Almalence Ports Optimized Image Processing Software onto Tensilica's New IVP Imaging/Video DSP

Update: Cadence Completes Acquisition of Tensilica (Apr 24, 2013)

SANTA CLARA, Calif.  And AUSTIN, Texas USA – February 12, 2013 –  Tensilica, Inc. and Almalence today announced that they are partnering to port and optimize Almalence’s software for digital image processing to Tensilica’s new IVP imaging/video DSP (digital signal processor). Almalence has joined Tensilica’s Xtensions partner program and will help support new joint customers with their extensive imaging background.

“Almalence has significant expertise in the algorithms that bridge the gap between mobile phones and high-end cameras, providing blur and noise free photos in low light, high quality digital zoom, and high dynamic range image capture,” stated Gary Brown, Tensilica’s director of imaging/video. “Their software will be very attractive to the mobile imaging device makers adopting our IVP imaging/video DSP.”

“We were impressed with the ease of porting and optimizing our application to Tensilica’s IVP,” stated Eugene Panich, CEO, Almalence. “Tensilica’s compiler helped us achieve high performance and is among the best we’ve ever used. And the quality of their entire toolset was noticeable.” 

IVP is an imaging and video dataplane processor (DPU) that is ideal for the complex image, video and gesture recognition signal processing functions in mobile handsets, tablets, digital televisions (DTV), automotive, video games and computer vision based applications. The IVP DSP has a unique instruction set tuned for imaging and video pixel processing that gives it an instruction throughput of over 16x the number of 16-bit pixel operations compared to that of the typical host CPU with single-issue vector instructions.  In addition to its raw instruction throughput advantage to host CPUs, the imaging specific compound instructions supported by IVP give it a higher peak performance of 10 to 20x and much higher energy efficiency.  IVP’s rich instruction set has more than 300 imaging, video and vision-oriented vector operations, each of which applies to 32 or more 16-bit pixels per cycle.

About Almalence

Almalence, Inc. is the leader in imaging solutions aimed at delivering better image quality when it is limited by the capabilities of a camera. Almalence's solutions provide higher resolution, wider dynamic range, greater depth of field and higher SNR than a camera can capture. Almalence's mobile imaging solutions provide DSC/DSLR quality and capabilities for mobile cameras with no changing of camera module. Almalence's patented mobile HDR solution provides professional-level HDR fusion and tone-mapping on mobile devices. Almalence's patented super resolution technology provides digital zoom with the quality of optical zoom for mobile cameras. For more information visit: www.almalence.com

About Tensilica

Tensilica, Inc. is the leader in dataplane processor IP cores with over 200 licensees. Dataplane processors (DPUs) combine the best capabilities of DSPs and CPUs while delivering 10 to 100x the performance because they can be optimized using Tensilica’s automated design tools to meet specific and demanding signal processing performance targets. Tensilica’s DPUs power SOC designs at system OEMs and seven out of the top 10 semiconductor companies for designs in mobile wireless, telecom and network infrastructure, computing and storage, and home and auto entertainment. Tensilica offers standard cores and hardware/software solutions that can be used as is or easily customized by semiconductor companies and OEMs for added differentiation. For more information on Tensilica’s patented, benchmark-proven DPUs visit www.tensilica.com.