An unequal coding scheme for remote sensing systems based on CCSDS recommendations

This paper proposes an unequal error protection (UEP) coding scheme based on two standards recommended by the CCSDS (The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems). The first recommendation (CCSDS 122.0-B-1) specifies an image compressor for aerospace applications, while the second recommendation (CCSDS 131.0-B-1) specifies channel coding systems on a equal error protection (EEP) scheme. Based on these two recommendations, an UEP can be proposed to enhance the performance of the communication system. The results show gains in PSNR of up to 29 dB on the received image. To achieve these results, a small addition was made into the compressor code to generate a side file with some extra information about the compressed bitstream. This information can be used by the rest of the system to achieve the UEP and helps in some synchronization of the bitstream on the decoder side.