This project addresses the need for improved undergraduate education in digital signal processing through the integration of practical DSP laboratory experience into the curriculum. Student learning of digital signal processing concepts at the undergraduate level is enhanced by introducing the theoretical and practical considerations together. The DSP Laboratory consists of ten microcomputer-based DSP "Labstations" assembled using off-the-shelf computers, plug-in DSP coprocessor boards, analog audio input/output systems, and a mix of commercial and custom software. Beginning students use pre-existing software for experiments and homework assignments, while intermediate and advanced students actually write programs for the DSP microprocessor. Unlike the present situation in undergraduate engineering education, the students trained in this manner are directly exposed to the capabilities and limitations of current DSP chips and other hardware, thereby allowing them to design and implement future DSP applications in the communications and electronics industries in this country.
