FPGA implementation of JPEG encoder architectures for wireless networks

Due to its relative simplicity, the JPEG compression algorithm requires less hardware or software resources with respect to new compression algorithms, for example the JPEG2000 and the JPEG XR. This makes it suitable for low-power applications. Moreover, features embedded in the JPEG2000 and the JPEG XR, such as the scalability of the image stream, can be added to the main JPEG core, making an encoder useful for example in a video surveillance wireless network. Nevertheless, actual JPEG dedicated hardware realizations do not implement many features of the compression standard. In this work, we developed several JPEG encoder architectures with full real-time reconfigurability and support for the restart intervals and, for a simple scalability mechanism, the scan scheme. These features make the architectures suitable for the use in low-bandwidth, low-power wireless networks. The JPEG encoder architectures have been developed starting from a SystemC model and then implemented in a FPGA.