1. A decompression device for canonical Huffman encoded data, the device comprising: first data register means for storing a plurality of FIRSTCODE data values; second data register means for storing a plurality of SYMBOL POINTER data values; comparing means coupled for comparing different FIRSTCODE data values with corresponding bits of a string of compressed data; means for combining the bits of compressed data with one of the FIRSTCODE and one of the SYMBOL POINTER data values selected as a function of an output of the comparing means and outputting an address; and symbol table means coupled for receiving the address and outputting a corresponding symbol.