Texas Instruments - What is a DSP?

If you have Shockwave, click anywhere on the diagram below to see how a cell phone works (178K).

A Digital Signal Processor (DSP) is an incredibly fast and powerful microprocessor that can handle signals in real time. This real-time capability makes a DSP perfect for applications where we won’t tolerate any delays, such as when we talk on a cellular phone, watch a satellite TV broadcast or use a computer network like the Internet.
A DSP takes a real-world signal, like sound, then mathematically alters it to improve the sound. For example, you may have heard music through a DSP receiver, where at the push of a button, the music sounds like it’s being played in a recording studio, or a small nightclub, or a large concert hall. The DSP is changing the original music in the system and altering the soundwaves to simulate different listening environments.
Another example of DSPs at work are in cellular telephones. In a cell phone, a DSP compresses the data (your voice) and removes the background noise so your voice travels at a higher rate. The result is crystal clear sound with no annoying echos.
DSPs are the fastest-growing segment in the semiconductor industry.
Soon, all your electronics will be connected and will speak the same digital language, processed by DSPs.

DSPs are up to 10 times faster than other microprocessors.

In 1997, about 85 million digital cell phones were manufactured worldwide.
In 1997, TI was the leading supplier of DSPs for digital cell phones, for the second consecutive year.
Nearly 80% of the cellular phones manufactured in 1997 were digital.