Code compression techniques for embedded systems and their effectiveness

Abstract

Code compression techniques have been used widely in embedded systems to decrease the amount of storage resources needed or to decrease power consumption, and in some cases, to improve performance too. This paper evaluates, using cache models, the performance, power and cost benefits that code compression can provide in an instruction memory hierarchy. It also compares several important code compression schemes on a common platform and using a common set of benchmarks to gauge their effectiveness.