New Low-Power Unified Computer Vision and Video Processing Solution from videantis
Poster: SySAdmin
Posted on July 18, 2013 at 11:28:01 AM
New Low-Power Unified Computer Vision and Video Processing Solution from videantis
HANNOVER, Germany, July 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
The videantis processor is 100 times more powerful and consumes 1000 times less energy
than host CPUs on video and vision applications
German video IP and solution provider videantis announced today its new unified vision
and video coding solution for mobile, home and automotive applications. The solution
combines the company's low-power, scalable v-MP4000HDX processor IP core family with an
accelerated OpenCV library, and a suite of Full HD and 4K video encoders and decoders.
This licensable solution enables a slew of new applications for mobile, gaming and TV
platforms: augmented reality, gesture interfacing, depth mapping and computational
photography enable new user experiences and usage models. In automotive applications, the
company's low-delay, high dynamic range video codecs combined with computer vision
techniques enable both camera-based advanced driver assistance systems and surround-view
cameras to prevent collisions.
All of these applications have one thing in common: they require a high-performance,
low-power flexible video processing subsystem such as the v-MP4000HDX to run the
computationally demanding algorithms that can extract meaning from the images the cameras
capture, without draining the battery. This same architecture also supports video
compression and decompression, so that the system can simultaneously decompress, analyze
and compress video data.
"We've been shipping our processor for multi-format HD video coding for some time. Our
customers asked if we could add support for computer vision after they experienced our
power and area efficiency on video coding applications, and so we did," says Hans-Joachim
Stolberg, videantis's CEO. "We optimized the widely used OpenCV library for our
v-MP4000HDX architecture and combined it with our video codecs, so they're able to run
concurrently. In addition, we took great care in optimizing both the hardware and software
for low-power operation, which is of course important for mobile applications, but also a
major factor for embedded applications."
"I commend videantis for responding to the growing desire of system engineers to
create devices incorporating visual intelligence," said Jeff Bier, founder of the Embedded
Vision Alliance. Innovations like the v-MP4000HDX processor family, coupled with an
optimized version of the popular OpenCV library, will help designers realize the potential
of embedded vision by enabling sophisticated vision algorithms to be implemented with
reduced power consumption."
Efficient processor architecture
The v-MP4000HDX architecture scales from a three-core v-MP4120HDX subsystem with a
single stream processor and two media processors to a ten-core v-MP4280HDX subsystem that
includes two stream processors and eight media processors. The v-MP4180HDX subsystem
performs 192 16-bit pixel operations per cycle, 24 on each of its eight two-issue VLIW
media processors. This subsystem is under 2mm[2] of silicon in 28nm technology, including
memories. With four media processors, the v-MP4140HDX subsystem performs 96 16-bit pixel
operations per cycle. This subsystem is under 1mm[2] of silicon in 28nm technology,
including memories. Thanks to its flexible architecture, the subsystem can run video
codecs, imaging, computer vision, and computational photography algorithms all
simultaneously.
OpenCV support
The v-MP4000HDX accelerates OpenCV, the de facto standard for open computer vision
libraries. OpenCV has been downloaded over 3 million times and is widely used in both
academia and industry. Using OpenCV, algorithm development can take place in a standard
PC-based environment. Once algorithm development and testing are completed, the
application can seamlessly be migrated toward an embedded videantis-enabled platform where
the OpenCV function calls are accelerated by the v-MP4000HDX subsystem. This acceleration
results in a speedup of more than 100x compared to running on the host CPU, and power
consumption that's 1000x lower. This way the v-MP4000HDX supports full HD processing,
allowing for more accurate algorithms and an overall higher-quality user experience.
Videocodec support
Besides running computer vision algorithms, the v-MP4000HDX supports the following
codecs running at Full HD or 4K resolution for decode and Full HD for encode:
H.264/AVC, including MVC
Google VP8 / WebM Project, On2 VP6
RealVideo 8/9/10
MPEG-4 SP/ASP
DivX, XviD
H.263, Flash (Sorenson)
WMV-9/VC-1
MPEG-2, MPEG-1
JPEG, MJPEG
Since the subsystem is software programmable, additional coding standards can run on
the same silicon. The v-MP4000HDX can be firmware upgraded to run H.265/HEVC, VP9 or high
dynamic range still image codecs, for example.
Availability
The v-MP4000HDX processor IP core, optimized OpenCV library and suite of video codecs
are now available for licensing. A development and evaluation system is available that
includes a 40nm implementation of the v-MP4280HDX processor at 400MHz, a 1GHz ARM host
CPU, camera input, HDMI output and networking.
About videantis
videantis GmbH, headquartered in Hannover, Germany, is a one-stop video IP and
solution provider delivering flexible multi-standard HW/SW video, imaging and vision
solutions for mobile, consumer, and automotive markets. Based on a unified processor
platform approach that is licensed to chip manufacturers, videantis provides tailored
solutions to meet the specific needs of their customers. With their core competencies of
deep video application expert know-how and strong SoC design and system architecture
expertise, videantis passionately serves a worldwide customer basis with a diverse range
of target applications, such as mobile phones, over-the-top TV, in-car infotainment or
driver assist systems. videantis has been recognized with the Deloitte Technology Fast 50
Germany Award as one of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Germany. For more
information about videantis, please visit http://www.videantis.com
videantis GmbH
CONTACT: Marco Jacobs, Technical Marketing Director marco.jacobs@videantis.com Phone: +31-6-50455522 videantis GmbH Schneiderberg 32 30167 Hannover Germany http://www.videantis.com
HANNOVER, Germany, July 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
The videantis processor is 100 times more powerful and consumes 1000 times less energy
than host CPUs on video and vision applications
German video IP and solution provider videantis announced today its new unified vision
and video coding solution for mobile, home and automotive applications. The solution
combines the company's low-power, scalable v-MP4000HDX processor IP core family with an
accelerated OpenCV library, and a suite of Full HD and 4K video encoders and decoders.
This licensable solution enables a slew of new applications for mobile, gaming and TV
platforms: augmented reality, gesture interfacing, depth mapping and computational
photography enable new user experiences and usage models. In automotive applications, the
company's low-delay, high dynamic range video codecs combined with computer vision
techniques enable both camera-based advanced driver assistance systems and surround-view
cameras to prevent collisions.
All of these applications have one thing in common: they require a high-performance,
low-power flexible video processing subsystem such as the v-MP4000HDX to run the
computationally demanding algorithms that can extract meaning from the images the cameras
capture, without draining the battery. This same architecture also supports video
compression and decompression, so that the system can simultaneously decompress, analyze
and compress video data.
"We've been shipping our processor for multi-format HD video coding for some time. Our
customers asked if we could add support for computer vision after they experienced our
power and area efficiency on video coding applications, and so we did," says Hans-Joachim
Stolberg, videantis's CEO. "We optimized the widely used OpenCV library for our
v-MP4000HDX architecture and combined it with our video codecs, so they're able to run
concurrently. In addition, we took great care in optimizing both the hardware and software
for low-power operation, which is of course important for mobile applications, but also a
major factor for embedded applications."
"I commend videantis for responding to the growing desire of system engineers to
create devices incorporating visual intelligence," said Jeff Bier, founder of the Embedded
Vision Alliance. Innovations like the v-MP4000HDX processor family, coupled with an
optimized version of the popular OpenCV library, will help designers realize the potential
of embedded vision by enabling sophisticated vision algorithms to be implemented with
reduced power consumption."
Efficient processor architecture
The v-MP4000HDX architecture scales from a three-core v-MP4120HDX subsystem with a
single stream processor and two media processors to a ten-core v-MP4280HDX subsystem that
includes two stream processors and eight media processors. The v-MP4180HDX subsystem
performs 192 16-bit pixel operations per cycle, 24 on each of its eight two-issue VLIW
media processors. This subsystem is under 2mm[2] of silicon in 28nm technology, including
memories. With four media processors, the v-MP4140HDX subsystem performs 96 16-bit pixel
operations per cycle. This subsystem is under 1mm[2] of silicon in 28nm technology,
including memories. Thanks to its flexible architecture, the subsystem can run video
codecs, imaging, computer vision, and computational photography algorithms all
simultaneously.
OpenCV support
The v-MP4000HDX accelerates OpenCV, the de facto standard for open computer vision
libraries. OpenCV has been downloaded over 3 million times and is widely used in both
academia and industry. Using OpenCV, algorithm development can take place in a standard
PC-based environment. Once algorithm development and testing are completed, the
application can seamlessly be migrated toward an embedded videantis-enabled platform where
the OpenCV function calls are accelerated by the v-MP4000HDX subsystem. This acceleration
results in a speedup of more than 100x compared to running on the host CPU, and power
consumption that's 1000x lower. This way the v-MP4000HDX supports full HD processing,
allowing for more accurate algorithms and an overall higher-quality user experience.
Videocodec support
Besides running computer vision algorithms, the v-MP4000HDX supports the following
codecs running at Full HD or 4K resolution for decode and Full HD for encode:
H.264/AVC, including MVC
Google VP8 / WebM Project, On2 VP6
RealVideo 8/9/10
MPEG-4 SP/ASP
DivX, XviD
H.263, Flash (Sorenson)
WMV-9/VC-1
MPEG-2, MPEG-1
JPEG, MJPEG
Since the subsystem is software programmable, additional coding standards can run on
the same silicon. The v-MP4000HDX can be firmware upgraded to run H.265/HEVC, VP9 or high
dynamic range still image codecs, for example.
Availability
The v-MP4000HDX processor IP core, optimized OpenCV library and suite of video codecs
are now available for licensing. A development and evaluation system is available that
includes a 40nm implementation of the v-MP4280HDX processor at 400MHz, a 1GHz ARM host
CPU, camera input, HDMI output and networking.
About videantis
videantis GmbH, headquartered in Hannover, Germany, is a one-stop video IP and
solution provider delivering flexible multi-standard HW/SW video, imaging and vision
solutions for mobile, consumer, and automotive markets. Based on a unified processor
platform approach that is licensed to chip manufacturers, videantis provides tailored
solutions to meet the specific needs of their customers. With their core competencies of
deep video application expert know-how and strong SoC design and system architecture
expertise, videantis passionately serves a worldwide customer basis with a diverse range
of target applications, such as mobile phones, over-the-top TV, in-car infotainment or
driver assist systems. videantis has been recognized with the Deloitte Technology Fast 50
Germany Award as one of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Germany. For more
information about videantis, please visit http://www.videantis.com
videantis GmbH
CONTACT: Marco Jacobs, Technical Marketing Director marco.jacobs@videantis.com Phone: +31-6-50455522 videantis GmbH Schneiderberg 32 30167 Hannover Germany http://www.videantis.com