ON Semiconductor Digital Signal Processors & Controllers - DSP, DSC
Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) are special-purpose microprocessors designed specifically to manipulate signals. They are a type of microcontroller that processes and performs high-level instructions to receive, process, store and transmit digital signals. DSPs use a combination of software and hardware to process digital signals and are used for a wide range of applications like audio, audio processing, video, multimedia, and data storage. DSPs can also be used to process signals in real-time and to control other IO and peripherals.
Digital Signal Controllers (DSC) are a subset of Digital Signal Processors. They are designed to combine elements of microcontroller and dedicated signal processing capabilities on the same piece of silicon in order to provide increased computational power. They can carry out both real-time data processing and control capabilities. In addition to that, due to their ability to control peripherals like ADC, DAC, PWM and so on, they are often used in the design of application-specific systems.