Configuration compression for FPGA-based embedded systems

Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are a promising technology for developing high-performance embedded systems. The density and performance of FPGAs have drastically improved over the past few years. Consequently, the size of the configuration bit-streams has also increased considerably. As a result, the cost-effectiveness of FPGA-based embedded systems is significantly affected by the memory required for storing various FPGA configurations. This paper proposes a novel compression technique that reduces the memory required for storing FPGA configurations and results in high decompression efficiency. Decompression efficiency corresponds to the decompression hardware cost as well as the decompression rate. The proposed technique is applicable to any SRAM-based FPGA device since configuration bit-streams are processed as raw data. The required decompression hardware is simple and the decompression rate scales with the speed of the memory used for storing the configuration bit-streams. Moreover, the time to configure the device is not affected by our compression technique. Using our technique, we demonstrate up to 41% savings in memory for configuration bit-streams of several real-world applications.     

A Hardware Architecture for the LZW Compression and Decompression Algorithms Based on Parallel Dictionaries

In this paper, a parallel dictionary based LZW algorithm called PDLZW algorithm and its hardware architecture for compression and decompression processors are proposed. In this architecture, instead of using a unique fixed-word-width dictionary a hierarchical variable-word-width dictionary set containing several dictionaries of small address space and increasing word widths is used for both compression and decompression algorithms. The results show that the new architecture not only can be easily implemented in VLSI technology because of its high regularity but also has faster compression and decompression rate since it no longer needs to search the dictionary recursively as the conventional implementations do.     

Code Decompression Unit Design for VLIW Embedded Processors

Code size "bloating" in embedded very long instruction word (VLIW) processors is a major concern for embedded systems since memory is one of the most restricted resources. In this paper, we describe a code compression algorithm based on arithmetic coding, discuss how to design decompression architecture, and illustrate the tradeoffs between compression ratio and decompression overhead, by using different probability models. Experimental results for a VLIW embedded processor TMS320C6x show that compression ratios between 67% and 80% can be achieved, depending on the probability models used. A precache decompression unit design is implemented in TSMC 0.25 mum and a test chip is fabricated.     

Image extraction in DCT domain

More and more digital images are being stored in compressed formats, among which the format using discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients is widely adopted (JPEG, MPEG, H.263 etc). To exploit those successful image processing techniques developed in the pixel domain, the authors propose a fast image extraction algorithm to allow images to be extracted directly from compressed DCT coefficients without full decompression. In the proposed technique the extracted images retain quality comparable with that of fully decoded images. However, the computing cost and the storage expense incurred by the proposed algorithm are very much lower than the costs of full decompression. The experiments also demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has tremendous potential in that all existing image processing techniques developed in the pixel domain can be directly applied to compressed images, without involving full decompression.     

The gain decompression effect and its applications to very fast wavelength conversions

The gain recovery in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) follows a two-step process: (1) an ultrafast gain recovery process through the nonlinear gain decompression effect and (2) a slower carrier recovery process that is dominated by carrier effects like Auger recombination or carrier diffusion. We discuss and numerically demonstrate how to control this decompression gain and apply it to very fast wavelength conversions.     

基于小波压缩／解压的机载雷达图像传输研究

首先介绍图像压缩／解压所采用的二维可分离小波变换算法，然后给出基于该算法的ADV612处理器的压缩卡和解压卡，最终描述机载雷达图像传输系统的组成。     

一种用于测试数据压缩的自适应EFDR编码方法

该文提出一种用于测试数据压缩的自适应EFDR(Extended Frequency-Directed Run-length)编码方法。该方法以EFDR编码为基础,增加了一个用于表示后缀与前缀编码长度差值的参数N,对测试集中的每个测试向量,根据其游程分布情况,选择最合适的N值进行编码,提高了编码效率。在解码方面,编码后的码字经过简单的数学运算即可恢复得到原测试数据的游程长度,且不同N值下的编码码字均可使用相同的解码电路来解码,因此解码电路具有较小的硬件开销。对ISCAS-89部分标准电路的实验结果表明,该方法的平均压缩率达到69.87%,较原EFDR编码方法提高了4.07%。     

A Gaussian derivative based version of JPEG for image compressionand decompression

The compression and decompression of continuous-tone images is important in document management and transmission systems. This paper considers an alternative image representation scheme, based on Gaussian derivatives, to the standard discrete cosine transformation (DCT), within a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) framework. Depending on the computer arithmetic hardware used, the approach developed might yield a compression/decompression technique twice as fast as the DCT and of (essentially) equal quality.     

基于代码特征分析的TTA指令压缩技术与解压部件实现

 针对传输触发结构提出了一种高效的指令压缩技术.改进模板压缩,消除了空传输指令与空长立即数.基于传输局部性特征,提出垂直字典压缩,提高了指令压缩效果.最后,设计单周期解压部件,以较小硬件代价实现了低耦合实时解压.实验结果表明,该技术达到了37.2%的压缩比,并且使计算内核及指令存储器的面积与功耗分别下降了约29%与23%,执行开销仅增加了约4%.     

Decompression Studies Using Ultrasonic Imaging of Bubbles

Single bubbles ranging down in size to under 1 ?m (less than capillary size) can be noticed, localized, and measured in ultrasonic images of intact subjects using 7.5 MHz ultrasound for which the wavelength is 200 ?m. Subjects included humans, fish, and guinea pigs. A combined brightness modulation and deflection display was most effective. Bubble reality during decompression and association with symptoms has been demonstrated, as have asymptomatic bubbles, a tendency for bubble formation in fat, recompression bubble showers, and decompression without diving tables. In guinea pigs there were age and male-female differences in susceptibility. Adjacent tissue inert gas pressure, supersaturation, and time constant can be measured by adjusting ambient pressure until bubbles cease to grow. Present data generally favor a supersaturation rather than a phase equilibration model for bends onset. An increase in allowable supersaturation was observed when decompression was to altitude rather than to sea level. Goldfish were seen to survive bubbling that would kill the mammals studied, and some simultaneous observations by light and sound were made in transparent fish.     

Fast JPEG 2000 decoder and its use in medical imaging

Over the last decade, a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) has been accepted by an increasing number of clinical organizations. Today, PACS is considered as an essential image management and productivity enhancement tool. Image compression could further increase the attractiveness of PACS by reducing the time and cost in image transmission and storage as long as 1) image quality is not degraded and 2) compression and decompression can be done fast and inexpensively. Compared to JPEG, JPEG 2000 is a new image compression standard that has been designed to provide improved image quality at the expense of increased computation. Typically, the decompression time has a direct impact on the overall response time taken to display images after they are requested by the radiologist or referring clinician. We present a fast JPEG 2000 decoder running on a low-cost programmable processor. It can decode a losslessly compressed 2048/spl times/2048 CR image in 1.51 s. Using this kind of a decoder, performing JPEG 2000 decompression at the PACS display workstation right before images are displayed becomes viable. A response time of 2 s can be met with an effective transmission throughput between the central short-term archive and the workstation of 4.48 Mb/s in case of CT studies and 20.2 Mb/s for CR studies. We have found that JPEG 2000 decompression at the workstation is advantageous in that the desired response time can be obtained with slower communication channels compared to transmission of uncompressed images.     

On a Mathematical Theory of Decompression

A theory is presented on the decompression procedure required after diving and on the accumulation of gases in the blood and in tissues during a dive. It is postulated that the decompression procedure must be such that at no time the partial pressure of the dissolved gases exceeds the external pressure. It is shown that the partial pressure of dissolved nitrogen is a weighted average of the external pressures to which the diver has been exposed previously. To make allowance for the partial pressure of dissolved oxygen, however, requires a more complicated formulation. The theory is in good agreement with published diving tables.     

Analysis of Test Application Time for Test Data Compression Methods Based on Compression Codes

We present an analysis of test application time for test data compression techniques that are used for reducing test data volume and testing time in system-on-a-chip (SOC) designs. These techniques are based on data compression codes and on-chip decompression. The compression/decompression scheme decreases test data volume and the amount of data that has to be transported from the tester to the SOC. We show via analysis as well as through experiments that the proposed scheme reduces testing time and allows the use of a slower tester. Results on test application time for the ISCAS'89 circuits are obtained using an ATE testbench developed in VHDL to emulate ATE functionality.     

MARVLE: a VLSI chip for data compression using tree-based codes

Describes the architecture and design of a CMOS VLSI chip for data compression and decompression using tree-based codes. The chip, called MARVLE, implements a memory-based architecture for variable length encoding and decoding based on tree-based codes. The architecture is based on an efficient scheme of mapping the tree representing any binary code onto a memory device. A prototype 2-mm CMOS VLSI chip has been designed, verified, and fabricated by the MOSIS facility. The chip has a 512×12 static RAM with an access time of 4 ns and logic circuitry for compression as well as decompression. The chip occupies a silicon area of 6.8 mm×6.9 mm and consists of 49695 transistors. The prototype chip yields a compression rate of 95.2 Mb/s and a decompression rate of 60.6 Mb/s with a clock rate of 83.3 MHz. The VLSI hardware can be used to implement the JPEG baseline compression scheme     

一种语音压缩处理通用DSP系统的设计与实现

提出了一种基于TMS320VC549定点DSP微处理器芯片的语音信号压缩／解压缩处理系统。该系统采用TLC320AD50C模数、数模转换器,采样率为8kHz,处理能力为100MIPS。系统配置有大容量存储器,具备资源扩展能力,适用于语音信号压缩／解压缩和语音识别、语音合成等其他领域。实验结果表明。系统对语音信号的压缩解压缩处理具有稳定性、灵活性和通用性。     

Code Compression for VLIW Embedded Systems Using a Self-Generating Table

We propose a new class of methods for VLIW code compression using variable-sized branch blocks with self-generating tables. Code compression traditionally works on fixed-sized blocks with its efficiency limited by their small size. A branch block, a series of instructions between two consecutive possible branch targets, provides larger blocks for code compression. We compare three methods for compressing branch blocks: table-based, Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW)-based and selective code compression. Our approaches are fully adaptive and generate the coding table on-the-fly during compression and decompression. When encountering a branch target, the coding table is cleared to ensure correctness. Decompression requires a simple table lookup and updates the coding table when necessary. When decoding sequentially, the table-based method produces 4 bytes per iteration while the LZW-based methods provide 8 bytes peak and 1.82 bytes average decompression bandwidth. Compared to Huffman's 1 byte and variable-to-fixed (V2F)'s 13-bit peak performance, our methods have higher decoding bandwidth and a comparable compression ratio. Parallel decompression could also be applied to our methods, which is more suitable for VLIW architectures.     

A low power video-rate pyramid VQ decoder

This paper describes a pyramid vector quantization (VQ) decoder chip used for real-time video decompression. The chip is designed for portable applications with very low power requirements, operating at a 1.35 V supply and consuming 6.7 mW with a 6.4 MHz clock, sufficient to decode 1.27 Mpixels/s for a color display of 176 pixels wide, 240 lines, at 30 frames per second. The chip performs decompression by converting pyramid vector quantization codewords into data values and integrates all functionality on a single die, requiring no external hardware support or memory     

Gbit/s lossless data compression hardware

This paper presents the X-MatchPRO high-speed lossless data compression algorithm and its hardware implementation, which enables data independent throughputs of 1.6 Gbit/s compression and decompression using contemporary low-cost reprogrammable field-programmable gate array technology. A full-duplex implementation is presented that allows a combined compression and decompression performance of 3.2 Gbit/s. The features of the compression algorithm and architecture that have enabled the high throughputs are described in detail. A comparison between this device and other commercially available data compressors is made in terms of technology, compression ratio, and throughput. X-MatchPRO is a fully synchronous design proven in silicon specially targeted to improve the performance of Gbit/s storage and communication applications.     

一种基于RICE算法的遥感图像数据的实时无损压缩与解压缩算法的研究及FPGA实现

提出了一种应用于遥感图像数据无损压缩的算法.该算法改进了CCSDS(美国空间数据系统咨询委员会)推荐的RICE算法,并结合DPCM和差值映射预测编码,应用于卫星遥感图像的无损数据压缩,取得了很好的压缩效果,平均压缩率在1.6以上,由于设计目标是输入数据速率为16M/bps,输出数据速率为10M/bps,故该压缩率保证了实时处理的可行性.在软件(VC)实现的基础上,以现场可编程逻辑阵列(FPGA)物理实现,进行压缩卡与解压缩卡的系统研制.     

一种快速解压的无损压缩算法

随着信息技术的不断发展,大量数据给存储和传输都带来了巨大的挑战。数据压缩能够有效减少数据量,方便数据的处理和传输。无损压缩是一种利用数据的冗余特点进行压缩的压缩方法,解压时可以完全还原数据而不会有任何失真。在研究LZO算法的快速解压原理基础上,设计了一种新的压缩算法。该算法通过减少压缩数据中压缩块的数量,降低了解压程序的执行开销。测试结果表明,新算法可实现比LZO算法更快的解压速度。