Real World Security Answers

		Designers of security applications can benefit from the comprehensive DSP-based solutions that TI provides. For security applications ranging from biometric designs to surveillance designs, TI provides the right mix of intelligent image processing, functionality and flexibility needed. TI solutions are based on a variety of silicon including the low power TMS320C5000™ DSP platform and the high performing TMS320C6000™ DSP platform. Other security solutions include: hardware, software, system expertise and support to accommodate all your needs. Learn more about these solutions that can reduce your design costs and speed time-to-market for your security products.
		Answers to popular security questions can be viewed below. More questions? Ask the security experts at biometricanswers@list.ti.com.

Q1. Why should I consider a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) for security applications?

A1. Recent worldwide events have increased the demand for security applications such as: building access, computer access, security systems and surveillance systems, financial and retail transactions, cell phone and PDA eCommerce/ mCommerce and many more. End customers require intelligent security features in faster, smaller, lower-cost and convenient-to-use products. To satisfy the markets insatiable appetite for better security with more accuracy and speed, OEMs and security product manufacturers need to develop applications with the capability to handle intricate algorithms for processing image and video compression, image enhancement, normalization, feature extraction, matching and a host of others. The growing security market needs the right mix of performance, low power consumption and system flexibility to develop the customized features for each product niche. TI offers a variety of DSPs that match these needs as well as software for many of the functions. For example, the TMS320C55x™ and TMS320C67x™ DSP generations support sensor drivers for fingerprint image capture. TI's DSP performance and programmability allows you to move fast and secure your product's position in the market at the right price point.

Q2. What solutions are available to get my security design to market quickly?

A2. TI offers DSP-based solutions for a variety of security designs, including next-generation fingerprint authentication applications. This powerful resource - TI's Fingerprint Authentication Development Tool (FADT) - includes all the software to get you started plus the industry's first multiplatform, DSP-based expansion board that can combine with several of TI's DSP starter kits (DSKs). Regardless of whether your application is portable (requiring low power consumption) or plugged (requiring the performance to crunch through numerous complex and intensive algorithms), the FADT seamlessly works with both the TMS320C5000™ and TMS320C6000™ DSP platforms. With this flexibility, you can choose among multiple software and hardware offerings to configure the development tools to match your system requirements. In fact, you can evaluate a complete fingerprint verification function within minutes of setting up your FADT/DSK solution. This flexible and complete development environment for fingerprint authentication enables developers to quickly and inexpensively evaluate and develop systems and product based on TI DSPs, resulting in highly accurate and differentiated products.

Q3. What solutions are available to get my digital video surveillance design to market quickly?

A3. TI offers a variety of DSP-based solutions for digital surveillance cameras used in stores, shopping malls, office buildings, casinos, sports centers and virtually any other networked environment where security is needed.

Numerous hardware/software getting-started kits are available from TI to get these designs off the ground quickly, including the TMS320DM642 Evaluation Module, the TMS320DM64x™ Digital Media Developer’s Kit and the Video Security over Internet Protocol (VSIP) solution. The most complete development platform is TI's VSIP. This solution leverages the DM642 digital media processor to provide programmable intelligence for highly differentiated, leading-edge features such as motion detection, object tracking, position mapping, object recognition and event recognition. The VSIP has an easy-to-use, open development environment for rapid time to market, which eases the complex transition from analog to digital. In addition, the solution includes a high-compression ratio for storage of high-resolution images (data).

No matter what video standard you need to execute (e.g., MJPEG, MPEG2, MPEG4, WMV9 or H.264), TI's programmable DSP-based solutions help the developer build designs that provide high-quality DI resolution, optimized functionality and a reduction of lag times involved in delivering media content across different end points.