Open Hardware and Software System for Speech and Signal Processing

Intelligent Hearing Systems CorpIHSplans to develop an open architecture hardware and software system that will allow researchers to conduct a wide range of studies involving multi channel acoustic input and output for psychophysical researchThe proposed architecture will capitalize onyears of digital signal processorDSPbased hardware and software development experience at IHS used for highly precise synchronized acoustical stimulus generation and data acquisitionThe system will include a Universal Serial BusUSBcontroller to direct dataDSP code and control instructions to and from a control computer and memory shared with the DSPThis architecture provides a wide range of flexibility by allowing various applications and processing strategies to be uploaded at any timeMultiple levels of user programmability will be provided in order to suit the needs of researchers of various technical capabilities includingSignals generation and acquisition using programs such as MatLab or integrated advanced speech processing TFsoftware developed at the University of WisconsinMadisonUser developed application in various programming languages using provided Dynamically Linked LibraryDLLand Visual Control LibraryVCLof real time control and display functionsDirect programming of internal DSP using provided source code examples and documentationThe DSP will support real time sample by sample or block by block processing in order to implement a wide range of signal processing functions including filteringadaptive noise cancellationspeech enhancementdynamic gain adjustmentand frequency and amplitude compression among othersDuring Phase I the following work will be accomplisheda DSP based hardware system specifically designed for acoustical research with input amplifiers for microphones and output attenuators and speaker drivers will be developedCurrent USBcommunications will be improved toCurrent DSP user development kit will be expanded to include additional speech processing routines with source code examples and documentationA VCL interface will be developed for TFin order to facilitate the incorporation of various speech processing routines into user developed applicationsTest data and validation procedures developedSignal and noise generation modules developed for system validation and testingDuring Phase IIA graphical interface will be developed in order to facilitate the development of DSP codeA text book with examples and projects will be developedImprovements to the DSP to PC communications implementedA wireless and battery powered supply options developedPUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCEThe development of an open software and hardware architecture speech processing system is important in order to expand and facilitate research in a wide range of acoustical work including speech processinghearing aid developmenthearing aid fittinggeneral psychoacousticsnoise cancellationtinnitusauditory evoked potentials and otoacoustic emissionsThe proposed system will also provide speech processing students with a powerful tool to implementdevelop and test novel processing ideasAs suchthe proposed work will greatly impact public health by providing tools that will help address current research needs in these areas