Efficient realizations of a sound propagation processor as a cellular nonlinear network

This paper investigate several aspects for efficiently implementing a sound propagation processor as a nonlinear cellular network. Starting from a partial differential wave propagation equation an equivalent cellular array is defined to simulate a certain 2-dimensional scenario space where various obstacles and signal sources may be positioned arbitrarily. The defining equations in the initial model with 5 state variables per cell are redefined into a much faster model with 2 state variables per cell. Consequently two cell processors (the state and the output processors) are defined from the perspective of implementing arrays of such interconnected processors in FPGA technology. Finite precision effects were investigated concluding that at least 10 bits precision is necessary in order to have acceptable simulation errors.