AbstractThe proposed procedure is a new, practically multiplier‐free DFT algorithm which is especially suitable for the computation of longer transforms. the method is based on the realization of prime‐length transforms using a single kind of optimized FIR filter. the transform coefficients have been coded differentially and the approximation is signal independent. the accuracy has been characterized by the ratio of the squared sum of the DFT coefficients and the squared sum of the errors of the approximating coefficients. the algorithm producing the approximate sequence is simple, its computational and memory requirements are minimal. and finally, for some transform lengths the characteristics of the algorithms have been deri