Tougher, Faster, Smaller – the Makito X1 Rugged Video Encoder

Haivision’s latest video encoding innovation, the ultra-compact Makito X1 Rugged for ISR and defense applications & platforms is already making waves and winning awards. I spoke with Haivision’s Director of Product Strategy, John Leipper, to find out exactly what makes this tiny but mighty video encoder so unique and remarkable.

Driven by Customer Demand

The Makito X1 Rugged has been created in large part by our customers. At Haivision, we have a long history of deploying high-quality Motion Imagery streams to those who depend on premium intelligence to make informed decisions. The trust that we’ve earned from these users established a feedback dialog and customers told us to keep the usability, HEVC image quality, low latency, and features that make a Makito a Makito, but in a smaller, less power-hungry version in standalone and integration kits. We listened.

We now bring HEVC encoding to tactical network environments where H.264 couldn’t deliver the quality over sub 100kbps links. Intelligence delivered.

SWaP Optimized

First off, the Makito X1 Rugged is extremely small. Quite simply, it’s the most compact video encoder in its class, with very low SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) characteristics. Available as a hardened appliance or an OEM board for advanced integrations, the Makito X1 Rugged is the smallest, lightest, and most power-efficient (5.5 watts) ruggedized HEVC encoder available,  making it suitable for portable systems or platforms requiring multiple encoders running on battery power.

Flexible Form Factor

In order to adapt to any type of system, application, and platform, the Makito X1 Rugged is available as an appliance or a board. For those looking for a turnkey appliance for use in a small air, ground, manned or unmanned ISR platforms and manpack systems, the ruggedized appliance is about the size of a deck of cards and weighs less than 400g.

For customers who require deeper integration with existing ecosystems including ISR sensors, datalinks, and mission systems or for those who really need to shrink their overall SWaP, the Makito X1 OEM board weighs in at less than 45g and is approximately the size of a credit card. The board can be integrated into mesh radio sat comm terminal systems, inside a sensor module, or into a small unmanned aerial or ground system. Multiple encoding boards can be distributed across a platform for covering different angles.

Powerful Performance

Just because it’s small, doesn’t mean that we compromised on performance. Built on the heritage of Haivision’s Makito video encoders, the Makito X1 Rugged delivers the same level of encoding performance from a single input as the quad-channel Makito X4, but with a greatly reduced power draw and form factor. Packing a powerful punch for such a compact device, the Makito X1 Rugged offers all the features Haivision customers have come to expect from its video appliances; ultra-low latency, metadata filtering, network adaptive encoding, and high-quality video at very low bitrates, all while adhering to MISB and STANAG specifications.

Next Level Ruggedization

The Makito X1 Rugged hardened appliance is designed for deployment in the harshest conditions, ensuring reliable performance which can withstand extremes of operating temperature, shock, vibration, and humidity. Unlike other ruggedized video encoders that are filled with air with no pressurized seal, the Makito X1 Rugged enclosure is filled with epoxy and has a pressurized seal, allowing it to be used in a vacuum, so it can essentially travel to high altitudes.

 

Video link.