PC-CamLink
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PC-CamLink is an industrial PCI frame grabber that utilizes the Camera Link™ digital camera interface. PC-CamLink combines a half-slot PCI-bus frame grabber featuring Coreco Imaging's high-speed image transfer architecture to provide a high performance, cost-effective interface to cameras conforming to the Camera Link specification. The PC-CamLink provides the user with a flexible interface for high speed, high resolution, Camera Link cameras with clock rates up to 62.5 MHz and builds upon Coreco Imaging's experience in providing digital camera interfaces for the machine vision market.

A unique feature of the PC-Camlink is 16MB of on-board memory which maintains the required high data transfer rates while minimizing CPU utilization and risk of data loss. On-board real-time image re-sequencing for multi-tap digital cameras significantly reduces host CPU burden, thereby giving the host more time to process and analyze image data. PC-CamLink is capable of bus mastering image data directly to the host PC memory as lines become available. PC-CamLink's ability to provide data in 4:2:2 image format means that it is able to deliver non-destructive overlay on live images with almost no load on the host CPU - a first and only in the industry!

The scatter-gather feature enables automated image transfers which further reduces CPU overhead and maximizes the sustained transfer speed, leaving much needed processing cycles for demanding continuous inspection applications. The PC-CamLink provides one 8,10,12,16, or 24-bit Camera Link input. A data rate of up to 187.5MB/s can support cameras with resolutions to 64K pixels wide by N lines. Camera control can be accomplished via the Camera Link serial interface.

Key features

• Camera Link™ interface simplifies camera integration - control, and cabling use a standard interface
• 120MB/s sustained bus master transfer to host, guarantees no missing lines and low host CPU burden
• Non-destructive overlay on live image with 0% load on the host CPU
• On-the-fly re-sequencing of image data for multi-tap cameras
• OPTO-22 compatible parallel I/O (8/8) port eliminates need for an additional I/O card
• Dual 16 x 16 LUT for image transformations
• 16MB of on-board buffering for reliable image capture
• Acquisition rates up to 62.5 MHz
• Scatter-gather feature supports highly memory-efficient image transfers and management
• Single PCI slot solution for data and I/O. One Camera Link connector and one I/O connector allows all needed signals for data and I/O to be Available on a single plate. No extra PCI slot needed to access I/O
• Area and line scan camera formats supported

Video Formats

• 24-bit base mode Camera Link™
• 8 - 16 bit monochrome or 24 bit color digital cameras
• Data re-sequencing allows multi-tap data to be stored and sent to host in normal raster scan format. RGB data can be separated into color planes

• 16MB of high bandwidth SDRAM supports acquisition rates up to 187.5MB/s (24-bits @ 62.5 MHz)
• Provides ROI (cropped) transfer to reduce data volume
• On-the-fly re-sequencing of image data for multi-tap cameras
• Data re-formatting to allow non-destructive overlays
• Color plane separation during transfer possible

• Maximum Window - 64K x 64K
• Horizontal Resolution - 1 pixel
• Vertical Resolution - 1 line
• Programmable independent X/Y decimation (2, 4, 8, 16) performed during image acquisition
• Color images stored using packed 24-bit or 16-bit formats, or sequential color planes

• Camera Link timing inputs: Clock (PCLK), Line Valid (LVAL), Frame Valid (FVAL), Data Valid (DVAL), and a Spare input (SPR)
• Camera Pixel Clock to 62.5 MHz

• Advanced multi-trigger acquisition modes
• Dual external triggers available as differential, TTL or Opto-coupled
• Software triggering for host controlled acquisition
• Trigger divider allows precise control over incoming trigger events

• Reformats Multi-Tap data on the fly
• Provides line/row re-sequencing to output most any multi-tap image in normal raster scan format
• Color plane separation during transfer possible

• Scatter-gather feature for highly efficient image transfers
• Bus master of image data at 120MB/s sustained
• Target access (random R/W) to on-board registers, image memory and LUTs
• Multiple interrupt sources

• 32-bit PCI slot
• 1.3 A @ +5 Volts
• 1/2 length PCI card