The Spartan-3™ Platform FPGA Family

http://inf.ntb.ch/infoportal/help/topic/ch.ntb.infoportal/resources/embeddedSystems/FPGA/pdfs/SpartanIII-Introduction.pdf

The price can be found in avnet.com:

http://avnetexpress.avnet.com/store/em/EMController?langId=-1&storeId=500201&catalogId=500201&action=products&N=0&mfr=XLX&term=XC3S5000?6N%3D0%26mfr%3DXLX%26term%3DXC3S5000%1D

and nuhorizons.com:

https://webapps.nuhorizons.com/storefront/PartSearch.do

Xilinx Virtex-5 family Overview

By Clive Maxfield

The new Virtex-5 devices are the world's first FPGAs to be fabricated at the 65 nm technology node. These devices are based on a low-K dielectric process that reduces parasitic capacitance, enables faster switching speeds, and reduces heat dissipation. Their 12-layer metallization (11 copper layers and 1 aluminum layer) supports an advanced diagonal interconnect fabric. Their core voltage has been reduced to 1.0V, thereby reducing dynamic power consumption (the core voltage of Virtex-4 devices is 1.2V). Meanwhile, their second-generation triple-oxide technology dramatically reduces static power dissipation.

Overall, the new Virtex-5 family provides 65% more logic cells and 25% more input/outputs (I/Os) as compared to the preceding Virtex-4 generation of devices. At the same time, members of the Virtex-5 family are claimed to provide 30% higher performance, 35% lower dynamic power dissipation, and they consume 45% less silicon real estate as compared to their Virtex-4 counterparts.

All members of the Virtex-5 family are based on Xilinx's ASMBL (Advanced Silicon Modular Block) architecture. For each application domain – such as digital signal processing – Xilinx has determine the optimum mixture (ratio) of logic, memory, DSP slices, and so forth. Next, for each application domain, Xilinx create a suite of components, all based on the same "mix" but with a range of capacities. This suite is collectively referred to as a "platform". Based on this, Xilinx have announced four domain-optimized platforms as follows:

• Virtex-5 LX: High performance logic (shipping now).
• Virtex-5 LXT: High performance logic with serial connectivity (coming in the second half of 2006).
• Virtex-5 SXT: High performance DSP with serial connectivity (coming in the second half of 2006).
• Virtex-5 FXT: Embedded processing with serial connectivity (coming in the first half of 2007).

Virtex-5 devices are also based on Xilinx's new ExpressFabric technology, which features LUTs with 6 independent inputs for fewer logic levels, and a new diagonal interconnect architecture that facilitates shorter, faster routing. An overview of some of the more significant Virtex-5 architectural features are as follows:

6-Input lookup tables (LUTs)
The first FPGA to be presented to the market in 1985 – the XC2064 from Xilinx – contained 64 configurable logic blocks (CLBs), each of which boasted two 3-input lookup tables (LUTS). Subsequent generations moved to 4-input LUTs, because these offered a more optimal balance with regard to logic utilization and minimizing the number of logic levels in the context of designs of that era.

However, there has been a fundamental shift in the nature of designs over recent years. Today's designs often feature wide data paths, especially in the case of digital signal processing (DSP) applications. Implementing these designs using 4-input LUTs can require many levels of logic, thereby impacting performance. In order to address this issue, the ExpressFabric employed by the Virtex-5 family feature's LUTs with six independent inputs, which can significantly reduce the number of logic levels required to implement wide functions (Fig 1).

1. The Virtex-5 family features 6-input LUTs.

Each of these logical elements can be used as a true 6-input LUT or as two 5-input LUTs that share five of their inputs. In addition to containing four 6-input LUTs, a Virtex-5 slice also includes faster flip-flops to speed pipelined designs and an improved carry chain architecture to speed arithmetic operations. Overall, Virtex-5 family provides 65% more logic cells (330,000 LCs) as compared to their Virtex-4 counterparts.

Diagonal interconnect
The traditional way of implementing FPGA interconnect results in a complex pattern as to which CLBs can be reached from an initial CLB in 1, 2, 3, or more hops. Consider the central (red) CLB shown in Fig 2 for example; from this starting point, the CLBs in yellow can be reached in 1 hop, the CLBs in green can be reached in 2 hops, and the CLBs in blue can be reached in three hops.

2. Traditional Virtex-4 interconnect pattern.

Reaching CLBs outside the blue area will require more hops. Note especially the "holes" in the blue areas; reaching CLBs in these holes will also require more hops. This complex arrangement impacts speed and increases the complexity of synthesis, place, and route. In irder to address this issue, another ExpressFabric feature is a radically new form of diagonal interconnect that reaches more locations with fewer hops (Fig 3). This diagonally symmetric interconnect pattern is intended to improve both speed and predictability.

3. Diagonally symmetric Virtex-5 interconnect pattern.

The combination of the ExpressFabric's 6-input LUTs and diagonally symmetric interconnect pattern results in an average increase of logic performance of 30% over the previous Virtex-4 generation of devices, which equates to up to two speed-grades. 

Faster, higher-capacity RAM blocks with hard IP
The new block RAM Structures (with pipeline) featured in the Virtex-5 family have been increased to 32 Kbits in size, which is twice the size of those found in Virtex-4 components. In addition to offering a simple dual-port mode that can double the block RAM's bandwidth, these also contain additional hard IP in the form of FIFO logic and new 64-bit error checking and correction (ECC) logic (Fig 4). Implementing this logic as hard IP frees up other resources and minimizes dynamic power consumption.

4. The Virtex-5 family features up to 10 Mbits of 550 MHz block RAM.

As with all of the hard IP blocks in Virtex-5 devices, these block RAMs have been tuned for 550 MHz operation to provide higher on-chip memory bandwidth. If required, unused 18 Kbit sub-blocks can be turned off so as to minimize power consumption.

Faster, wider DSP functions
The Virtex-5 hard DSP slice – called the DSP48E – features a 25 × 18 bit multiplier (versus the 18 × 18 multiplier employed in Virtex-4 FPGAs). The increase to a 25 × 18 bit multiplier can lead to fewer cascaded stages, thereby resulting in higher overall performance and utilization (Fig 5).

4. The Virtex-5 family features DSP slices with 25 × 18 multipliers.
(This illustration is a simplification of the DSP48E's functionality)

Tuned for 550 MHz operation, these high-precision, high-performance, highly flexible slices can be configured for DSP, arithmetic, and logic functions, and they can also be cascaded for adder chain architectures. (Observe that the multiplier is followed by a 3-input 48-bit "adder" that also perform logical operations such as AND, OR, XOR, etc.) The DSP48E Slice has 40% lower power consumption as compared to implementing equivalent functions in Virtex-4 FPGAs (1.38mW/100 MHz at a 38 percent toggle rate).

Advanced clock management
Virtex-5 devices offer up to 18 clock elements for flexibility and differential global clocking for low skew and jitter. The new 550 MHz clock management tile (CMT) in the Virtex-5 features two digital clock managers (DCMs) and a phase-locked loop (PLL). The DCMs provide precise phase control for better design margin, while the PLL reduces reference clock jitter by more than two times. Depending on each design's unique requirements, the PLL can be configured before or after the DCMs.

High-speed I/O and new packaging technology
Virtex-5 devices offer up to 1,200 general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins, which is around 25% more than the previous Virtex-4 generation of components. These pins provide 1.25 Gbps differential I/O and 800 Mbps single-ended I/O. Additionally, Virtex-5 devices feature second-generation ChipSync source-synchronous technology, which allows programmable delays to be applied to both inputs and outputs (the previous generation of ChipSync supported delays only on input pins).

As opposed to the highest pin-count Virtex-4 devices, whose 960 pins were presented as 15 banks of 64 pins, the 1,200 pins in Virtex-5 components are presented as 30 banks of 40 pins. These smaller banks offer more flexibility in terms of I/O placement. Furthermore, Virtex-5 packages employ a new second-generation Sparse Chevron packaging technology, which is claimed to minimize signal integrity (SI) issues such as cross-talk and also to ease the task of PCB layout.

Pricing and availability
Synplicity, Mentor Graphics, and Magma Design Automation all support the Virtex-5 design flow. Early access software for Virtex-5 FPGAs is available now, with general availability in June 2006.

Virtex-5 LX FPGA engineering samples are shipping now in the LX50, LX85 and LX110 densities, with the LX30, LX220, and LX330 to follow over the next six months. At customer production timeframes in 2008, the LX50 device will list for $149, the LX85 device will list for $279, and the LX110 device will list at $399, all in 1,000 unit volumes. These price points represent savings of more than 50 percent over offerings of other competitive 90-nm FPGAs.

For even further cost reductions, the Virtex-5 EasyPath program will be available at time of volume production beginning in 2007. For more information, visit the Xilinx website at www.xilinx.com. 

LX110:
17,280 slices
129 BRAMs
64 DSP

LUT 69120
FF676, FF1153, FF1760

http://www.xilinx.com/products/virtex5/index.htm

http://www.nuhorizons.com/xilinx/virtexFXT/MPM_28_V5_psm_table.pdf

ftp://ftp.ni.com/pub/devzone/pdf/tut_7440.pdf

HD FPGA Development Boards

Cyclone III FPGA Development Kit

The Cyclone III FPGA Development Kit ($1,495)is RoHS compliant and features:

• Cyclone III development board (see Figure 1)
  • Cyclone III EP3C120F780 FPGA
  • Embedded USB-Blaster™ circuitry (includes an Altera MAX^® II CPLD) allowing download of FPGA configuration files via the flash device or the host computer
• Memory
  • 256 Mbytes of dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM with ECC
  • 8 Mbytes of synchronous SRAM
  • 64 Mbytes of flash
• Communication ports
  • 10/100/1000 Ethernet
  • USB 2.0
• Power and analog devices from Linear Technology
  • Switching power supply LTM4601
  • Switching and step-down regulators LT1931, LT3481, and LTC3418
  • Analog to digital converter LTC1865  
  • LDO regulators LT1963 and LT1761
• Clocking
  • 50-MHz and 125-MHz on-board oscillators
  • SMA inputs/outputs
  • Inputs/outputs for the two HSMCs
  • Various buttons, switches, and indicators
• Display
  • 128 x 64 graphics LCD
  • 2-line x 16-character LCD
• Connectors
  • Two HSMCs
  • USB type B
• Debug tools
  • Three HSMC debug cards (two loop-back and a debug header)
• Cables and power/analog
  • 14-V–20-V DC input
  • On-board power measurement circuitry
  • 19.8 W per HSMC interface
  • Power cord with plug adapters (US, UK, EU)
• Cyclone III FPGA Development Kit, CD-ROM (download all CD contents via FTP)
  • Design examples for the Cyclone III FPGA development board
  • Complete documentation (see Table 2)
    • User guide
    • Reference manual
    • Board schematic and layout
    • Bill of materials
    • Product and partner information
• Altera Complete Design Suite DVD
  • Quartus^® II design software
    • Subscription Edition (optional feature, available for purchase)
    • Web Edition (no charge, Windows only)
  • ModelSim^®-Altera software 
    • Altera Edition (optional feature, available for purchase)
    • Web Edition (no charge, Windows only)
  • MegaCore^® IP Library - OpenCore Plus evaluation
    • Includes Nios II processor (evaluation license)
  • Nios II Embedded Design Suite, Evaluation Edition (no charge)
  • DSP Builder (optional feature, available for purchase)
  • Video demos of Quartus II software and Nios II embedded processor

Figure 1. Cyclone III FPGA Development Board

Bitec Cyclone III Video Dev Kit

Features

• Altera EP3C120F780 Development board
• Bitec HSMC Quad Video daughter card
• 8 composite or 4 s-video inputs
• 1 HD (1080p) DVI Output port or
• 1 TV (PAL/NTSC) output with resolutions to 1024x768 and support for composite, s-video or SCART (RGB) outputs
• Bitec HSMC DVI daughter card
• 1 HD (1080p) DVI Output port (HDMI with external adaptor)
• 1 HD (1080p) DVI Input port (HDMI with external adaptor)
• Interfaces directly to the Altera Video and Image Processing (VIP) Suit
• Collection of video reference designs

HD 264 Chip Won 2008 DAC/ISSCC Student Design Contest

http://www.dac.com/45th/studcon.html

A 242mW, 10mm² 1080p H.264/AVC High Profile Encoder Chip

 
Yu-Kun Lin, De-Wei Li, Chia-Chun Lin, Tzu-Yun Kuo, Sian-Jin Wu, Wei-Cheng Tai, Wei-Cheng Chang,Tian-Sheuan Chang - National Chiao-Tung Univ., Hsinchu, Taiwan

GLOBAL CCTV MARKET SECURING FUTURE WITH RISING FEAR

http://www.gobeyondsecurity.com/forum/topics/global-cctv-market-securing

Increasing security concerns in response to rising terrorist activities and violence are creating demand for video surveillance applications; correspondingly, global CCTV market is projected to grow 23% by 2012.

NEW DELHI, INDIA, The emergence of new hi-tech surveillance system technologies such as IP-based CCTV has improved the growth prospects of the global CCTV market, which is expected to surge at a CAGR of about 23% during 2008-2012, says "Global CCTV Market Analysis (2008-2012)", our new research report.

According to the report, rising demand for security appliances in various regions, increasing terrorist activities and unfortunate events such as the school violence in North America are creating a high demand for hi-tech video surveillance applications in transits, educational institutions, city centers and borders. For instance, in the wake of terrorism incidents, violence and vandalism, the awareness level for installing video surveillance equipment has reached an all time high across Europe. Consequently, people are increasingly emphasizing on their personal security and using enhanced security and safety equipments available in the market. This is resulting in high growth in the video surveillance market in European countries.

Though Europe is experiencing a tangential growth in the global CCTV market, the biggest contributor is the Asia-Pacific region. The strong growth in CCTV markets of the Asia-Pacific region is primarily attributed to rapid development in major economies such as China, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. Many of these economies have witnessed a marked change in their social structure, like both parents in many families are working and the number of nuclear families is increasing, creating the need for effective security applications. Therefore, rising demand for security is infusing growth in the CCTV surveillance market across the globe.

Our research report "Global CCTV Market Analysis (2008-2012)" gives an in-depth research and quality analysis on the current performance as well as future prospects of the CCTV market at global and country level. It projects future growth of the market after thoroughly evaluating the base drivers such as security needs and technological developments, helping clients to understand the opportunities and factors critical to the market success.

The report gives forecast on CCTV market by technology, CCTV market by region, IP camera market, CCTV semiconductor market, retail sales, and video surveillance software market.

For more information visit: http://www.rncos.com/Report/IM134.htm

Current Industry News: http://www.rncos.com/Blog/

About RNCOS

RNCOS, incorporated in 2002, provides Market Research Reports for your business needs and aims to put an end to your information pursuit. Our expertise in gathering global business information for industry research, corporate training, growth consulting, and business consulting, brings reputed companies and firms to us for business enhancement solutions. We can be your one-stop-shop for Industry research information and niche market analysis.

Video surveillance market poised for explosive growth

http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=321&id=14777&pageNum=1

ABI Research believes that the video surveillance market is poised for explosive growth, which the firm forecasts to expand from revenue of about $13.5 billion in 2006 to a remarkable $46 billion in 2013.

Those figures include cameras, computers and storage, professional services, and hardware infrastructure: everything that goes into an end-to-end security system.

ABI Research vice president and research director Stan Schatt, said, "We're at a key inflection point in the diverse video surveillance market, because we're moving from an analog-based industry to a digital one. A rising tide lifts all boats: the result is a multitude of opportunities for vendors."

The research found that "security" is the word on everyone's lips these days, but there is more to this dramatic market growth than that. Video surveillance finds uses in a variety of vertical markets such as retail, education, banking, transportation and corporate business. And it's not always about security: new facial recognition software can analyze shoppers' behavior within stores, for example, tracking eyeball movements as shoppers view product displays.

According to the study, European video surveillance markets are more mature than those in North America (some say the UK, with its 4.1 million surveillance cameras, is the most monitored society on earth), but massive deployments are also now taking place in North America and, in connection with the upcoming Olympics, in China.

The diversity of products and services required by the video surveillance market present challenges for individual vendors, which they are addressing through partnerships.

ABI stated that while digital technology offers advantages - higher resolution, easier searching and retrieval, and more efficient storage - many of the traditional security resellers of analog equipment are not yet comfortable with digital, and a massive retraining effort is going to be required.  

"This is a modern version of the California gold rush," Schatt said. "Except that people are bringing cameras instead of pickaxes and shovels."

The research, "Video Surveillance Systems," provides global sizing and forecasting for the key components of this market: digital and analog cameras,storage devices, software, infrastructure equipment, video surveillance chips, and professional services. It also sizes and forecasts the key vertical markets spurring growth: government, retail, education, transportation, and banks.

ABI Research is a market research firm focused on the impact of emerging technologies on global consumer and business markets.

IP Video Surveillance Market Grows 48% in 2007

http://www.multimediaintelligence.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=37:frontpagetitleonly&id=70:ipnetworked-video-surveillance-market-grows-48-in-2007-according-to-multimedia-intelligence&Itemid=60

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 22, 2008—MultiMedia Intelligence reports that the market for IP/Networked video surveillance cameras grew nearly 50% in 2007, to approach $500 million worldwide. This growth is nearly four times the growth rate of the broader video surveillance equipment market, which also includes CCTV cameras, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and Network Video Recorders (NVRs), and IP Encoder/Streamers.

While IP/networked video surveillance camera units and revenue are growing rapidly, they remain a small percentage of the overall surveillance market. The outlook for continued growth of IP/Networked video surveillance is strong. However, the barriers to it overtaking traditional CCTV surveillance will prove enduring.

“The transition from traditional CCTV surveillance to networked digital surveillance is revolutionary for the physical security industry, according to Mark Kirstein, President of MultiMedia Intelligence. “Yet this transition is also seen as over-hyped and under-performing compared to many expectations. Both are true.”

MultiMedia Intelligence’s new research also found:

• IT-oriented companies such as Cisco and EMC are adding a new competitive dynamic. Focused surveillance competitors, such as Axis Communications, IndigoVision, March Networks, Nice Systems and Verint, are leveraging the growth of IP/networked surveillance to take on the legacy surveillance equipment manufacturers. The new competitive environment is drastically accelerating product innovation.

 

• Growth in the DVR market overall is slowing. Network video recorders, both hardware-based and software-based, are emerging as the key growth category.

 

• The semiconductor opportunities in DVRs and IP/networked surveillance equipment are strong. Companies, such as Texas Instruments and Techwell, have established a strong position in their respective segments. A variety of competitors including Analog Devices, Aptina, NextChip, OmniVision, PentaMicro, Pixim, and Stretch are positioning themselves in the key growth categories of video processing/Codecs and image sensors.

 

• With strong expertise in physical security, the legions of dealers and VARs are generally not experts in networking and IP technology. This lack of expertise is a major barrier to adoption of networked video among end users.

 

“Internet Protocol (IP)/Networked Video Surveillance Market: Equipment, Technology & Semiconductors” analyzes the IP/Networked surveillance market within the context of the broader video surveillance industry. The research examines the value chain from end-users to distribution/sales, integrators, equipment manufacturers, software vendors, and semiconductor providers. Our expertise is based on years of researching the physical security, digital camera and semiconductor markets. The report forecasts and segments markets by product category, including CCTV & IP cameras, Encoder/Streamers, DVR/NVR, and surveillance software & video content analytics. In addition, detailed technology segmentation and forecasts are included for semiconductors in each product category, video signal processors & codecs, image sensors (CMOS/CCD), camera resolution, and network interfaces (PoE, Wi-Fi/Mesh, others). Forecasts include units, revenue, ASPs at the equipment, software and semiconductor level by product type. About MultiMedia IntelligenceMultiMedia Intelligence provides actionable intelligence on the markets and technologies for delivering IP video to the Nth screen. With a broad "ecosystem-based" perspective that moves beyond the classic 'three screens' of TVs, mobile handsets, and computers, we identify the opportunities in enabling and monetizing digital media on a multi-platform, multi-network basis.