Updated: EDN DSP Directory

The online component of the 2007 EDN DSP Directory is live. As always, you can reach the most current edition of the directory by visiting www.edn.com/dspdirectory. You can also always visit the most current version of the sister directory, the Microprocessor Directory, by visiting www.edn.com/microdirectory. In both directories, you can visit earlier editions by following the links listed on the main page to identify industry trends in processor offerings, company changes, as well as changes in development tools and development support offered by the industry.

Like the recent redesign of the entire EDN site, the directory has undergone a redesign that incorporates lessons learned from previous editions. An obvious change is in how we present the main company index. Last year’s directory, which listed all products on a company-by-company basis, portrayed a sense of the size of the directory, but we found that listing too much information at the top level detracted from usability. By listing only the companies in this year's main index, the size of the full directory contents is hidden and you are only exposed to the material you are most interested in.

We’ve also added the top-level application taxonomy, first introduced in the Microprocessor Directory last year, to the DSP directory. This taxonomy structure allows you to search for processor cores and devices both from a specific company and from a targeted application perspective. Please try it and offer any thoughts you have on how we can better improve the application taxonomy approach to search and compare processors.

With the aim of making information easier to find, we have improved the parametric device table. To make finding the devices of a single company easier, we no longer provide a separate file for each company's devices; rather we provide a single file with bookmarks that make finding the devices of each company easier.

Additionally, we now offer the device table in two formats for easier printing and online viewing. The two-page, duplex printing version is great for placing in a binder. The new, wider version is optimized for 11×17 printing, and it is better suited to online viewing because it offers a little more room for the text content on each device entry.

For those of you who are looking for a quick summary at what is different with each company this year, check out the PDF file of my April 12 print article introducing this year's directory ("The best of both worlds"), which focuses on what is new with each company and its products. Also, the “Where did they go” section, available on the main page, has been expanded to with two years of listings to help you track companies that no longer exist under an old name or that have discontinued supporting the DSP market.

You can leave comments about the directory on this posting or you can send private feedback to us at dspdirectory@edn.com.