Comparison of field programmable gate arrays and digital signal processors for the implementation of active noise control algorithms

Active noise control (ANC) systems have become increasingly versatile due to the advancing computational capabilities of modern digital signal processors (DSPs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The implementation of ANC algorithms requires consideration of not only acoustic performance, but also factors such as resource consumption, thermal behavior, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. These aspects play a critical role in the design and deployment of ANC applications in various industries. This study examines the implementation of an ANC algorithm on both FPGA and DSP platforms, providing a comparative analysis that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each ANC system. The inherent architectural differences between FPGAs and DSPs are examined, with a particular focus on processing efficiency, latency, adaptability and scalability. In addition, the study evaluates the power consumption and thermal management of both platforms, which are critical for long-term operation in real-world applications. Based on the experimental results, the analysis provides practical recommendations for selecting the optimal platform for specific ANC use cases.