Video development platform based on FPGAs

Xilinx and Image Processing Techniques' new video development platform enables the streaming of broadcast and digital cinema quality video to and from a standard PC motherboard.

At the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Conference Xilinx and Image Processing Techniques, launched a new advanced video development platform (AVDP) based on the PCI Express compliant endpoint block embedded in Xilinx Virtex-5 LXT and SXT FPGAs.

Designers of post production equipment, video servers, and encoders to broadcast monitors are expected to benefit from the high-performance, flexible, and scaleable solution.

The platform supports SDI, HD-SDI, Dual Link SDI, 3G-SDI and DVB-ASI connectivity via a daughter card option, enabling the streaming of broadcast and digital cinema quality video to and from a standard PC motherboard and associated hard drive through a PCIe 1x/4x interface.

Image Processing Techniques (IPT) also provides VHDL source code IP for key video building blocks: a 2D resizer/scaler which supports high-quality conversion from SD to HD and cinema resolutions; a motion adaptive de-interlacer to present progressive scan images to flat panel displays; and the DMA control used for managing high-bandwidth data across the PCI Express interface.

"This solution is in response to overwhelming customer demand for a cost-effective, flexible, high-performance video processing solution that provides uncompressed video connectivity to the PC while allowing designers to add their own value-add enhancements to commonly used video algorithms" said Paolo Masini, Senior Manager of Broadcast Vertical Marketing at Xilinx.

"By working closely with IPT on this platform, we are able to leverage their experience in broadcast and post production, and support them in bringing a product to market that will address many of the issues facing broadcasters today".

"We believe the combination of ratio multipliers, memory, logic, and high-speed serial transceivers on the Virtex-5 LXT and SXT devices offer the broadcast industry an ideal solution to enable high-quality video processing applications".

"This solution provides users a greater degree of flexibility during development, and the option to move the platform straight into production, resulting in much faster time to market", said Roger Fawcett, Business Director at Image Processing Techniques.

The AVDP, including the scaler, de-interlacer, combiner, PCI Express compliant DMA and memory control, software drivers and GUI, and documentation, is now available for purchase from Image Processing Techniques.

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