Why MATLAB Is Ideal For Signal Processing? Uncovering The Biggest Reasons

We are living in a digital age. Science and technology advancements have changed how information is acquired, processed, stored, and transferred. These advancements have enabled us to harness electromagnetic forces, use electromagnetic signals for information processing, and harness different kinds of natural phenomena for various purposes. The entire digital signal processing domain focuses on the manipulation, storage, and transfer of digital signals. Digital signal processing (DSP) implements different kinds of mathematical & scientific processes for effective processing and utilizes a large array of digital electronic systems. DSP systems convert, manipulate, enhance, filter, polish, and carry out other processing to optimize signals and the information within.

And MATLAB, an OOP language with powerful data processing and compression capabilities, is one of THE MOST commonly used languages for programming digital signal processing software, firmware, VMware, and the like.

So, what makes MATLAB so suitable for signal processing purposes? This article explores.

What is Digital Signal Processing? A Brief

Signal processing, as the name suggests, involves manipulating signals and enabling them to act as reliable media for information storage & transfer. Conversion, superposition, enhancement, and extraction are some key processes in signal processing, and DSP systems use different kinds of electronic hardware & software applications to carry out the processing. Like any other processing system, the software controls the hardware that carries out the signal processing.

Most digital signal processing tasks can be categorized into analysis and filtering tasks. The analysis involves measuring different signal parameters with applications in speech recognition, verification, detection, etc. Filtering generally involves cleaning, enhancement, and shaping of signals.

Certain mathematical processes find central applications in DSP. These involve Discrete Fourier Transform, Z-Transform, Discrete-Time Fourier Transform, etc. DSP systems are designed to implement these, and programming languages like MATLAB provide the tools for system programming, model design, testing, and simulation. Digital filter structures are central to processing digital signals. MATLAB has an array of powerful functions which can be used with ease for modeling & implementing different kinds of filters.

MATLAB makes it easy to design linear-time independent systems and comes with library functions that can act as fundamental building blocks for the filter structures such as adder, multipliers, and delay elements (shifter, memory). MATLAB’s array structures allow for easy manipulation of signals, and library functions, toolboxes & add-ons enable easy simulation.

The potent features & functionalities of MATLAB allow DSP engineers to design, program and simulate the entirety of a signal processing system architecture. However, mastering DSP and MATLAB in tandem can become quite challenging for students. If you are a student who’s struggling with concepts, questions, assignments, and/or homework, then do seek out online MATLAB  homework help from experts.

The next section closely examines the host of excellent features, toolboxes, and add-ons for measurements, visualization, spectral & time-frequency analysis, model design & simulation.

How MATLAB Enables Optimal Signal Processing?

One of the best things about MATLAB is its awesome, intuitive interfaces and development environment. The language and associated IDE rules regarding rapid prototyping, data visualization, fast numerical computations, model designing, etc.

The Signal Processing Toolbox is the primary add-on for MATLAB for digital signal processing. It has an array of apps and functions for pre-processing, analysis, designing, smoothing, etc.

The application makes it simple to process and visualize signals in time and frequency domains. The toolbox also has the Filter Designer option for designing and analyzing IIR & FIR filters. Toolbox functions can also carry out feature extractions, spectral analysis & measurement.

Toolbox functions can develop specially-designed datasets, process large file collections, giant datasets, etc. The Signal Labeler functionality allows easy annotations for signal visualizations.

The Signal Processing Toolbox also enables the implementation of powerful machine and deep learning algorithms for enhanced & automated signal analysis. It also supports GPU acceleration and C/C++ & CUDA codes for embedded systems programming & development.

Through GPU acceleration, MATLAB can speed up the execution and functioning of ML/DL algorithms used for signal processing as well as any DSP code.

MATLAB and Simulink allow DSP engineers to not just design, model, and simulate signal processing systems but, thanks to the added   machine & deep learning functionalities, make it possible to design accurate predictive models.

Here are some additional reasons why MATLAB is the best DSP tool.

Additional Features That Make MATLAB Ideal For DSP

Besides toolboxes and add-ons, the MATLAB programming language boasts excellent features, which make it the bread and butter of digital signal processing engineers.

Rapid Code Prototyping

  The built-in functions make designing signal processing algorithms & models incredibly easy and fast. Furthermore, detailed descriptions make it simple for newbies to understand the source code and how everything works.

Variable Visualizer à 

An amazing feature, MATLAB allows coders to determine the value and status of a variable in real-time.

Rich Librar

 Numerous plotting functions, signal analyzing modules, and a comprehensive suite of analysis tools make different kinds of processing, testing, and manipulation easier.

Smoothing, noise removal, latching, detrending, sampling, etc., can be easily done and combined with other processes, thanks to the easily integrable library functions and MATLAB’s superb computational abilities.

Superb Visualization Capabilities

An array of plotting functions allows intuitive visualization. MATLAB can do everything from simple linear plots, bar graphs, and histograms to Polar & multidimensional plots.

Code Acceleration à

 GPU support with easy C++, C++, and CUD integrations makes it possible to build and run predictive signal analytics models. Designers can speed up the training and execution of programs and work on different kinds of curated & non-curated signal datasets.

Accurate Analysis & Measurements

 Last but not at all least comes MATLAB’s immensely powerful measurement and analysis abilities.

 MATLAB provides numerous commonly used and powerful mathematical & statistical analysis functionalities such as maxima/minima analysis, root-mean-square level analysis, standard deviation, peak analysis, transform techniques, temporal, spatial, & frequency analyses, steady state & transient response, fixed-point design, etc.

The language enables in-depth signal analysis, including signal rise & fall time, slew rate, overshoot & undershoot, duty cycle, pulsing period & pulse width, signal-to-noise ratio, total harmonic distortion, distortion ratio, and much, much more.

And the above remain the biggest reasons why MATLAB is the most potent tool for digital signal processing. From learning the basics of DSP to designing, simulating & testing, & systems programming, MATLAB’s features and toolboxes provide the gamut of provisions necessary to understand, manipulate, & enhance any digital signal.

Well, that’s about it for this write-up. Hope it was an informative read for one and all. Both DSP and MATLAB can seem tough nuts to crack, and cracking tough problems, assignments & homework remains the best to attain mastery. Look for expert homework help in MATLAB or online MATLAB programming help in the USA to ensure success.

All the best!

Author-Bio: Hank Walton is a electronics and communication engineering professor from a major public research university in Texas, USA. He is also a part-time tutor and writer at TopHomeworkHelper.com, a leading online academic service provider, where he offers quintessential MATLAB homework help.