Enabling 4K UHD Ultra Low Latency Video Transmitting and Receiving System

iWave Presents 4K UHD Ultra-Low Latency Video Transmitting and Receiving System Using Zynq Ultrascale+ MPSoC SBC

Streaming media over the years has been getting a lot of traction, be it live to broadcast of an event or usage of drone technology in various applications. But achieving low latency whilst streaming becomes challenging when it comes to actual live streaming in real-time. Furthermore, delivering 4K resolution video footage with ultra-low latency requires a highly reliable codec mechanism to optimize end to end video delivery.

Taking this into account, iWave Systems introduces Zynq® Ultrascale+™ MPSoC Single Board Computer integrated with Xilinx Sync IP implemented in PL that works along with hard Video Codec Unit to optimize end to end latency. This is the industry’s first two in one board that serves as both Single board computer and System On Module with support for all necessary interface connectors, like 4K HDMI Input/Output, 12G SDI Video Input/Output, dual Gigabit Ethernet, USB3.0 connectors, etc. ideal for any 4K image, video or signal processing applications.

ZU2/3/4/5 Zynq Ultrascale+ MPSoC SBC

The board features a Quad-core ARM Cortex A53 with CPU running at 1.5GHz, Dual Cortex R5 Real-Time processor running at 600MHz, ARM Mali 400MP2 Graphical Processing Unit, and up to 256K logic elements from Programmable logic (PL) together with 4 x 12.5Gbps high-speed transceivers providing immense flexibility and adaptability with high performance for 4K encode/decode applications. Besides these, the module offers Pico ITX form factor(100mmx72mm) board size coupled with 64bit DDR4 for the processing system, 32bit DDR4 for programming logic, 8GB eMMC flash, and micro SD card for storing 4K UHD video. There is also a provision for extended storage in mSATA / NVMe SSD via the M.2 expansion slot.

Incorporated with H.264/H.265 VCU codec functionality implemented as embedded hard IP inside Zynq® Ultrascale+™ MPSoC device, enables simultaneous compression and decompression of video resolution up to 4K @ 60fps and delivering low latency. With support for both wired and wireless communication such as Dual Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, and USB3.0 to support 4G/5G wireless for transmitting and receiving of the compressed video streams with utmost ease and efficiency.

Platforms that use soft H.264/H.265 encoder/decoder IP to attain low latency for 4K UHD video transmission and reception, the need for a high-end FPGA device (with up to 1 Million Logic cells) becomes crucial to meet the requirements, that ends up consuming more power, more FPGA resources, and increase in overall system size. While hard VCU codec IP can achieve ultra-low latency for the same 4K UHD video streaming, refraining from high-end FPGA device usage and without burdening the design with additional soft IP. Optimizing power consumption, form factor, and reduce overheads.

iWave’s Zynq® Ultrascale+™ MPSoC SBC offers a versatile hardware platform for various applications including live broadcasting of events, in drone technology for vast applications, live streaming in medical fields to create reality platforms for education, training, and assessment, and in Defence & Aerospace industries for ultra-low latency industry-standard video streaming.

Why Xilinx?
• Xilinx® LogiCORE™ IP H.264/H.265 Video Codec Unit (VCU) core for Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoCs is capable of compressing and decompressing video streams simultaneously at resolutions of up to 3840×2160 pixels at 60 frames per second (4K UHD at 60Hz)
• H.264/H.265 functionality is implemented as an embedded hard IP inside Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC EV devices without additional soft IP requirement
• Optimize end to end latency through VCU codec as shown in Table 1.0.

Table 1.0: VCU End-To-End Latency

More information on Zynq® Ultrascale+™ MPSoC SBC can be found here.

iWave Systems brings over 20 years of valuable experience in high-performance FPGA based design and development, offering an extensive portfolio of standard/custom System On Modules, SBC based on Zynq & Zynq MPSoC SoC devices, and comprehensive Engineering design services involving embedded hardware, FPGA, and software development in servicing to multiple domains across the globe such as Industrial, Medical, Automotive, IoT and Computer Vision.
To complement, iWave also offers an extensive suite of FPGA based IP cores such as ARINC818 Complete suite, Storage, Legacy processors, and video processing IP’s.

For more information or inquiries, please write to mktg@iwavesystems.com or contact our Regional Partners.