IP Camera

Overview

Texas Instruments offers multiple highly optimized reference designs based on the TMS320DM3xx DaVinci™ video processors for the IP camera market to enable developers to speed through the design process as well as reducing overall bill of materials costs. These refrence designs are owned by Texas Instruments and managed with third parties.

Hardware block diagram of the IP Camera is given below:

 

These reference designs:

• Reduce development time by 98 percent
• Deliver higher quality, wider fieldof-view HD images
• Decrease electronic bill of materials
• Empower customers to bring U.S $150 HD IP cameras to the market

These solutions reduce development to under four months by including:

• Complete and optimized schematics
• Gerber files
• Free Linux application source code including:

1. Integrated auto white balance and auto exposure
2. Simple motion detection
3. Dual-stream HD H.264, MPEG-4 and MJPEG video codecs to support recording and monitoring needs at full frame rates
4. DaVinci IP camera software framework including I/O application programming interfaces (APIs), media APIs and DaVinci Codec Engine

Software architecture block diagram for IP Camera reference design is given below.

Details on all IP Camera products from TI is here

Details on all Digital Video Recorder products from TI is here

Details of TMS320DM365 is here. SOC Datasheets and Peripheral reference guides can be downloaded from this site.

Details of TMS320DM355 is here. SOC Datasheets and Peripheral reference guides can be downloaded from this site.

IP Camera Reference Designs

The table below summarizes different reference designs and their features.

Reference Design	Processor	Resolution and frame rate	Codecs supported	Advanced Feaures	Buy Now
DM355IPNC-MT5	DM355	720P @ 30 fps 3MP @ 15 fps	MPEG4 and JPEG JPEG	Noise Filter Video Stabilization Face detection / recognition datasheet	[1]
DM355IPNC-MT5-VCA	DM355	720P @ 30 fps	MPEG4 and JPEG	Object Video Video Analytics	[2]
DM365IPNC-MT5	DM365	720P @ 30 fps 1080P @ 15 fps 3MP @ 15 fps	H.264, MPEG4 and JPEG H.264, MPEG4 and JPEG MJPEG	Noise Filter Video Stabilization Face detection / recognition datasheet	[3]
DM368IPNC-MT5	DM36x	1080P  @ 30 fps	H.264, MPEG4 and JPEG	Noise Filter Video Stabilization Face detection / recognition	[4]
DMVA1IPNC-MT5	DMVA1	D1  @ 30 fps + CIF @ 30 fps	H.264	Camera tamper detection Intelligent motion detection Trip zone People counting Streaming metadata	[5]

                                                                   Davinci based IP Camera Reference Designs from TI

 PSIA Compliance

The Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA) was founded with the objective of promoting the interoperability of IP enabled security devices. PSIA has published ‘IP Media Device Specifications’ which specifies an interface that enables video management systems to communicate with various IP media devices in a standardized way. Refer PSIA webpage for more details at http://www.psialliance.org/index.html

IPMD Conformance tool is available from PSIA to validate the conformance of an IP security device. All conformant products are listed in the PSIA website at http://www.psialliance.org/ConformantProductsList.html

DM36x IPNC camera v2.0 release has implementation of IP Media Device API Specification, Version 1.1, Revision 1. Conformance report for this is available at the PSIA website in the conformant products link mentioned above.

Video showing the usage of PSIA conformance tool is at PSIA website.  

 IP Camera Reference Design Vs DVSDK

Digital Video Software Development Kit (DVSDK) is a software development kit provided by TI which can be used for developing multimedia applications. It provides all the components required in developing multimedia applications and provides some demo applications. DVSDK runs on the DVEVM and is part of the software supplied with the EVM.

IP Camera Reference Design is an application developed to address IP Camera market. It has all the components which are optimized for use in the IP Camera  application. IP Camera software runs on the BOM and form-factor optimized hardware specific for the IP Camera. IP Camera software is developed based on the DVSDK software components.

The table below summarizes the key differences between IP Camera and DVSDK application with respect to a IP Camera product.

Features / Components	IP Camera Reference Design	DVSDK / DVEVM
Codecs, Framework Components, Codec Engine	Yes	Yes
Linux kernel, drivers	Yes	Yes
Network stack (TCP/IP, RTP/RTSP, FTP, SMTP) for IP Camera application	Full	Partial
BOM Optimized and Form factor ready hardware	Yes	No
IP Camera application	Yes	No
Advanced IP Camera features (Video Stabilization, Video Noise Filter)	Yes	No
Basic Video Analytics (Face detection/recognition, Motion detection)	Yes	Partial (Face detection)
Advanced Video Analytics	Supported with VA card plugin	No
Auto Exposure and Auto White-balance	Yes	No
Lens distortion / shading correction	Yes	No
Image Tuning support	Yes	No

                                                                              IP Camera Reference Design Vs DVSDK

 IP Camera Reference Design Vs Gstreamer

Gstreamer is a very popular framework used for developing multimedia applications.

Comparison between IP Camera Reference design and Gstreamer is here