PVS-100 utilizes the EPIX PIXCI™-SV5 solution for Analog Sensors

Video Capture for the PCI Bus

ACQUISITION -- A unique digital genlock circuit ensures precise synchronization of every image.  The PIXCI-SV5 imaging board automatically recognizes unstable signals (for example, from a VCR) and adapts its locking mechanism to accommodate the source.

A video input multiplexer allows software selection from two BNC and one S-Video input.   Programmable gain, hue, brightness, saturation, and contrast adjustments condition the video signal.

Image sequences may be transferred at full or reduced frame rates to the PCI bus for storage in the host computer's memory, or passed to other devices on the PCI bus such as disk controllers or VGA adapters.

SCALING AND CROPPING -- The window of video to be captured may be cropped in single pixel increments, then scaled in ratios from 1:1 to 1:14, down to as few as 4 pixels by 1 line of image data.  Horizontal and vertical scaling is performed in real-time by interpolation, providing an accurate representation of the original image.

DISPLAY -- Depending on the computer's VGA adapter, 24 bit RGB color images or 8 bit monochrome images may be displayed.  The full, scaled, or cropped image may be placed anywhere on the VGA screen.   Luminance or monochrome image data can be passed directly to the VGA for live video-in-a-window display. Color images are normally stored in the host computer's memory, converted into RGB data, then displayed on the VGA adapter.  With a fast processor, fast PCI bus, and fast VGA adapter, live color image data may be displayed.  If the VGA adapter can accept Y/C color pixels, images can be sent from the PIXCI-SV4 to the VGA adapter across the PCI bus.

TRANSFER RATES -- The PIXCI-SV4 imaging board is designed to use the 132 Mbytes/sec burst mode transfer rate of the PCI bus.  As a bus master, the PIXCI-SV4 imaging board sends image data to the PCI bus; it does not wait for the computer's CPU to read images from the board into PC memory.

I/O CONTROL -- Four input and four output TTL trigger signals are available for synchronization with external events right on the imaging board.

Programmable Gain -- Compensates for reduced amplitude in the analog signal input. Gain can be programmed from O% to more than 200%.

Luminance A/D -- Provides analog to digital conversion of NTSC, RS-170, CCIR, PAL, and the luminance (Y) component of S-Video sources.

Chrominance (Color) A/D -- Provides analog to digital conversion of the color (C) component of S-Video.

Decoder -- Separates the Y/C components. Generates the U/V color difference signals.

Digital Genlock -- Automatic synchronization circuitry for precise digitization. Accommodates video sources which have variable periods, such as video tape recorders. Generates the pixel clock for transferring image data to the PCI bus interface.

Scaling, Clopping -- Interpolation is used to scale images to 1/14 of their original size.

Temporal Scaling -- Image sequences may be captured at full or reduced frame rates.