Stackable modules available for Ariel's C80-based PCI image-processing board

Business Wire, May 1, 1996

CRANBURY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 1996--Ariel Corp. (NASDAQ:ADSP) announced the GMI Module, an open specification module targeted to the Texas Instrument's TMS320C80 digital signal processor.

Ariel's family of stackable GMI modules are available for GriffinP100, the company's PCI bus image-processing plug-in card based on the C80. The modules include a digital camera interface, video input/output modules, a family of DRAM expansion modules, and prototyping and debug modules.

The digital camera interface, dubbed GMI-DCAM, links 8-, 16- and 32-bit digital cameras with Griffin's high-speed image-processing engine. GMI-DCAM supports line- and area-scan cameras from a broad range of popular manufacturers, including Dalsa (line and area scan), Kodak (Megaplus and XHF), Xillix, DVC, COHU, Pulnix, EG&G and Amber Radiance (IR cameras).

GMI-DCAM provides two separate 16-bit digital camera data channels, each featuring a maximum clock rate of 40 MHz and separate clock and data lines. The two channels may also be combined into a single 32-bit channel.

Griffin's video input module, known as GMI-NTSC-IN, is based on Brooktree's Bt812 video decoder, which supports Y/CR/CB, RGB and monochrome video modes, and features programmable hue, brightness, contrast and saturation.

The module converts analog video signals (component or composite video in NTSC or PAL format) to a 16-bit Y/Cr/Cb or 24-bit RGB format. The resulting pixels are transmitted to Griffin's C80 processor via synchronous FIFOs, which enable Griffin's C80 to operate at its full rated 50-MHz (2-billion-operations-per-second) speed during the data transfer.

The NTSC-IN module can signal the C80 via interrupts or through externally generated packet transfer requests.

Griffin's video output module, known as GMI-NTSC-OUT, enables Griffin to output video to cameras, VCRs, television monitors and virtual-reality glasses. Based on Brooktree's Bt858 video encoder, the module provides both PAL and NTSC CCR601 video outputs and supports 15-bit RGB, 24-bit RGB, and 16-bit YCrCb data formats.

At a pixel clock rate of 13.5 MHz, the module can support an interlaced NTSC video output resolution of 720 active pixels per line at 60 Hz with 480 active lines per frame. It can also support interlaced PAL video outputs of 720 active pixels per line at 50 Hz with 576 active lines per frame.

The output module also includes a 1-Mbyte video RAM frame buffer, which can hold one 24-bit RGB video frame, two 15-bit RGB video frames, or two 16-bit YCrCb video frames.

Griffin's base memory configuration (8 Mbytes of DRAM and 4 Mbytes of VRAM) can be extended by adding two types of memory expansion boards. The first provides an additional 8 or 32 Mbytes of DRAM. The second type of module provides either 16 or 32 Mbytes of zero- wait-state synchronous DRAM.

Griffin is also available with prototyping (GMI-CUSTOM) and debug (GMI-DEBUG) modules that simplify the design of custom modules.

The prototyping module provides a ``sea of holes'' and a GMI bus interface with address/data signal line buffers and address decode logic. The debug module brings all of the GMI bus (an extension of the C80 bus) signals to a header for connection to a logic analyzer.

GMI-DCAM costs $1,500. GMI-NTSC-IN costs $895. GMI-NTSC-OUT costs $1,495. A 32-Mbyte DRAM module costs $2,795. A 32-Mbyte SDRAM module costs $3,295. The GMI-CUSTOM module costs $495. The GMI-DEBUG module costs $495.

More on Griffin

Griffin is a PCI-bus plug-in board based on Texas Instruments' TMS320C80 parallel digital signal processor. Griffin features a full 32-bit master/slave PCI bus interface, a 24-bit RGB graphics interface with a 4-Mbyte video RAM frame buffer, and up to 8 Mbytes of DRAM.

To support memory expansion, I/O and other peripheral options, Griffin also provides a high-performance stackable mezzanine bus interface.

Griffin's video output is based on the Texas Instruments TVP3025 RAMDAC. The RGB RAMDAC supports a wide variety of video resolutions, an overlay plane and a VGA pass-through input with hardware windowing. The video output provides resolutions of up to 1600 x 1280 at 16 bits/pixel with up to 65,336 colors, and 1024 x 768 at 24 bits/pixel with up to 16 million colors.

Griffin's GMIbus mezzanine interface is a stackable design that gives designers direct access to the C80's address and data buses, including interrupts, clock and control signals. Up to four mezzanine cards, measuring roughly 3 x 5 inches, can be stacked on 0.4 52-inch centers.

Software support for Griffin includes drivers for Windows NT, Windows 95 and Windows 3.x supporting Microsoft, Borland and WATCOM C compilers; a C80 ANSI C compiler; native PCIbus and external JTAG in-circuit emulators for both PC and SPARC (external only) hosts; and a comprehensive C80-optimized image-processing library.

More on Ariel

Ariel, based in Cranbury, offers the industry's most complete range of advanced OEM digital signal processing hardware and software. The company's board-level products, hardware/software development tools and custom DSP hardware/software are used in a wide range of industrial, commercial, military/government, educational and research applications.