Process interoperability using CORBA

In many of today´s digital signal processing systems the functionality is implemented either on a digital signal processor (DSP) or partitioned between general purpose processor (GPP) and DSP. In these systems resource allocation for the processes is made at design time and cannot be easily changed later at runtime. To change or to reconfigure the functionality of a DSP, its resources and the processes running on it must be accessible by other processes. In communications networks which have diverse range of DSP hardware and software used such accessibility is achieved by implementing platform and language independent middleware. Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is a middleware architecture that has been widely adopted by GPP software designers. This paper aims to describe the suitability of CORBA as a middleware in DSP devices and discuss how minimum CORBA and real-time CORBA applications can be ported in DSPs. CORBA application design steps are also explained in detail.