This September, I had the opportunity to participate in Hack the Hill, Canada’s Capital Hackathon in Ottawa. The event brought together students from across the country for 48 hours of innovation, learning, and collaboration.
The Ross Video FPGA Workshop
One of the highlights of my hackathon experience was attending the Ross Video workshop on “The Basics of Video” and FPGA programming. The session provided fascinating insights into how video processing works at a hardware level. Here are some key learnings:
Understanding Video Processing
- I learned about how our eyes process color through photoreceptors (rods for brightness and cones for color), and how this understanding shapes video technology
- The workshop covered the evolution from analog to digital video signals, particularly the development of different color spaces from CIE to RGB
- It was interesting to discover how digital video standards evolved, from SD-SDI to HD-SDI and 3G-SDI
FPGA Challenge
The workshop culminated in a practical challenge where students were introduced to
- Quartus Prime development environment
- Real hardware implementation on an Ultrix platform
- SDI video signal processing and manipulation
Workstation
Beyond the Workshop
The hackathon wasn’t just about technical learning - it was about building connections and pushing creative boundaries. Over the 48 hours, I witnessed incredible collaboration between students from different disciplines, all working to create innovative solutions to real-world problems.
Looking Forward
For students interested in being part of this incredible experience, Hack the Hill takes place annually in Ottawa. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced hacker, the event offers something for everyone. You can participate as a hacker or join the organizing team to help shape future editions of the event.
Check out hackthehill.com for updates on next year’s event and application details. The experience is well worth it, especially if you’re interested in technology, innovation, and meeting passionate students from across Canada.
Thanks to the organizing team (pictured above) for their efforts!