CAST'S H.264-MCE ENCODER DELIVERS 150HZ PERFORMANCE.eASIC Corporation, a provider of Structured ASIC devices has unveiled the H264-MCE multi-channel baseline video encoder core from CAST, Inc. for implementation in Nextreme Structured ASIC devices. This solution is perfect fit for a wide range of video processing applications such as digital video- broadcasting and digital video surveillance equipment. The CAST H.264 Intellectual Property core operates at 150MHz performance and Nextreme provides the customer with the benefits of no mask charges, no minimum order quantity and a short turnaround time of 3-4 weeks. Using Nextreme, customers gain lower unit cost and achieve 1/10 the power consumption of comparable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) A type of gate array that is programmed in the field rather than in a semiconductor fab. Containing up to hundreds of thousands of gates, there are a variety of FPGA architectures on the market. solutions. "eASIC's Nextreme technology is a great match for our H.264 encoder core," said Hal Barbour, president of CAST. "Together they make advanced video coding See H.264. Advanced Video Coding - H.264 practical for more designers, and achievable with less risk and lower cost." "To meet the ever-increasing demand for high definition video applications, we have collaborated with CAST, one of our eZ-IP Alliance partners, to provide our customers with a low-cost platform to implement state-of-the-art compression algorithms," said Jasbinder Bhoot, senior marketing director at eASIC. "Our solution introduces a higher performance and lower power-consumption alternative compared to baseline profile encoders implemented using existing, more expensive approaches such as FPGAs." Availability A synthesizable H264/MCE core is available now in VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) A hardware description language (HDL) used to design electronic systems at the component, board and system level. VHDL allows models to be developed at a very high level of abstraction. , Verilog or netlist formats. The core is licensable by CAST and the Nextreme devices are offered by eASIC. For pricing information, please contact an eASIC sales representative. H264-MCE Multi-Channel Baseline H.264/AVC Video Encoder Core With its ability to process multiple inputs and unusual support for frame sizes up through HDTV (High Definition TV) A set of digital television (DTV) standards that offer the highest resolution and sharpest picture. Although some HDTV sets are available in standard (rather square) screen sizes, the overwhelming majority of sets are wide screen, which eliminates at fast transmission rates, the H.264 core is especially effective for multi-camera surveillance systems, video conferencing packages, networked camera situations, and any application with multiple video sources feeding into a single network node where bandwidth is limited. The core conforms to the Level 4.1 Baseline H.264 specification, and can be configured to support a wide range of popular video resolutions. It can, for example, easily process 720p HDTV in an Nexteme device (1280 x 720 pixel frames, 30 frames per second, running at just 110 MHz). The flexible core can produce output that is either constant bit rate (CBR (1) (Computer-Based Reference) Reference materials accessible by computer in order to help people do their jobs quicker. For example, this database on disk! (2) (Constant Bit Rate) A uniform transmission rate. ) for applications with limited bandwidth, or variable bit rate (VBR (1) See MP3 VBR. (2) (Variable Bit Rate) Refers to a communications or computer channel that changes its transmission speed based on any number of criteria. ) for applications processing detailed images in fast-changing scenes. Additional processing details and error checking features ensure video quality; see the datasheet online for complete information. About eASIC eASIC is a fabless semiconductor company A fabless semiconductor company specializes in the design and sale of hardware devices implemented on semiconductor chips. It achieves an advantage by outsourcing the fabrication of the devices to a specialized semiconductor manufacturer called a semiconductor foundry or "fab. offering breakthrough Structured ASIC devices aimed at dramatically reducing the overall fabrication cost and time of customized semiconductor chips. Low-cost, high-performance and fast- turn ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. and System-on-Chip designs are enabled through patented technology of FPGA-like programmable logic coupled with ASIC-like Via-layer customizable routing. This innovative fabric efficiently employs mask-less customization with Direct-write e-Beam, and thus allows eASIC to offer NRE-free Structured ASICs. Founded in 1999, eASIC Corporation is privately held, headquartered in Santa Clara, California Santa Clara, California (IPA: /ˌsæntəˈklærə/) , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. . Investors include Vinod Khosla, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers (KPCB KPCB Kings Park Concert Band ), Crescendo Ventures, and Evergreen Partners. For more information, call 408/855-9200, ext. 220 or visit http://www.easic.com About CAST, Inc. CAST provides over 100 popular and standards-based IP cores for ASICs and FPGAs. The company is headquartered near New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , partners with IP developers around the world, and works with select sales consultants and distributors throughout Europe and Asia. Learn more at http://www.cast-inc.com. |
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