据美国《商业新闻》3月24日消息，Altera公司和Apical有限公司宣布了全球首个视频监控摄像方面的高清晰度宽动态范围(WDR)CMOS图像传感器处理解决方案。Altera将在3.24-3.26日在内华达州拉斯维加斯举办的国际安全大会(ISC)西部博览会上展示该解决方案的。Altera和Apical的完整的解决方案确保了监控摄像即使在不同光照下条件下也有着卓越的视频图像质量，而这却一直是前几代监控摄像机的绊脚石。具备Altera的Cyclone®III和CycloneIVFPGAs的特色和Apical的知识产权(IP)，该解决方案支持Aptina最新的MT9M033高清晰度宽动态CMOS图像传感器。

　　标准CMOS图像传感器受限于光的强度。当它受太阳光轻微直射时，相片就有可能变黑或洗出来时有盲点。WDRCMOS图像传感器可以解决此问题，但还有一个设计上的难题。这些图像传感器产生的大量的数据(每种颜色20比特×每秒60帧上面1.2M像素)必须使用图像信号处理器(ISP)加以处理的，但数据实在太多了以致芯片处理不了。通常用于监控系统的数字信号处理器(DSPs)和标准应用专用电路(ASSPs)没有能力有效的处理该问题。而Altera的CycloneFPGAs有能力进行大型的数字运算算法，该算法能将原始图像数据转换成产生清晰的视频图像所需要的标准数字输出。

　　“虽然以往的传感器在任何光线不足或光线明亮的条件下也表现良好，但它们到目前为止还依然不能同时适应两种环境。”Apical有限公司行政总裁MichaelTusch说：“一旦我们意识到DSPs不能完成我们所需要的功能，我们便转向Altera的CycloneFPGAs，因为它们提供Apical在监控市场上申请成本点和功率限制方面的IP所需要的性能。”

　　该FPGAs的传感处理设计是由Apical提供的。Apical的IP包含了完整的ISP，该ISP可以执行自动曝光、自动增益和自动白平衡，这有助于调整极弱光和强光条件下视频图像的清晰度。Apical的IP也通过整合Apica公司的使用高性能2D或3D降噪技术和先进的色彩处理技术模仿人类的眼睛的艺术级的iridix®地方色调映射引擎来优化视频图像。CycloneIII和CycloneIV系列的FPGAs具备业界领先的时钟速率，逻辑利用和降低功耗的所有功能。

　　“Altera的FPGAs使我们的客户对他们的设计做更多的事，尤其是在工业市场上，在那传统的DSPs和ASSPs是走不通的，”Altera的工业和汽车业务部总监MichaelSamuelian说：“Altera低成本、低功耗的Cyclone系列FPGAs正在被用作从图像捕捉到图像显示的主要图像处理因素。结合我们的FPGAs和Apical的IP，下一代视频监控设备将更快地进入市场，且具有无限的潜力。”[nextpage]

　　Altera and Apical Deliver World's First HD Wide Dynamic Range FPGA Solution for Surveillance

　　Altera's Cyclone FPGAs Provide Full Image-Processing Solution for High-Definition WDR CMOS Image Sensors

　　Press Release Source: Altera Corporation On Wednesday March 24, 2010, 8:00 am EDT

　　SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR - News) and Apical Ltd. announced today the world's first high-definition wide dynamic range (WDR) CMOS image-sensor-processing solution for video-surveillance cameras. Altera is demonstrating the solution at the International Security Conference (ISC) West Expo from March 24 to 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Altera and Apical's complete solution ensures superb video-image quality regardless of varying lighting conditions, a major stumbling block for previous generations of surveillance cameras. Featuring Altera's Cyclone® III and Cyclone IV FPGAs, and Apical's intellectual property (IP), this solution supports Aptina's new MT9M033 High-Definition WDR CMOS image sensor.

　　Standard CMOS image sensors are limited by the vast ranges of brightness levels, from low light to direct sunlight, that can black out or wash out a video subject. WDR CMOS image sensors correct this problem, but present a design challenge. The large amounts of data (up to 20 bits per color x 1.2 Mpixels at 60 frames per second) generated by these image sensors must be processed in the Image Sensor Pipeline (ISP), but are too much to be handled on-chip. The DSPs and ASSPs typically used in surveillance systems do not have the ability to handle the processing task efficiently. Altera's Cyclone FPGAs have the capability to perform the intense number-crunching algorithms that convert the raw image data into a standard digital output needed to produce a clear video image.

　　"While previous sensors have shown good performance in either low-light or bright-light conditions, they've never been able to do both, until now," said Michael Tusch, CEO of Apical Ltd. "Once we realized DSPs couldn't perform the functions we needed, we turned to Altera's Cyclone FPGAs because they offered the performance required to run Apical's IP for the cost point and power restrictions for the surveillance market."

　　The sensor processing design implemented in the FPGA is provided by Apical. The IP from Apical includes the full ISP, which performs the auto-exposure, auto-gain, and auto-white balancing that contribute to clear video images in extreme low-light and bright-light conditions. Apical's IP also optimizes video images by incorporating Apical's state-of-the-art iridix® local tone mapping engine, which mimics the human eye, with high performance 2D or 3D noise reduction, and advanced color processing. The Cyclone III and Cyclone IV families of FPGAs perform all of these functions at industry leading clock rates, logic utilization, and power consumption.

　　"Altera's FPGAs are enabling our customers to do more with their designs, especially in the industrial market where traditional DSPs and ASSPs have hit a wall," said Michael Samuelian, director of the industrial and automotive business unit at Altera. "Altera's low-cost and low-power Cyclone series of FPGAs are being used as the main image-processing element from image capture to image display. With our FPGAs and Apical's IP, next-generation video surveillance equipment will get to market faster and have unlimited potential."

　　For more information, or to obtain the HD WDR CMOS image sensor demo, reference design and evaluation kit, visit http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.altera.com%2Fpr%2Fsurveillance&esheet=6225142&lan=en_US&anchor=www.altera.com%2Fpr%2Fsurveillance&index=7&md5=5fbbdb1e0d1e170c526d66d44d1c78ab.

　　About Altera

　　Altera programmable solutions enable system and semiconductor companies to rapidly and cost-effectively innovate, differentiate and win in their markets. Find out more about Altera's FPGA, CPLD and ASIC devices at http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.altera.com%2Findex.jsp&esheet=6225142&lan=en_US&anchor=www.altera.com&index=11&md5=aa0accc4d50ca1273e14fd5903538352. Follow Altera via Facebook, RSS and Twitter.

　　About Apical

　　Apical is the industry leader in advanced dynamic range management and noise-reduction technology for embedded applications. The company's products are derived from research into the human visual system and are designed to maximize the performance of a wide range of image capture and display devices. The product range comprises hardware IP cores and embedded software libraries. Apical is a privately-held company based in the UK.

　　http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apical-imaging.com&esheet=6225142&lan=en_US&anchor=www.apical-imaging.com&index=15&md5=d67ffc6e97f5163958c6f2c2db55e8ef

　　Altera, the Altera logo, and all other words that are identified as trademarks are, unless noted otherwise, Registered, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the trademarks of Altera Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other product or service names are the property of their respective holders. iridix is a trademark of Apical Ltd.