Date: 29/11/2010

Chips for 3D HD video camera; next wave in digital cameras

In the camera-electronics domain it's not much about the pixels it more about managing the other aspects of the picture, that include built-in video processing, improving other optical aspects of the photography/videography and now the 3D picture capturing. The video processor chip expert Ambarella has come out with multi-chip solution for hybrid digital video/digital still (DV/DSC) cameras to capture high quality high definition (HD) video high-resolution still pictures.

The semiconductor chips offered by Ambarella includes:

A5s: A5s is a single chip H.264 codec Solution for high-definition hybrid DV/DSC cameras. A5s provides high resolution digital still image processing combined with full HD video processing. The Ambarella A5s H.264 Codec SoC integrates an image sensor pipeline capable of processing 240 MPixel/s, a 1080p30 Full HD H.264 video Codec and a 528 MHz ARM11 processor. The on-board image pipeline contains many enhanced noise reduction and image enhancement filters and Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) implementation to compensate for camera shake.
A7: The A7 is a single chip H.264 codec Solution capable of capturing up to 4Mp30 (2560x1600p30) and is ideally suited to drive a full-featured Full HD 1080p60 capable hybrid DV/DSC camera. The Ambarella A7 H.264 Codec SoC integrates an image sensor pipeline capable of processing 500 MPixel/s, a 1920x1080p60 or 4M@30p (2560x1600p30) H.264 video Codec and a 528 MHz ARM11 processor. Electronic Image Stablization (EIS) algorithm is also supported.

Both the above chips are supported with a hardware reference design and software developer's kit and full DV/DSC camera software application so that the developer is provided with ready circuit diagram, schematics and any such design resources.


S3D: This new chip; S3D works with A5s and A7 camera system on chips (SoC). It connects to two standard CMOS image sensors and processes the image data to create a single video stream for the A5s or A7 camera SoCs. It also supports the display of 3D video and still images on the cameras 3D LCD display.

When combined with Ambarella's A7 HD camera SoC, the S3D enables development of cameras up to 1080p60 resolution, while combining it with Ambarella's A5s HD camera SoC enables resolutions of 1080p30, 1080i60 or 720p60.

The S3D can accept input from CMOS sensors with MIPI, parallel, or SLVDS interfaces and supports runtime parallax adjustment. It also supports HDMI 1.4 3D information, so that the camera can automatically trigger the 3D television to enter 3D mode without manual control of the television's HDMI input.

"Ambarella's new S3D-based 3D camera solution enables a new generation of HD 3D cameras at consumer price points and with outstanding video quality up to 1080p60 resolution," says Fermi Wang, Ambarella CEO. "Consumers are finally able to create 3D movies and still pictures that fully exploit the capabilities of their full HD, 3D televisions."

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