BT656 Test Pattern Generator

The BT656_TPG module is a versatile test pattern generator capable of producing a range of test patterns in 8-bit ITU-R BT.656 format. The module is ideal for use in the prototyping stages of digital video systems, or as a known good reference source for BT.656 video.

The video mode and output test pattern is controlled by a pair of generic parameters. The video output mode can be set using the parameter tpg_mode. This gives the option of either 576i (PAL) or 480i (NTSC) output formats. The type of test pattern output is controlled by the tpg_type parameter. In total there are a range of 6 different test patterns to choose from.

The output video is a standard BT.656 8-bit stream that is synchronous with the clk signal. The clock frequency is normally set to 27 MHz in order to comply with the BT.656 standard and the 16-bit pixel sample rate of 13.5 MHz.

• Synthesizable, technology independent VHDL IP Core
• Test patterns generated as an industry standard 8-bit ITU-R BT.656 stream
• YCbCr 4:2:2 output pixels
• Both PAL and NTSC (720 x 576i and 720 x 480i) formats supported
• Choice of  6 different test pattern outputs
• All signals synchronous with the pixel clock
• Compatible with a wide range of video codec ICs
• Tiny implementation size makes the core suitable for even the smallest FPGAs and CPLDs

• Digital video testing and prototyping
• Default output displays and simple 'screen savers'