Embedded DSP Boards Capture & Process Video from FireWire
Enables embedded real-time image processing, inspection, and smart camera applications

ITHACA, NY, July 11th, 2003: Traquair Data Systems, Inc. today announced the support of video framecapture via FireWire for the micro-line family of embedded DSP boards. micro-line DSP boards target the embedded DSP OEM marketplace, offering developers high quality, cost engineered outsource solutions.

Existing micro-line support for 400Mbit/sec IEEE 1394a FireWire communications has been enhanced by the addition of software support for FireWire cameras, allowing micro-line developers access to an ideal image frame capture and processing platform for a wide range of embedded real-time imaging applications.

Single or multiple camera configurations can be supported. An Instrumentation & Industrial Digital Camera (IIDC) FireWire Camera compliant software function library allows developers to control camera operation from DSP resident application code. Various video modes and formats are supported, ranging from 8- to 24-bits/pixel, and 160x120 to 1600x1200 frame sizes. A multitude of additional software configurable features are available based on individual camera functionality. Examples include adjustable frame rates, brightness, auto exposure, sharpness, white balance, hue, saturation, gamma, shutter, gain, trigger mode, zoom, pan, tilt, and optical filter.

Developers can process the captured image data in real-time with powerful user-programmable DSP and FPGA resources provided on micro-line DSP boards. The flagship of the micro-line family, the C6713Compact provides a high performance TMS320C6713 DSP processor (max. performance 1800 MIPS or 1350MFLOPS), a Virtex®-II FPGA in a 256kGate, 512kGate, or 1MGate density configuration, and an on-board 2-port IEEE 1394a FireWire interface. The 512kGate and 1MGate are able to master the 64Mbytes of on-board memory, making such configurations ideal for high-speed 2-D convolution.