Research in digital signal processing at Georgia Tech covers a range of theoretical and experimental topics.  A strong emphasis is placed on the application of digital signal processing techniques to a large variety of signals:  speech, radar, sonar, images, video, acoustic signals, as well as a number of signals and patterns that arise in biomedical research.  The key requirement for a useful computer facility is that the system permit the researcher to interact with the computer in a convenient way. This imposes the following basic requirements upon the computer system:

• It must have sufficient memory and computational speed so that realistic simulations can be carried out quickly.
• Sufficient mass storage must be available for programs, operating system, and database storage.
• It must have flexible input/output capabilities including the ability to create sophisticated graphics output.

All of these features are essential to rapid progress in signal processing research, and all are available in the present laboratory facility.

Laboratory Hardware:

Click here for information about the laboratories software.

CSIP Network

The CSIP currently uses a TCP/IP ethernet network of computer systems which provide significant computational capabilities. The local network is a subnet of a campus-wide network that is connected to the Internet. The campus network provides access to main-frame systems and super-computers, and provides access to other remote CSIP resources both on and off campus. Every system in the CSIP is connected to this network and has access to the other systems on the Internet. The computer systems on the local network comprise 45 workstations and 20 personal computers. Distributed file access to over 60 gigabytes of disk storage is available using Sun Microsystems Network File System (NFS). Distributed graphics and windowing are achieved using the X Window System (UNIX systems). This network of computers, supported by a five-member research staff, currently serves the needs of eleven faculty members and over sixty graduate students engaged in CSIP research.

Many of the local systems run variants of the UNIX operating system. These workstations offer computational capabilities ranging from approximately 3 million instructions per second (MIPs) to over 120 MIPs each. An NCUBE/2, a configurable hypercube multiprocessor with 16 computing nodes, is hosted by a Sun 386i workstation and is used for research into parallel computing algorithms and structures. The principal file server is a Sun Microsystems Sun 4/260, with 2.4 Gbytes of local disk storage. This system also serves as the main Internet system for mail and domain name services for elec tronic communications to other research sites. In addition to these systems, there are several workstations that provide high quality graphics and access to special purpose hardware for digital signal processing. The workstation resources on the local network are listed below.    There are also a number of PC machines running Windows and a few Macintosh machines.

GCATT is connected via an OC-3 link to OIT and then the rest of campus. We use 10baseT, 100baseT, and ATM for our network on the third floor of GCATT.

CSIP Workstations

• SUN (UNIX)
• HP (UNIX/PC)
• SGI (UNIX)
• DELL (PC)

SUN

Most of the Sun workstations are available to both faculty and graduate students for high-resolution graphics and image display, and as general purpose windowed environment workstations. Many have A/D and D/A capabilities to handle either 8-bit companded audio or 16-bit CD-quality audio. A multimedia laboratory is under development; this will combine signal handling capabilities for many types of multimedia signals (speech, audio, image, video, fax, text, microphone arrays, etc.) with a high-speed network environment to facilitate research into the application of DSP algorithms to such signals in this environment. Applications such as voice and video mail, video conferencing between groups of workstations, and HDTV-based high-resolution video processing are supported.

HP

SGI

DELL

Microprocessors

The laboratory contains a custom synchronous multiprocessor system built at Georgia Tech (the OSCAR-32) and custom support facilities for developing real-time applications on DSP microcomputers (AT&T WE-DSP32, Motor ola DSP56001, TI TMS32010, TMS320C15, TMS320C17, TMS32020, TMS320C25, and TMS320C30). The real-time development tools are hosted by a combination of IBM PC/AT-compatible computers and Sun 386i worksta tions (which have AT-compatible ISA busses and can run DOS applications in native mode), and HP 9000 series 700 workstations (which have AT-compatible EISA busses). Eleven TMS320C30- based systems have been integrated into the network environment using the Sun 386i's and the HP's. Software tools have been developed to make these 33 Mflop processors and the OSCAR-32 accessible from any workstation on the network, using the X Window System interface. A new 64-processor multiprocessor based on the TI TMS320C40 is under development. This new multiprocessor, the Chameleon, features high-speed data throughput coupled to tremendous processing capability; it is being targeted at real-time processing of HDTV signals, and will be connected to the Viewgraphics HDTV workstation.

Printing Resources in the CSIP

One of the most widely used resources in the CSIP is the LaserJet 5Si printer (Odum). Everyone should keep in mind that toner and paper are very costly items and excessive printing is a drain on the resources of the CSIP. Therefore, it is expected from everybody to make use of Odum efficiently. We are asking for your cooperation in reducing the load on our printer. Printers are to be used for final copies only. Do not use as a copier, print only one copy. Please do not print on transparencies without the assistance of the lab staff, as these may jam the printers.

• Printing Guidelines

Printers

Multimedia Resources

Video Systems

An Imaging Technology Incorporated (ITI) video system provides capture and display capabilities for NTSC resolution video signals, and a Viewgraphics HDTV workstation provides display and manipulation capabilities for high-definition video signals. In addition to these systems, there are several workstations that provide high quality graphics and access to special purpose hardware for digital signal processing.

The ITI system has three high-speed video disks, and is capable of acquiring and processing up to 30 seconds of real-time color video at 30 frames per second. This is used for research into real-time video processing. A high resolution (1024x1280) true-color display, a broadcast-quality NTSC monitor, color and monochrome video cameras, and a broadcast-quality video tape recorder are also attached to the image processing system. The Viewgraphics HDTV workstation is a memory-based video maipulation system. Video sequences in a virtually unlimited variety of formats can be downloaded from a host workstation, manipulated by the HDTV workstation, and displayed on high resolution mitors. Sequence may be displayed side-by-side for comparison, or windowed, scaled, cropped, and placed anywhere on the screen.

Scanners

Audio, Video, and Image Utilities

• Audio, Video, and Image Utilities

Backup Hardware

Last Updated: July 30, 1998