Digital signal processing with VLSI technology

During the last decade, a new generation of integrated circuits has been developed that is directly applicable to the implementation of advanced signal processors. Examples of such circuits include microprocessors, fast wide word memories, single chip multipliers, floating point adders, etc. Although important in their own right, as examples of advanced technology, such circuits are most significant as components for the development of more complex structures. This paper shows how one such structure, a high performance digital filter, is implemented using current technology. Specifically, a processor that performs on the order of one billion radix 2 butterflies per second is shown to be feasible. Such high levels of performance are required to realize advanced digital signal processing systems such as adaptive beam formers. Future VLSI device research should be guided by the experience gained in the course of designs such as this.