ZeroPoint Technologies introduces LZ4 Compression and Decompression Hardware IP

August 5, 2024 -- ZeroPoint Technologies is excited to announce the availability of LZ4 compression and decompression as a hardware IP. This advanced IP block brings the high-speed performance and energy efficiency of the LZ4 algorithm to hardware, providing significant benefits for semiconductor applications.

As software-based implementations of LZ4 compression and decompression are already widely used by hyperscalers, and as it is supported natively by many of the most widely used databases, Zeropoint expects the primary customer use cases for this new hardware-accelerated offering will focus on storage in enterprise and hyperscale implementations. LZ4 meaningfully increases both the compression and decompression speed of stored data, and as a result ZeroPoint’s hardware-accelerated offering increases data bandwidth (by 1.5 - 2 times) compared to today’s widely-used (software-based) implementations.

Critically, as with all of ZeroPoint’s hardware-accelerated optimization solutions, the new LZ4 offering also enables customers to reclaim the CPU cycles formally associated with software-based implementations of LZ4 compression and decompression – in some cases enabling 3-5% of overall CPU cycles to be repurposed and monetized.

Background on LZ4 Compression Algorithm

The LZ4 compression algorithm is a fast, lossless data compression technology renowned for its high-speed performance and low latency. LZ4 offers impressive compression and decompression speeds, making it an excellent choice for real-time applications and environments where quick data access is critical. LZ4 maintains a balance between compression ratio and speed, providing an efficient solution for various data types and use cases.

Advantages of LZ4 Compression and Decompression Hardware IP:

• Lightning-Fast Speeds: Extremely fast compression and decompression.

• Low Latency: Minimal delay in accessing compressed data, enhancing real-time performance.

• Enhanced Performance: Dedicated hardware acceleration dramatically improves data processing speeds for both compression and decompression.

• Reduced CPU Load: Offloads compression and decompression tasks from the CPU, allowing it to handle other critical functions.

• Energy Efficiency: Hardware-based compression and decompression are more power-efficient compared to software solutions, ideal for energy-sensitive applications.

• Scalability: Adaptable for a wide range of devices, from low-power IoT devices to high-performance computing systems.

• Compatibility: Easy to integrate. Compatible with SW based LZ4 compression and decompression.

Potential Applications

The LZ4 compression and decompression hardware IP can be integrated into various applications, providing performance and efficiency improvements:

• ZRAM/ZSWAP: Replace software-based decompression with hardware accelerated decompression. Same functionality, more performance/watt.

• Data Storage Systems: Speed up data compression and decompression, enhancing the performance of storage solutions.

• Big Data Analytics: Accelerate the processing of large datasets, enabling quicker insights and decision-making.

• Cloud Services: Improve the efficiency of cloud storage and computing, reducing latency and operating costs.

• Network Appliances: Increase the throughput of network devices by accelerating data compression and decompression.

• Consumer Electronics: Enhance user experience in devices such as smartphones, tablets, and multimedia players by speeding up data access.

• Embedded Systems: Suitable for resource-constrained environments, providing efficient compression and decompression capabilities without taxing the CPU.

You can learn all about the technical details in our Product Information here.