An application-specific architecture for the RBN-coder with efficient memory organization

Abstract

The number of document compression algorithms is increasing due to the expanded information exchange in our society and due to the increasing quality demands for color documents. For these purposes, high quality and complex compression algorithms are needed, in order to keep the memory size and channel capacity within realistic bounds. In addition, these algorithms must be executed within a certain real-time specification, in order to reduce the user wait times. In this article, an optimized RBN-algorithm for coding true color documents will be used as a test vehicle. Unfortunately, the typical properties of such high-throughput algorithms restricts the possible real-time realizations. We believe that an application-specific design approach supported with powerful CAD-tools is the most efficient implementation for these type of applications when a reasonable time-to-market needs to be achieved. An efficient dedicated architecture is proposed, based on a lowly multiplexed co-operating data-path style. As for most complex video applications, the cost minimization and performance optimization are highly dependent on the memory organization. Hence the latter is the most important topic of this article. The architectural design process has been traversed mostly manually with use of some prototype synthesis tools from the merging CATHEDRAL-3 synthesis environment.