Programmable digital signal processor system for processing electrical power signals

A system for processing at least one externally derived electrical power signal, said signal being substantially continuous, substantially alternating, and having a primary frequency, said system comprising:

• a multiply-accumulate processor having three input ports, an output port, and a processor control signal port, said multiply-accumulate processor performing, in response to predetermined processor control signals, predetermined arithmetic operations on digital input signals substantially derived from said at least one substantially continuous electrical signal and arriving at a substantially predetermined rate;
• a first memory unit for storing a plurality of processor control signals;
• a second and third memory unit, each for storing a separate plurality of processor digital input signals;
• and
• a memory control unit which, in response to externally derived memory unit control signals, respectively couples said first memory unit to said processor control signal port, and the first processor input port to one of said second and third memory units for each successive cycle of the primary frequency so that the digital input signals derived from the substantially continuous electrical signal and provided to one of the three processor input ports are continually processed by said processor for a predetermined number of successive cycles of the primary frequency.