Case Study

Industrial, harsh and generally dusty environments have always been treated as an ultimate challenge in product design. This is even more true for sensitive subsystems to work under these conditions, such as electronics.

This case study focuses on the heavy duty video DSP board with integrated peripherals capable of processing up to 5 video input signals, exactly to work and to be exploited in these difficult environments. The typical application is the detection of blind spots within the work area, especially applicable to mining and similar sizable yet powerful machinery where safety of humans in proximity could be easily.

The system as such can be used for any type of video processing independent of the application. Aspects such as reliability, thermal behavior, performance stability are of crucial importance and must be considered from the day one of the system design.

Solution

A proven processor from Texas Instruments is a good choice for system “heart”: a DSP from daVinci family, with 8800 MIPS, clocked at 1.1GHz, with C64+ core capable of processing 5 video lines. Automotive grade components, known for their reliability, should be considered to make sure tough working conditions would have minimal impact.

A close link to component suppliers and producers has to be maintained during the project development to ensure the components availability is a minimum of 5 years after production starts. A single component becoming obsolete during this 5-year period would greatly shorten the system life. In addition to pure components choice, all the footprints has to be designed to match strict assembly requirements in order to produce vibration resistant system. They have to allow for space sufficient to apply epoxy encapsulation techniques.

Extra effort has to be put into a detailed signal integrity system analysis and simulation, with special attention to simulations to thermal behaviours of the system. The latter helps detect a potential thermal issue and helps finding a solution to the issue, all resulting in “right the first time” outcomes.

Added Value

• Reliable automotive grade system design
• Excellent thermal design
• Powerful video processing