Video Processing Front End (VPFE) is an input interface module that receives raw (unprocessed) image/video data or YUV digital video data from external imaging peripherals (such as image sensors, video decoders, etc.) and performs DMA transfers to store the captured data in the system DDR memory. VPFE module supports the following features:
- Includes a buffer memory for interfacing to the DMA at the chip level and preventing the Charge-Coupled Device Controller (CCDC) from overflowing
- Support for conventional Bayer pattern and Foveon sensor formats
- Generates HD/VD timing signals and field ID to an external timing generator or can synchronize to the external timing generator
- Support for progressive (non-interlaced) and interlaced sensors
- Support for up to 110-MHz sensor clock
- Support for REC656/CCIR-656 standard (YCbCr 422 format, either 8- or 16-bit)
- Support for YCbCr 422 format, either 8- or 16-bit with discrete HSYNC and VSYNC signals
- Support for up to 16-bit input
- Generates optical black clamping signals
- Support for digital clamping and black level compensation
- Support for 10-bit to 8-bit A-law compression
- Support for a low-pass filter prior to writing to DDR
- Support for generating output to range from 16-bits to 8-bits wide
- Support for down-sampling via programmable culling patterns
- Ability to control output to the DDR via an external write enable signal
- Support for up to 16K pixels (image size) in both the horizontal and vertical directions
- Region-based Address Translation (RAT) module for converting legacy 32-bit to 48-bit addressing scheme in the write DMA path