USB High Speed Video Camera Application
Overview
Today’s engineering efforts in IP/SoC design methodology aim at time-to-market reduction. There is strong tendency to develop solutions that are both configurable and easy-to-use.
We are using our strengths to handle this task by grouping components in application platforms. This approach guarantees full compatibility of incorporated parts without a minute spent on their integration and therefore contributes to considerable reduction of time needed to launch the product.
USB video camera application
Our USBHS-51_AP Application Platform was applied in a USB Video Camera controller design. Our solution is refined in every hardware and software element. You can just plug in a CCD sensor and a microphone and your USB Video Camera is ready to go.
Usage of the USB subplatform in the USB Video Camera device makes it easily customizable to specific application requirements thanks to high configurability of the IP cores within the platform as well as the USBFS-51_SS software stack. It’s worth mentioning that an interesting solution at an operational level has been applied in this complex design. Thanks to the hardward support for audio and video streaming, the R8051XC2 microcontroller is loaded off this task and can work more efficiently on other jobs.
The device configurability in terms of functionality is also evidenced by firmware upload and upgrade options. In practice it means that you can download new firmware to your USB Video Camera via USB interface or load it from EEPROM.
The key of this complete solution is integration of three complementary elements in one system:
- hardware - well-known 8051-family microcontroller (R8051XC2) with its low-cost and configurability advantages together with USB 2.0 connection (USBHS-DEV),
- software - optimized USBFS-51_SS Software Stack covering rich functional features of a USB Video Camera device, with an additional possibility to customize a range of the functionality of the camera according to customer requirements,
- evaluation board - Evatronix mature and proven EB5-Tiny, ready to be tested with any USB solution.
The design itself is highly configurable. A configuration GUI with its easy “push-button” configuration makes it easily customizable to specific customer requirements.
Application Debugging
The R8051XC2 microcontroller core, silicon proven and fully-customizable solution is compatible with 8051 industry standard instruction set architecture and executes one instruction per clock cycle. It can be equipped with a complete debugging solution (EASE-8051) which consists of:
- an On-Chip-Debug-Support (OCDS) built in the microcontroller core,
- a USB-based Pod for communication,
- EDIk software for interfacing with Keil µVision compiler/debugger,
- code download,
- FLASH programming,
- memory inspection,
- run/stop/step control,
- standard debugging features,
- optional Program/Data Trace.
