Texas Instruments and Micron’s Aptina Imaging deliver HD quality for IP surveillance networks at analog video camera prices

As security camera system designers move from aging CCTV to high-quality Internet Protocol (IP) networks, they are challenged with keeping overall system costs down, increasing image quality and reducing camera design complexity and implementation time. Recognizing these challenges, today Texas Instruments Incorporated, (NYSE: TXN) and Aptina Imaging, a division of Micron Technology Inc., announced that they are offering the DM355IPNC-MT5 high-definition (HD) IP network camera reference design based on TI’s DaVinci™ TMS320DM355 digital media processor and Aptina’s 5-megapixel HD security image sensor. With an electronic bill of materials (eBOM) costs of less than $40, video surveillance providers can now add these cameras to their existing systems – at the cost of a traditional analog video camera – and gain the flexibility to upgrade to an IP-based, HD network camera when ready.

Unlike traditional CCTV cameras, the DM355IPNC-MT5 allows for simple scalability while providing remote viewing and storage capabilities in a distributed network. Complexity and cost of the network are reduced by utilizing the TI/Aptina reference design, producing a field of view of 1280 x 720 pixels, whereas traditional surveillance systems typically use two D1 cameras each seeing 480 x 720 pixels to capture the same scene. Additionally, by leveraging Aptina’s 5-megapixel image sensor, image quality is greatly improved with the sensor delivering exceptionally low noise levels and low-light sensitivity.

The IP camera reference design also supports analog output for existing CCTV customers who are not yet ready to migrate to IP allowing them use the camera system to future-proof their investment. Functioning at 400mW during HD MPEG-4 encode, the TI/Aptina camera can operate at less than 3W, reducing the power requirements of even complex networks.

Optimized reference design reduces development time to four months
From device drivers and application software to hardware and image pipe tuning, a video surveillance camera system can often take more than 150 man months to develop. The DM355IPNC-MT5 reference design reduces system development to less than four months by including complete and optimized schematics, gerber files, as well as free Linux application source code. Included in the source code, for example, is functionality for integrated auto white balance/auto exposure, simple motion detection, dual stream HD MPEG4 and MJPEG video codecs and DaVinci IP network camera software frameworks to quickly bring this camera into production. The reference design further saves time and drives performance by taking advantage of TI’s wide portfolio of analog, power management and logic technology including the TLV320AIC26 audio codec and the TPS23750 Power over Ethernet controller.

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