GE releases rugged video streaming solution

The ICS-8580 responds to the rapid growth in unmanned vehicles and their requirement to deliver high-quality mission video over links that are often bandwidth-constrained.

It is designed to be a simple plug-and-play solution that requires minimal integration or software development.

The ICS-8580's XMC form factor means that it is small, lightweight at 100 grams/3.5 ounces, and consumes little power - typically 10 to 15 watts.

The product supports numerous video formats with either two channels of high-definition video or four channels of standard-definition video.

The ICS-8580 supports the industry standard H.264 video compression codec, but is software-reconfigurable to enable it to support alternatives such as JPEG2000.

It provides input support for HD/ED/SD analogue input signals, analogue RGB formats from VGA to UXGA, as well as digital input formats such as 3G-SDI, DVI, and HDMI up to a maximum resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 or 1,600 x 1,200 pixels.

An Altera Arria II GX FPGA combined with TI DSP signal processing provides exceptional compute power in a video XMC platform.

Data input and output is available using a carrier card, PCI Express connectivity, or via rear I/O.

Analogue or digital input data can be supported through the rear I/O connectors.

Up to 768 MB of DDR2 SDRAM is supplied on-board.

The FPGA has 256 MB and each DSP device has 256 MB.

GE Intelligent Platforms is represented in Australia and New Zealand by Metromatics.