Teledyne DALSA, a Teledyne Technologies company and a global leader in machine vision technology, today introduced their next generation user programmable real-time image processing platform. The Xcelera^TM-CL VX4 and Sapera^TM APF deliver a powerful FPGA (field-programmable gate array) based vision processor and integrated graphical FPGA development environment. This user programmable FPGA technology enables users to adopt vision processors for a variety of high speed, computing intensive, real-time image processing applications.

The Xcelera-CL VX4 vision processor is the latest member of Teledyne DALSA's award winning Xcelera family of frame grabbers and vision processors. A PCI Express (PCIe) x4 based platform, the Xcelera-CL VX4 features powerful user programmable embedded processing architecture for real time high performance machine vision applications. The Xcelera-CL VX4 combines field proven image acquisition with onboard processing capabilities. The Xcelera-CL VX4 boards support a wide variety of cameras, including multi-tap area and line scan cameras, color and monochrome models, including 8-bit 10-tap configurations, and are compatible with Base, Medium or Full Camera Link® cameras.

Sapera APF is an integrated graphical FPGA development environment. Sapera APF simplifies traditional FPGA development processes by combining a point and click graphical interface with FPGA based image processing libraries. Sapera APF comes bundled with a bit accurate software version of the FPGA library functions for rapid functional simulation but also automatically generates necessary infrastructure to call user functions using Sapera SDK. This powerful, yet easy to use FPGA development environment allows users to create, debug, and deploy FPGA code without ever leaving the development GUI.

"With the Xcelera-CL VX4, we have harnessed the power of field-programmable gate arrays and made it accessible to non-FPGA experts," said Inder Kohli, product manager at Teledyne DALSA. "The OEM not only benefits from real-time execution capabilities of the FPGA, but also from IP preservation, shorter development cycles and standard off-the-shelf processing platforms like Xcelera-CL VX4 Full."

Key Features and Benefits of the Xcelera VX4:

Next Generation real-time FPGA Image Processing Platform

- Real-time FPGA based hardware processing
- Fully supported by Sapera APF, an integrated graphical FPGA development environment
- Half-length PCI Express x4 Board
- Acquires images from one Base, Medium or Full Camera Link camera
- Extended feature set supports advanced Camera Link pixel/tap configurations
- Windows® XP and Windows 7 (32/64-bit) compatible

Key Features and Benefits of Sapera APF:

Graphical FPGA Development Environment for Software and Hardware Engineers

- Point and Click programming environment
- Over 150 imaging functions in FPGA-based embedded image processing libraries
- Design simple, single pass or complex iterative algorithms
- High level behavioral simulation
- Verify designs to cut down development time
- Fully automated design process interfaces to Sapera LT
- Supports Xilinx Virtex 5 family

Product Details & Availability

The Xcelera-CL VX4 and Sapera APF will be available Q1, 2012. For more detailed product information, visit the vision processor page on the Teledyne DALSA website or contact your regional sales representative. For a downloadable image of the vision processor, please visit Teledyne DALSA's online media kit.