Discrete Wavelet Transform: Architectures, Design and Performance Issues

Due to the demand for real time wavelet processors in applications such as video compression [1], Internet communications compression [2], object recognition [3], and numerical analysis, many architectures for the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) systems have been proposed. This paper surveys the different approaches to designing DWT architectures. The types of architectures depend on whether the application is 1-D, 2-D, or 3-D, as well as the style of architecture: systolic, semi-systolic, folded, digit-serial, etc. This paper presents an overview and evaluation of the architectures based on the criteria of latency, control, area, memory, and number of multipliers and adders. This paper will give the reader an indication of the advantages and disadvantages of each design.