When eInfochips was commissioned by a client to build a next-generation portable endoscopy system, the company had to invest considerable thought in choosing the appropriate image processing engine. Our client had recommended that we use a general purpose processor that would couple up as the device’s primary control unit, and multi-threading with image processing functions. The choice seemed obvious to our client because that is how the legacy systems of the product were architected. But we quickly realized there was a major challenge ahead—getting the processor to work with UltraHD/4K image resolution.

4K video content has been a revelation in terms of quality and image clarity, and the consumer electronics industry has led technology adoption when it comes to displays. The problem in designing 4K video systems with general purpose processors is two-pronged. The first issue was that there are not that many vendors in the market that can support 4K resolution imaging, in fact, there is just one. The second issue was that the processor was targeted for consumer applications with a market life of three years. It would be imprudent to choose this device, and redesign the product three years down the line, given the tedious, expensive, and time-consuming regulatory approval cycles.