A digital signal processing system and a graphic editor for synthesis algorithms

A DSP system to be used in acoustic and musical activities, designed around the microprocessor TMS320C25, is described. The system consists of a single Master Processor and a number (up to 16) of Slave Processors. The Master Processor module communicates with a Host Computer, controls the Slave Processors and uses a D-to-A and A-to-D conversion section. Bach Slave Processor, being programmable, behaves as a highly sophisticated co-processor; communication between the Master Processor and the Slave Processors is performed using Dual Port Ram devices. The system was designed to implement almost any kind of synthesis algorithm, including digital algorithms. In order to facilitate the definition of algorithms and filters, a prototype of a Graphic Editor was developed on a MacIntosh personal computer: using the mouse it is possible to place on the graphic plane basic symbols (generators, envelope shapers, delays, adders etc.) taken from a palette, and to link them with tools such as the pencil, rubber, etc.. The Editor includes an on-line syntactic analyzer that guarantees the correctness and the consistency of the algorithms drawn. The drawing is then translated into TMS320C25 machine code. The Graphic Editor can also be used to issue a complete wave-form which will be employed with a commercial Digital Wave Sampler.