Industry Expert Blogs

Image sensors are used everywhere and to meet the demands for higher quality video and better analytics, the usage of uncompressed or RAW files can't be ignored. However, without using smart processing and coding, bandwidth and file sizes exceed the limits of most of our devices and interface capabilities.

TicoRAW delivers the most beautiful pixels and most perfect colors, with the most stunning brights and the deepest darks ... with the world's best efficiency

Designed by intoPIX, it unleashes image sensor and traditional RAW data-flows thanks to an innovative processing and coding. The full power of the image sensor is preserved while reducing the bandwidth, the storage needs, the power consumption of the device, and the raw transfer time. It offers high image quality and the capability to manage high resolution, high frame rate and high dynamic range workflows.

TicoRAW is the world’s first RAW codec, handling both RAW pictures and RAW videos, that can offer compression efficiency with such low complexity on RAW Bayer and other Color Filter Arrays (CFA) patterns. Tico stands for tiny codec. The technology and associated products are covered by one or more claims of patent, awarding intoPIX's hard work and innovation.

High Quality RAW - Ready for your application

• Live IP production: Low latency RAW, Streaming from camera to remote CCU or to Cloud applications
• Cameras, DSLR & Mirrorless: Stills & Movies, Photography, Digital Camera, Movie Camera
• Camera modules: Mobile devices, Connectivity & interfaces, Power reduction
• GIS & Space: Large resolution capture systems
• Automotive: ADAS systems, Vehicle network
• Industrial: Cameras for vision, Microscope, Endoscope, Smart Glasses

TicoRAW is suitable for both human vision and machine vision applications.

The benefits of TicoRAW

• Reduce power consumption and reduce video bandwidth to process more pixels from the sensor.
• Handle higher image and video resolution, high frame rate and high dynamic range easily: to capture, to record, to transmit, to edit, to analyse.
• Reduce the bandwidth of memory during the ISP process and RAW data analysis.
• Get the lowest latency ("pixel-line") to transmit RAW data over your wired/wireless network, infrastructures, interfaces.
• Efficiently decrease the stored RAW image data on the storage media, and extend camera battery duration
• Increase the editing, rendering, analytics speed and while retaining the sensor data needed for a complete control of the RAW processing pipeline.

TicoRAW stack includes small footprint IP-cores

Available for ASIC design and FPGA (on Intel, Xilinx and Lattice FPGA platforms), the TicoRAW IP-cores deliver full flexibility to users. Features include : adjustable compression rates from 2:1 to 16:1 and selectable constant bitrate (CBR) or capped variable bitrate (VBR). So, whether you need lossless quality for video applications, or mathematically lossless for machine vision or analytics, TicoRAW has you covered.

• No heavy-duty, power-consuming and expensive processing: TicoRAW is designed with extremely low complexity in mind. RAW encoder and decoder cores are symmetrical, use minimal logic, minimal internal memory, and no external DDR.
• No time-consuming delay: afixed line-based latency reduces the processing time to one-tenth of a millisecond in real-time applications.
• IP-cores are offering a small gate area and reduced memory needs : particularly interesting for cameras and workflows focusing on optimizing both connectivity and storage. When integrated on ASIC or in small FPGAs, these IP-cores cover the most popular CFA Bayer patterns, sensor bit-depths from 10 up to 16 bits and resolutions from 1Mpixels up to 200Mpixels.

They can be embedded in any type of camera system and any pixel rate, solving internal and external bandwidth limitations or storage challenges.

TicoRAW stack includes fast software libraries

Looking for a software? The intoPIX FastTicoRAW software development kits are available for x86-64 Intel & AMD CPUs (v2.12) and Nvidia GPUs (v1.8.2). These SDKs offer superior performance and include high-speed (de)coding, high frame rate support and low latency.

• All TicoRAW decoders come with an internal downscaler, for proxy viewing, fast editing and fast analysis.mance and include high-speed (de)coding, high frame rate support and low latency.

TicoRAW Specifications

intoPIX TicoRAW Technology Added with High-Efficiency RAW Recording of Nikon Z 9 Flagship Mirrorless Camera

End of 2021, Nikon made the bold strategic move to select the intoPIX TicoRAW technology: leapfrogging existing camera limitations to meet all advanced and upcoming requirements of imaging professionals, whether in live sports, film, wildlife documentaries or other challenging environments. Thanks to this addition, the new Z 9 camera offers High-Efficiency RAW recording up to 8K and 60fps (available through the 2022 firmware update), preserving all the benefits of the RAW format, while ensuring very low power processing and very fast transfer speed.

With TicoRAW, the full quality of the captured sensor data is preserved while reducing the bandwidth and the storage needs. It can be used for both Still pictures and RAW movies. This patented technology offers high image quality, and the capability to manage very high resolutions, high frame rates and high dynamic range workflows. TicoRAW is the world's first RAW codec that can offer compression efficiency with such low complexity. It also has the advantage of retaining this very fast format for editing, regardless of resolution and/or frame rates used.

Learn more about TicoRAW : https://www.intopix.com/tico-raw

About intoPIX

intoPIX creates and licenses innovative image processing and compression solutions. We deliver unique IP-cores and efficient software solutions to manage more pixels, preserve quality with no latency, save cost & power and simplify storage and connectivity. We are passionate about offering people a higher quality image experience. Our solutions open the way to new AV workflows and new devices, reducing costs in HD, 4K or even 8K, replacing uncompressed video, and always preserving the lowest latency with the highest quality.

For additional information, visit www.intopix.com