| The Rear-View Camera (also called 'backup camera' or 'reverse camera') automotive application is one of today's most popular Driver Assistance Systems (DAS).
The camera is being attached to the rear of a vehicle and captures a wide scene behind it. The captured video is being displayed on LCD display in a front of the driver.
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The display can be integrated into instrument cluster, CID (Central Information Display), or even in vehicle's mirrors. The Rear-View Camera system enables driver to easily spot and avoid potential obstacles during a reverse drive.
Rear-View Camera Design and Xylon Solutions Xylon offers a full set of different logicBRICKS IP cores, which makes integration of the AMD FPGA for the Rear-View Camera very straightforward and easy. System designers with modest FPGA knowledge can implemented the basic AMD FPGA Rear-View Camera system in a few hours.
The following block diagram shows an example FPGA chip architecture that includes several AMD and Xylon IP cores. Video camera's output is usually a sort of differential serial data link, which can directly interface the AMD FPGA. The most common single-chip cameras use CMOS sensors with pixels arranged in Bayer color pattern, which means that their output video incorporates color information in monochromatic pixel elements. Xylon
logiBAYER Color Camera Sensor Bayer Decoder IP converts such a video into full 24-bit RGB color video.
Click Picture To Enlarge! The Rear-View Camera typically has FishEye lens that allows the camera to see an uninterrupted wide scene behind the vehicle. Output of such cameras is a warped (distorted) by the FishEye and must be rectilinearly projected on the flat LCD display. Xylon
logiLENS Camera Lens Distortion Corrector can process such a video in real-time. Additionally, the video must be mirrored since the driver and the camera are looking at the opposite directions.
At the end, the processed video must be displayed on the LCD display to present the video information to the driver. Xylon
logiCVC-ML Compact Multilayer Video Controller allows for an easy interfacing of different LCD types.
Click Photo To Enlarge! The described Rear-View Camera system can be upgraded with additional functions. It can be easily turned into a Parking Assistance system. Such systems calculate the ideal vehicle's parking path and monitor (calculate) vehicle's path in accordance to a position (angle) of the steering wheel. Driver's task is to overlap these paths on the LCD display and safely park the vehicle this way.
The wheel's position can be supplied through the CAN or LIN vehicle's network. Appropriate controllers can be integrated in the AMD FPGA - the
logiCAN and the
logiUART IP cores.
The
logiCVC-ML controls multiple graphics layers on the LCD and the vehicle's path during parking can be drawn (overlayed) over the video from the Rear-View Camera. Networking and drawing animations can be controlled by the AMD MicroBlaze™ soft-CPU integrated with Xylon
logicBRICKS IP cores.
Other systems combining ultrasonic pedestrian sensors, etc. can be supported as well.
Xylon Rear-View Camera Demo Xylon has designed several demo systems that include the Rear-View Camera functionality. The following photos show the camera demo integrated into
Xylon Re-Configurable Instrument Cluster Demo. The rear-view video shows up when driver starts reversing. Default cluster's gauges move aside to free the space for the video.
Watch demo video clips! Read more about Xylon's solutions for the automotive infotainment:
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Surround View Driver Assistance - Parking Assistance -
Pedestrian Detection -
Lane Departure Warning -
Automotive Instrument Cluster -
Rear-Seats Entertainment -
Performance Display