Microtronix Enhances 1080p Display Quality with Cyclone III FPGA-Based Development Kit
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Comprehensive Image-Enhancement Kit Accelerates Design Process
SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 5 -- Tapping into the high functionality, low power and low cost of Cyclone® III FPGAs from Altera Corporation (NASDAQ:ALTR), Microtronix Datacom Ltd. has released the newest member of its ViClaro family of video intellectual property (IP) development kits, the companies announced today. Developed in cooperation with Altera, the ViClaro III HD Panel Display Interface -- Video IP Development Kit helps high-definition (HD) video display designers proficiently build highly integrated, next-generation HD 1080p, 100-/120-Hz frame rate conversion television sets or panel display systems.
"Our ViClaro III kit, with the Cyclone III FPGA as its engine, provides a comprehensive engineering design and evaluation platform," said Norman McCall, CEO at Microtronix. "Using our kit, designers can efficiently develop video-processing IP algorithms to support an array of display applications providing superior picture quality."
The ViClaro III kit features the highest density Cyclone III FPGA, the EP3C120 device, as well as an HD multimedia interface (HDMI) and USB 2.0 PHY. With its system integration capabilities, the kit is an ideal starting point for developing HDTV systems, broadcast video conversion/processing applications, HD projectors or plasma/LCD TVs, DVD recorders and cameras, video test and measurement equipment, and medical diagnostic equipment.
"Microtronix's ViClaro III board will help NXP develop and deliver the most advanced visual enhancements in the shortest time possible. This capability supports NXP's commitment to enhancing the HDTV experience, as demonstrated by the recently launched PNX5100, the market's first video postprocessor with our proprietary Motion Accurate Picture Processing technology," said Jos Klippert, marketing director for digital television at NXP. "We'll be able to quickly deliver the exact display features consumers desire when they demand them, while also creating a low-risk bridge between major chipset releases. Quite simply, employing Cyclone III FPGAs in this way provides us with a clear advantage in this rapidly changing market."
Leading video processing technology company Let It Wave, a longtime user of Altera® FPGAs, recently began developing with the kit. "The ViClaro III kit helps us introduce new video processing products and demonstrations to our customers more quickly," said Mark Shand, vice president, engineering, Let It Wave. "Cyclone III FPGAs are the ideal vehicle for allowing us to develop the most advanced and affordable display enhancement technologies."
Kit's Rich Resources Deliver Quality and Design Efficiency With Microtronix's kit, designers have access to:
o ViClaro III HD Video Host Board, which contains the Cyclone III EP3C120 FPGA, USB 2.0 PHY, and DDR2 memory interface
o Quad Link LVDS Panel Display Interface Card, which supports 48 LVDS receive and transmit links, each with five data channels and one clock for a total of 48 LVDS channel pairs
o Two Altera device-compliant high-speed mezzanine connectors (HSMC) and one dedicated HSMC LVDS connector for adding an application-specific daughtercard
o HDMI 1.3 Dual Receiver Card (optional), which interfaces two 36-bit deep-color HDMI 1.3 input video ports to the ViClaro II host board
"Cyclone III FPGAs are packed with features that drive video image enhancement, from their high memory bandwidth to embedded multipliers, integrated differential I/Os and dynamically reconfigurable phase-locked loops," said Todd Scott, senior director of Altera's broadcast business unit. "The ViClaro III kit is the latest joint effort that demonstrates the commitment between Altera and Microtronix to support higher quality, more affordable, low-power video display products for a variety of industries."
The ViClaro III development kit is priced at $3995. For more information, visit www.microtronix.com/. For more information on Cyclone III FPGAs, visit www.altera.com/cyclone3.
About Microtronix
Microtronix has been in business for over 30 years. The company had its beginning as a designer of custom networking equipment targeted at the telco marketplace. The company has intensified their engineering skills on a line of embedded networking products and on providing a turnkey engineering design-development service from product concept through to full production. Microtronix specializes in the rapid development of FPGA-based hardware, IP cores, printed circuit board and software solutions for embedded applications.
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 at www.altera.com/.
Editor Contacts:
Ivanya Terrazas
Altera Corporation
(408) 544-6397 newsroom@altera.compmorin@microtronix.com
Philippe Morin
Microtronix Datacom Ltd.
(519) 690-0091
Source: Altera Corporation
Web site: www.altera.com/
http://www.microtronix.com/
