Barco Silex, a provider of FPGA-based video solutions and JPEG2000 compression IP cores, recently released a full reference implementation of the Video Services Forum VSF TR-01 recommendation. The solution allows interoperable transport of JPEG 2000 streams over IP networks. The multichannel design is built around a Xilinx FPGA platform and integrates IP cores from Barco Silex and Xilinx. It is targeted at broadcast equipment OEMs that want to make their video transport tools interoperable.
The reference design is a four-channel transmitter-and-receiver platform. The transmitter is able to take up to four SDI high-definition (HD) streams (1080p30), optionally compress them with JPEG 2000 and send them over 1-Gbps (with compression) or 10-Gbps (uncompressed) Ethernet according to the VSF TR-01 standard. The receiver platform, conversely, can receive the IP stream, de-encapsulate and decompress it, and put it on up to four SDI HD links. Using the four input channels of the reference design in quad-SDI mode (4K carried over four SDI cables), the design is ready to send 4K signals over the network.
The design has been implemented on two platforms, one using Xilinx’ Zynq-7000 All Programmable SoC and the other using the Kintex-7 FPGA. The IP cores that are used are available for the full range of Xilinx FPGA systems, up to the UltraScale level. They can therefore be integrated in solutions that address the complete range of OEM system requirements, from low-cost, high-volume applications to the most demanding high-performance applications. For encoding and decoding, the design includes the Barco Silex JPEG 2000 encoder and decoder IP cores. These are silicon-proven, widely adopted single-FPGA solutions for high-performance, simultaneous multichannel 720p30/60, 1080i, 1080p30/60 and 2K/4K/8K JPEG 2000 encoding and decoding.
The companies note that the reference design arrives at a time when the use of IP networks in the video industry is beginning to take off. The ability of OEMs to capture a share of that new market will depend on how fast they can get products out. By combining the JPEG 2000 cores of Barco and the transport cores of Xilinx, OEMs may produce and update standardized broadcast equipment much faster, making their products future-proof in the process, the companies contend.
“Xilinx is very fortunate to be working with Barco Silex, a Member of the Xilinx Alliance Program, on delivering market critical solutions that enable the industry's transition to deliver any media over any network," comments Aaron Behman, director of the broadcast and pro A/V business segment at Xilinx. "We congratulate Barco Silex on this award winning solution and look forward to strong continued collaboration with them.”
Honoring its efforts, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has awarded Barco Silex a 2014 Technology & Engineering Emmy Award. Barco Silex will showcase its JPEG 2000 Video-over-IP design, including 4K and ultralow-latency solutions, at the NAB 2015 tradeshow (booth C8427b) in Las Vegas (April 11-16).
