Getting Started

If you are using a recent browser, there's a good chance you have all you need to view the CD-ROM. Below is a table of helper applications used by this CD-ROM. Visit the sites to be sure you are running the most current versions of each application.
Internet Explorer DSP FIRST has been tested on Internet Explorer 6.0® (it should work on others). You can download the current version by clicking on the icon.
QuickTime You will also need to load Apple's QuickTime® to view most of the movies.
You can get it here.
get_adobe_reader.gif The labs, homeworks, examples, and exercises are all in pdf format. Here's is where you can get Acrobat Reader® to read them.
winrar.gif
wz_ico1.gif 		Many of the labs have MATLAB files that go with them. They have been zipped and placed under a link called MATLAB Files There are many ways to unzip them. Here are some you can try.
real.gif A couple of the tutorials use RealMedia®.

That's all you need to view the CD-ROM. However, you'll need MATLAB® or LabVIEW® to do the labs. Here's how to install MATLAB.
MATLAB MATLAB
../chapters/01intro/overview.png Many MATLAB m-files and demos have been developed and placed in the dspfirst toolbox.
The current version of the dspfirst MATLAB toolbox can be found here.

Installation Procedure to add these files to MATLAB and update MATLAB's path:

  1. Download the ZIP file that contains everything. It is called spfirst_vNNN.zip.
  2. Unzip spfirst_vNNN.zip somewhere. A good choice would be the directory: ...\MATLAB\toolbox\spfirst\. The unzip will create a bunch of subdirectories.
  3. Then add the directory ...\MATLAB\toolbox\spfirst\ to the MATLAB path. This can be done in MATLAB from the menu File->Set Path.
  4. Next, type the command spfirst at the MATLAB comand prompt. It will add all the other subdirectories to the path.
  5. Finally, under File->Set Path, do a save of the new path.
Once the MATLABPATH is correct, you should be able to type zdrill or sindrill at the MATLAB command prompt and have a GUI start up. Also, commands like zprint will now work.

UNinstall: Delete all the files and directories in ...\MATLAB\toolbox\spfirst\, and also manually remove the directories from MATLAB's path via File->Set Path.
FOOTNOTE: The M-files should be platform-independent. However, there is also a Unix/Mac version, which has the appropriate end-of-line terminators for Unix-only editors. This ZIP file contains exactly the same M-files.

Current versions of the demos can be found here.

Here's how to install the LabVIEW libraries, etc.
LabVIEW LabView
labviewdsp.gif/ Many LabVIEW VIs and demos have been developed and placed in the dspfirstLV toolbox. Here's how to install it.

Installing the dspfirst Package.

Requirements

Before you begin to install the package, you will need to have the following:

  • A complete installation of LabVIEW. (Version 8.0 or higher)
  • The LabVIEW package ZIP file. Get this by clicking here.

Installing the DSP FIRST Library file

Close LabVIEW if it is running.

Open the dspfirst.zip file with your favorite zip program. You should see a folder called dspfirstLV vX where X is the version number. Open this folder. You will see several subfolders such as examples, menus, etc. Drag these folders into the top level of your LabVIEW directory. (C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 8.5\ on my machine.) It may ask you if you wish to replace any files in the process. If it does, answer "Yes". Windows should only replace files with identical file names, no files will be deleted. Make sure it doesn't create a new set of subfolders, it's supposed to put files into various existing locations in your installation of LabVIEW. To check that this has worked, open up the folder \user.lib\ in your top level directory and look for a file named dspfirst.llb. If that file is there, the unzipping was successful.

Now restart LabVIEW. You are now ready to use LabVIEW.

Improving Performance

One way to cut down on the load time is to invoke a LabVIEW mass compile on the directory that contains the VIs you just installed. To do so after moving all of the dspfirst files to the LabVIEW folder hierarchy:
  1. Open LabVIEW and choose Tools->Advanced->Mass Compile... from the File menu.
  2. The mass compile dialog will immediately ask for a directory to mass compile. From the 'Choose directory to Mass Compile' dialog box, choose the user.lib library (C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 8.5\user.lib on my machine.)
  3. click on the 'Current Folder' button.
  4. Click on the 'Mass Compile' button.
  5. Wait awhile.

Configuring LabVIEW a bit

In order to have certain items not look as cluttered, we're going to set an option that automatically has them show up smaller on the screen. This option is called "Place front panel terminals as icons" for those of you who are familiar with LabVIEW.

Go to the "Tools" menu; select "Options". The Options dialog will appear. Click on Block Diagram about 5 down on the left. About half way down on the right is the option "Place front panel terminals as icons". De-select this option.

That's all! Now you can procede to working with the DSP FIRST Package.

Here's how to install the free LabVIEW runtime engine needed for running the web-based demos.
Free LabVIEW Runtime Engine

  1. Go to here.
  2. Scroll down a bit and follow the directions.
  3. It's over 40M for the whole download, so it may take a while.

Linux and Macintosh users click here.

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McClellan, Schafer, and Yoder, Signal Processing First, ISBN 0-13-065562-7.
Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.