A new VLSI architecture for a real-time pipeline FFT processor is proposed. A hardware-oriented radix-2/sup 2/ algorithm is derived by integrating a twiddle factor decomposition technique in the divide-and-conquer approach. The radix-2/sup 2/ algorithm has the same multiplicative complexity as the radix-4 algorithm, but retains the butterfly structure of the radix-2 algorithm. The single-path delay-feedback architecture is used to exploit the spatial regularity in the signal flow graph of the algorithm. For length-N DFT computation, the hardware requirement of the proposed architecture is minimal on both dominant components: log/sub 4/N-1 complexity multipliers and N-1 complexity data memory. The validity and efficiency of the architecture have been verified by simulation in the hardware description language VHDL.

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A new approach to pipeline FFT processor

The FFT processor is one of the key components in the implementation of wideband OFDM systems. Architectures with a structured pipeline have been used to meet the fast, real-time processing demand and low-power consumption requirement in a mobile environment. Architectures based on new forms of FFT, the radix-2/sup i/ algorithm derived by cascade decomposition, is proposed. By exploiting the spatial regularity of the new algorithm, the requirement for both dominant elements in VLSI implementation, the memory size and the number of complex multipliers, have been minimized. Progressive wordlength adjustment has been introduced to optimize the total memory size with a given signal-to-quantization-noise-ratio (SQNR) requirement in fixed-point processing. A new complex multiplier based on distributed arithmetic further enhanced the area/power efficiency of the design. A single-chip processor for 1 K complex point FFT transform is used to demonstrate the design issues under consideration.

Designing pipeline FFT processor for OFDM (de)modulation

The design and implementation of a 1024-point pipeline FFT processor is presented. The architecture is based on a new form of FFT, the radix-2/sup 2/ algorithm. By exploiting the spatial regularity of the new algorithm, minimal requirement for both dominant components in VLSI implementation has been achieved: only 4 complex multipliers and 1024 complex-word data memory for the pipelined 1K FFT processor. The chip has been implement in 0.5 /spl mu/m CMOS technology and takes an area of 40 mm/sup 2/. With 3.3 V power supply, it can compute 2/sup n/, n=0, 1, ..., 10 complex point forward and inverse FFT in real time with up to 30 MHz sampling frequency. The SQNR is above 50 dB for white noise input.

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Design and implementation of a 1024-point pipeline FFT processor

Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are an increasingly popular technology for implementing digital signal processing (DSP) systems. By allowing designers to create circuit architectures developed for the specific applications, high levels of performance can be achieved for many DSP applications providing considerable improvements over conventional microprocessor and dedicated DSP processor solutions. The book addresses the key issue in this process specifically, the methods and tools needed for the design, optimization and implementation of DSP systems in programmable FPGA hardware. It presents a review of the leading-edge techniques in this field, analyzing advanced DSP-based design flows for both signal flow graph- (SFG-) based and dataflow-based implementation, system on chip (SoC) aspects, and future trends and challenges for FPGAs. The automation of the techniques for component architectural synthesis, computational models, and the reduction of energy consumption to help improve FPGA performance, are given in detail. Written from a system level design perspective and with a DSP focus, the authors present many practical application examples of complex DSP implementation, involving: high-performance computing e.g. matrix operations such as matrix multiplication; high-speed filtering including finite impulse response (FIR) filters and wave digital filters (WDFs); adaptive filtering e.g. recursive least squares (RLS) filtering; transforms such as the fast Fourier transform (FFT). FPGA-based Implementation of Signal Processing Systems is an important reference for practising engineers and researchers working on the design and development of DSP systems for radio, telecommunication, information, audio-visual and security applications. Senior level electrical and computer engineering graduates taking courses in signal processing or digital signal processing shall also find this volume of interest.

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FPGA-based Implementation of Signal Processing Systems

Large-scale single-frequency networks are now being considered in Europe as very promising network topologies to achieve drastic savings in spectrum usage for digital terrestrial television transmission. Such networks are possible using the COFDM system, with large guard intervals (more than 200 /spl mu/s) to absorb long echoes. In order to limit the spectral efficiency loss to about 20%, very long size fast Fourier transforms (up to 8 K complex points) have to be performed in real time for the demodulation of every COFDM symbol (every 1 ms). This paper presents the first VLSI single chip dedicated to the computation of direct or inverse fast Fourier transforms of up to 8192 complex points. Due to its pipelined architecture, it can perform an 8 K FFT every 400 /spl mu/s and a 1 K FFT every 50 /spl mu/s. All the storage is onchip, so that no external memories are required. A new internal result scaling technique, called convergent block floating point, has been introduced in order to minimize the required storage for a given quantization noise, The chip, 1 cm/sup 2/ large with 1.5 million transistors, has been designed in a 3.3 V-0.5 /spl mu/m triple-level metal CMOS process and is fully functional. The 8 K complex FFT function could therefore be introduced in the coming years in digital terrestrial TV receivers at low cost. >

A fast single-chip implementation of 8192 complex point FFT

A modified fast Fourier transform algorithm is described together with a real-time pipelined implementation. The approach is particularly suited to sequentially presented input data. The method can be used for both mixed and uniform radix number implementations. For example, for the radix-4 implementation, the method requires less data memory and only 1/3 of the number of complex multipliers of a conventional design. >

E.V. Jones

Papers

A pipelined FFT processor for word-sequential data