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An invading force
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20/10/2005
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Whilst motor control is still a battleground between microcontrollers and dsps, a hybrid of the two – the digital signal controller (DSC) – has joined the fray.
Microcontrollers can perform logical, diagnostic and arithmetic operations on almost any combination of input data. DSPs, meanwhile, are efficient at repetitive, numerically intensive tasks. DSCs, by contrast, blend a dsp optimised for signal processing (multiply and accumulator, or MAC, operations) with a standard microcontroller, bringing together the interrupt handling ability of the microcontroller and harnessing complex motor control algorithms. Today’s DSCs include bit reverse, addressing barrel shifters and MAC operations as part of their architecture.
As embedded systems take over from pcs as the driving force behind the electronics market – particularly consumer – DSCs have broadened their reach. Steve Marsh, DSC strategic marketing manager for Microchip, says: “Many embedded applications are becoming communications oriented. Speech applications, like hands free kits, are driving the need for size and performance. Applications now include motor control, power conversion, sensors, communications and consumer goods.” Several needs appeared that have seen an expansion in Microchip’s product range, including catering for space constrained applications.
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Author
Vanessa Knivett
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