Q number format vs IEEE 754 format? I'm reading up on DSP implementations and Q number format for representing decimal and decimal fractional numbers. Why would you use the Q format and not a standard like IEEE 754? When would you use one instead of the other? They both encode numbers into a sequence of bits, right?
Q format numbers are fixed-point, which means they can be manipulated by integer ALUs, rather than needing to use a floating-point unit.  In a DSP setting, this is useful for greater speed and lower power consumption, since fixed-point arithmetic is much simpler than floating-point.  On the other hand, the main advantage of using a floating-point representation is greater dynamic range.