A Case Study in Software Reengineering for a DSP-based System on a Chip: Adaptation of Dolby Virtual Speaker

An increased complexity of modern computer based systems is accompanied by advanced software architectures embedded into a system. Common approach for designing consumer electronic products includes usage of legacy code with some modifications in order to run it on the targeted platform. Shorter development time and budget constraints are also influencing the process of system design. Thus, reuse of existing legacy source codes as well as inclusion of available open source contributions is widely used in industrial practice. Since each embedded system is having its specific limitations, reuse of embedded software without adaptation to the new platform is not always possible. This paper describes a case study of software reengineering of Dolby Virtual Speaker from the reference platform to the required DSP based system on a chip, including system verification and system validation in real-time conditions. The critical reengineering decisions are elaborated with given results and lessons learned during project implementation.