GigE interfaced cameras ease system design

A JAI product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 20, 2007

Three-tiered range of cameras gives users the unique ability to easily switch from camera to camera, and from tier to tier, depending on their application and environment needs.

Four new digital progressive scan CCD cameras are the first in the JAI C3 Camera Suite - a three-tiered range of cameras that give users the unique ability to easily switch from camera to camera, and from tier to tier, depending on their application and environment needs.

The four newly launched cameras belong to the C3 Compact product tier, an entry-level series with a small form factor and a single-tap high frame rate architecture.

Each of the new models - CM-140GE, CB-140GE, CM-200GE and CB-200GE - has a compact 29 x 44 x 75mm housing and is equipped with standard GigE Vision/GenICam digital interfaces.

The CM-140GE and CB-140GE use the Sony ICX205 series CCDs to deliver 1.4Mpixel resolution (1392 x 1040 pixel) in monochrome or raw Bayer colour, respectively.

The CM-200GE (monochrome) and CB-200GE (raw Bayer colour) models offer 2Mpixel resolution (1628 x 1236 pixel) based on the Sony ICX274 sensor series.

The CM-140GE and CB-140GE operate at 31frame/s, whereas the CM-200GE and CB-200GE run at a rate of 25frame/s.

Partial scanning and binning modes are also provided.

The sensors used in the new cameras are the same as those used in JAI's popular CV-A1 and CV-A2 analogue cameras, and the housing size is nearly identical to the CV-A1 and CV-A2.

This makes it easy for users of these cameras to switch from analogue to digital interfacing with minimal mechanical/optical re-design.

The company will be rolling out additional C3 Compact series models at other resolutions over the next few months, creating easy analogue-to-digital transition paths for a wide range of older analogue cameras, both manufactured by JAI and by others.

In addition to the new C3 Compact cameras, JAI's Core Camera Concept (C3) suite includes two additional product tiers: Basic and Advanced.

The C3 Basic tier covers high performance cameras with single or multitap imagers, expanded thermal management, and a 55 x 55 x 55mm housing.

The C3 Advanced tier offers the highest performing models, with a broad range of built-in pre-processing functions, resolutions up to 16Mpixel, and innovative multi-tap, 2CCD and 3CCD architectures.

All three camera tiers share the same control and configuration methods and integrate quickly and simply with all applications.

This uniformity makes switching among models effortless - a key benefit for busy system integrators and original equipment manufacturers tasked with installing diverse and complex machine vision solutions.

JAI will be releasing new models in each of these tiers over the next 3-6 months.

The newly launched C3 Compact models perfectly embody the core concept of the C3 Camera Suite, which is to make it easy for customers to switch from analogue to digital and from one level of camera performance to another.

The cameras are supported by a common software development kit (SDK) and interface, and feature a flexible system architecture and connections to make the transition to the GigE Vision digital standard a simple one.

The GigE Vision interface supports cables of up to 100m and includes RJ45 connectors with thumbscrews to ensure reliable performance in industrial environments.

Other key features of the new C3 GigE Vision cameras include programmable general purpose input/output ports (GPIO) for flexible connection to peripheral equipment via opto-isolated inputs and outputs, and a sequencer trigger function allowing on-the-fly change of gain, shutter and ROI.

The CM-140GE, CB-140GE, CM-200GE and CB-200GE are available now.