iWave's Expertise in Video and Image Processing Application

BENGALURU, India - Nov. 5, 2014 - PRLog -- Altera's VIP Suite (http://www.altera.com/products/ip/dsp/image_video_processing/m-alt-vipsuite.html) is a collection of MegaCore functions that the user can use to facilitate the development of custom video and image processing designs. This article highlights few tasks accomplished for a project that involved usage of Altera’s Cyclone V SoC (http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.altera.com%2Fdevices%2Fprocessor%2Fsoc-fpga%2Fcyclone-v-soc%2Fcyclone-v-soc.html&ei=PgY-VN8z0Ki5BP6-gfAP&usg=AFQjCNFqqmKYTjnlZdvFSUCifJcWu0OkJA&bvm=bv.77412846,d.c2E&cad=rja) and the VIP suite. The following VIP megacore functions were used for the implementation of Video and Image processing application:

Frame Reader
Switch
Color Space Converter
Alpha Blending Mixer
Scaler II:Edge Adaptive
Deinterlacer II
Deinterlacer
Clipper
Interlacer
Test Pattern Generator
Avalon-ST Video Monitor
Trace System
Color Plane Sequencer
Frame Buffer
Clocked Video Input and Output

Details on the above VIP cores can be found in Altera VIP User Guide (http://www.altera.com/literature/ug/ug_vip.pdf)

The above application includes 1 VGA input, 2 composite inputs and 1 SDI (Serial Digital Interface for digital videos). Three outputs are provided, out of which any two are active at a time. Out of two active outputs, composite output is always active. User can switch between LCD output and VGA output.

Features
The following are the main features of the Video overlay Functionality controlled by either Nios-II Soft processor or HPS.
NIOS II/HPS will be used to configure/control all the VIP cores for overlay functionality.
Video Inputs – Out of 4 video inputs any one input is used for video output

2 CVBS Inputs

8-bit , 4:2:2 , YCbCr Video Interface
PAL/NTSC- Video resolution can be PAL (720x576) or NTSC(720x486)

1 VGA Input

24-bit , 4:4:4 , RGB Video Interface
Video resolution can be VGA (640x480) or SVGA(800x600) or XGA(1024x768)

1 SDI-SD/HD Input

10-bit resolution, 4:2:2 YCbCr
270Mbps/1.485Gbps bit rate
SMPTE--259M-C standard, 720x576/486 format for SD-SDI standard
SMPTE--292M standard, 1080i format for HD-SDI standard

PAL/NTSC – resolution can be PAL or NTSC

3 Video outputs – VGA or LCD outputted @ VGA/SVGA/XGA resolution and same video data will be down scaled to PAL/NTSC and displayed on CVBS output 1 video input will be selected out of 4(CVBS1, CVBS2, SDI and VGA). The selected video is mixed with Text and graphics data (Overlaying layer) and displayed on the output.

1 VGA Output

24-bit , 4:4:4, RGB Video Interface
Video resolution can be VGA (640x480) or SVGA (800x600) or XGA (1024x768).

1 LCD Output

24-bit , 4:4:4 , RGB Video Interface
Video resolution can be VGA (640x480) or SVGA(800x600) or XGA(1024x768)

1 CVBS Output

8-bit resolution, 4:2:2 YCbCr
PAL/NTSC – resolution can be PAL or NTSC

The FPGA implements the overlay functionality either pixel by pixel or picture in picture overlay using above mentioned set of VIP mega-functions. The Video switch selects one video input out of four incoming video sources. The selected video input is scaled to output VGA resolution (VGA, SVGA or XGA) and stored in on-board DDR3 using Frame buffer mega-function. The alpha blending core takes 3 layers to generate overlaid video output; a test pattern generator, selected input video and the overlaying layer stored in on-board DDR3. In the output path, a colour plane sequencer duplicates the blender output. First output of the colour plane sequencer can be sent either to a VGA-monitor or LCD monitor as per switch selection. Second output of colour plane sequencer is sent over the Composite output path. Many VIP mega-core functions are placed between the input and the output for video processing from one format to another.

The overlaying layer can be updated in the DDR3 using NIOS-II processor or the HPS dual-core ARM cortex A9 processor embedded in Cyclone V SoC. iWave has implemented the QT application where the pixel by pixel overlay functionality has been proven. The Alpha-blender mixes the incoming video and the overlay layer according to the alpha values provided. At the output, the user will get the selected video overlaid with the QT layer.

The picture in picture overlay is also possible in a similar fashion where the multiple video layers will be mixed without considering the alpha values.