Extended Camera Support for CamLink Series
(June 2002)

When CMOS sensors and cameras were introduced, they targeted high volume, low performance markets, such as cell phones and digital cameras which were designed to address size, cost and power consumption issues, with little concern for image quality. To minimize pixel sizes most CMOS sensors used the smallest output structure, which happens to consume three transistors (3T). For machine vision, 3T pixel structures are detrimental because they inherently have a rolling shutter, which causes time displacement artifacts. Only recently have some CMOS cameras become useful for machine vision through the development of 4- or 5-transistor output structures providing global (non-rolling) shuttering, thus avoiding time displacement artifacts. With global shuttering, machine vision can now enjoy additional benefits of CMOS technology such as increased frame rates through windowing, lower power, compact size and greater speeds. Well known camera manufacturer DALSA and Silicon Imaging have recently introduced new cameras based on this technology that are now supported by Coreco Imaging's CamLink series.
  • Silicon Imaging's offering in the category is the SI-3170 a new monochrome or color digital camera capable of 30 frames per second at full 2056 x 1560 resolution. The 3170 uses 12-Bit digitizers to sample two output taps each at 50MHz to achieve a 200MB/s at 30 fps data throughput. The camera converts the pixel data directly to digital at the CMOS sensor head to eliminate pixel-sampling jitter and enable accurate sub-pixel image analysis. Compact in size, the camera is packaged in a 48 x 42 x 35mm shell and is small enough to be hand held for medical video instruments or placed on a robot for machine vision inspection applications. The S1-3170 interfaces to both the Viper-CamLink (at full data rate) and PC-CamLink frame grabber (up to 160 MB/s) to receive the 12-bit per pixel image data from the camera for high-speed transfers to the PCI bus.
About Coreco Imaging
Coreco Imaging is a leader in the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of hardware and software for high-performance computer vision applications, primarily in the medical imaging, machine vision and industrial inspection markets. The company employs approximately 135 people and has operations in Montreal (QC), Vancouver (BC), and Billerica (MA), with additional sales offices in Cleveland (OH) and San Juan Capistrano (CA). Founded in 1979, Coreco Imaging's success is driven by sound financial management combined with its commitment to the research and development of value-added products to serve the evolving needs of the computer vision market.