CAST Introduces JPEG XL Encoder IP Core for High- Quality, On-Camera Still-Image Compression

First core to bring hardware JPEG XL to consumer and pro cameras: 4K/8K, better quality/byte, small silicon footprint, easy integration.

Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey — November 14, 2025 —  Semiconductor IP provider CAST today announced the first commercially available JPEG XL encoder IP core, bringing the modern JPEG XL still-image format to consumer and professional camera SoCs. Designed for on-camera, real-time compression with low power and small silicon area, the encoder delivers higher-quality images at smaller file sizes than conventional JPEG while fitting comfortably into area- and power-constrained camera designs.

JPEG XL for Camera SoCs

The JPEG XL Encoder fits neatly after the image signal processor (ISP) system in typical camera pipelines, offloading the compression function from application processors, saving power, and enabling higher processing rates. A single core is 4K-capable, and instantiating multiple cores in parallel gives camera makers a straightforward scale-up path to 8K.

The encoder is optimized for human perception using perceptual color space and adaptive quantization and delivers benefits of the JPEG XL format. It provides higher quality per compressed byte than legacy JPEG, yielding significantly smaller files with higher image quality. It also supports wide color gamut (WCG) and high dynamic range (HDR) content so that photographic realism is not compromised, and it fits well with modern image processing pipelines and contemporary color paths.

The growing JPEG XL ecosystem across desktop and mobile platforms makes the encoder core increasingly practical for camera-centric applications, including

• Consumer & professional cameras — smartphones; mirrorless/DSLR, action and compact cameras; and camera modules that need better image quality at manageable file sizes.
• Medical capture & viewing gateways — real-time stills at practical bitrates and power for access/distribution images.
• Automotive event stills & ADAS logging — compact evidence frames with bounded latency and small silicon footprint.
• Aerospace & aerial — high-quality burst stills from satellites, airplanes, and drones, reducing downlink and host load.
• Broadcast on-set/studio stills — smaller files for look development, continuity, and asset libraries.

Dr. Calliope-Louisa Sotiropoulou, compression product manager for CAST, said:

“Camera designers need to give customers fantastic images with the least possible processor, memory, and power requirements. This new core uniquely enables on-camera hardware compression with the modern JPEG XL format—ideal for burst and high-speed photography and detailed 4K through 8K images—while reducing storage and transfer requirements throughout the system.”

About the JPEG XL Encoder Core

The core uses variable-block-size Discrete Cosine Transform (Var-DCT) to perform lossy compression in compliance with the JPEG XL standard established by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC29/WG1 18181.

It has a one-sample/clock data rate with single-frame latency, and supports HDR and WCG images via LinearRGB and RGB (PQ) input paths. Integration is straightforward through the core’s AMBA^® APB control and AXI data interfaces, matching common ISP/camera chains.

The core features a compact, low-power design that is suitable for mid-range FPGAs and area-sensitive ASICs. It is available now, in synthesizable RTL or optimized FPGA netlists, with complete deliverables and royalty-free licensing.

Visit the JPEG-XL-E product page for details and sample implementation results. Evaluation kits and other resources are available; contact CAST at sales@cast-inc.com.

About Shikino High-Tech

The encoder core is sourced from Shikino High-Tech Co., Ltd., a Japan-based technology company specializing in semiconductor design, ASIC and FPGA development, and imaging and sensing camera solutions. Through their joint partnership announced in March of this year, CAST and Shikino plan to jointly develop and launch additional IP cores in the coming year.

About CAST

Computer Aided Software Technologies, Inc. (CAST) is a silicon IP provider founded in 1993. The company’s ASIC and FPGA IP product line includes microcontrollers and processors; compression engines for data, images, and video; interfaces for automotive, aerospace, and other applications; various common peripheral devices; and security primitives and comprehensive SoC security modules. Learn more by visiting www.cast-inc.com.