Dual fixed-point : an efficient alternative to floating-point computation for DSP applications

Abstract

Digital signal processing (DSP) applications are usually specified in a floating-point environment. The large dynamic range of floating-point means designers need not worry about scaling. On the other hand, hardware implementations of these applications rely on fixed-point approximations to reduce cost and power consumption while increasing throughput rates. This is because fixed-point systems are far less complex as compared to their floating-point counterparts. However, the main disadvantage of fixed-point is its limited dynamic range.