High performance architecture for unified forward and inverse transform of HEVC

High efficiency video coding (HEVC) transform algorithm for residual coding uses 2-dimensional (2D) 4×4 transforms with higher precision than H.264's 4×4 transforms, resulting in increased hardware complexity. In this paper, we present a shared architecture that can compute the 4×4 forward discrete cosine transform (DCT) and inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) of HEVC using a new mapping scheme in the video processor array structure. The architecture is implemented with only adders and shifts to an area-efficient design. The proposed architecture is synthesized using ISE14.7 and implemented using the BEE4 platform with the Virtex-6 FF1759 LX550T field programmable gate array (FPGA). The result shows that the video processor array structure achieves a maximum operation frequency of 165.2 MHz. The architecture and its implementation are presented in this paper to demonstrate its programmable and high performance.