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 PicPort®-Color-PMC

PicPort®-Color-PMC framegrabbers provide digitization of color PAL or NTSC video signal. The digitized studio quality image is further conditioned in real time and transfered directly to display and/or memory.

The PMC version of PicPort®-Color series is compatible with our LVmPC® embedded vision system.

Besides the PMC module version, standard PCI bus version as well as CompactPCI version of the PicPort®-Color series is also available.

PicPort®-Color-PMC is a framegrabber for:

  • PMC form factor
  • standard color analog cameras
  • studio quality images
  • downscaling, mirroring
  • color space conversion
  • text & graphic overlay
 
PicPort-Color-PMC

Architecture

All the PicPort® models are based on similar architecture.

I/O Interface

The PicPort® I/O interface generally comprises video input connectors, synchronization and opto-isolated trigger inputs and outputs. PicPort®-Color can handle 4 CVBS or 3 CVBS and 1 S-video connected sources, one being digitized at a time. Switching among sources is performed via software.

Host Bus Interface

Based on the PCI bus Revision 2.1 specification PicPort® framegrabbers are available to suit a variety of different host buses.

PicPort®-Color series is currently available as PMC module as well as in standard PCI bus version and in CompactPCI bus version.

Digitizers

PicPort®-Color cards feature a high quality digitizer channel and additional circuits for image conditioning.

Pixel Stream Manager

The Pixel Stream Manager is the real heart of every PicPort®. It consists of two data paths (DMA channels) with different features (see the figure). Data path A features the following circuits: High Performance Scaler for fine interpolating, detail-preserving, image scaling down to approx. 40×40 pixels with horizontal plus vertical mirroring, Lock Mask Control for text or graphics overlay on the top of the live image and Pixel Packer and Color Space Converter to perform conversion to a desired color format.

The second data path B contains only the Binary Ratio Scaler.

Both data paths contain FIFO buffers for proper synchronizing the DMA transfers.

On Board Controller (Not shown in the figure)

All boards utilize an on-board controller to guarantee performance of real time critical tasks independent of host processor or operating system.

EEPROM (Not shown in the figure)

Each PicPort® board contains a firmware EEPROM that is updated automatically by driver software ensuring compatibility between hardware and software releases. In addition two bytes of the EEPROM are available to OEM's for use as a Software Dongle.

Image Acqusition & Conditioning

Input Format

PicPort®-Color framegrabbers accept video sources compliant with PAL/CCIR, NTSC/RS170, PAL/RS170 or SECAM/CCIR video standards, in composite CVBS or S-video signal format. Pixel shape in accordance with CCIR601 or square format is possible.

Non-standard cameras can be configured with an easy to use Camera Editor by just selecting one of the many predefined cameras, modifying the parameters and saving for future use.

Digitizer and Image Adjustments

The input image first reaches the Image Digitizer, which consists of two major parts. The first one, an A/D convertor, assures real time conversion of input analog video image to digital YUV image data at sampling rate of up to 20 MHz. The resulting video data stream is of the best studio quality.

In the second part of the Digitizer, you can adjust further digitization parameters via software. Brightness, contrast, hue and saturation of a color image are freely programmable within generous limits.

Downscaling and Mirroring

Image scaling and mirroring are operations performed by the Pixel Stream Manager with a range of functionality dependent on the data path (DMA channel) used. DMA channel A with its High Performance Scaler uses a mathematical interpolation method independently along both x and y axes, resulting in an image free from any significant loss of detail.

Alternatively, when the simpler DMA channel B is used, only vertical mirroring and binary downscaling is available.

Full Color Overlay

By means of a Lock Mask feature, unique to PicPort®, image data flowing through DMA channel A can be overlaid by a 1-bit mask created as a compressed bitmap within Windows in the form of text or graphics.

Color Model Conversion

By utilizing the Pixel Packer and Color Space Converter the data on DMA channel A can be converted to monochrome, RGB or YUV with predefined color and bit depths.

Original format Target format Bit use
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 Y8, packed 8-bit luminance
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 Y2, packed 2-bit luminance
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 Y1, packed 1-bit luminance
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 αRGB, 32-bit 8-8-8-8
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 RGB, 24-bit packed 8-8-8
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 RGB, 16-bit 5-6-5
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 αRGB, 15-bit 1-5-5-5
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 RGαB, 15-bit 5-5-1-5
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 RGB, 8-bit 3-3-2
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 YUV 4:4:4, 24-bit packed 8-8-8
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 YUV 4:2:2, 16-bit packed Y1V0Y0U0, 8 bits each
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 YUV 4:2:2, 8-bit packed Y1V0Y0U0, Y 8 bit, U, V 4 bits each
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 YUV 4:1:1, 16-bit  
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 YUV 4:2:0, MPEG  
YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656 YUV-9, Indeo  

Data Transfer

The digitized and conditioned data is transferred using two independent DMA channels directly to the CPU and/or video memory without on board intermediate storage and with minimal CPU intervention. The board acts as a PCI bus master allowing transfers at peak rates of up to 132 MB/s i.e. real time transfer for all acquisition modes.

The two independent DMA channels provide many modes of operation including simultaneous transfer of image data from a single image source to main memory for processing and to video memory for display.

Applications

With an unparalleled price/performance ratio the PicPort®-Color framegrabbers are well suited for wide range of applications from many different areas including:

  • industrial image processing
  • vision systems
  • security industry
  • documentation
  • medical applications
  • surveillance
  • automation technology
  • image data bases
  • research and development
  • and many more

Utilizing the multimedia drivers available for PicPort®-Color, the framegrabbers can be immediately used with the TWAIN driver to capture images to common office applications (MS Office, CorelDRAW, etc.) as easy as you would do with a scanner. The Video for Windows driver allows recording of video sequences in popular multimedia programs and to save them in the AVI format for example.

Application note «External trigger and flash» gives good overview of applications involving external devices such as a flash.

Software

Driver Software

Leutron Vision Software Development Suite, LV-SDS, is a software development package (Windows, Linux, VxWorks) that allows full control of all PicPort® and PicProdigy® products. The suite consists of Daisy - the basic software interface for PicPort®/PicProdigy® cards, Camera Editor - easy interactive setup of standard and non-standard cameras, DRAL - a library for handling specific time-critical tasks, Orchid - high level library (DLL or OCX) for quick and easy design of PicPort®/PicProdigy® applications, TWAIN Driver and Video for Windows - provide a simple interface between Leutron Vision hardware and other office and image manipulation programs (e.g. MS Office, CorelDRAW, etc.).

The software products come complete with a set of demo programs and additional examples with source code as a guide to the programmer in developing particular applications. To obtain more comprehensive information please download the LV-SDS manual.

Third Party Software

Several well-known third party packages for real-time image processing and analysis are also supported. The packages include HALCON, Activ Vision Tools, NeuroCheck, and others. Please refer to our detailed software brochure (PDF) for more details.

Connector Description

I/O connector configuration

The board can handle 4 CVBS or 3 CVBS and 1 S-video connected sources, one of which is being digitized at a time. Switching among sources is performed via software.

The PicPort®-Color-PMC module possesses a female HDsub 25-pin connector (4 video inputs, camera power supply, RS232) and a male pinrow 40-pin connector (8 optocoupler inputs and 8 optocoulper outputs).

Please check full pin wiring scheme description of the connectors below if necessary.

Connector wiring schemes

The pin wiring schemes of all the connectors of PicPort®-Color-PMC board are described below.

Universal camera connector (25-pin D-sub, female)

Pin Signal
1 Reserved (do not connect)
2 Reserved (do not connect)
3 Reserved (do not connect)
4 Reserved (do not connect)
5 Reserved (do not connect)
6 Reserved (do not connect)
7 Reserved (do not connect)
8 +12VDC/500mA
9 Reserved (do not connect)
10 Reserved (do not connect)
11 Ground (VIDEOIN1,3)
12 CVBS1 (Signal, 75Ohm, max 1Vpp)
13 CVBS3 (Signal, 75Ohm, max 1Vpp)
14 RXD (RS232), in LVmPC® only 1)
15 TXD (RS232), in LVmPC® only 1)
16 Reserved (do not connect)
17 Reserved (do not connect)
18 Reserved (do not connect)
19 Reserved (do not connect)
20 Connector Identification,
connect this pin to GND (pin 21) inside your custom cable connector
21 Ground
22 Reserved (do not connect)
23 SVID_C (Signal, 75Ohm, max 1Vpp)
24 CVBS0/SVID_Y (Signal, 75Ohm, max 1Vpp)
25 CVBS2 (Signal, 75Ohm, max 1Vpp)
1) Available for PicPort®-Color Rev.1 and later (0003.1ff), but only for boards used in our LVmPC® system!

Digital I/O connector (40-pin flatcable, male)

Pin 1) Pin 2) Signal
1 1 Optocoupler 0, Input A, +5V Anode
2 20 Optocoupler 0, Input K Cathode (signal ground)
3 2 Optocoupler 1, Input A, +5V Anode
4 21 Optocoupler 1, Input K Cathode (signal ground)
5 3 Optocoupler 2, Input A, +5V Anode
6 22 Optocoupler 2, Input K Cathode (signal ground)
7 4 Optocoupler 3, Input A, +5V Anode
8 23 Optocoupler 3, Input K Cathode (signal ground)
9 5 Optocoupler 4, Input A, +5V Anode
10 24 Optocoupler 4, Input K Cathode (signal ground)
11 6 Optocoupler 5, Input A, +5V Anode
12 25 Optocoupler 5, Input K Cathode (signal ground)
13 7 Optocoupler 6, Input A, +5V Anode
14 26 Optocoupler 6, Input K Cathode (signal ground)
15 8 Optocoupler 7, Input A, +5V Anode
16 27 Optocoupler 7, Input K Cathode (signal ground)
17 9 Optocoupler 0, Output Collector
18 28 Optocoupler 0, Otuput Emitter
19 10 Optocoupler 1, Output Collector
20 29 Optocoupler 1, Otuput Emitter
21 11 Optocoupler 2, Output Collector
22 30 Optocoupler 2, Otuput Emitter
23 12 Optocoupler 3, Output Collector
24 31 Optocoupler 3, Otuput Emitter
25 13 Optocoupler 4, Output Collector
26 32 Optocoupler 4, Otuput Emitter
27 14 Optocoupler 5, Output Collector
28 33 Optocoupler 5, Otuput Emitter
29 15 Optocoupler 6, Output Collector
30 34 Optocoupler 6, Otuput Emitter
31 16 Optocoupler 7, Output Collector
32 35 Optocoupler 7, Otuput Emitter
33 17 TAP 24V External Power Supply
34 36 TAP 24V External Power Supply
35 18 +5V
36 37 Ground
37 19 Reserved
38 nc Reserved
39 nc Reserved
40 nc Reserved
1) Pin numbers for the 40-pin on-board connector
2) Pin numbers for the 37-pin D-sub connector on the optional conversion cable

Optocoupler Interface

For synchronization of events like start/stop, trigger, good/bad, input/output etc. PicPort®-Color-PMC boards offer digital inputs and outputs, which can be controlled by software. For use in industrial environment, the signals are isolated by the use of optocouplers. To take full profit of this signal isolation, you have to connect the optocoupler to an external power supply.

As you see in the following drawing, the optocoupler input is prepared for input signals from 5 V to 24 V with the appropriate onboard serial resistors. For other signal levels an additional serial resistor has to be added to guarantee the proper forward current. The optooupler output is prepared for external voltage from 5 V to 24 V.

See also the following examples of optocoupler output. In industrial environment, signal levels of 24 V are usually needed.

Application note «External trigger and flash» gives good overview of applications involving external devices such as trigger or flash.

Technical Specifications

Bus PMC form factor (based on PCI revision 2.1)
Standard PCI version and CompactPCI bus version are also avialable
Image inputs 3 CVBS + 1 S-video or 4 CVBS
Input format PAL, NTSC, SECAM as CVBS or S-video
Image geometry 2:1 interlaced;
PAL: 768×576 (square pixels), 720×576 (CCIR601)
NTSC: 720×480 (square pixels), 640×480 (CCIR601)
Pixel geometry CCIR601, square
Digitizers 1
Data digitization 20 MHz, 16-bit per channel
Image coding YUV 4:2:2, CCIR656
Input LUT n/a
Brightness programmable
Contrast programmable
Color hue programmable
Color saturation programmable
Gain auto
Offset auto
Downscaling horizontal 5-tap and vertical 5-tap independently interpolating scaler
Mirroring along x and/or y axes
Overlay freely programmable 1-bit lockmask stored in host memory
Color conversion RGB, YUV or monochrome target models with various color depths and data packing
Transfer to host bus master burst DMA transfer
Transfer rate peak rate up to 132 MB/s, real time for all acquisition modes
Synchronization, slave from CVBS
Line locked PLL Ultra Lock®, not applicable for VCR steady image (pause mode)
Plugs for video universal camera connector: HD-sub 25-pin female
Trigger in/out opto-isolated
Camera power out 12 V, up to 500 mA
Power requirements 5V/180mA + 3.3V/320mA (when a camera is powered from the board, the power consumption is increased appropriately)
Operating temperature 0-50 °C

Complementary and Related Products

Supporting software

Comprehensive set of software tools consisting of video capture libraries and image processing libraries for Windows XP/2000/NT4, Windows Me/98/95 and for Linux. Please check especially the following ones:

Daisy
Video capture library of LV-SDS (Software Development Suite). Object oriented library of functions controlling all features of PicPort® and PicProdigy® boards.
Camera editor
An easy-to-use application enabling user to connect one of many predefined video sources or specify another, even nonstandard one.
DRAL
Extension libraries for Daisy providing real-time functionality of PicPort®/PicProdigy® frame grabbers.
Orchid
High level library for developing interactive applications with a few lines of code in visual tools like Microsoft Visual Basic, Borland Delphi, Borland C++ Builder, etc. Available as a DLL or as an OCX component.

Suitable Cameras

Please check the list of suitable cameras (analog color models) for use with PicPort®-Color. The link invokes page showing wide list of different suitable cameras, allowing you to specify more criterions and restrict the list only to the cameras exactly matching your needs.

Correspondent cables

All the necessary cables for connecting a camera to the framegrabber are available.

Related Frame Grabbers

PicPort®-Mono/Stereo-PMC
PMC frame grabber for monochrome analog cameras.
PicPort®-Pro-CL-PMC
PMC frame grabber with CameraLink interface.
PicPort®-Color PCI
Standard PCI bus version of the PicPort®-Color-PMC board.
PicPort®-Color-CPCI
CompactPCI bus version of the PicPort®-Color-PMC board.

LVmPC®

LVmPC® is an ultra compact, mobile image processing system for industrial and machine vision, based on standard PC technology and Leutron's frame grabber series. LVmPC® is available in a huge variety of different configurations.

Ordering Information

Ordering number Product Description
11004 PicPort®-Color-PMC PMC module version of PicPort®-Color
Expansion boards for LVmPC system
10410 PicPort®-Color for LVmPC PicPort®-Color-PMC, version for LVmPC
Complementary products
16028 LV-SDS Driver software developer's suit for Windows and Linux
15012 PCI-PMC adapter To operate a PMC module in a computer with standard PCI bus
15012 Optocoupler test board Enables testing of the opto-isolated I/O functionality of all PicPort® frame grabbers
14702 Cable PicPort-Color-PMC<->4×BNC Camera cable, 3 m, to connect up to 4 cameras with CVBS signal
14××× Other cables All needed cables of various lengths
Specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Copyright © by Leutron Vision.
Last update: June 2003.