DSP Implementation: Microcontrollers or FPGAs

[endros]

Hi, I know this is a topic which has come up again and again on this sub, but I just needed some domain-specific advice from the people in the field here. What I wanted to know is that, if am interested in the DSP applications in Communications field and want to work on implementations for the same, is it worthwhile spending my time learning about microcontroller programming? Am an ECE undergrad, so I was wondering if I should directly focus on FPGAs, which are more interesting to me, honestly. I am confused because I have seen people recommend that you really do need embedded software programming skills to work with the SOCs that are being used more and more now.

Really apologise if it's a redundant question! I just haven't been able to find a proper answer regarding the same, and am at a point right now where I might have to prioritise things just a tad bit. Would really appreciate any advice!

[Celeste_Liu]

Hello @endros ,

If your main interest is DSP for communications, focusing on FPGAs is definitely worthwhile, especially for high-throughput or real-time implementations. That said, having basic embedded C skills is still useful because many SoC/FPGA platforms involve software control, drivers, and system integration. I’d prioritize FPGA/DSP fundamentals, but spend enough time on MCU programming to be comfortable with embedded workflows. You don’t need to become a pure embedded software engineer, but you shouldn’t ignore it completely.

Hope it helps.

BR

Celeste