Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for generating various binary addresses for use in decoding MPEG video data. One or more n-bit counters and mutiplexers are used to generate such binary addresses. Different binary addresses can be generated by the same n-bit counter by swapping the bits of the n-bit counter. The number of different binary addresses that an n-bit counter can generate is n factorial.

Abstract: An MPEG decoder system and method for decoding frames of a video sequence. The MPEG decoder includes frame reconstruction or decoder logic which operates to reconstruct a bi-directionally encoded (B) frame with minimal memory requirements. The MPEG decoder operates to decode or reconstruct the frame twice, once during each field display period. The picture reconstruction unit operates to decode or reconstruct the B frame twice, once each during a first field time and a second field time. The first field time substantially corresponds to the time when the first or top field of the picture is displayed, and the second field time substantially corresponds to the time when the second or bottom field of the picture is displayed. This obviates the necessity of storing the reconstructed B frame data, thus reducing memory requirements.

Abstract: A control system operates in a pipelined mode for executing multiple clock cycle instructions and in an open loop mode for executing single clock cycle instructions. A plurality of electrical functional units are capable of executing single clock cycle instructions and multiple clock cycle instructions that are individually addressed and applied thereto by a processor. The functional units generate current operational statuses after each clock cycle. A status indicator applies new operational statuses of the functional units to the processor. A status memory stores previous operational statuses of the functional units. A control unit controls the status indicator to apply the previous operational statuses to the processor as the new operational statuses after one of the single clock cycle instructions has been applied to the functional units.