Applications

Multi-Function Printer Trends

Printers and scanners perform demanding processing where the image path remains an area of active innovation. ASICs have been commonly used, but lead times are significant with accelerating NRE costs. With the trend to focus on core competencies, there is also an increasing emphasis on algorithm and software development over hardware design.

These issues can be addressed with a DSP. Such a device would complement or replace ASICs to shorten development cycles, allow for a high pace of innovation, and simplify IP reuse across products to reduce overall costs.

However, today's traditional DSPs and microprocessors are underpowered and too expensive to realistically be used for any significant amounts of image processing.

SPI's Technology Benefits

Storm-1 is the first fully C-programmable DSP platform to offer a level of performance to allow functions, that earlier were dependent on ASICs, to be implemented in software. Performance levels and feature sets can be managed by software to allow for one platform to support many product lines.

By keeping the complete development flow in the C code domain, code reuse is promoted while maintenance and feature updates become trivial. It also enables easier implementations of enhancements required in next-generation products, such as OCR.


Scan and Print Processing Example:

Feature Highlights:

• Software flexibility allows for any algorithm to be implemented
• More than 10X the processing power compared to a traditional DSP
• Cost-effective for high-quality printers, scanners, copiers and MFPs from 20 ppm and up
• SPI image library and sample code accelerates development
• High-quality n-Layer scan pipeline at > 60 ppm
• Print rendering at >200 ppm 
• Main controller processor may be relieved from significant load to reduce cost

Examples of print and scan path tasks:







Contact SPI or your local reseller for more details on the MFP solutions, applicable benchmarks and demonstrations.