Maxtor IMC800 Application Note

Application Note:

Interfacing non-standard cameras to Matrox Pulsar

i2S iMC800 February 15, 1996

Camera
Interface
Overview

Camera
Interface
Details

• 752 x 560 x 8-bit or 752 x 280 x 8-bit (CCIR timings)

• Analog video output

• Interlaced or non-interlaced

• Internal TTL hsync and vsync signals supplied externally

• Internal or external exposure control

• Accepts asynchronous TTL external trigger

• 3 modes of operation: pseudo-continuous mode, trigger mode and control mode

1. Pseudo-continuous mode (Electronic Shutter mode)

Video

i2S

iMC800

• 752 x 280 x 8-bit

• Analog video output

• Non-interlaced

• Internal exposure control: one of nine exposure times can be selected via the coding switch

HDout
VDout

Matrox Pulsar

(with PLS-TTL-CABLE)

on the Monoshot Driver; positions 0 through 8 correspond to exposure times of 10ms
through 50µs respectively. In this mode the exposure time determines the frame rate

• Continuous video

• Camera sending TTL hsync (HDout) and vsync (VDout) signals to Matrox Pulsar

• DCF used: IMC800N.DCF

2. Trigger mode (Monoshot mode)

Video

i2S

iMC800

• 752 x 280 x 8-bit

• Analog video output

• Non-interlaced

• Internal exposure control: one of nine exposure times can be selected via the coding switch

HDout
VDout

FI

TTL external trigger

Matrox Pulsar

(with PLS-TTL-CABLE)

on the Monoshot Driver; positions 0 through 8 correspond to exposure times of 10ms
through 50µs respectively

• Camera sending TTL hsync (HDout) and vsync (VDout) signals to Matrox Pulsar

• Matrox Pulsar receiving TTL external trigger

• Matrox Pulsar sending TTL exposure (FI) signal to camera; the exposure signal only

initiates exposure

• DCF used: IMC800AN.DCF

Application Note:

Interfacing non-standard cameras to Matrox Pulsar

i2S iMC800 February 15, 1996

3. Control mode (Long Exposure mode)

Video

i2S

iMC800

• 752 x 560 x 8-bit

• Analog video output

• Interlaced

• External exposure control: the coding switch on the Monoshot Driver must be set to 9

• Camera sending TTL hsync (HDout) and vsync (VDout) signals to Matrox Pulsar

• Matrox Pulsar receiving TTL external trigger

• Matrox Pulsar sending TTL exposure (FI) signal to camera; the exposure signal both

HDout
VDout

FI

TTL external trigger

initiates exposure and controls exposure time

• DCF used: IMC800AE.DCF

Matrox Pulsar

(with PLS-TTL-CABLE)

Cabling
Requirements

IMPORTANT : the capacitors C274 and C275 (1nF) must be included on the solder side

of the Matrox Pulsar baseboard to ensure proper functionality between the
Pulsar and the i2S iMC800 camera. Holding the front end (retainer brace
end) of the board in your left hand so that the long axis of the board is
horizontal, these capacitors are located approximately 3.5 cm both from
the left and from the top of the board. If your board does not include these
capacitors, please contact Matrox for an upgrade.

1. Pseudo-Continuous mode (Electronic Shutter mode)

• IMG-7W2-TO-1BNC and PLS-TTL-CABLE required

• Video input BNC of IMG-7W2-TO-1BNC cable should be connected to VIDEO OUT

BNC connector of camera

• The connections between the 25-pin sub/D connector of the camera’s Monoshot Driver

and the DB-37 connector of the PLS-TTL-CABLE are as follows:

i2S iMC80 0 Monoshot Driver PLS- TTL-CABLE
(25-pin sub/D connector) (DB-37 connector)
Pin name Pin no. Pin name Pin no.

VD out 3 → TTL_VSYNC 11
HD out 11 → TTL_HSYNC 26
MS* 6 ← CTRL1 36
DGD 1 GROUND 6&7

PUL-CID-008 2

Application Note:

Interfacing non-standard cameras to Matrox Pulsar

i2S iMC800 15/02/96

Cabling
Requirements

2. Trigger mode (Monoshot mode)

• IMG-7W2-TO-5BNC cable and PLS-TTL-CABLE required

• Video input BNC of IMG-7W2-TO-5BNC cable should be connected to VIDEO OUT

BNC connector of camera

• The connections between the 25-pin sub/D connector of the camera’s Monoshot Driver

and the DB-37 connector of the PLS-TTL-CABLE are as follows:

i2S iMC800 Monoshot Driver PLS-TTL-CABLE
(25-pin sub/D connector) (DB-37 connector)
Pin name Pin no. Pin name Pin no.

FI 2 ← TTL_EXPOSURE1 9
VD out 3 → TTL_VSYNC 11
HD out 11 → TTL_HSYNC 26
MS* 6 ← CTRL1 36
DGD 1 GROUND 6&7

Note 1: to enable the use of the FI TTL trigger input on the Monoshot Driver,

the CAV1 jumper on the Monoshot Driver must be connected!

• TTL external trigger source should be connected to the TTL Trigger Input of the IMG-

7W2-TO-5BNC cable

3. Control mode (Long Exposure mode)

• IMG-7W2-TO-5BNC cable and PLS-TTL-CABLE required

• Video input BNC of IMG-7W2-TO-5BNC cable should be connected to VIDEO OUT

BNC connector of camera

• The connections between the 25-pin sub/D connector of camera’s Monoshot Driver and

the DB-37 connector of the PLS-TTL-CABLE are as in Trigger mode

• TTL external trigger source should be connected to the TTL Trigger Input of the IMG-

7W2-TO-5BNC cable

Trigger mode (Monoshot mode)

• Once it has received the external signal to trigger, the Pulsar sends a TTL exposure signal

to the camera. The camera awaits the falling edge of the signal, at which point it initiates
exposure. The exposure time is set on the camera by using the coding switch

PUL-CID-008 3

Application Note:

=+×

=×+

T

K

frame

times

=

−

#

1

Interfacing non-standard cameras to Matrox Pulsar

i2S iMC800 February 15, 1996

Special
Considerations

Pseudo-Continuous and Trigger modes (Electronic Shutter and Monoshot modes)

• The coding switch on the Monoshot Driver must be set to a position between 0 and 8. The

positions on the coding switch correspond to the following exposure times:

coding switch position exposure time

0 10ms
1 8ms
2 4ms
3 2ms
4 1ms
5 500µs
6 250µs
7 100µs
8 50µs

Control mode (Long Exposure mode)

• The coding switch on the Monoshot Driver must be set to 9 in order to operate the camera

in Control mode

• Once it has received the external signal to trigger, the Pulsar sends a TTL exposure signal

to the camera. The camera awaits the falling edge of the signal, at which point it initiates
exposure. The exposure time is set by the Pulsar; the camera will expose for as long as the
exposure signal is low

• Use Matrox Intellicam to modify the DCF in order to specify the exposure time. The

exposure time may take on values that satisfy the following two equations:

T K ms

( )1 40

i

and

d K ms

(( ) )40 20 ,

where

is the exposure time, d is the width of the low portion of the exposure signal

i

and K is the exposure time in terms of the number of frame times minus 1, that is,

. K must be an integer. One frame time is equal to 40ms. Failure

to choose exposure times that satisfy these equations will result in an uncertainty in the
actual exposure time of ±20ms

• Default exposure time is 100ms

The DCF(s) mentioned in this application note can be found on the MIL and MIL-Lite CD, or our FTP site (ftp.matrox.com). The information furnished by
Matrox Electronics System, Ltd. is believed to be accurate and reliable. Please verify all interface connections with camera documentation or manual.
Contact your local sales representative or Matrox Sales office or Matrox Imaging Applications at 514-822-6061 for assistance.

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Tel: [phone]
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Tel: [phone]
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Fax: [phone]

PUL-CID-008 4