TEACHING SIGNAL PROCESSING USING JAVA REAL-TIME PROGRAMMING
Sverre Holm, Svein Bøe, Nils Christophersen · 2002
Our beginner’s course in signal processing is taught to students who are computer literate, but who lack the traditional electrical engineering background in circuit theory. We started to notice that when they were taught using a high-level, batch-oriented language such as Matlab TM for computer exercises, they did not grasp well the basic details of sinusoids, convolution, the DFT etc. This led us to a search for better ways. The multimedia and real-time capabilities of Java TM combined with the large processing capability of today’s PC, and in addition the real time input/output of the PC’s soundcard, now provide the key elements in our beginner’s course. The students have to work out all the details of loops and indices for the convolution, the sinusoids of the DFT, and time and frequency axes. Results have been improved, and also the enthusiasm of the students. In doing real time processing of their own voice signals, we now hear students commenting that this is fun to work with. 1.