Application guide for universal source encoding for space

Abstract

Lossless data compression was studied for many NASA missions. The Rice algorithm was demonstrated to provide better performance than other available techniques on most scientific data. A top-level description of the Rice algorithm is first given, along with some new capabilities implemented in both software and hardware forms. Systems issues important for onboard implementation, including sensor calibration, error propagation, and data packetization, are addressed. The latter part of the guide provides twelve case study examples drawn from a broad spectrum of science instruments.