|
Intel's new comprehensive reference design kit streamlines the development of affordable, easy-to-use PC Cameras
Intel's new 971 PC Camera Kit is designed to streamline the production of simple, low-cost and easy-to-use portable PC Camera peripherals. The kit enables manufacturers to build portable PC cameras that can harness the performance of the Pentium® II processor to make PC imaging a more affordable and compelling experience for users.
The 971 PC Camera Kit includes a comprehensive set of silicon, software, schematics, design documentation and suggested manufacturing procedures that manufacturers can use to produce affordable, easy-to-use portable PC cameras. Most importantly, the kit offers manufacturers a quick time-to-market PC Camera design optimized to handle the latest imaging and video applications with a high degree of interoperability.
The 971 PC Camera Kit makes use of recommended building block technologies, including Intel's MMX™ media enhancement technology, the FlashPix* file format, Universal Serial Bus (USB) for connectivity to the PC and Flash Memory Miniature Card for image storage.
Overcoming the barriers
The traditional barriers to the adoption of PC imaging include multiple connectivity interfaces, multiple file formats, and slow image manipulation. To overcome these barriers Intel, along with leading computer and imaging companies, has advanced the Portable PC Camera '98 Design Guideline.
Not just another digital camera
Traditional digital cameras rely on the processing power of the camera silicon to digitally convert, interpolate, and compress the image data before transferring to the PC. The portable PC Camera incorporates a different usage model. As a true PC peripheral, the PC Camera is designed for image capture and relies on the processing power of the PC, like those powered with the Intel Pentium II processor to enhance, store and share images. Moving image processing overhead off the camera to the PC enables manufacturers to provide simpler, more affordable, easier-to-use digital cameras.
Check-out these links for a closer look at the PC Camera's (based on the Intel 971 PC Camera Kit) capabilities and features:
| 
