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I need to send video data over a fiber optic cable. The video input is coming via an HDMI link. The fiber optic link is already carrying some other data (an FPGA is controlling the link), so the video will have to be time-division multiplexed with other data on the same link.

Any ideas on how to implement such a system? I am leaning towards choosing an HDMI decoder IC, convert the video data to something like YCbCr 4:2:2 and feeding this stream to the FPGA, which will then package the data and send it over a fiber link. However, I am not quite sure about the following:

  • How to send and then resynchronize audio over the same link.
  • How to make DDC and EDID work
  • How to make hot-plug functionality work.
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    \$\begingroup\$ I take it that you intend to deliver the video to another HDMI connection at the other end? This is a major project, and this question is far too broad to answer here. Yes, I have plenty of ideas, but I'm limited in what I can say in a public forum, because I consult for a company that does exactly this in a particular niche market. Obviously, you're going to have to read and understand the full HDMI specification. Then, you're going to have to ask a series of more narrowly-focused questions about specific problems that you encounter as you proceed. \$\endgroup\$
    – Dave Tweed
    Aug 30, 2013 at 14:20
  • \$\begingroup\$ @DaveTweed: Yes you're correct. I'm willing to use a 3rd party product as well, but all products I could find did not let me access their raw protocol data which I can multiplex with the other data on the fiber link. \$\endgroup\$
    – SomethingBetter
    Aug 30, 2013 at 20:23
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    \$\begingroup\$ If you do not want to use DDS, then you can take one of the example files from Xilinx of Altera to learn how the HDMI data structure works and then put your controller between the RX and TX part of the design. But if you want to implement the DDS, then the problem becomes much more complicated. First of all you need to have access to the code for DDS, you need to have a license which is both expensive and hard to get. \$\endgroup\$
    – FarhadA
    Aug 31, 2013 at 11:00

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Could you change the transport layer of the fibre to be ethernet?

That way for example you use "just add power"'s HDMI over IP, it would mean the existing data steams would have to be migrated as well, but there as are solutions to convert almost anything to ip, you could fix the existing issue and be ready for whatever else in future want to be transported over it.

You could then also rely on off the shelf networking equipment and protocols to manage priority's, time slots, redundancy etc. (and to provide spares!)

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