How to display video from CMOS image module on a TFT or LCD panel

[X.Y.]

Hi, everyone. I have to display the video from CMOS camera module
using a TFT or LCD panel. The size of the panel would between 3 inch
and 8 inch. I search the panels on the internet roughly. I find that
many panels have digital interface. My CMOS camera module has also
digital output interface. The CMOS image sensor supplies either RAW
data or YUV data. However, the panels seem not support these data
format directly. So what should I do to make it? Do I need a chip like
FPGA to drive the panel?

Thanks a lot.

 

[[email protected]]

Hi, everyone. I have to display the video from CMOS camera module
using a TFT or LCD panel. The size of the panel would between 3 inch
and 8 inch. I search the panels on the internet roughly. I find that
many panels have digital interface. My CMOS camera module has also
digital output interface. The CMOS image sensor supplies either RAW
data or YUV data. However, the panels seem not support these data
format directly. So what should I do to make it? Do I need a chip like
FPGA to drive the panel?

Yes. You probably also need memory to store the image - even if it's
meant to be continous video, the pixel scan timings may not match
between the two, and you will need to store one (or maybe two or
three) images in a pipeline buffer.

You can do it yourself with an FPGA (you might start by trying to find
an FPGA board with an LCD as an accessory, and hopefully some
reference HDL code for driving it).

Also some of the modern DSP processors may have the synchronous
interfaces need to talk to both the imager and the LCD - Analog
Devices Blackfin might be able to do that, though I haven't tried it.

Finally there are specific digital camera chips, for example COACH
(Camera on a Chip) from Zoran, which have the interfaces, memory, and
a processor core - however, there may be substantial NDA requirements
to get the information you'd need to use these.

If you are doing a commercial product, you will probably want to go
with something specialized at least for the manufacturing version.
For a hobby project, go with the FPGA or see if you can get DSP
synchronous interfaces talking to your imager and LCD.

 

[X.Y.]

Yes. You probably also need memory to store the image - even if it's
meant to be continous video, the pixel scan timings may not match
between the two, and you will need to store one (or maybe two or
three) images in a pipeline buffer.

You can do it yourself with an FPGA (you might start by trying to find
an FPGA board with an LCD as an accessory, and hopefully some
reference HDL code for driving it).

Also some of the modern DSP processors may have the synchronous
interfaces need to talk to both the imager and the LCD - Analog
Devices Blackfin might be able to do that, though I haven't tried it.

Finally there are specific digital camera chips, for example COACH
(Camera on a Chip) from Zoran, which have the interfaces, memory, and
a processor core - however, there may be substantial NDA requirements
to get the information you'd need to use these.

If you are doing a commercial product, you will probably want to go
with something specialized at least for the manufacturing version.
For a hobby project, go with the FPGA or see if you can get DSP
synchronous interfaces talking to your imager and LCD.

Dear cs_posting,
Thanks for your reply. There is a new issue. My instructor asks me to
use a panel with a resolution of 1280*1024 at least. I have searched
it on the internet. I find that almost all the panels with this kind
of resolution have a LVDS interface or DVI interface. And besides, it
is a litter bit hard to buy one panel with LVDS interface, because I
want only one. However, many LCD displays for PC has DVI interface.
They are finished product and face to final personal consumer. If I
use a panel with LVDS interface, I can use a LVDS chip like DS90C383.
If I use a display with DVI interface, what kinds of chips should I
select?
Best Regards.
Yours,
X. Y.