Reconfigurable edge detection processor using Xilinx Platform Studio

In this paper we propose a technique for software-implementation of Edge detection which serves as a preprocessing step for many image processing algorithms such as image enhancement, image segmentation, tracking and image and video coding. The Edge Detection is one of the key stages in image processing and object recognition. Edge detection is a basic operation in image processing which refers to the process of identifying and locating sharp discontinuities in an image. The discontinuities are abrupt changes in pixel intensity which characterize boundaries of objects in a scene. It plays a major role in many algorithms used for segmentation and tracking. This paper presents an edge detection algorithm that results in significantly reduced memory requirements, decreased latency and increased throughput with no loss in edge detection performance using MicroBlaze Processor. This edge detection algorithm is based on MATLAB simulation and FPGA implementation through serial communication using Xilinx Platform Studio.