Neural network processor using compression and decompression of activation data to reduce memory bandwidth utilization

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• receiving a compressed chunk of data comprising a mask portion and a data portion;
• determining a number of non-zero bytes in a decompressed chunk of data based upon bits in the mask portion of the compressed chunk of data;
• determining, based at least in part on the number of non-zero bytes in the decompressed chunk of data, a number of bits used to store truncated non-zero bytes in the data portion of the compressed chunk of data;
• for each bit position in the mask portion of the compressed chunk of data that is a logical zero, inserting a zero byte into a corresponding position of the decompressed chunk of data;
• and
• for each position in the mask portion of the compressed chunk of data that is a logical one, inserting a truncated non-zero byte from the corresponding position in the data portion of the compressed chunk of data into a corresponding position in the decompressed chunk of data and a number of zero bits equivalent to a number of bits truncated during compression of the compressed chunk of data.