| A new lossy compression algorithm for RF ultrasound signals (A-scan) is presented, which stores only the largest variations of the original signal. The largest variation (LAVA) algorithm is a two-step, constant bit-rate (CBR) algorithm, using only simple addition/subtraction operations, which is very suitable for FPGA implementation. The algorithm is targeted for automated ultrasonic testing (AUT) systems where a significant data reduction has been obtained while preserving the important characteristics of the signal. Comparison to other existing compression techniques is provided using the PSNR metric. |