DSP evolution from a teaching point of view

In this paper the authors are addressing the concerns associated with fast growing DSP chips and tools and the impact they have on teaching DSP implementation. The authors also provide solutions, advice and suggestions on how to select a DSP, set a DSP implementation course and the associated laboratory hardware and software that fit a specific application. To help differentiate between the multitude of high performance DSPs, vendors are developing market-specific DSPs as an alternative to more generic DSPs. This is putting pressure on educators to update courses and reinvest in hardware and software more often than for traditional courses. For the less experienced or new educators, it is a daunting task to cope with this fast evolving technology, to make an informed choice and select the right tools. Choosing the wrong tools not only can be very expensive and time consuming but can also have a negative impact on teaching and learning outcomes.