CAST Offers the First 12-bit JPEG Extended Sequential, DICOM-Compatible IP Core

Woodcliff Lake, NJ, May 12, 2010 -- Semiconductor intellectual property (IP) provider CAST, Inc. now offers the only encoder core that supports both the Baseline (8-bit) and Extended Sequential (12-bit) modes of the JPEG image compression standard.

This plus a fast, compact design make the new JPEG-E-X IP core one of the best available lossy compression encoders for medical imaging, reconnaissance, and other applications where exceptional image detail is required.

The 12-bit pixel depth of the ISO/IEC 10918-1 JPEG standard's Extended Sequential process enables lossy compression of images with more detail than possible with conventional, Baseline 8-bit JPEG. Grayscale images with 12 bits of data per pixel are often used for medical images, and the new encoder core conforms to DICOM, the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standard.

In addition to compressing images with from 8 to 12 bits per color sample, the encoder core can also compress non-standard motion JPEG streams. An optional bit-rate control block makes the encoder suitable for applications with restricted bandwidth requirements.

Smart design makes the core versatile and competitive even against 8-bit only encoders. For example, it can process 450 MSamples/sec with only 69K gates in a typical ASIC 0.09-micron process, or 280 MSamples/sec in high-end FPGA devices, or even 30 frames per second of 16:9 HDTV 1080p video in low-end FPGAs.

CAST's partner Alma Technologies S.A. developed and owns the JPEG-E-X core, and works closely with CAST customers to ensure their success.

The core joins the broadest range of image and video compression IP cores available from any IP vendor, including JPEG, JPEG for Scalado SpeedView®, JPEG 2000, JPEG-LS, Lossless JPEG, H.264 video compression, and other functions. (see http://www.cast-inc.com/ip-cores/images/).

Interested customers in greater China area are invited to join the CAST’s presentation at SoCIP 2010 symposium at Shanghai on June 1stand Beijing on June 3rd.  SoCIP 2010 is the third annual system-on-chip design technology event in China organized by S2C Inc., providing face-to-face opportunities for SoC professionals in the region to meet with the IP experts. 

For detail information about CAST JPEG-E-X core or to purchase in China, please contact S2C sales sales@s2cinc.com. 

About CAST

CAST provides over 100 popular and standards-based IP cores for ASICs and FPGAs. Privately owned and operating since 1993, CAST has established a reputation for high-quality IP products, simple licensing, and responsive technical support. The company is headquartered near New York City, partners with IP developers around the world, and works with select sales consultants and distributors throughout Europeand Asia. Visit www.cast-inc.com for more information.

About S2C

Founded and headquartered in San Jose, California, S2C is the leading total solution provider in facilitating systems to chip innovations. S2C has three solutions for system-on-chip (SoC) development:

• Rapid SoC prototyping on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)
• Third-party silicon intellectual properties (IP)
• SoC design, prototype and production services

S2C’s value proposition is our highly qualified engineering team and customer-focused sales force that understands our customers’ commercial needs in SoC development.  S2C’s unique FPGA-based electronic system level (ESL) solution, using our patented TAI IP technology, enables designers who employ silicon IP to quickly assemble SoC prototypes on FPGA easily and securely, thereby enabling customers to start software development, typically the long pole item in development schedules, immediately.  Combining rapid prototyping methodologies with a comprehensive portfolio of silicon IP and advanced design solutions, S2C can reduce the SoC design cycle by up to nine months. 

S2C currently has 3 direct offices located in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen to meet the demand for accelerated SoC design activities in China.  S2C is also the organizer of the annual SoCIP symposium in China, which brings SoC designers/professionals from the region and international silicon IP and SoC solution vendors together.