High throughput VLSI architecture for H.264/AVC context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) decoding

ISCAS OpenIR

	High throughput VLSI architecture for H.264/AVC context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) decoding
	Huang, Kai; Ma, De; Yan, Rong-jie; Ge, Hai-tong; Yan, Xiao-lang
	2013
发表期刊	JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY-SCIENCE C-COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS
ISSN	1869-1951
卷号	14 期号:6 页码:449-463
摘要	Context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) is the major entropy-coding algorithm employed in H.264/AVC. In this paper, we present a new VLSI architecture design for an H.264/AVC CABAC decoder, which optimizes both decode decision and decode bypass engines for high throughput, and improves context model allocation for efficient external memory access. Based on the fact that the most possible symbol (MPS) branch is much simpler than the least possible symbol (LPS) branch, a newly organized decode decision engine consisting of two serially concatenated MPS branches and one LPS branch is proposed to achieve better parallelism at lower timing path cost. A look-ahead context index (ctxIdx) calculation mechanism is designed to provide the context model for the second MPS branch. A head-zero detector is proposed to improve the performance of the decode bypass engine according to UEGk encoding features. In addition, to lower the frequency of memory access, we reorganize the context models in external memory and use three circular buffers to cache the context models, neighboring information, and bit stream, respectively. A pre-fetching mechanism with a prediction scheme is adopted to load the corresponding content to a circular buffer to hide external memory latency. Experimental results show that our design can operate at 250 MHz with a 20.71k gate count in SMIC18 silicon technology, and that it achieves an average data decoding rate of 1.5 bins/cycle.; Context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) is the major entropy-coding algorithm employed in H.264/AVC. In this paper, we present a new VLSI architecture design for an H.264/AVC CABAC decoder, which optimizes both decode decision and decode bypass engines for high throughput, and improves context model allocation for efficient external memory access. Based on the fact that the most possible symbol (MPS) branch is much simpler than the least possible symbol (LPS) branch, a newly organized decode decision engine consisting of two serially concatenated MPS branches and one LPS branch is proposed to achieve better parallelism at lower timing path cost. A look-ahead context index (ctxIdx) calculation mechanism is designed to provide the context model for the second MPS branch. A head-zero detector is proposed to improve the performance of the decode bypass engine according to UEGk encoding features. In addition, to lower the frequency of memory access, we reorganize the context models in external memory and use three circular buffers to cache the context models, neighboring information, and bit stream, respectively. A pre-fetching mechanism with a prediction scheme is adopted to load the corresponding content to a circular buffer to hide external memory latency. Experimental results show that our design can operate at 250 MHz with a 20.71k gate count in SMIC18 silicon technology, and that it achieves an average data decoding rate of 1.5 bins/cycle.
收录类别	SCI
关键词	H.264/avc Context-based Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding (Cabac) Decoder Vlsi
部门归属	[Huang, Kai; Ma, De; Yan, Xiao-lang] Zhejiang Univ, Inst VLSI Design, Hangzhou 310027, Peoples R China. [Yan, Rong-jie] Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Software, State Key Lab Comp Sci, Beijing 100190, Peoples R China. [Ge, Hai-tong] Hangzhou C Sky Microsyst Co, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, Peoples R China.
语种	英语
WOS记录号	WOS:000320740100006
引用统计
内容类型	期刊论文
URI标识	http://ir.iscas.ac.cn/handle/311060/16929
专题	中国科学院软件研究所
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Huang, Kai,Ma, De,Yan, Rong-jie,et al. High throughput VLSI architecture for H.264/AVC context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) decoding[J]. JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY-SCIENCE C-COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS,2013,14(6):449-463.
APA	Huang, Kai,Ma, De,Yan, Rong-jie,Ge, Hai-tong,&Yan, Xiao-lang.(2013).High throughput VLSI architecture for H.264/AVC context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) decoding.JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY-SCIENCE C-COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS,14(6),449-463.
MLA	Huang, Kai,et al."High throughput VLSI architecture for H.264/AVC context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) decoding".JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY-SCIENCE C-COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS 14.6(2013):449-463.