August 2, 2013 -- Basingstoke, UK -- The latest Real-Time Video Engine reference design to be released by Xilinx (RTVE 2.1) is based around video application design consultancy OmniTek’s OSVP scalable video processor IP block and their OZ745 video development platform, which is based around Xilinx’s Zynq™-7045 All-Programmable SoC.
The OSVP provides complete multi-video format conversion and compositing in a single IP block. It can be configured for up to 8 inputs, potentially all using a different colour space and operating at a different video standard. It can also be configured for up to 16 outputs which can either be sent to different devices or combined externally in a multi-viewer layout. The processing carried out between input and output includes: de-gamma; de-interlacing (with both motion and diagonal interpolation); colour-space conversion; cropping; and resizing.
The OSVP block is optimised for Xilinx’s Series 7 FPGA technology, while its interfaces conform to the AXI4 protocol. Xilinx’s COREGen and EDK integration are also supported, making the block easy to interface to other Xilinx-based IP. The OSVP was originally targeted at Xilinx’s Kintex 7 devices and featured in the RTVE 2.0 version of the Real-Time Video Engine design. This also made it compatible with the Xilinx Zynq AP SoCs which use 7-Series FPGA fabric for their programmable logic, and hence ideal for the RTVE 2.1 implementation of the Real-Time Video Engine on the Zynq SoC.
OmniTek’s OZ745 Video Development Platform is based on Xilinx’s Zynq-7045 SoC and incorporates all the basic components of hardware, design tools, IP and pre-verified reference designs to rapidly develop video and image processing designs, along with a general board support package. The Z-7045 is the largest of Xilinx’s Zynq devices currently fully in production. It features an ARM® dual-core Cortex™-A9 processor running at 1GHz, along with a wide range or peripherals such as USB, Ethernet etc. The FPGA fabric on the same die delivers 350K logic cells, 2180KB of Block RAM, 900 DSP slices and sixteen 12.5GHz serial transceivers.
The OZ745 also provides a wide range of video I/O including 4 bi-directional SD/HD/3G SDI I/O; an additional SDI input; a composite input; a component input; a VGA input; an HDMI 1.4 input and output pair; an SFP+ cage for applications such as 10G Ethernet (with -2 or -3 speed-grade Zynq SoC); and an LVDS I/O header which can be used for driving flat panel displays. The OZ745 is delivered together with both the source and a pre-compiled version of an Evaluation Reference Design that demonstrates how to access the various peripherals. Further expansion is available via a LPC FMC connector.
The RTVE 2.1 reference design will demonstrate: support for either progressive or interlaced format video from HDMI and Triple-rate SDI video sources (switchable on-the-fly) and output to multiple HDMI and Triple-rate SDI ports: up to 8 pipelines with full-featured video processing on every pipeline; live video picture-in-picture and professional fade-in/fade-out effects; and contrast enhancement through colour correction.
Two outputs are provided, one offering a multi-layer view comprising up to four video and an overlay (held within an OSVP overlay frame buffer) and the other taken from a Linux frame buffer which comprises the Qt web client that provides the GUI to the application and a Qt drawing demonstration. A 2x2 video output crosspoint switch is used to allow dynamic switching between the OSVP overlay frame buffer and the Linux frame buffer on either HDMI or SDI output.
Another key feature of the RTVE 2.1 application is the OmniTek API which, together with an associated the OmniTek API Shim, ensures that the interface presented to any application that runs on the OmniTek OZ745 video development board stays the same, regardless of any changes in the facilities offered on the OZ745 board. This in turn means that the source code for any application that runs on the board stays the same even when the underlying firmware has changed. It would even continue to be usable were the interface to the OZ745 board change to a PCIe bus or the operating system change from Linux to Windows. In short, the OmniTek API and the associated Shim provide the application with a Cross-Platform environment in which to work.
The OSVP IP block is currently being upgraded to offer user-definable 6-axis colour space correction; noise reduction; image sharpening; multiple overlays; image zoom; smooth animated transitions and further video standard support. The enhanced version (OSVP 2.0) is scheduled for release in Q4.
OmniTek’s OZ745 Zynq-based Video Applications Platform
About OmniTek:
OmniTek was formed in 2001 as a test and measurement company formed, specialising in the development of video analysis equipment for SD, HD, 3G and digital cinema applications. In 2008 OmniTek was awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, for innovation on its XR system.
Additional information is available from www.omnitek.tv
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