Abstract: This invention is a preprocessor apparatus and method algorithm facilitating black bar detection in video frames or fields. The preprocessing marks a sharp discontinuity between pixels a predetermined distance apart on each line. On first detection of this discontinuity the location and pixel value is stored. The location and pixel value is also stored for the last discontinuity in the line. This data enables software to detect top horizontal bars, bottom horizontal bars, left vertical bars and right vertical bars.

Abstract: This invention is a preprocessor apparatus and method algorithm facilitating black bar detection in video frames or fields. The preprocessing marks a sharp discontinuity between pixels a predetermined distance apart on each line. On first detection of this discontinuity the location and pixel value is stored. The location and pixel value is also stored for the last discontinuity in the line. This data enables software to detect top horizontal bars, bottom horizontal bars, left vertical bars and right vertical bars.

Abstract: A data processing device uses a portion of a random access memory as an output buffer for holding a frame of PCM sample data which is being output after being processed by a processing unit within the processing device. Fine grained synchronization between a reference clock and a stream of PCM data frames is provided by transferring only a portion of selected frame of PCM sample data PCM(n+1), in response to a time difference 971. A breakpoint address is determined to delineate the portion of the selected frame that is to be transferred. A sorted list of the addresses of the discontinuities is maintained in breakpoint queue. Since the buffer is managed in a FIFO manner, a single breakpoint register is sufficient to monitor addresses as they are provided by an address register for accessing the random access memory. When a breakpoint is detected, the breakpoint queue and the breakpoint register is updated by an update task 802.

Abstract: A data processing device uses a portion of a random access memory as an output buffer for holding a frame of PCM sample data which is being output after being processed by a processing unit within the processing device. Fine grained synchronization between a reference clock and a stream of PCM data frames is provided by transferring only a portion of selected frame of PCM sample data PCM(n+1), in response to a time difference 971. A breakpoint address is determined to delineate the portion of the selected frame that is to be transferred. A sorted list of the addresses of the discontinuities is maintained in breakpoint queue. Since the buffer is managed in a FIFO manner, a single breakpoint register is sufficient to monitor addresses as they are provided by an address register for accessing the random access memory. When a breakpoint is detected, the breakpoint queue and the breakpoint register is updated by an update task 802.

Abstract: A data processing device uses a portion of random access memory 121 as an output buffer 124 for holding a portion of a stream of PCM data which is to be output to a digital to analog converter 530. D/A 530 forms a left analog channel and a right analog channel for speaker subsystems 814 and 815. The PCM data stream is stored in the output buffer so that PCM data samples which pertain to the left channel are stored at even address and PCM data samples which pertain to the right channel are stored at odd address. Control circuitry 145 monitors direct memory access (DMA) transfers which transfer PCM data samples to PCM serializer 142. By comparing the address of each DMA transfer to a left/right channel signal from the D/A, the control circuitry can verify that channel synchronization is correct. If a synchronization error is detected, an channel synchronization error correction procedure is invoked.