Use the advantages of embedded VisualApplets: Realize custom image processing on the FPGAs of your cameras in shortest time!

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2 Use the advantages of embedded VisualApplets: Realize custom image processing on the FPGAs of your cameras in shortest time! Whether in the car or in the production line cameras are an integral part of today s life. But the demands on camera functionality are continuously rising. Next to image acquisition, the immediate interpretation of image data becomes more and more crucial. Immediate interpretation allows to interact directly or to save costs due to reduced bandwidth. The future belongs to intelligent, networked, embedded cameras. A specific technology is integrated in nearly every camera, but is often highly under-utilized: FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) may be described as a special kind of chips that can be (re-)programmed again and again. They provide a tremendous amount of processing power, guarantee real time processing, and consume hardly any power. Their drawback until now: They are programmable, but only by specialists and in a very extensive and time-consuming process. This problem is solved by embedded VisualApplets. Embedded VisualApplets has been ed for camera manufacturers who want to make their products intelligent and use the hidden potentials of FPGA image processing. Embedded VisualApplets is the right decision when variability and Time2Market is what counts, and when diverse image processing applications need to be realized reliably and in no time. And they can be realized now by software and application engineers without the need of any hardware programming knowledge! Embedded VisualApplets allows you To adapt the image processing applications in your cameras very quickly and flexibly to the requirements of your customers and markets To develop your image processing applications in an intuitive, graphical development environment without any HDL knowledge To equip the same camera model with various image processing applications To port one image processing application to various camera models without additional effort, To allow your customers to program your cameras themselves (if you want them to), and To reliably protect your intellectual property by using a matured encryption system. The word Camera we use in the following in the broadest sense, i.e., as a synonym for all hardware platforms that use an FPGA for image pre-processing. 2 embedded VisualApplets

3 After implementation, you (or your customer) can equip your camera as often as you want with a new image processing pipeline. Your hardware platform FPGA with your FPGA VA IP Core with image processing pipeline Intuitive graphical development environment Your camera and FPGA remain untouched when new applets are ed and loaded onto the FPGA. How is this achieved? Your hardware developers onetime implement the VisualApplets IP core as a black box into the FPGA of your camera. Afterwards, the IP core can be programmed as often as desired. Your image processing experts or your customers use the graphical development environment VisualApplets for programming the IP Core. They don t need any hardware programming knowledge for doing so. In VisualApplets, an image processing solution is developed in form of a flow chart without any HDL. Fully automatically, VisualApplets synthesizes the developed image processing solution into an FPGA bitstream. This bitstream is used for FPGA configuration. VisualApplets automatically generates the required software interface for accessing the parameters of the image processing solution. The new image processing solution starts operation! The individual parameters can be configured by the end user during runtime. 3 embedded VisualApplets

4 Once-Only: Integrating VisualApplets Carried out by one of your Hardware Developers Integration of VisualApplets into your camera is done in just a few steps: 1. You use the tool eva Designer to generate an IP core black box in VHDL for your camera: You enter some data (e.g., FPGA type) and specify the ports you want the IP core to have (memory interfaces, image in ports, image out ports, register interfaces, GPIs and GPOs). Based on your input, eva Designer generates the black box fully automatically. 2. You integrate the IP core black box into your FPGA (VHDL). 3. You generate a netlist of your FPGA with integrated black box and create a constraints file. 4. You provide netlist and constraints file to eva Designer and, via mouse click, let it generate the camera-specific plugin for VisualApplets. 5. You install the graphical development environment VisualApplets, and then the camera specific plugin. The plugin makes VisualApplets support your camera. After these steps, the VA IP core of your camera can be programmed by VisualApplets. Direct Support Developer <-> Developer: Using our Rapid Prototyping Package, your hardware developers can rely on direct support by our VisualApplets development team during implementation. Phone Our development team Your hardware developer 4 embedded VisualApplets

5 eva Plugin Installer Once-only implementation process for a new hardware platform: HW and FPGA data (FPGA type, logic resources, target frequency, etc.) Specification of interfaces between FPGA and IP core Manual data input via GUI *.ngc / *.edn *.ucf/ *.xdc eva Designer Graphical programming tool Based on the entered data, eva VisualApplets Netlist of overall FPGA Constraints file Designer creates a HW specific, empty IP core (black box, interface of IP core to the FPGA) in VHDL IP core black box Test environment with IP Core IP core black box FPGA netlist Hardware applet + runtime code *.hap *.xml *.c Integrating the black box into overall Constraints FPGA (in VHDL) FPGA IP core black box Target application on your platform VHDL code Software tool with GUI User interaction Automatic generation Speedy Implementation Your Success! This is why we support you with Intensive know-how transfer, Individual assistance, Workshops, coachings And much more. 5 embedded VisualApplets

6 as a building block: The netlist of your camera s FPGA is via the interfaces of the black box connected to the variable image processing s created with VisualApplets: IP core black box Your constraints file eva Designer eva Plugin VisualApplets Libraries: Base Arithmetics Color Filter Signal etc. IP Functionality: Design rules tests Visual debugging Resource estimation Bandwidth control Simulation etc. Your constraints file Bitstream for FPGA configuration Image Processing Design 1 Bitstream for FPGA configuration Image Processing Design 2 Bitstream for FPGA configuration Image Processing Design 3 Bitstream for FPGA configuration Image Processing Design 4 Bitstream for FPGA configuration Image Processing Design 5 6 embedded VisualApplets

7 How you use embedded VisualApplets Step 1: Easy Programming for Image Processing Experts Use all the advantages of visual programming when ing image processing solutions with VisualApplets. Your image processing experts are supported by Thematically structured, comprehensive image processing libraries Automatic verification of the s conformity to underlying combination and parametrization rules Visual debugging FPGA resource estimation elements with high resource consumption can be easily detected and optimized Automatic bandwidth control Precise simulation for verifying the functionality of the created application Thematically structured operator libraries You can position and connect operators as you want, according to the needs of the image processing application There are more than 200 operators available. Each operator offers a Precise specific function that may be used in simulation the image processing chain. Additional of test libraries you can purchase and/or images define yourself. 7 embedded VisualApplets

8 Step 2: Automatic Synthesis of FPGA Bitstream Start synthesis of the FPGA bitstream via one simple mouse click. VisualApplets incorporates the just created image processing solution, and the netlist and constraints files you generated during integration. Please note that for bitstream generation, you need the synthesis software 1 of the FPGA manufacturer 2. Step 3: Configuring the FPGA Configure the FPGA with the generated bitstream. Whether you prefer a flash memory or direct writing to the FPGA you are completely free in selecting your optimal way of configuration. Step 4: Benefit from all the Commercial Advantages of Programmable Hardware Adapt the image processing pipelines of your camera in minimum time to your customers and markets requirements. Distribute the same camera model with various image processing applications. Use the same image processing application on various camera models (portability of VisualApplets s). Allow your customers if you want to to program themselves the cameras they purchased from you. 1 Depending on the FPGA type in the camera: Xilinx Vivado WebPACK (free), Xilinx Vivado Design Suite, Xilinx ISE WebPACK (free) or Xilinx ISE Design Suite (registered trade marks of Xilinx Corp.) 2 At present, embedded VisualApplets supports the FPGAs of Xilinx Inc. starting from series 6, including Zynq SoC 8 embedded VisualApplets

9 Licensing Model Each camera is equipped with one runtime license. The costs of a runtime license are defined by the maximum sensor bandwidth, the number of FPGA resources that can be maximally used by the image processing application, and by the DRAM interface availability. You can select from 12 performance classes: Bandwidth Classes 150 MB/s 500 MB/s 1000 MB/s unlimited Economy Moderate Resources, no DRAM Interfaces Performance Class E150 E500 E1000 EL Sensor Bandwidth Up to 150 MB/s Up to 500 MB/s Up to 1000 MB/s unlimited Available Resources Up to LUT4 Up to LUT4 Up to LUT4 Up to LUT4 DRAM Interfaces Not supported Not supported Not supported Not supported extended High Resources and Support of DRAM Performance Class X150 X500 X1000 XL Sensor Bandwidth Up to 150 MB/s Up to 500 MB/s Up to 1000 MB/s unlimited Available Resources Up to LUT4 Up to LUT4 Up to LUT4 Up to LUT4 DRAM Interfaces Supported Supported Supported Supported Superior Maximum Resources and Support of DRAM Performance Class S150 S500 S1000 SL Sensor Bandwidth Up to 150 MB/s Up to 500 MB/s Up to 1000 MB/s unlimited Available Resources unlimited unlimited unlimited unlimited DRAM Interfaces Supported Supported Supported Supported You can generate the runtime licenses yourself. For generating licenses, you get a dongle from Silicon Software that works on a pay-per-use basis. On the dongle, a predefined number of utilization units (1 unit per runtime license) for a specific performance class is provided. When all units on the dongle have been consumed, you can buy a new allotment of units which is loaded onto the dongle. Your Advantages of Pay-Per-Use: No additional hardware on camera required Reliable protection of your intellectual property as the FPGA-internal serial number (DNA of FPGA) is incorporated into the license Easy integration of licensing into the production flow 9 embedded VisualApplets

10 Ordering Embedded VisualApplets Order number required/ optional VisualApplets 3 Embedder required VisualApplets required VisualApplets USB Dongle required VisualApplets 3 Expert optional Library Segmentation/Classification (Blob) optional Library Compression optional Xilinx Vivado : Design Edition License (NL) 4 (genuine Xilinx Software) optional Embedded VisualApplets Rapid Prototyping Package (Service package, support during implementation of embedded VisualApplets) Order number required/ optional Initial workshop (via WebEx; without additional charge also available as face-to-face event on our premises in Mannheim), 1-2 days Joint development of prototypical implementation for extended evaluation Provision of a simulation environment Direct support by Silicon Software s development team optional 3 For using VisualApplets 3 a dongle is required (order number: ). 4 The VisualApplets synthesis process requires a 3 rd party software: Depending on the used FPGA, this is either Xilinx Vivado WebPACK (free), Xilinx Vivado Design Suite, Xilinx ISE WebPACK (free), or Xilinx ISE Design Suite (registered trade marks of Xilinx Corp.). 10 embedded VisualApplets

11 Embedded VisualApplets Production Platform (Service package, support during implementation of embedded VisualApplets) Order number required/ optional Variable catalogue of services as needed by customer for developing and providing a fully functional, customer specific productive platform Volume: 5 man days, extensible optional Services Order number required/ optional VisualApplets workshop (price can be deducted from license fee in case of purchase of ViusalApplets 3 license) optional Coaching Development services (short technical description required) cost accounting on basis of actuals cost accounting on basis of actuals optional optional Are you interested? Contact us. We are happy to provide you with Further product information and detailed documentation Workshops and coachings Support in integrating your hardware Development services 11 embedded VisualApplets

12 Contact Details GmbH Steubenstrasse 46 D Mannheim, Germany Phone: +49(0) Fax: +49(0) info@silicon.software Web: Inc. (USA) 1 Tara Boulevard, Suite 200 Nashua, NH 03062, USA Phone: Fax: info@silicon.software Web: America Inc St-Martin Blvd., Suite 500 Laval, Qc., H7T0J3, Canada Phone: Ext 101 Fax: americas@silicon.software Web: About VisualApplets VisualApplets is an intuitive tool for the graphical programming of FPGAs in machine vision. Applications for processing even highly complex image processing tasks can be ed and synthesized cost- effectively and in a minimum of time without any HDL knowledge. The developer is supported by features such as visual debugging, pixel-accurate simulation, and various analyzing options. An integrated SDK generator and the tool microdisplay as graphical user interface simplify implementation on the FPGA. This allows for a completely new flexibility in the field of image processing: With VisualApplets, image processing tasks can be implemented very fast. The resulting applications can be maintained and further developed very cost-effectively. About Silicon Software Silicon Software GmbH, headquartered in Mannheim/Germany, is a manufacturer of frame grabbers and intelligent image pre-processing solutions for machine vision. The products of Silicon Software base on the re-programmable FPGA technology. Silicon Software also focuses on graphical programming environments and image processing libraries for real time applications. Silicon Software s hardware and software products are characterized by their high flexibility, outstanding performance and easy usability. 12 embedded VisualApplets