Single-chip solution enhances accuracy, detail and flexibility through
video analytics at 1080p/30fps HD resolution


October 19, 2011 \-- Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) announced the industry's first FPGA-based full-HD 1080p/30fps (30 frames per second) video analytics for Cyclone® IV FPGA and expanded its leadership in the HD (high-definition) video-surveillance solutions sector. Altera's single-chip solution integrates extremely high performance (60Mpixel per second) and pixel-level precision detail that cannot be achieved through traditional DSP (digital signal processing)-based approaches to deliver a new level of video analytics performance.

The solution performs analytics functions on the FPGA because it incorporates Eutecus's Multi-Core Video Analytics Engine (MVE™) IP. Because this solution can be easily integrated into HD Internet Protocol cameras, it is ideal for various applications such as traffic surveillance for monitoring incident detection, vehicle counting, junction detection, traffic congestion, traffic signal violations, and vehicles traveling in the wrong direction.

Altera and Eutecus's FPGA-based video analytics solution is the industry's first and only solution capable of providing the processing performance necessary for full-HD 1080p/30fps real-time video processing. The performance and flexibility of FPGAs allow continuous and rapid replacement of other technologies for these critical functions.

The enhanced performance supports users in complying with various user-defined rules. For example, users can define rules for events they wish to detect, such as people entering indoor or restricted areas at airports or building entrances, set alerts, and update rules remotely.

Video analytics enables surveillance customers to automatically monitor video, eliminating the need for people to scan scenes for hours to detect and decide on designated events.

Altera's Cyclone IV FPGA provides enhanced flexibility to video analytics designers, allowing them to customize their applications through Eutecus's MVE IP. The IP integrates massively parallel algorithms and specialized coprocessors with multiple Altera® Nios® II cores integrated into the Cyclone IV FPGA. Additionally, it is provided with software GUI to enable designers to customize event-detection parameters and rules to their specific applications.

Eutecus's IP includes a robust API (application programming interface), enabling customers to interface with their own video management systems or develop their own custom GUI.

The performance and flexibility of Altera's video analytics solution provide customers with a unique advantage by eliminating the need to compromise between system performance and the number of rules running simultaneously.

Altera also offers a single-vendor sourcing model for the video analytics solution. Because the IP and FPGA can be purchased directly from Altera, video surveillance system development can be significantly simplified. The purchasing model eliminates the need to work with multiple vendors for licensing fees, NRE costs, royalties, and other expenses.

Arun Iyengar, vice president of Altera's Military, Industrial, Computer, Consumer Electronics and Storage Business Units, stated, "Through the unprecedented video processing performance of Altera FPGAs combined with Eutecus's MVE analytics technology, customers can track diverse targets through diverse rules in diverse weather conditions in real-time, enabling us to provide customers with more powerful and flexible solutions than existing technologies. This solution can also be utilized in various applications including driver assistance features such as rear view and surround view cameras." He added, "Altera's one-stop shop approach for FPGAs and IP lowers barriers for customers seeking to expand their analytics performance."

Csaba Rekeczky, CEO and President of Eutecus, stated, "Altera's Cyclone IV FPGA and Quartus® II software provide an ideal design environment for Eutecus's MVE solution." He continued, "Video analytics customers can leverage the collaboration between the two companies by utilizing Eutecus's flexible, scalable and modular IP products and Altera's high-performance and customizable FPGAs."