A look-up table and source code generator

Abstract

A software system is described for the compression of a large look-up table to a smaller one, consistent with a worst-case error predefined by the user. The tables and a suitable source code for accessing them are automatically generated, with very little user intervention. The techniques of linear interpolation and the partitioning of one table into several are shown to be particularly attractive for reducing the table size, especially when the considerable effort of manual generation to a known accuracy is removed. The use of linear interpolation incurs only a small speed penalty when executed on a digital signal processor and the large reductions in table size thus achieved can make the method a faster and more reliable alternative to either the exact or approximate evaluation of many functions.