PIXCI® A412

Digitize Analog Video to 12 bits at up to 65 MHz FOR $1995 (US).
The PIXCI A412 video digitizer and camera control board acquires analog video at 12 bits per pixel at up to 65 MHz from 1 thru 4 cameras, controls camera integration and reset and, as a PCI bus master, sends the image data to a PCI bus target, such as motherboard memory for analysis, storage, or display. The PIXCI A412 can be used with interlaced area scan cameras, progressive scan cameras, line scan cameras with multiple outputs, and with RGB cameras. The on-board multiplexer can switch between cameras after capture of a frame or can switch between multiple genlocked cameras at rates faster than the camera's pixel clock. The PIXCI A412 provides either differential drivers and receivers or TTL single ended signaling for controlling camera reset, integration, and pixel clocks. Image sequences can be captured to the available space of motherboard memory or hard drive(s). The PIXCI A412 maximizes the use of the PCI bus and the latest PCI motherboard capabilities to minimize the cost of video acquisition, analysis, display, and storage.

Area and Line Scan Camera Interface and Control
The PIXCI A412 can be used with asynchronous reset area cameras, progressive area scan cameras, or with line scan cameras. The PIXCI A412 uses an on-board PLL clock generator to generate pixel clocks from 6 to 65 MHz to match the pixel clock used in the camera, can use the camera's pixel clock when it is available, and can generate the pixel clock to the camera when required. Horizontal and vertical drive inputs and outputs are available. The PIXCI A412 buffers pixel data when the PCI bus is busy and transfers buffered pixel data at rates up to 132 megabytes per second to the PCI bus.

Video Acquisition Window
The PIXCI A412 has a programmable video window in which to capture image data from the camera. The video window can be as large as 8000 pixels by 4000 lines or as small as 16 pixels by 16 lines. A trigger input can be used to start capture, reset the camera, and fire a strobe.

Video Display
Image display is provided by the host computer's video graphics adapter (VGA) and monitor(s) or flat panel(s). Display resolution is a function of the capabilities of these devices. Some Super VGA (SVGA) monitors can display the full resolution of the camera image. A software look-up-table feature allows display of 8 bits from the 12 bit captured image.

Image Capture, Processing, and Analysis Software
XCAP-Lite (included with the board) is a ready-to-run interactive capture XCAP-Lite (included with the board) is a ready-to-run interactive capture program that features camera specific control dialogs, line and column pixel plots, image sequence capture, and image sequence display. Images can be saved to disk for processing by other programs.

XCAP is a ready-to-run interactive image processing and analysis program for qualitative and quantitative image operations. A few mouse clicks select FFTs, histograms, morphology, measurements, edge detection, correlations, 3D plots, arithmetic operations, and many other standard image processing functions. The tools provide analysis using 12 bits of grey level per pixel. XCAP can control up to 8 PIXCI A412 boards in a single computer.

XCOBJ and PXIPL programmer libraries include sample code for board control and image processing. By adding application-specific code, a high speed imaging system can be developed to perform the specific inspection tasks required from the large selection of functions available in the XCOBJ and PXIPL libraries.

Solutions and Support
EPIX, Inc. has provided imaging solutions and support for OEM machine vision manufacturers, camera manufacturers, radiologists, astronomers, biologists, and engineers since 1984.

FEATURES

The DIFFERENTIAL DRIVERS & RECEIVERS convert data from differential to single ended TTL signals. Differential signals are used to provide improved noise reduction over single ended TTL signals. The board is optionally available with the TTL inputs/outputs for cameras that require TTL signaling.

The VIDEO CONTROL is used for image data formatting, video windowing, and buffering of data from the A-D converter to the PCI interface. The VIDEO CONTROL receives the trigger input and generates a camera reset signal, camera integration signal, and a strobe signal.

The PCI INTERFACE provides interrupt generation, PCI configuration registers, first-in and first-out buffers, and PCI bus master and target control.

Signaling support is provided for interlaced cameras; progressive scan cameras; line scan cameras; cameras with dual outputs; up to four identical genlocked cameras; and RGB cameras.

Signals at the DB-37 connector are: Pixel clock out to camera. Drives the clock to the camera from a programmable frequency pixel clock generator. Horizontal drive out to camera. For cameras requiring a horizontal frequency signal or for genlocking multiple cameras.

Horizontal drive out to camera. For cameras requiring a horizontal frequency signal or for genlocking multiple cameras.

Expose out to camera can be used to expose the light sensors in the camera for a specific time.

Strobe out to a flash lamp can be used to freeze motion of a moving object.

Bin out to camera can be used to cause the camera to change resolution and sensitivity.

Pixel clock in from camera is used to synchronize the digitization of the camera signal to the pixel clock of the camera.

Trigger in from trigger source can be used to reset the camera and expose the camera.

Horizontal drive (Line enable) in from camera is used to lock the PIXCI to the camera's horizontal frequency.

Vertical drive (Frame enable) in from camera is used to lock the PIXCI to the camera's vertical frequency. Video inputs 1 thru 4 are the composite video signal from the camera(s).

+5 volts DC out to camera can be used to power a camera.

+12 volts DC out to camera can be used to power a camera.

-12 volts DC out to camera can be used to power a camera.

The XCAP Camera Control window provides RS-232 control of the camera's operating mode, black level, gain, channel balance, defect concealment, pixel depth, strobe output, readout mode, trigger source, and test wedge. The specific modes available for each camera model are supported. After changes are made to the camera's configuration, XCAP adjusts the video parameters to capture the correct size image and to provide required control signals. The camera control window is shown at right.

SPECIFICATIONS