Embedded Video Systems – The AMP Advantage
In today’s difficult climate, embedded video systems designers are under pressure to bring their product to market as fast as possible, without comprising competitiveness or ability to perform reliably in the field. Buying in off-the-shelf board products can mitigate this dilemma by greatly minimizing their design-related learning curve.
However, the success of this buy-in approach depends on choosing the right video board supplier – and for systems designers, this has consistently proven to be Advanced Micro Peripherals. Why? Because of our mix of embedded video hardware and software design capabilities, manufacturing expertise and support coverage is uniquely well matched to OEM video project demands. Additionally, AMP’s recently-launched RSVP program engages designers efficiently with AMP’s resources, minimizing their time to market, risk and development costs.
We review these aspects of the ‘AMP Advantage’ below, so you can see for yourself why AMP, rather than the boards’ ticket price, are the factors that really count.
Expertise in high performance video technology
Since its inception, AMP has consistently focused entirely on high performance video technology and its related standards. Our expertise spans video capture, compression, recording, playback, processing, overlay and conversion. This has led to innovative developments such as elevated image quality and low latency compression for embedded applications. We know how to optimize video processing throughout a system while avoiding the associated problems; built-in knowledge that spares our customers from a considerable learning curve.
Understanding their markets and associated requirements
AMP develops ruggedized boards and systems for defense and industrial applications. These can be built to withstand extreme shock and vibration, temperature and other environmental challenges, and included in designs capable of meeting Mil Spec 801. AMP hardware is compact, low power and coolrunning, allowing long-term, unattended installation into vehicles and other space-limited applications.
Board level design
Other manufacturers’ boards may be available with the same video chips, but cheap boards can let users down through poor circuit design or layout, or bad device drivers. AMP has always designed its hardware in-house, and understands the importance of board layout, device fanouts and other critical design decisions to maintain signal integrity under all conditions. AMP also develops its own device drivers as necessary, avoiding the problems that inappropriate drivers can cause during integration into an OS environment.
AMP’s boards also have longevity designed in, with due provision for long-term component availability. Managed project lifecycles of five years or more with no need for EOL product changes become a reality. This facility is part of AMP’s formal pre- and post-sales support strategy.
Systems Expertise
AMP has deep software and systems knowledge, with extensive experience of all major operating systems including realtime embedded types, and all processor architectures including x86, ARM and PowerPC. This translates to users as mature, consistently functional SDKs, user interface software and applications examples that can be adapted to project needs. SDKs can also frequently be re-used for different AMP embedded board family members.
RSVP – the ultimate development acceleration tool
AMP’s embedded video products work consistently and reliably in our field applications, and can be integrated without problem into a system environment. Designers can focus entirely on differentiating and adding value to their own product rather than the underlying video implementation. Yet AMP can further accelerate the development process, through the introduction of Rapid Synthesis Video Platform or RSVP program.
RSVP generates a platform as close to the final target as is possible using standard components. An integrated video, processing and communications board set is preloaded with an OS environment, recording and streaming SDK, robust turnkey application and a customizable user interface. AMP can adapt the application, allowing the platform to meet 80% or more of a typical project’s requirements.
AMP’s technical team can then add custom software and hardware features to complete the project specification. The customer has maximized his benefit from AMP’s video expertise and experience, while minimizing his risk, time to market and development budget.
