FPGAs for Broadcasting and Pro AV Solutions

High-quality professional video cameras are used in TV studios and film production. FPGAs are ideal for combining the camera interface, image processing, and connectivity in a single device to film and distribute live video (or store it).

Key applications:

• Studio production
• Cinema production
• Live events

FPGA IP functionality in soft logic: 

• Video connectivity interfaces (SDI, HDMI and Ethernet, LVDS, SLVS-EC, other sensor standards)
• Image Signal Processing (ISP)
• Generic Video Processing, such as scaling, mixing, switching, keying etc.
• Low compression ratio video compression and decoding such as ProRes or JPEG-XS

Learn more:

• Video and Vision Processing Suite Intel® FPGA IP User Guide
• High-performance Image Signal Processing and Camera Sensor Pipeline Design on FPGAs
• Genlock Controller Intel® FPGA IP
• Intel® FPGA Streaming Video Protocol Specification
• HDMI Intel® FPGA IP User GuideSDI II Intel® FPGA IP User Guide
• SDI II Intel® FPGA IP User Guide

Live IP video production has introduced new network designs and topologies to meet the mission-critical requirements of live media transport over a network. These new requirements are pushing the limits of the current paradigm for COTS hardware architecture with increased demands for media processing, which necessitates the use of specific hardware accelerators.

FPGAs are ideal for creating a customized number of audio/video ports and connecting to Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) Edge Compute equipment as PCIe add-in cards.

Key applications:

• Studio Broadcast
• Live Production
• Film production

FPGA IP functionality in soft logic:

• Video connectivity interfaces (SDI, HDMI, and Ethernet)
• Generic Video Processing such as scaling, mixing, switching, etc.
• Low latency video compression and decoding such as JPEG-XS

Learn more:

• ST 2110 FPGA-based NIC Solution Brief
• Nextera - Adeas ST 2110 Core
• Macnica ST 2110 Tx/Rx IP Core

ST 2110 / IPMX

SMPTE ST 2110 is a suite of open standards that carries video, audio, and ancillary data as separate streams over an IP network and is already being widely adopted in broadcast and is now the de facto standard for AV over IP.

ST 2110 replaces legacy SDI (Serial Digital Interface) systems by providing one common data center infrastructure, where essences are routed using COTS IP switches instead of expensive SDI routers.

Key applications:

• Broadcast equipment
• Medical 
• Virtualized video production

FPGA IP functionality in soft logic:

• Video connectivity interfaces (SDI, HDMI, and Ethernet)
• Generic Video Processing such as scaling, mixing, keying etc.
• Low compression ratio, low latency video compression and decoding such as JPEG-XS, and other proprietary standards.

Learn more:

• Nextera - Adeas ST 2110 Core
• Nextera - Adeas IPMX Core
• Macnica ST 2110 Tx/Rx IP Core
• NDI

AV-over-IP equipment uses a standards-based or proprietary-based packetization system for transmission on IP networks. The standards-based system has the advantage of interoperability between products from different vendors.

The use of AVoIP is now being used to replace the traditional Pro AV connections such as HDMI, DisplayPort, and SDI with the added benefit of allowing for longer cable runs and easy signal routing.

Key applications:

• KVM
• Professional production
• Houses of worship
• Digital signage

FPGA IP functionality in soft logic:

• Video connectivity interfaces (SDI, HDMI and Ethernet)
• Generic Video Processing such as scaling, mixing, switching, etc.
• Low compression ratio, low latency video compression and decoding such as JPEG-XS, ProRes, VC-2, MPEG, and other proprietary standards

Learn more:

• JPEG-XS
• IntoPIX
• IHSE JPEG-XS
• IntoPIX Whitepaper
• Nextera - Adeas ST 2110 Core
• Nextera - Adeas IPMX Core
• NDI

Video projectors are used for many applications such as conference room presentations, classroom training, home cinema, movie theaters, and live events.

Video projectors use a very bright ultra-high-performance lamp to provide the illumination required to project the image. Modern projectors use FPGA processing for video processing, lens correction, geometric transforms, and other tasks.

Key applications:

• Conference room
• Live events
• Movie theatre

FPGA IP functionality in soft logic:

• Video connectivity interfaces (DSC, DisplayPort, Vx1, SDI, HDMI and Ethernet, LVDS, SLVS-EC)
• Generic Video Processing such as scaling, mixing, switching, etc. 
• Low compression ratio, low latency video compression and decoding such as JPEG-XS, ProRes, VC-2, MPEG & other proprietary standards

Learn more:

• Rambus DSC Complete Guide User Guide
• Rambus DSC 1.2b Decoder IP Core
• Rambus DSC 1.2b Encoder IP Core
• Alma Technologies UHT-DSC-D
• Macnica V-by-One HS IP
• Macnica SLVS-EC RX IP
• IntoPIX  JPEG-XS
• IHSE JPEG-XS
• IntoPIX Whitepaper

Equipment used to treat, transmit, and receive video and KVM over long distances using ethernet cabling in private or public networks. End usages include professional shows, enterprise video networks, hospitality video networks, houses of worship, signage, and retail video networking.

Key applications:

• Conference room
• Digital signage
• Houses of worship

FPGA IP functionality in soft logic:

• Video connectivity interfaces (SDI, HDMI, DP, Ethernet, LVDS, SLVS-EC, other sensor standards, MIPI, Vx1)
• Generic Video Processing such as scaling, mixing, switching, etc.

Learn more:

• Macnica V-by-One HS IP
• Macnica SLVS-EC RX IP
• LVDS FPGA IP User Guide
• HDMI FPGA IP Core
• DisplayPort FPGA IP Core
• MIPI D-PHY IP
• SDI II FPGA IP Core
• IPMX Core
• NDI