Real-Time DSP: Latency vs Filter Complexity Tradeoffs in Practical Systems
Introduction In real-time DSP systems, filter design is not purely a frequency-domain problem. Every additional tap, pole, or processing stage introduces computational cost and delay. Engineers frequently face questions such as: Why does a sharper filter increase system latency? When does FIR linear phase become impractical? How many notches are safe in real-time pipelines? When should I prefer IIR over FIR? This article explains the tradeoffs between latency, filter complexity, and stability in practical DSP systems. ...