Abstract: A digital signal processing apparatus having a host processor interfaced to a plurality of signal processing coprocessors through dual port memory elements is disclosed. Coprocessors represent microcoded machines wherein low level instructions directed toward the mechanics of performing a specific signal processing algorithm are contained in microcode. Thus, the host processor programs coprocessors using higher level functional instructions. Each of the coprocessors has a multiply-accumulator, a barrel shifter, an address generator, a hardware loop counter, and a microsequencer.