio signal processing to implement frugal spatial audio systems. We focus on the case of WFS and we demonstrate how to build a 32 speakers system that can manage multiple sources in parallel for less than 800 USD (including speakers). We believe that this approach contributes to making advanced spatial audio techniques more accessible

A Programmable Linux-Based FPGA Platform for Audio DSP

International audienceRecent projects have been proposing the use of FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array) as hardware accelerators for high computing power real-time audio Digital Signal Processing (DSP). Most of them imply specific developments which cannot be re-used between different applications. In this paper, we present an accessible FPGA-based platform optimized for audio applications programmable with the FAUST language and offering advanced control capabilities. Our system allows fast and simple deployment of DSP hardware accelerators for any Linux audio application on Xilinx FPGA platforms. It combines the Syfala compiler-which can be used to generate FPGA bitstreams directly from a FAUST program-with a readymade embedded Linux distribution running on the Xilinx Zynq SoC. It enables the compilation of complete audio applications involving various control protocols and approaches such as OSC (Open Sound Control) through Ethernet or Wi-Fi, MIDI, web interfaces running on an HTTPD server, etc. This work opens the door to the integration of hardware accelerators in high-level computer music programming environments such as Pure Data, Su-perCollider, etc

La Chaîne de Compilation Syfala pour le Traitement du Signal Audio sur FPGA

The implementation of real-time audio Digital Signal Processing (DSP) on FPGAhas been extensively studied in the past. Up to now, Audio IPs were designed either “by hand” inVHDL or using predefined IPs in block synthesis environments. The advent of High Level Synthesis(HLS) allows for a real compilation flow from high-level audio DSP specifications down to FPGAbit-streams. This paper presents the principles and the implementation of the first “audio DSPcompiler” targeting FPGAs. Our fully open-source system compiles audio DSP programs downto FPGA hardware and up to actual sound production. Many parameters such as the numberof output channels, sampling rate, etc. are adjusted automatically by the compiler. Softwareinterfaces can be generated to control the system in real-time. This compilation flow presents twoimportant technological breakthroughs for audio programmers: achieving ultra-low latency real-time audio DSP (few micro-seconds) and the possibility of easily deploying systems with a largenumber of audio channels

Computed Tomography-Navigation™ Electromagnetic System Compared to Conventional Computed Tomography Guidance for Percutaneous Lung Biopsy: A Single-Center Experience

International audienceThe aim of our study was to assess the efficacy of a computed tomography (CT)-Navigation™ electromagnetic system compared to conventional CT methods for percutaneous lung biopsies (PLB). In this single-center retrospective study, data of a CT-Navigation™ system guided PLB (NAV-group) and conventional CT PLB (CT-group) performed between January 2017 and February 2020 were reviewed. The primary endpoint was the diagnostic success. Secondary endpoints were technical success, total procedure duration, number of CT acquisitions and the dose length product (DLP) during step ∆1 (from planning to initial needle placement), step ∆2 (progression to target), and the entire intervention (from planning to final control) and complications. Additional parameters were recorded, such as the lesion’s size and trajectory angles. Sixty patients were included in each group. The lesions median size and median values of the two trajectory angles were significantly lower (20 vs. 29.5 mm, p = 0.006) and higher in the NAV-group (15.5° and 10° vs. 6° and 1°; p < 0.01), respectively. Technical and diagnostic success rates were similar in both groups, respectively 95% and 93.3% in the NAV-group, and 93.3% and 91.6% in the CT-group. There was no significant difference in total procedure duration (p = 0.487) and total number of CT acquisitions (p = 0.066), but the DLP was significantly lower in the NAV-group (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in complication rate. For PLB, CT-Navigation™ system is efficient and safe as compared to the conventional CT method