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Nikon (, ; ) is a Japanese optics and photographic equipment manufacturer. Nikon's products include cameras, camera lenses, binoculars, microscopes, ophthalmic lenses, measurement instruments, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, and equipment related to S ...
Expeed
image An image or picture is a visual representation. An image can be Two-dimensional space, two-dimensional, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, or Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional, such as a carving or sculpture. Images may be di ...
/
video processor In electronics engineering, video processing is a particular case of signal processing, in particular image processing, which often employs video filters and where the input and output signals are video files or video streams. Video processing tec ...
s (often styled ''EXPEED'') are
media processor A media processor, mostly used as an image/ video processor, is a microprocessor-based system-on-a-chip which is designed to deal with digital streaming data in real-time (e.g. display refresh) rates. These devices can also be considered a class ...
s for Nikon's digital cameras. They perform a large number of tasks: *
Bayer filter A Bayer filter mosaic is a color filter array (CFA) for arranging RGB color model, RGB color filters on a square grid of photosensors. Its particular arrangement of color filters is used in most single-chip digital image sensors used in digit ...
ing *
demosaicing Demosaicing (or de-mosaicing, demosaicking), also known as color reconstruction, is a digital image processing algorithm used to reconstruct a full color image from the incomplete color samples output from an image sensor overlaid with a color fil ...
*
image sensor An image sensor or imager is a sensor that detects and conveys information used to form an image. It does so by converting the variable attenuation of light waves (as they refraction, pass through or reflection (physics), reflect off objects) into s ...
corrections/
dark-frame subtraction In digital photography, dark-frame subtraction is a way to reduce image noise in photographs shot with long exposure times, at high ISO sensitivity or at high temperatures. It takes advantage of two components of image noise that remain the sam ...
*
image noise Image noise is random variation of brightness or color information in images. It can originate in film grain and in the unavoidable shot noise of an ideal photon detector. In digital photography is usually an aspect of electronic noise, produ ...
reduction * image sharpening *
image scaling In computer graphics and digital imaging, image scaling refers to the resizing of a digital image. In video technology, the magnification of digital material is known as upscaling or resolution enhancement. When scaling a vector graphic image ...
*
gamma correction Gamma correction or gamma is a Nonlinearity, nonlinear operation used to encode and decode Relative luminance, luminance or CIE 1931 color space#Tristimulus values, tristimulus values in video or still image systems. Gamma correction is, in the s ...
* image enhancement/Active D-Lighting *
colorspace A color space is a specific organization of colors. In combination with color profiling supported by various physical devices, it supports reproducible representations of colorwhether such representation entails an analog or a digital represen ...
conversion *
chroma subsampling Chroma subsampling is the practice of encoding images by implementing less resolution for Chrominance, chroma information than for luma (video), luma information, taking advantage of the human visual system's lower acuity for color differences t ...
*
framerate Frame rate, most commonly expressed in frame/s, or FPS, is typically the frequency (rate) at which consecutive images (frames) are captured or displayed. This definition applies to film and video cameras, computer animation, and motion capture s ...
conversion *
lens distortion In geometric optics, distortion is a deviation from rectilinear projection; a projection in which straight lines in a scene remain straight in an image. It is a form of optical aberration that may be distinguished from other aberrations such as ...
/
chromatic aberration In optics, chromatic aberration (CA), also called chromatic distortion, color aberration, color fringing, or purple fringing, is a failure of a lens to focus all colors to the same point. It is caused by dispersion: the refractive index of the ...
correction *
image compression Image compression is a type of data compression applied to digital images, to reduce their cost for computer data storage, storage or data transmission, transmission. Algorithms may take advantage of visual perception and the statistical properti ...
/
JPEG encoding JPEG ( , short for Joint Photographic Experts Group and sometimes retroactively referred to as JPEG 1) is a commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images, particularly for those images produced by digital photography. The degr ...
*
video compression In information theory, data compression, source coding, or bit-rate reduction is the process of encoding information using fewer bits than the original representation. Any particular compression is either lossy or lossless. Lossless compression ...
*
display Display may refer to: Technology * Display device, output device for presenting information, including: ** Electronic visual display, output device to present information for visual or tactile reception *** Cathode-ray tube (CRT), that uses an el ...
/ video interface driving *
digital image editing Image editing encompasses the processes of altering images, whether they are Digital photography, digital photographs, traditional Photographic processing, photo-chemical photographs, or illustrations. Traditional analog image editing is known ...
*
face detection Face detection is a computer technology being used in a variety of applications that identifies human faces in digital images. Face detection also refers to the psychological process by which humans locate and attend to faces in a visual scene ...
* audio processing/
compression Compression may refer to: Physical science *Compression (physics), size reduction due to forces *Compression member, a structural element such as a column *Compressibility, susceptibility to compression * Gas compression *Compression ratio, of a ...
/
encoding In communications and Data processing, information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter (alphabet), letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes data compression, shortened or ...
and *
computer data storage Computer data storage or digital data storage is a technology consisting of computer components and Data storage, recording media that are used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers. The cent ...
/
data transmission Data communication, including data transmission and data reception, is the transfer of data, signal transmission, transmitted and received over a Point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication chann ...
. Expeed's
multi-processor Multiprocessing (MP) is the use of two or more central processing units (CPUs) within a single computer system. The term also refers to the ability of a system to support more than one processor or the ability to allocate tasks between them. Ther ...
system on a chip A system on a chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that combines most or all key components of a computer or Electronics, electronic system onto a single microchip. Typically, an SoC includes a central processing unit (CPU) with computer memory, ...
solution integrates an image processor in
multi-core processor A multi-core processor (MCP) is a microprocessor on a single integrated circuit (IC) with two or more separate central processing units (CPUs), called ''cores'' to emphasize their multiplicity (for example, ''dual-core'' or ''quad-core''). Ea ...
architecture, with each single processor-core able to compute many instructions/operations in parallel. Storage and display
interface Interface or interfacing may refer to: Academic journals * ''Interface'' (journal), by the Electrochemical Society * '' Interface, Journal of Applied Linguistics'', now merged with ''ITL International Journal of Applied Linguistics'' * '' Inter ...
s and other modules are added and a
digital signal processor A digital signal processor (DSP) is a specialized microprocessor chip, with its architecture optimized for the operational needs of digital signal processing. DSPs are fabricated on metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) integrated circuit chips. ...
(DSP) increases the number of simultaneous computations. On-chip
32-bit In computer architecture, 32-bit computing refers to computer systems with a processor, memory, and other major system components that operate on data in a maximum of 32- bit units. Compared to smaller bit widths, 32-bit computers can perform la ...
microcontroller A microcontroller (MC, uC, or μC) or microcontroller unit (MCU) is a small computer on a single integrated circuit. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory and programmable input/output peripherals. Pro ...
initiates and controls the operation and
data transfer Data communication, including data transmission and data reception, is the transfer of data, transmitted and received over a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication channel. Examples of such channels are copper wires, optical ...
s of all processors, modules, interfaces and can be seen as the main
control unit The control unit (CU) is a component of a computer's central processing unit (CPU) that directs the operation of the processor. A CU typically uses a binary decoder to convert coded instructions into timing and control signals that direct the op ...
of the camera. In each generation Nikon uses different versions for its professional and consumer
DSLR A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a solid-state image sensor and digitally records the images from the sensor. The reflex des ...
s / MILCs, whereas its
compact camera A point-and-shoot camera, also known as a compact camera and sometimes abbreviated to P&S, is a still camera (either film or digital) designed primarily for simple operation. Most use focus free lenses or autofocus for focusing, automatic syste ...
s use completely different architectures. This is different from for example
Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...
s
DIGIC Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit (often styled as "DiG!C") is Canon Inc.'s name for a family of signal processing and control units for digital cameras and camcorders. DIGIC units are used as image processors by Canon in its own digital imagi ...
: its professional
DSLR A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a solid-state image sensor and digitally records the images from the sensor. The reflex des ...
s double the processors of its consumer DSLR series. The ''Expeed'' is an
application-specific integrated circuit An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC ) is an integrated circuit (IC) chip customized for a particular use, rather than intended for general-purpose use, such as a chip designed to run in a digital voice recorder or a high-efficienc ...
(ASIC) built by Socionext specifically for Nikon designs according to
Nikon (, ; ) is a Japanese optics and photographic equipment manufacturer. Nikon's products include cameras, camera lenses, binoculars, microscopes, ophthalmic lenses, measurement instruments, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, and equipment related to S ...
specifications.


Technology

The ''Nikon Expeed'' is based on the
Socionext is a system on a chip (SoC) company formed in March 2015 from former system LSI businesses of Fujitsu and Panasonic. It has about 2,500 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It was privately held by the Development Bank of ...
Milbeaut The Socionext Milbeaut image/ video processors are media processors in multi-processor system on a chip architecture. Started by Fujitsu with the M-1 Series in 2000 each generation (2013: 7th) has several variants regarding included modules and p ...
imaging processors with
16-bit 16-bit microcomputers are microcomputers that use 16-bit microprocessors. A 16-bit register can store 216 different values. The range of integer values that can be stored in 16 bits depends on the integer representation used. With the two ...
per
pixel In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a Raster graphics, raster image, or the smallest addressable element in a dot matrix display device. In most digital display devices, p ...
multi-core
FR-V The Fujitsu FR-V (Fujitsu RISC- VLIW) is one of the very few processors ever able to process both a very long instruction word (VLIW) and vector processor instructions at the same time, increasing throughput with high parallel computing while ...
processor architecture, using a highly parallel pipelined architecture which allows efficient hardware use, increasing
throughput Network throughput (or just throughput, when in context) refers to the rate of message delivery over a communication channel in a communication network, such as Ethernet or packet radio. The data that these messages contain may be delivered ov ...
and reducing power consumption. Each core uses an eight-way 256-bit
very long instruction word Very long instruction word (VLIW) refers to instruction set architectures that are designed to exploit instruction-level parallelism (ILP). A VLIW processor allows programs to explicitly specify instructions to execute in parallel, whereas conve ...
(VLIW,
MIMD In computing, multiple instruction, multiple data (MIMD) is a technique employed to achieve parallelism. Machines using MIMD have a number of processor cores that function asynchronously and independently. At any time, different processors may b ...
) and is organized in a four-unit
superscalar A superscalar processor (or multiple-issue processor) is a CPU that implements a form of parallelism called instruction-level parallelism within a single processor. In contrast to a scalar processor, which can execute at most one single in ...
pipeline A pipeline is a system of Pipe (fluid conveyance), pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries ...
d architecture ( Integer (ALU)-,
Floating-point In computing, floating-point arithmetic (FP) is arithmetic on subsets of real numbers formed by a ''significand'' (a Sign (mathematics), signed sequence of a fixed number of digits in some Radix, base) multiplied by an integer power of that ba ...
- and two media-processor-units) giving a
peak performance Peak or The Peak may refer to: Basic meanings Geology * Mountain peak ** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics * Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion * Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-di ...
of up to 28 instructions per clock cycle and core. Due to the used four-way
single instruction, multiple data Single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) is a type of parallel computer, parallel processing in Flynn's taxonomy. SIMD describes computers with multiple processing elements that perform the same operation on multiple data points simultaneousl ...
(SIMD)
vector processor In computing, a vector processor or array processor is a central processing unit (CPU) that implements an instruction set where its instructions are designed to operate efficiently and effectively on large one-dimensional arrays of data called ...
units, data is processed with up to 112 data operations per cycle and core. An on-chip
32-bit In computer architecture, 32-bit computing refers to computer systems with a processor, memory, and other major system components that operate on data in a maximum of 32- bit units. Compared to smaller bit widths, 32-bit computers can perform la ...
Fujitsu FR The Fujitsu FR (Fujitsu RISC) is a 32-bit RISC processor family. New variants include a floating point unit and partly video input analog-to-digital converter and digital signal processor. It is supported by Softune, GNU Compiler Collection and o ...
RISC In electronics and computer science, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) is a computer architecture designed to simplify the individual instructions given to the computer to accomplish tasks. Compared to the instructions given to a comp ...
micro-controller core is used to initiate and control all processors, modules and interfaces. The ''Expeed'' versions designated EI-14x and the ''Expeed'' 2 and 3 additionally include a
HD video High-definition video (HD video) is video of higher resolution and quality than standard-definition. While there is no standardized meaning for ''high-definition'', generally any video image with considerably more than 480 vertical scan lines (N ...
codec engine (FR-V based) and a
16-bit 16-bit microcomputers are microcomputers that use 16-bit microprocessors. A 16-bit register can store 216 different values. The range of integer values that can be stored in 16 bits depends on the integer representation used. With the two ...
DSP DSP may refer to: Computing * Digital signal processing, the mathematical manipulation of an information signal * Digital signal processor, a microprocessor designed for digital signal processing * Dynamic Reconfiguration port * Yamaha DSP-1 ...
with separate on-chip 4-block
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...
RAM Ram, ram, or RAM most commonly refers to: * A male sheep * Random-access memory, computer memory * Ram Trucks, US, since 2009 ** List of vehicles named Dodge Ram, trucks and vans ** Ram Pickup, produced by Ram Trucks Ram, ram, or RAM may also ref ...
which is usable for example for additional image- and audio-processing. The ''Expeed 3 (FR)'' (EI-158/175) is based on an improved ''Expeed 2'' EI-154 with greatly increased processing speed. A new architecture in the ''Expeed 3 (ARM)'' offers a highly increased speed in its image processor (with even two pipelines on the EI-160), its
H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC), also referred to as H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10, is a video compression standard based on block-oriented, motion-compensated coding. It is by far the most commonly used format for the recording, compression, and d ...
video encoder and is controlled by a dual-core
ARM architecture ARM (stylised in lowercase as arm, formerly an acronym for Advanced RISC Machines and originally Acorn RISC Machine) is a family of reduced instruction set computer, RISC instruction set architectures (ISAs) for central processing unit, com ...
microcontroller replacing the Fujitsu FR.


Image sensor interface

CMOS Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS, pronounced "sea-moss ", , ) is a type of MOSFET, metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) semiconductor device fabrication, fabrication process that uses complementary an ...
/
CCD CCD may refer to: Science and technology * Charge-coupled device, an electronic light sensor used in various devices including digital cameras * .ccd, the filename extension for CloneCD's CD image file * Carbonate compensation depth, a property ...
image sensor An image sensor or imager is a sensor that detects and conveys information used to form an image. It does so by converting the variable attenuation of light waves (as they refraction, pass through or reflection (physics), reflect off objects) into s ...
s are connected with additional external ICs, Nikon drivers, with the exception of the Nikon D3100. This is done by a mixed
analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...
/
digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Businesses *Digital bank, a form of financial institution *Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) or Digital, a computer company *Digital Research (DR or DRI), a software ...
interface which controls the sensor digitally, but receives
analog signal An analog signal (American English) or analogue signal (British and Commonwealth English) is any continuous-time signal representing some other quantity, i.e., ''analogous'' to another quantity. For example, in an analog audio signal, the ins ...
s with parallel 14-
bit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communication. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented as ...
analog-to-digital (A/D) converters. The ''Expeed'' variants EI-142 and EI-158 use Nikon ASICs to connect all full-frame (FX) digital SLR sensors and additionally the
Nikon D300 The Nikon D300 is a 12.3-megapixel semi-professional DX format digital single-lens reflex camera that Nikon Corporation announced on 23 August 2007 along with the Nikon D3 FX format camera. The D300 was discontinued by Nikon on September 11, 2 ...
/ D300s with 12 simultaneous, parallel analog signal readout channels. Mainly due to a larger
settling time In control theory the settling time of a dynamical system such as an amplifier or other output device is the time elapsed from the application of an ideal instantaneous step input to the time at which the amplifier output has entered and remained ...
it allows improved conversion accuracy compared to the four channels in the previous
Nikon D2X The Nikon D2X is a 12.4-megapixel professional digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) that Nikon Corporation announced on September 16, 2004. The D2X was the high-resolution flagship in Nikon's DSLR line until June 2006 when it was supplanted b ...
/ D2Xs,
Nikon D200 The Nikon D200 is a 10.2-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera that falls between entry-level/midrange DSLR cameras such as the Nikon D40, Nikon D40x, and D80 and high-end models such as the Nikon D2Hs and D2Xs. It was released by the ...
or the
Canon EOS 5D Mark II The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is a 21.0 effective megapixel full-frame CMOS digital single-lens reflex camera made by Canon, the first Canon EOS camera to have video recording capabilities. It succeeds the EOS 5D and was announced on 17 September 20 ...
. six-channel readout is supported by the EI-149 and EI-154 used on the D90, D5000, D7000 and D5100. The D3100 uses an
Analog Devices Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), also known simply as Analog, is an American multinational corporation, multinational semiconductor company specializing in data conversion, signal processing, and power management technology, headquartered in Wilming ...
sensor interface with integrated analog-to-digital converters. The result is a
dynamic range Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' " power") or dynamic may refer to: Physics and engineering * Dynamics (mechanics), the study of forces and their effect on motion Brands and ent ...
''only'' at the level of competitors like the (higher priced)
Canon EOS 600D The Canon EOS 600D is an 18.0 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, released by Canon on 7 February 2011. It is known as the EOS Kiss X5 in Japan and the EOS Rebel T3i in America. The 600D is the second Canon EOS camera with an articulat ...
; lower than other Nikon DSLRs with the same Expeed 2 variant. The ''Expeed'' EI-15x and EI-17x A/D converters allow an increased image sensor readout clock frequency with improved A/D converter accuracy, especially when using 14-bit sampling. ''Expeed'' A/D converters used for EI-149 or all EI-142 need considerably reduced clock rates (1.8 fps on Nikon D3X) for higher accuracy, limiting for example the D3s dynamic range at low ISOs.DXOmark Sensor ratings
(needs Flash)
The ''Expeed 3 (ARM)'', first used in the
Nikon 1 series The Nikon 1 series is a discontinued camera line from Nikon, originally announced on 21 September 2011. The cameras utilized Nikon 1-mount#Lenses, Nikon 1-mount lenses, and featured 1" Nikon CX format, CX format sensors. The series included the ...
, connects a
data stream In connection-oriented communication, a data stream is the transmission of a sequence of digitally encoded signals to convey information. Typically, the transmitted symbols are grouped into a series of packets. Data streaming has become u ...
with 24 digital channels (bus), using A/D converters integrated on the image sensor chip.


Video processor

The first variant, EI-14x originally included a
video encoder A video decoder is an electronic circuit, often contained within a single integrated circuit chip, that converts base-band analog video signals to digital video. Video decoders commonly allow programmable control over video characteristics such as ...
capable of processing
VGA Video Graphics Array (VGA) is a video display controller and accompanying de facto graphics standard, first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, which became ubiquitous in the IBM PC compatible industry within three years. T ...
resolution with 30
frames per second A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (co ...
and
MPEG-4 MPEG-4 is a group of international standards for the compression of digital audio and visual data, multimedia systems, and file storage formats. It was originally introduced in late 1998 as a group of audio and video coding formats and related ...
encoding. The software based
video processor In electronics engineering, video processing is a particular case of signal processing, in particular image processing, which often employs video filters and where the input and output signals are video files or video streams. Video processing tec ...
realized with
FR-V The Fujitsu FR-V (Fujitsu RISC- VLIW) is one of the very few processors ever able to process both a very long instruction word (VLIW) and vector processor instructions at the same time, increasing throughput with high parallel computing while ...
processors enabled a reprogramming: By using
Motion JPEG Motion JPEG (M-JPEG or MJPEG) is a video compression format in which each video frame or interlaced field of a digital video sequence is compressed separately as a JPEG image. Originally developed for multimedia PC applications, Motion JPEG e ...
encoding with 24p frame rate, Nikon achieved
720p 720p (720 lines progressive) is a progressive HD signal format with 720 horizontal lines/1280 columns and an aspect ratio (AR) of 16:9, normally known as widescreen HD (1.78:1). All major HD broadcasting standards (such as SMPTE 292M) includ ...
HD video High-definition video (HD video) is video of higher resolution and quality than standard-definition. While there is no standardized meaning for ''high-definition'', generally any video image with considerably more than 480 vertical scan lines (N ...
resolution. The advantages are easy
JPEG JPEG ( , short for Joint Photographic Experts Group and sometimes retroactively referred to as JPEG 1) is a commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images, particularly for those images produced by digital photography. The degr ...
image extraction, no
motion compensation Motion compensation in computing is an algorithmic technique used to predict a frame in a video given the previous and/or future frames by accounting for motion of the camera and/or objects in the video. It is employed in the encoding of video ...
artifacts and low processing power enabling higher resolution, and the disadvantage is a larger file size, nearly reaching the
2 GB limit The 2 GB limit refers to a physical memory barrier for a process running on a 32-bit operating system, which can only use a maximum of 2  GB of memory. The problem mainly affects 32-bit versions of operating systems like Microsoft Window ...
(for full compatibility) in 5 minutes. The Nikon D90 was the first DSLR with video recording capabilities. The ''Expeed 2'' (variant EI-154) greatly expanded the capabilities by its
1080p 1080p (1920 × 1080 progressively displayed pixels; also known as Full HD or FHD, and BT.709) is a set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the sc ...
H.264/MPEG-4 AVC HD video encoder. It also offers an increased image sensor analog signal readout clock rate, reducing
rolling shutter Rolling shutter describes the process of image capture in which a still picture (in a still camera) or each frame of a video (in a video camera) is captured not by taking a snapshot of the entire scene at a single instant in time but rather b ...
. Compared to competitors from
Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...
(
DIGIC Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit (often styled as "DiG!C") is Canon Inc.'s name for a family of signal processing and control units for digital cameras and camcorders. DIGIC units are used as image processors by Canon in its own digital imagi ...
, "IPP" compression
MPEG-2 MPEG-2 (a.k.a. H.222/H.262 as was defined by the ITU) is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods ...
equivalent Equivalence or Equivalent may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Album-equivalent unit, a measurement unit in the music industry *Equivalence class (music) *'' Equivalent VIII'', or ''The Bricks'', a minimalist sculpture by Carl Andre *'' Equiva ...
: Only one previous frame analyzed) the ''Expeed 2'' offers
video compression In information theory, data compression, source coding, or bit-rate reduction is the process of encoding information using fewer bits than the original representation. Any particular compression is either lossy or lossless. Lossless compression ...
also based on complex
B-frames In the field of video compression, a video frame is compressed using different algorithms with different advantages and disadvantages, centered mainly around amount of data compression. These different algorithms for video frames are called pict ...
( bi-directional differencing between frames and motion prediction), which has the advantage of higher quality (lower
motion blur Motion blur is the apparent streaking of moving objects in a photograph or a sequence of frames, such as a film or animation. It results when the image being recorded changes during the recording of a single exposure, due to rapid movement or l ...
based on better
motion compensation Motion compensation in computing is an algorithmic technique used to predict a frame in a video given the previous and/or future frames by accounting for motion of the camera and/or objects in the video. It is employed in the encoding of video ...
) even with significant higher
compression ratio The compression ratio is the ratio between the maximum and minimum volume during the compression stage of the power cycle in a piston or Wankel engine. A fundamental specification for such engines, it can be measured in two different ways. Th ...
. This compression requires considerably higher computing power. In 2012 the Canon 5D Mark III introduced a similar compression called "IPB".Understanding EOS HD Compression Options
Canon
Also introduced was "All-I", which uses the simpler I‑frames (coded pictures) without processing any differences between them, but using a low compression (high data rate) and behaves also in other uses like image extraction quite similar to Motion JPEG formerly used by Nikon. The ''Expeed 3 (FR)'' (variants EI-158 and EI-175) offers no significant change, but introduced the first DSLRs to offer
uncompressed video Uncompressed video is digital video that either has never been compressed or was generated by decompressing previously compressed digital video. It is commonly used by video cameras, video monitors, video recording devices (including general-pur ...
output (8bit 4:2:2) over
HDMI High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a proprietary digital interface used to transmit high-quality video and audio signals between devices. It is commonly used to connect devices such as televisions, computer monitors, projectors, gam ...
:
Nikon D4 The Nikon D4 is a 16.2-megapixel professional-grade full frame ( 35mm) digital single-lens reflex camera ( DSLR) announced by Nikon Corporation on 6 January 2012. It succeeds the Nikon D3S and introduces a number of improvements including a 16 ...
,
Nikon D800 The Nikon D800 is a 36.3-megapixel professional-grade full-frame digital single-lens reflex camera produced by Nikon Corporation. It was given a Gold Award by Digital Photography Review. It was officially announced on February 7, 2012, and wen ...
/
D800E The Nikon D800 is a 36.3-megapixel professional-grade full-frame digital single-lens reflex camera produced by Nikon Corporation. It was given a Gold Award by Digital Photography Review. It was officially announced on February 7, 2012, and went ...
, Nikon D600,
Nikon D7100 The Nikon D7100 is a 24.1-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera model announced by Nikon in February 2013. It is a 'prosumer' model that replaces the Nikon D7000 as Nikon's flagship DX-format camera, fitting between the company's entry-leve ...
and
Nikon D5200 The Nikon D5200 is an F-mount DSLR camera with a newly developed 24.1-megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor first announced by Nikon on November 6, 2012 for most of the worldslow-motion Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slow-mo or slo-mo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. This can be accomplished through the use ...
) in its enhanced H.264 HD video engine.


Variants

Socionext is a system on a chip (SoC) company formed in March 2015 from former system LSI businesses of Fujitsu and Panasonic. It has about 2,500 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It was privately held by the Development Bank of ...
specifies each Milbeaut generation with different numbers of processors. Nikon gives no details, but uses different designated processors in its professional and consumer lines. Although the Milbeaut (''Expeed'') is used in different Nikon designs and by other manufacturers, the software/
firmware In computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computer, computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and the development of both computer hardware, h ...
specifies many of its functions and details and the number of processors or included modules may vary in this
ASIC An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC ) is an integrated circuit (IC) chip customized for a particular use, rather than intended for general-purpose use, such as a chip designed to run in a digital voice recorder or a high-efficien ...
.


Pre-Expeed


Early DSLRs

DSLR A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a solid-state image sensor and digitally records the images from the sensor. The reflex des ...
s announced before August 2006 do not contain processors named ''Expeed'' (for example Nikon D70/D70s processor: EI-118), although that does not mean that these processors use a different architecture. Or the
Nikon D200 The Nikon D200 is a 10.2-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera that falls between entry-level/midrange DSLR cameras such as the Nikon D40, Nikon D40x, and D80 and high-end models such as the Nikon D2Hs and D2Xs. It was released by the ...
processor (EI-126) uses the same, but greatly expanded firmware as the D80 (unofficial "Expeed").


Unofficial Expeed DSLRs

The ''Expeed'' processor variant EI-137 is found in the Nikon D40, Nikon D40x and Nikon D80as it is officially in the later-released Nikon D60 and Nikon D3000.


Expeed

First used in the
Nikon D3 The Nikon D3 is a 12.0-megapixel professional-grade full frame (35 mm) digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR) announced by the Nikon Corporation on 23 August 2007 along with the Nikon D300 DX format camera. It was Nikon's first full-fr ...
and
Nikon D300 The Nikon D300 is a 12.3-megapixel semi-professional DX format digital single-lens reflex camera that Nikon Corporation announced on 23 August 2007 along with the Nikon D3 FX format camera. The D300 was discontinued by Nikon on September 11, 2 ...
in 2007, the Expeed was used later in the
Nikon D3X The Nikon D3X is a 24.4-megapixel professional-grade full-frame digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) announced by the Nikon Corporation on 1 December 2008. The D3X is the third camera in Nikon's line to offer a full-frame sensor, following ...
,
Nikon D700 The Nikon D700 is a professional-grade full-frame digital single-lens reflex camera introduced by the Nikon Corporation in July 2008 and manufactured in Japan. It uses the same 12.1-megapixel "FX" CMOS image sensor as the Nikon D3, and is Niko ...
and Nikon D300s, marked EI-142, and the consumer line variant with reduced processor cores in the Nikon D90 and
Nikon D5000 The D5000 is a 12.3-megapixel DX-format DSLR Nikon F-mount camera, announced by Nikon on 14 April 2009. The D5000 has many features in common with the Nikon D90, D90. It features a 2.7-inch 230,000-dot resolution Articulating screen, tilt-and-swiv ...
, marked EI-149. It is based on a
Socionext is a system on a chip (SoC) company formed in March 2015 from former system LSI businesses of Fujitsu and Panasonic. It has about 2,500 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It was privately held by the Development Bank of ...
Milbeaut imaging-processor with 720p Motion JPEG video encoder, DSP and FR-80 (EI-14x versions) core. It uses a
90 nanometer The 90 nm process refers to the technology used in semiconductor manufacturing to create integrated circuits with a minimum feature size of 90 nanometers. It was an advancement over the previous 130 nm process. Eventually, it was succeeded by ...
process technology A process is a series or set of activities that interact to produce a result; it may occur once-only or be recurrent or periodic. Things called a process include: Business and management *Business process, activities that produce a specific se ...
. The EI-137 variant in the Nikon D60 and Nikon D3000additionally found in the
Nikon D40 The Nikon D40 is a 6.1-megapixel DX format DSLR Nikon F-mount camera announced by Nikon on November 16, 2006. It replaces the D50 as Nikon's entry level DSLR. It features a 2.5-inch 230,000-dot resolution LCD monitor, CCD sensor with ISO 200-160 ...
,
Nikon D40x The Nikon D40 is a 6.1-megapixel DX format DSLR Nikon F-mount camera announced by Nikon on November 16, 2006. It replaces the D50 as Nikon's entry level DSLR. It features a 2.5-inch 230,000-dot resolution LCD monitor, CCD sensor with ISO 200-160 ...
and
Nikon D80 The Nikon D80 is a digital single-lens reflex camera model announced by Nikon on August 9, 2006. The camera shipped the first week of September to US retailers. Considered by many to be a hybrid of design elements of the entry-level D50 and high ...
is based on the older Milbeaut M-3 in
180 nanometer The 180 nm process is a MOSFET (CMOS) semiconductor process technology that was commercialized around the 1998–2000 timeframe by leading semiconductor companies, starting with TSMC and Fujitsu, then followed by Sony, Toshiba, Intel, AMD, Texas ...
technology (like all former Expeed/Milbeaut since 2001). It includes a FR-71 core with only 12-bit, two-channel image sensor readout, no DSP, slower memory and has a reduced feature set.


Expeed 2

1080p H.264/MPEG-4 HD video encoder, improved
face detection Face detection is a computer technology being used in a variety of applications that identifies human faces in digital images. Face detection also refers to the psychological process by which humans locate and attend to faces in a visual scene ...
,
image noise Image noise is random variation of brightness or color information in images. It can originate in film grain and in the unavoidable shot noise of an ideal photon detector. In digital photography is usually an aspect of electronic noise, produ ...
reduction and
image distortion In geometric optics, distortion is a deviation from rectilinear projection; a projection in which straight lines in a scene remain straight in an image. It is a form of optical aberration that may be distinguished from other aberrations such a ...
correction are the main improved features compared to EI-14x ''Expeeds''. Used in the
Nikon D7000 The Nikon D7000 is a 16.2-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) model announced by Nikon on September 15, 2010. It replaced the D90 as the top end consumer camera, by using much of the technology and controls from the earlier D5000, ...
, Nikon D3100 and Nikon D5100 and Nikon marked EI-154. Although image sensor readout
clock frequency Clock rate or clock speed in computing typically refers to the frequency at which the clock generator of a Microprocessor, processor can generate Clock signal, pulses used to Synchronization (computer science), synchronize the operations of it ...
has increased by a factor of 1.75, A/D converter accuracy is improved, especially when using 14-bit. Image processor performance is increased, performing a higher continuous shooting frame rate even when high ISO noise reduction or Active D-Lighting is activated. The ''Expeed'' EI-15x are controlled by an integrated FR-80/FR-81 core. Power consumption is also decreased by the
Socionext is a system on a chip (SoC) company formed in March 2015 from former system LSI businesses of Fujitsu and Panasonic. It has about 2,500 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It was privately held by the Development Bank of ...
65 nm process.


Expeed 2 (rebranded Expeed 1)

The
Nikon D3s The Nikon D3S is a 12.1-megapixel professional-grade full frame ( 35mm) digital single-lens reflex camera ( DSLR) announced by Nikon Corporation on 14 October 2009. The D3S is the fourth camera in Nikon's line to feature a full-frame sensor, f ...
processoralthough named ''Expeed'' 2uses nearly the same EI-142 processor as the previous D3/D3X featuring for example only 720p Motion JPEG video. It offers the same image sensor interface with identical speed and A/D converter accuracy, limiting the D3s dynamic range at 200 and especially 100 ISOs lower as the D7000/D5100.


Expeed C2

Variant used in some
Coolpix The Nikon Coolpix series is a series of digital compact cameras in many variants produced by Nikon. It includes superzoom, bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley ...
compact cameras. Cheaper Nikon compact cameras use
Sanyo is a former Japanese electronics manufacturer founded in 1947 by Toshio Iue, the brother-in-law of Kōnosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial, now known as Panasonic. Iue left Matsushita Electric to start his own bu ...
or
Zoran Zoran ( sr-Cyrl, Зоран) is a common South Slavic name, the masculine form of Zora, which means ''dawn, daybreak''. The name is especially common in Serbia, North Macedonia, Croatia and to some degree in Slovenia. Notable people with this g ...
Coach image/video processors; both with a completely different technology and different firmware compared to the ''Expeed''.


Expeed 3


Expeed 3 (FR)

Compared to the previous Expeed 1 (EI-142), it offers the same improvements as the ''Expeed 2'' EI-154 with
Socionext is a system on a chip (SoC) company formed in March 2015 from former system LSI businesses of Fujitsu and Panasonic. It has about 2,500 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It was privately held by the Development Bank of ...
65 nm process, including increased A/D converter accuracy and image sensor analog signal readout clock rate, reducing rolling shutter.
Computing power In computing, computer performance is the amount of useful work accomplished by a computer system. Outside of specific contexts, computer performance is estimated in terms of accuracy, efficiency and speed of executing computer program instruction ...
is highly increased. Marked EI-158, this variant is used by the
Nikon D4 The Nikon D4 is a 16.2-megapixel professional-grade full frame ( 35mm) digital single-lens reflex camera ( DSLR) announced by Nikon Corporation on 6 January 2012. It succeeds the Nikon D3S and introduces a number of improvements including a 16 ...
and
Nikon D800 The Nikon D800 is a 36.3-megapixel professional-grade full-frame digital single-lens reflex camera produced by Nikon Corporation. It was given a Gold Award by Digital Photography Review. It was officially announced on February 7, 2012, and wen ...
. The EI-158 was the first ''Expeed'' to offer
uncompressed video Uncompressed video is digital video that either has never been compressed or was generated by decompressing previously compressed digital video. It is commonly used by video cameras, video monitors, video recording devices (including general-pur ...
output (8bit 4:2:2) over HDMI. The Nikon D600 (teardown), Nikon D3200 and
Nikon D5200 The Nikon D5200 is an F-mount DSLR camera with a newly developed 24.1-megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor first announced by Nikon on November 6, 2012 for most of the worldDDR3 Double Data Rate 3 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DDR3 SDRAM) is a type of synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM) with a high Bandwidth (computing), bandwidth ("double data rate") interface, and has been in use since 2007. ...
memory, and with increased computing power. The D5200 uses a
package on package Package on a package (PoP) is an integrated circuit packaging method to vertically combine ball grid array (BGA) packages for discrete logic and Semiconductor memory, memory. Two or more packages are installed atop each other, i.e. stacked, with a ...
with a 4 
Gbit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communication. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented as ...
DDR3 SDRAM Double Data Rate 3 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DDR3 SDRAM) is a type of synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM) with a high bandwidth (" double data rate") interface, and has been in use since 2007. It is the higher-spe ...
on top.


Expeed 3 (ARM)

In the
Nikon 1 series The Nikon 1 series is a discontinued camera line from Nikon, originally announced on 21 September 2011. The cameras utilized Nikon 1-mount#Lenses, Nikon 1-mount lenses, and featured 1" Nikon CX format, CX format sensors. The series included the ...
September 2011 Nikon introduced a new largely changed architecture – the main control unit it uses an ARM microcontroller which requires new firmware compared to the totally different Fujitsu FR microcontroller used in all former Milbeaut and ''Expeed'' processors. It is also the first ''Expeed'' using digital image sensor readout – no analog image sensor interface is needed. In the Nikon 1 cameras introduced September 2011 it uses 1 GB fast DDR2
RAM Ram, ram, or RAM most commonly refers to: * A male sheep * Random-access memory, computer memory * Ram Trucks, US, since 2009 ** List of vehicles named Dodge Ram, trucks and vans ** Ram Pickup, produced by Ram Trucks Ram, ram, or RAM may also ref ...
packaged in 2x 4 Gbit chips. Nikon marked EI-160, manufactured in the
Socionext is a system on a chip (SoC) company formed in March 2015 from former system LSI businesses of Fujitsu and Panasonic. It has about 2,500 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It was privately held by the Development Bank of ...
65 nm process. High-speed dual multi-core image-processing engines with world record (Nikon claim) 600 megapixels per second speed, enhanced
H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC), also referred to as H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10, is a video compression standard based on block-oriented, motion-compensated coding. It is by far the most commonly used format for the recording, compression, and d ...
HD video High-definition video (HD video) is video of higher resolution and quality than standard-definition. While there is no standardized meaning for ''high-definition'', generally any video image with considerably more than 480 vertical scan lines (N ...
engine and controlled by a dual-core ARM microcontroller are the main improvements. Its high speed allows the world's fastest speed (Nikon claim) of 60
frames per second A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (co ...
(10 fps with full
autofocus An autofocus (AF) optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system h ...
).


=Expeed 3A

= The ''Expeed 3A'', a successor to the Expeed 3 EI-160 used in the Nikon 1 series, was first released in the
Nikon 1 V2 The Nikon 1 V2 is a Nikon 1 series High speed photography, high-speed mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera launched by Nikon on October 24, 2012. Featuring a new 14 megapixel image sensor and further increased autofocus (hybrid autofocus with ...
and mainly features an increased world record image-processing speed of up to 850 megapixels per second. This enables 60 frames per second (15 fps with full
autofocus An autofocus (AF) optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system h ...
) speed even with the new 14
megapixel In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a Raster graphics, raster image, or the smallest addressable element in a dot matrix display device. In most digital display devices, p ...
image sensor. It is developed exclusively for Nikon 1 cameras.


Expeed 4

Expeed 4 uses a processor with
ARM In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between ...
central controller and is used in the
Nikon D810 The Nikon D810 is a 36.3-megapixel professional-grade full-frame digital single-lens reflex camera produced by Nikon. The camera was officially announced in June 2014, and became available in July 2014. Compared to the former D800/ D800E it of ...
, Nikon D750,
Nikon D5300 The Nikon D5300 is an F-mount DSLR with a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer body and other new technologies, announced by Nikon on October 17, 2013. It is a mid-range camera with a crop sensor and requires a minimum camera 8.3 raw plugin for Phot ...
,
Nikon D5500 The Nikon D5500 is an F-mount DSLR released by Nikon on January 5, 2015. As the successor to the D5300 (with no D5400 in between), this was the first Nikon DSLR to feature a touchscreen. The Nikon D5500 features a carbon-fiber composite bo ...
,
Nikon D5600 The Nikon D5600 is a 24.2 megapixel upper-entry level, APS-C sensor DSLR announced by Nikon on November 10, 2016, as the successor of the D5500. The camera has an F-mount. D5600 offers only small changes over the predecessor, among them is Bl ...
, Nikon D3300,
Nikon D3400 The Nikon D3400 is a 24.2-megapixel DX format DSLR Nikon F-mount camera officially launched by Nikon on August 17, 2016. It is marketed as an entry-level DSLR camera for beginners and experienced DSLR hobbyists. It replaces the D3300 as Nikon's ...
,
Nikon D3500 The Nikon D3500 is an entry-level 24.2-megapixel DX format DSLR Nikon F-mount camera announced by Nikon on August 30, 2018. , the D3500 was available with two kits: with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens for $499.95 and a two lens kit (18-55mm f/3.5- ...
and
Nikon D7200 The Nikon D7200 is a 24-megapixel APS-C digital single-lens reflex camera announced by Nikon on March 2, 2015. It started shipping on March 19. The D7200 was superseded by the Nikon D7500, announced on April 12, 2017. Features The D7200 is eq ...
. It offers full HD (1080p) video capture at 50/60 fps with improved contrast detection autofocus and
live preview Live preview is a feature that allows a digital camera's display screen to be used as a viewfinder. This provides a means of previewing framing and other exposure before taking the photograph. In most such cameras, the preview is generated by ...
autofocus. It includes all of the features of the Expeed 3 (FR) and older versions of Expeed, plus it consumes less power. The
Nikon D4S The Nikon D4S is a full frame professional DSLR camera announced by Nikon Corporation on February 25, 2014 to succeed the D4 as its flagship DSLR. The D4S offers a number of improvements over its predecessor including a new image sensor, new im ...
's processor is identical to the Nikon D4, marked EI-158, using its processing power with improved software enabling 1080p video capture at 50/60fps, 11 fps photos with improved autofocus, new
noise reduction Noise reduction is the process of removing noise from a signal. Noise reduction techniques exist for audio and images. Noise reduction algorithms may distort the signal to some degree. Noise rejection is the ability of a circuit to isolate an u ...
with image-content variable algorithm (context-adaptive) and other improvements.


Expeed 4A

Version 4A is used in the
Nikon 1 V3 The Nikon 1 V3 is a digital mirrorless camera announced by Nikon on March 13, 2014. Compared to its predecessor, the Nikon 1 V2, it has a higher resolution sensor (18 megapixels, up from 14 megapixels), built-in Wifi, FullHD video at 60 frames per ...
,
Nikon 1 J4 The Nikon 1 J4 is an entry-level digital mirrorless exchangeable lens camera announced by Nikon on April 10, 2014. See also * Nikon 1 series * Nikon 1-mount * List of smallest mirrorless cameras This is a list of the lightest and smallest mirro ...
and Nikon 1 S2.


Expeed 5

Nikon announced EXPEED 5 processor engine in their new DX and FX cameras
Nikon D500 The Nikon D500 is a 20.9-megapixel professional digital single-lens reflex camera with an APS-C sensor. It was announced by Nikon, Nikon Corporation on January 6, 2016 along with the Nikon D5 full frame camera. D500 replaced the Nikon D300S, D300 ...
and
Nikon D5 The Nikon D5 is a full frame professional DSLR camera announced by Nikon Corporation on 6 January 2016 to succeed the D4S as its flagship DSLR. The D5 offers a number of improvements over its predecessor including a new image sensor, new image ...
at CES 2016, (Las Vegas, January 5, 2016) and also used in the Nikon D7500 and D850.


Expeed 5A

The EXPEED 5A image-processing engine is first seen in the Nikon 1 J5, which was announced April 2, 2015. In the Nikon 1 J5 it is capable of 4k Ultra HD (3840*2160) at 15 fps, Full-HD (1920*1080) at 60 fps, HD (1280*720) at 120 fps, 800 x 296 at 400 fps and 400 x 144 at 1200 fps. It can handle 20MP burst photos at 20 fps with autofocus at each frame, and even 60 fps with autofocus fixed at the first frame, but note that the buffer size is yet unknown and probably very small.


Expeed 6

Nikon announced the Expeed 6 processor engine on 23 August 2018. It appears in their Nikon Z 7, Nikon Z 6, Nikon Z 5, Nikon Z 50,
Nikon Z 30 The Z30 is an APS-C mirrorless camera (1.5x APS Crop) announced by Nikon on June 29, 2022. It is the ninth Z-mount camera body and the third APS-C Z-mount body. The Z30 is the first Z-mount camera body which does not have a built-in viewfinder. Th ...
,
Nikon Z fc The Nikon Zfc, announced on 29 June 2021 and released in July 2021, is a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera with the Nikon Z-mount with a MSRP of $960 body, in the US. It is based on the DX-format Nikon Z50 and has a classic design with contr ...
, Nikon D780 and
Nikon D6 The Nikon D6 is a full frame professional DSLR camera announced by Nikon Corporation on February 11, 2020, to succeed the D5 as its flagship DSLR. It has a resolution of 20.8 MP, like the D5. The D6 has a newer Expeed 6 processor that supp ...
cameras. The
Nikon Z 6II The Nikon Z6II is a high-end (at the time of release) full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (MILC) produced by Nikon and is the successor to the Nikon Z6. The camera was officially announced on October 14, 2020 alongside the Nikon Z7 ...
and
Nikon Z 7II The Nikon Z7II is a high-end full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (MILC) produced by Nikon, and is the successor to the Nikon Z7. The camera was officially announced on October 14, 2020, alongside the Nikon Z6II, and became available ...
each have two Expeed 6 processors.


Expeed 7

Nikon announced the Expeed 7 processor engine on 28 October 2021. It appears in the
Nikon Z50II The Nikon Z50II is an APS-C mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (1.5x APS crop) announced by Nikon on November 7, 2024. It is the successor to the Nikon Z50 released in 2019, becoming the fourth crop-sensor Z-mount body and the thirteenth Z-m ...
,
Nikon Z5II The Nikon Z5II is a full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera produced by Nikon (, ; ) is a Japanese optics and photographic equipment manufacturer. Nikon's products include cameras, camera lenses, binoculars, microscopes, ophthalmi ...
,
Nikon Z6III The Nikon Z6III is a mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera produced by Nikon. The camera was announced on June 17, 2024. Features Image sensor The Z6III features a 24.5-megapixel, partially stacked CMOS sensor, which enables the camera to ...
,
Nikon Z8 The Nikon Z8 is a high-end full-frame mirrorless camera produced by Nikon. The camera was announced on May 10, 2023. It is the tenth Z-mount camera body and the seventh full-frame Z-mount body. Features The Z8 has the same 45.7 MP stacked CMOS ...
,
Nikon Z9 The Nikon Z9 is a flagship full-frame mirrorless camera produced by Nikon. The camera was announced on October 28, 2021. It is the eighth Z-mount camera body and the sixth full-frame Z-mount body. The Z9 has the same 45.7 MP resolution as the ...
, and
Nikon Zf The Nikon Zf is a Mirrorless camera, mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera with the Nikon Z-mount with a list price of $1999 body only, in the US. History The camera was announced on 20 September 2023 and was shipped out to customers in Japan ...
mirrorless cameras. Expeed 7 has 10 times the image processing speed of its predecessor and is powerful enough for the camera to omit a dedicated autofocus engine. It can handle complex AF and AE calculations at 120 cycles per second, separately processes dual-streamed data from stacked image sensors, and enables features like 120 fps still shooting, internal 8k RAW video recording and a blackout-free viewing experience.


Additional (co-)processors

As
input/output In computing, input/output (I/O, i/o, or informally io or IO) is the communication between an information processing system, such as a computer, and the outside world, such as another computer system, peripherals, or a human operator. Inputs a ...
(I/O) processor Nikon uses external 32-bit
microcontroller A microcontroller (MC, uC, or μC) or microcontroller unit (MCU) is a small computer on a single integrated circuit. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory and programmable input/output peripherals. Pro ...
s to connect additional
sensor A sensor is often defined as a device that receives and responds to a signal or stimulus. The stimulus is the quantity, property, or condition that is sensed and converted into electrical signal. In the broadest definition, a sensor is a devi ...
s and
display Display may refer to: Technology * Display device, output device for presenting information, including: ** Electronic visual display, output device to present information for visual or tactile reception *** Cathode-ray tube (CRT), that uses an el ...
s: *
Viewfinder In photography, a viewfinder is a device on a camera that a photographer uses to determine exactly where the camera is pointed, and approximately how much of that view will be photographed. A viewfinder can be mechanical (indicating only direct ...
* top-
display Display may refer to: Technology * Display device, output device for presenting information, including: ** Electronic visual display, output device to present information for visual or tactile reception *** Cathode-ray tube (CRT), that uses an el ...
*
flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * The Flash, several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Barry Allen ** Wally West, the first Kid Flash and third adult Flash ...
(
Speedlight Speedlight is the brand name used by Nikon Corporation for their photographic flash units, used since the company's introduction of strobe flashes in the 1960s. Nikon's standalone Speedlights (those not built into the company's cameras) have the ...
)/
hot shoe Canon EOS 350D Hot shoe Proprietary hot shoe used by Minolta and older Sony cameras (Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D)">Sony">Minolta and older Sony cameras (Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D">Sony.html" ;"title="Minolta and older Sony">Minolta and older Sony ...
* shutter/
aperture In optics, the aperture of an optical system (including a system consisting of a single lens) is the hole or opening that primarily limits light propagated through the system. More specifically, the entrance pupil as the front side image o ...
motor An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gene ...
s * metering/
autofocus An autofocus (AF) optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system h ...
sensors and *
lens A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'') ...
/
battery grip A battery grip (aka battery pack) is an accessory for an SLR/ DSLR (and occasionally other cameras), which allows the camera to hold multiple batteries to extend the battery life of the camera, and adds a vertical grip with an extra shutter relea ...
/
battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...
control. Used variants are the
Fujitsu FR The Fujitsu FR (Fujitsu RISC) is a 32-bit RISC processor family. New variants include a floating point unit and partly video input analog-to-digital converter and digital signal processor. It is supported by Softune, GNU Compiler Collection and o ...
in the ''Expeed'' EI-14x series, which changed to
MIPS architecture MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipelined Stages) is a family of reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architectures (ISA)Price, Charles (September 1995). ''MIPS IV Instruction Set'' (Revision 3.2), MIPS Technologies ...
in the ''Expeed'' EI-15x and EI-17x series. The professional series uses two or more
Hitachi () is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1910 and headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company is active in various industries, including digital systems, power and renewable ener ...
/
Renesas is a Japanese semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo. The name "Renesas" is a contraction of "Renaissance Semiconductor for Advanced Solutions." The company was established in 2002 as Renesas Technology through the merger of the semi ...
H8SX controllers. Former DSLRs used
H8S The Hitachi H8 is a large family of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers made by Renesas Technology, originating in the early 1990s within Hitachi Semiconductor. The original design, the H8/300, was an 8-bit processor that had a 16-bit re ...
microcontrollers. The ARM-based ''Expeed'' in the
Nikon 1 series The Nikon 1 series is a discontinued camera line from Nikon, originally announced on 21 September 2011. The cameras utilized Nikon 1-mount#Lenses, Nikon 1-mount lenses, and featured 1" Nikon CX format, CX format sensors. The series included the ...
with its dual ARM core needs no additional I/O processors. The Nikon 1 series also includes an
Epson Seiko Epson Corporation, commonly known as Epson, is a Japanese multinational electronics company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of printers and information- and imaging-related equipment. Headquartered in Suwa, Nagano, Japan, t ...
graphic processor.


Alternative firmware

As with
CHDK Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit (often styled as "DiG!C") is Canon Inc.'s name for a family of signal processing and control units for digital cameras and camcorders. DIGIC units are used as image processors by Canon in its own digital imagi ...
or
Magic Lantern The magic lantern, also known by its Latin name , is an early type of image projector that uses pictures—paintings, prints, or photographs—on transparent plates (usually made of glass), one or more lens (optics), lenses, and a light source. ...
modified Canon digital cameras based on
DIGIC Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit (often styled as "DiG!C") is Canon Inc.'s name for a family of signal processing and control units for digital cameras and camcorders. DIGIC units are used as image processors by Canon in its own digital imagi ...
processors, a group of programmers called "Nikon Hacker" develops custom
firmware In computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computer, computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and the development of both computer hardware, h ...
, making recent progress including an FR emulator for some DSLRs. It was shown that Nikon uses the Softune
integrated development environment An integrated development environment (IDE) is a Application software, software application that provides comprehensive facilities for software development. An IDE normally consists of at least a source-code editor, build automation tools, an ...
together with an μITRON
realtime Real-time, realtime, or real time may refer to: Computing * Real-time computing, hardware and software systems subject to a specified time constraint * Real-time clock, a computer clock that keeps track of the current time * Real-time Control Syst ...
kernel Kernel may refer to: Computing * Kernel (operating system), the central component of most operating systems * Kernel (image processing), a matrix used for image convolution * Compute kernel, in GPGPU programming * Kernel method, in machine learnin ...
. Currently there is some modified firmware available mainly removing time based video and uncompressed NEF files restrictions,Nikon patch
simeonpilgrim.com
but there is no stable alternative firmware available, as the project is still in an early state. The Nikon supplied firmware-updates normally include the firmware A for the I/O processor and the firmware B to control ''Expeeds'' by integrated FR micro-controllers (different for the ARM-based ''Expeed 3'').


Project tasks

Besides a general analysis of the hardware and software of the D7000, D5100 and D3100 and newer cameras, the project focuses on: *Removing 5 minutes time video restrictions: Some modified firmware available *High quality 1080p video with up to 64
mbps In telecommunications, data transfer rate is the average number of bits (bitrate), characters or symbols ( baudrate), or data blocks per unit time passing through a communication link in a data-transmission system. Common data rate units are mul ...
*
Uncompressed video Uncompressed video is digital video that either has never been compressed or was generated by decompressing previously compressed digital video. It is commonly used by video cameras, video monitors, video recording devices (including general-pur ...
(Clean HDMI Output) for the D5100 and others *Uncompressed NEF files *WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter modifications to make it usable for other cameras *Analysis and decryption of Nikon battery communication *Analysis of Wireless Transmitter WT-3 and its communication *Removing third party battery blocking that Nikon introduced with some of the latest firmware versions *Development of an Nikon Emulator The changelog shows firmware also for newer variants like D800, D610, D5200 and D3200.


DIAG raw hack

This was not a firmware hack, but a method (Photopc – digital camera control) calling an already implemented diagnostic mode on some old
Nikon Coolpix The Nikon Coolpix series is a series of digital compact cameras in many variants produced by Nikon. It includes superzoom, bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, ...
cameras with Fujitsu
Sparclite The discontinued SPARClite RISC processor family was based on the 32-bit SPARC V8 architecture. It was manufactured in (approximately) the 1990s by Fujitsu, with the designation MB8683x. It was used in many embedded applications (including a num ...
processors. Using this mode, they could write raw images.


See also

* Canon DIGIC * Sony BIONZ *
Sony Exmor Exmor is a technology developed by Sony and implemented on some of their CMOS image sensors. It performs on-chip analog/digital signal conversion and two-step noise reduction in parallel on each column of the CMOS sensor. Sensors from the Exm ...


References

{{Nikon 1 cameras Nikon cameras Camera firmware N Parallel computing SIMD computing Image processors Fujitsu microprocessors