I think it really depends on what filter or function you are implementing. For example, programming an FIR filter in assembly is easier to do on a DSP than on a

I think it really depends on what filter or function you are implementing. For example, programming an FIR filter in assembly is easier to do on a DSP than on a conventional processor. It is true that DSPs are designed for speed, but they do that by making the architecture and instruction set match the problem space. So programming a DSP to do DSP isn't that bad. To make a programming analogy, a DSP is like a domain specific language. It is more efficient and easier to use when used in that domain.