Texas Instruments Codec Engine Server User Manual

Page 8

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What is the Codec Engine?

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1.1

What is the Codec Engine?

From the application developer’s perspective, the Codec Engine is a set
of APIs that you use to instantiate and run xDAIS algorithms. A VISA
interface is provided as well for interacting with xDM-compliant xDAIS
algorithms.

The API is the same for all of the following situations:

❏ The algorithm may run locally (on the GPP) or remotely (on the DSP).
❏ The system may be a GPP+DSP, DSP only, or GPP only system.
❏ All supported GPPs and DSPs have the same API.
❏ All supported operating systems have the same API. For example,

Linux, PrOS, VxWorks, DSP/BIOS, and WinCE.

This manual uses an icon like the one to the left to identify information
that is specific to a particular type of system. For example, this icon
identifies information that applies if you are using Codec Engine on a
dual-processor GPP+DSP system.

xDM is the eXpressDSP Algorithm Interface Standard for Digital Media.
It is sometimes referred to as xDAIS-DM.

Any xDM algorithm is compliant with the eXpressDSP Algorithm Interface
Standard (xDAIS). Additionally, it implements the xDAIS-DM (xDM)
interface, an extension to the xDAIS standard that provides support for
digital media encoders, decoders, and codecs. The xDM specification
defines APIs for digital media codecs by class, with extensions defined
for video, imaging, speech, and audio codec classes.

The xDM interfaces divide codec algorithms into four classes: Video,
Image, Speech, and Audio (VISA). VISA reflects this xDM interface. One
set of APIs is provided per codec class. Thus, MP3 can be replaced with
WMA without changing the application source code. Only the
configuration needs to be changed.

The Codec Engine also supports real-time, non-intrusive visibility into
codec execution. It provides APIs for accessing memory and overall CPU
usage statistics and execution trace information.

The Codec Engine runtime is supplied in binary form. Thus, application
libraries built with same Codec Engine release are always compatible.

GP

P+D

SP

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