Augmented Reality Graphics Application: Dual Channel 4K Video Overlay System

Requirement

A leading manufacturer of gimbal camara surveillance systems required a real-time 4K video overlay processor system capable of generating advanced augmented reality (AR) graphics for a dual channel 12G-SDI based camera system. As the application was based on live video streams, the overlay function needed to occur with minimal input-to-output frame delay to ensure a contiguous visual experience for the operator.

Challenge

Determine and implement an optimal hardware design architecture which minimizes product cost while maximizing graphical AR capabilities and product functionality to achieve the design goal of processing two 4K@60fps video streams with minimal input-to-output frame delay as required for an interactive real-time video overlay system. 

Solution

The design was implemented using an Intel Arria 10 GX 270K LE FPGA device combined with a SO-DIMM based NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX System-on-Module (SoM) running a Linux OS on a high-performance 64-bit ARMv8.2 six core processor. Overlay graphics frames generated by the SoM memory system are transferred across PCIe using a Scatter-Gather DMA interface into a 64-bit video overlay memory buffer. Advanced video IP technology is used to combine the overlay graphics onto the real-time video steam with minimal frame delay.

Result

Combining an off-the-shelf NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX System-on-Module with a high-performance Intel Arria 10 FPGA device enabled Microtronix to achieve cost, performance, and size objectives for the design of a dual channel 4K video graphics overlay system with the high-performance augmented reality capabilities required for a real-time gimbal camara surveillance system. 

The system operates in a gen-locked video configuration with a maximum of 2 frames of delay between the input and output, or in a non gen-locked configuration with a typical delay of 1 frame plus a few lines of video.

Related: SDI Video Overlay Products