EDT RCX C-Link User Manual
RCX C-Link
Fiber Optic Camera
Adapter
for use with Camera Link cameras
November 20, 2006
008-02368-03
RCX C-Link User’s Guide
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part
of Engineering Design Team, Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement or
nondisclosure agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
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warranties of merchantibility and fitness for a particular purpose, regarding the software described in this document (“the
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the express written agreement of Engineering Design Team, Inc.
© Copyright Engineering Design Team, Inc. 1997–2006. All rights reserved.
EDT and Engineering Design Team are trademarks of Engineering Design Team, Inc.
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This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to two conditions: (1) This device may not
cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
CAUTION: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Engineering Design Team, Inc. could void your
warranty to operate this equipment.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to
part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when
the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his or her own expense.
EDT, Inc. November 2006 ii
Contents
The RCX C-Link Fiber Optic Camera Adapter 1
Supported Cameras.............................................................................................................................2
References........................................................................................................................................... 2
Using the RCX C-Link in Base Mode ........................................................................................................... 2
Using a Base-mode RCX C-Link With a PCI DV FOX.........................................................................2
Using a Base-mode RCX C-Link As an Extension Cord......................................................................4
Using the RCX C-Link in Medium and Full Modes ....................................................................................... 5
Using a Medium-mode RCX C-Link With a PCI DV FOX .................................................................... 6
Using a Medium- or Full-mode RCX C-Link As an Extension Cord..................................................... 6
Eighty-bit Packing ................................................................................................................................7
LED Status ...................................................................................................................................................8
Configuration ................................................................................................................................................ 8
Operating Modes and Blink Codes ...................................................................................................... 8
Blink Codes for Base-mode Systems.......................................................................................... 9
Blink Codes for Medium- and Full-mode Systems .................................................................... 10
Setting the Blink Code .......................................................................................................................10
Backward Compatibility......................................................................................................................11
Firmware.....................................................................................................................................................12
Verifying the Firmware ....................................................................................................................... 12
Updating the Firmware.......................................................................................................................12
Pinouts........................................................................................................................................................14
Options .......................................................................................................................................................14
Fiber Optic Transceivers.................................................................................................................... 15
Transceiver Care....................................................................................................................... 16
Lemo Connector Option..................................................................................................................... 16
Lemo to Male DB-9 Cable (Base-mode Cameras Only)....................................................................16
Lemo to Female DB-9 RS-232 Cable (Base-mode Cameras Only) ..................................................17
Resync Cable.....................................................................................................................................18
Power Supply .............................................................................................................................................19
Dimensions................................................................................................................................................. 19
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RCX C-Link User’s Guide
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The RCX C-Link Fiber Optic Camera
Adapter
The RCX C-Link Fiber Optic Camera Adapter is a fiber optic adapter for Camera Link™ cameras. The
RCX C-Link attaches to the back of the camera, taking little more room than an ordinary Camera Link
cable connector. An LC duplex fiber optic cable plugs into the RCX C-Link to allow communication with
a PCI DV FOX frame-grabber, as described in Using a Base-mode RCX C-Link With a PCI DV FOX
on page 2. Or, two RCX C-Link modules can be used as a fiber optic extension cord with a third-party
frame-grabber, as described in Using a Base-mode RCX C-Link As an Extension Cord on page 4.
EDT software drivers provide the same programmer interface to the PCI DV FOX fiber optic framegrabber as to our other frame-grabbers.
Figure 1 shows the RCX C-Link and its Camera Link connector:
MDR-26 Camera Link
connector
Figure 1. The RCX C-Link and Camera Link Connector
Figure 2 shows the RCX C-Link and its other connectors, and the LED status light:
thumb screws
LC duplex fiber optic connector
transmit
Figure 2. The RCX C-Link and Other Connectors
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receive
LED
power supply connector
RCX C-Link User’s Guide Using the RCX C-Link in Base Mode
The RCX C-Link data sheet lists the product specifications.
Supported Cameras
The RCX C-Link supports base- and medium-mode Camera Link cameras when used with the
PCI DV FOX frame-grabber within the 200 MB per second bandwidth limitation of the PCI DV FOX
DMA engine. The RCX C-Link supports base-, medium-, and full-mode cameras from 20–80 MHz in
extension cord mode, using third-party frame-grabbers.
Medium- and full-mode extension cord operation requires the use of special versions of the RCX
C-Link.
RCX C-Link modules leave EDT configured for the operating mode specified when they were ordered.
Available operating modes are listed in Table 1 on page 9; instructions for reconfiguring the RCX
C-Link are in Setting the Blink Code on page 10.
References
The following related publication contains additional information on the EDT PCI digital video driver
and the PCI DV FOX frame grabber, including information on acquiring images:
Manual URL
PCI Digital Video User’s Guide www.edt.com/manuals/PDV/pcidv.pdf
Using the RCX C-Link in Base Mode
The RCX C-Link in base mode has one MDR-26 connector. Each pixel clock transfers 24 bits of video
data from the camera’s X channel. In addition, the RCX C-Link can also transfer four camera control
signals, and it has a bidirectional serial interface between frame-grabber and camera.
You can configure a system using the PCI DV FOX as a frame-grabber, or you can use two RCX
C-Link modules to form a fiber optic extension cord, with one module at the camera and the other at
the frame-grabber. Both uses are described below.
Using a Base-mode RCX C-Link With a PCI DV FOX
To configure the RCX C-Link for use with the PCI DV FOX frame-grabber:
1. Install the software driver as instructed in the PCI Digital Video User’s Guide.
2. Configure the RCX C-Link as described in the Setting the Blink Code on page 10.
3. Turn off power to the RCX C-Link, the camera, and the host computer.
4. Install the PCI DV FOX frame-grabber into a host PCI slot as described in the host computer doc-
umentation.
5. Connect the RCX C-Link directly to the MDR-26 connector on the back of the camera, as shown
in Figure 3.
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Using the RCX C-Link in Base Mode RCX C-Link User’s Guide
Figure 3. Connecting the RCX C-Link to a Camera
6. Attach a fiber optic cable from the RCX C-Link to channel 0 of the PCI DV FOX — channel 0 is
the connector physically closest to the PCI bus.
7. Connect the power supply provided to the power connector on the back of the RCX C-Link.
8. Turn power back on to all devices.
9. Verify that the LED on the RCX C-Link and the Channel 0 LED on the PCI DV FOX show a solid
green light when power is applied to the camera and RCX C-Link. See LED Status on page 8 for
details.
Figure 4. Base-mode System With PCI DV FOX
3 EDT, Inc. November 2006
RCX C-Link User’s Guide Using the RCX C-Link in Base Mode
Using a Base-mode RCX C-Link As an Extension Cord
You can use two RCX C-Link modules to form a fiber optic extension cord, with one module at the
camera and the other at the frame-grabber. In this case, the pixel clock rate into the frame-grabber
can be significantly higher than that presented by the camera, and the amount of time spent in blanking
will vary from line to line and frame to frame.
To use two RCX C-Link modules as an extension cord:
1. Install your Camera Link frame grabber and software as instructed by its manufacturer.
2. Configure both RCX C-Link modules as described in Setting the Blink Code on page 10. One RCX
C-Link is for the camera end, and the other is for the frame-grabber end.
3. Ensure that power is off to all devices.
4. Connect the RCX C-Link labeled Camera End to the MDR-26 connector on the back of the cam-
era.
5. Connect the RCX C-Link labeled For Frame Grabber to the MDR-26 connector on the back of
the frame-grabber.
6. Attach a fiber optic cable from one RCX C-Link to the other.
7. Connect the power supplies provided to the power connector on the back of each RCX C-Link
module.
8. Turn power back on to all devices.
9. Verify that both LEDs show a solid green light when power is applied to the camera and RCX
C-Links. See LED Status on page 8 for details.
Frame-grabber and camera operation is the same as when using a standard Camera Link cable.
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