DSP hardware implementation of transform-based compression algorithm for AUV telemetry

Operation of AUVs or other platforms that rely upon robust communications for navigation and mission critical tasks is facilitated by the use of on-board data compression. Data compression eliminates redundancy of transmitted information and therefore improves the efficiency of the entire mission. In some applications, acoustic and non-acoustic sensor information is acquired and processed to produce a visual representation for ease of human-in-the-loop analysis and interpretation. Many image and data compression methods are currently in development. Emphasis has been placed on achieving high efficiency as characterized by compression ratio while retaining the least error between the original image and the compressed image. Although some algorithms produce excellent results, computational complexity, and hence speed of compression or decompression, can become a limiting factor in real-time use depending upon the capability of the on-board processor. This paper describes the implementation of a high performance image compression transform using a dedicated DSP processor and supporting computer host. The system architecture and strategy for efficient code implementation are described. Example performance measures are presented for non-acoustic undersea studies. Future plans and developments for specialized applications are also discussed.