User's Manual. Revision 1.0 May 5, 2011

Transcription

1 User's Manual Revision 1.0 May 5, 2011 Copyright 2011 All rights reserved. Streams and DVR Express are registered trademarks of, registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The contents of this manual are the property of and are copyrighted. Any reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. PRINTED IN CANADA

2 About IO Industries Established in 1991, designs Digital Video Recording (DVR) systems for applications in manufacturing, research, vehicle-mounted systems, and video game content creation. IO Industries offers PC-based, standalone embedded and peripheral DVR systems. Contact Information IO Industries, Inc Woodcock St. London, Ontario N6H 5S1 CANADA Tel: (519) Fax: (519) Sales: Technical Support: About this Manual Every effort has been made to make this document as accurate, complete and useful as possible. In this document, not all features of the product will be described in detail, and some features may not be described at all. In the event more information is needed, please consult the following related documents, or contact Related documents 1. DVR Express Core Quick Start Card 2. CoreView 1.0 User's Manual 3. Streams 5 User Guide 4. Core API SDK Developer's Manual For more information, contact IO Industries at support@ioindustries.com

3 Contents Table of Contents 1 - Quick Start Checklist Introduction Specifications All Models - Physical/Environmental All Models - Operational DVR Express Core Camera Link Base DVR Express Core Camera Link Base Single DVR Express Core Camera Link In/Out DVR Express Core Camera Link Full DVR Express Core GigE Vision DVR Express Core 3G-SDI DVR Express Core 3G-SDI In/Out DVR Express Core NTSC/PAL DVR Express Core S-Video System Connections Power Input Low Power Mode Indicator LEDs Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Models Certification CE Compliance Control Software IO Industries CoreView IO Industries Streams Core API Custom Application Premium Features Choosing a Control PC Control PC System Requirements Example System Configurations Example 1: DVR Control Workstation Example 2: DVR Control Laptop Recommended esata Add-On Cards Setup Instructions Removing and Installing the Drive Shuttle Installing SSDs on the Drive Shuttle Mounting Instructions Choosing SSDs Example Connecting System Components Detecting Connected Core(s) Troubleshooting Software Installation Software Utilities I

4 Contents 7.1 Storage Manager Creating a Drive Set Drive Performance Testing Terminal Core Control Signal Manager Power-Up Settings Configuration Signal Tool Configuration Input Signal Status Firmware Updater Scene Importer Core API Administrator Camera Descriptions File Locations Generic Descriptions Creating or Modifying Camera Descriptions System Operation using CoreView Launching CoreView Using CoreView System Operation using Streams Control Signal Manager Signal Tools Auxiliary Input/Output Signals Signal Generator Scaler Edge Delayer Sampler Other Signal Tools Appendices Appendix A - Auxiliary I/O Interface A.1 TTL Inputs/Outputs A.2 LVDS Inputs/Outputs A.3 Low Power Mode A.4 Pin Descriptions Appendix B - DVR Express Core Firmware Update Procedure B.1 Required Components B.2 Instructions Appendix C - GigE Vision Receiver Module Firmware Update C.1 Required Components C.2 Instructions Appendix D - Power over Camera Link (PoCL) D.1 Overview D.2 Technical Description D.3 Operation II

5 Contents List of Tables Table 1: DVR Express Core Ordering Information...3 Table 2: Specifications - All Models - Physical/Environmental...4 Table 3: Specifications - All Models - Operational...5 Table 4: Specifications - DVR Express Core Camera Link Base Single...5 Table 5: Specifications - DVR Express Core Camera Link Base...6 Table 6: Specifications - DVR Express Core Camera Link Base In/Out...6 Table 7: Specifications - DVR Express Core Camera Link Full...7 Table 8: Specifications - DVR Express Core GigE Vision...8 Table 9: Specifications - DVR Express Core 3G-SDI...8 Table 10: Specifications - DVR Express Core 3G-SDI In/Out...9 Table 11: Specifications - DVR Express Core NTSC/PAL...9 Table 12: Specifications - DVR Express Core S-Video...10 Table 13: Connector Descriptions...11 Table 14: Power Connector Pin Descriptions...11 Table 15: Description of Indicator LEDs...12 Table 16: DVR Express Core Premium Features...17 Table 17: Control PC System Requirements...18 Table 18: Recommended esata Interface Adapters...21 Table 19: Recorded Bytes per Pixel for different Video Formats...24 Table 20: Camera Interface Cable Types and Recommended Lengths...25 Table 21: Description of controls in Core Storage Manager...29 Table 22: Generic Camera Descriptions...36 Table 23: Signal Generator Parameters...41 Table 24: Scaler Parameters...42 Table 25: Edge Delayer Parameters...43 Table 26: Auxiliary I/O Pin Descriptions...47 Table 27: Allowed Firmware Modes for Different DVR Express Core Models...49 Table 28: Power over Camera Link Compatibility...54 Table 29: PoCL Capability on different DVR Express Core models...54 III

6 1- Quick Start Checklist Quick Start Checklist 1. Gather Required Components - DVR Express Core + power supply - Camera(s) + power supply - Camera interface cables - esata cable - Control PC with esata interface - Software CD provided with DVR Express Core 2. Connect Components a) Connect cameras to DVR Express Core using camera interface cables. - Note: Camera Link cameras are not hot-pluggable -- always make sure the power is off on either the camera or the DVR Express Core before connecting cameras - See "Specifications" on Pg. 4 below for the supported camera types of each DVR Express Core model - For cable types and recommended lengths, see Table 20 on Pg. 25 below b) Connect power to cameras. c) Connect DVR Express Core to Control PC using esata cable. d) Connect power to DVR Express Core. - For DVR Express Core power requirements, see "Power Input " on Pg. 11 below 3. Install DVR software on control PC - Run "core.exe" to install CoreView and the necessary supporting files - Note: - Your Windows user account must have Administrator rights in order to install the software - If you have a DVR Express Core GigE Vision, be sure to include the "CoreAPI GigE" option during installation - The PC must be restarted once installation is complete - For more information on installing the software, see "Software Installation" on Pg. 27 below 4. Run CoreView from the Start Menu (Start -> Programs -> IO Industries -> DVR Express -> Core) - If CoreView does not detect any Core devices, see "Detecting Connected Core(s)" on Pg. 26 below - If Streams 5 software is to be used instead of CoreView, see "System Operation using Streams 5" on Pg. 39 below 5. Follow the steps in the Add New Camera Wizard to add entries in CoreView for the cameras being used 6. Click the Live Video button on the DVR Controls to test system connections - Check to see that the images are being transmitted properly - For help with DVR controls in CoreView, see "Error: Reference source not found" on Pg. Error: Reference source not found below The system is now ready to record video. 1

7 2- Introduction Introduction The DVR Express Core is an advanced digital video recorder, designed for uncompressed recording directly to removable solid state storage. It is a PC peripheral device, controlled and operated by a separate computer system. Several models are available to record from different video interface standards, including Camera Link, GigE Vision, 3Gb/s Serial Digital Interface (3G-SDI), and NTSC/PAL. Each model records from one or more video inputs, and multiple DVR Express Core devices can be synchronized together to create a multi-camera video recording system. Figure 1: Example DVR System using a Laptop to control one DVR Express Core Models DVR Express Core Camera Link Base DVR Express Core Camera Link Base Single DVR Express Core Camera Link In/Out DVR Express Core Camera Link Full DVR Express Core GigE Vision DVR Express Core 3G-SDI DVR Express Core 3G-SDI In/Out DVR Express Core NTSC/PAL DVR Express Core S-Video Feature Highlights Figure 2: DVR Express Core (Front) Compact, lightweight aluminum enclosure DC input, low power consumption Support for a variety of standard video interfaces Internal/removable solid-state storage (up to (4) 2.5" SATA II solid state drives) Hardware timestamping of all recorded video frames Controlled by separate PC via high-speed esata interface Hardware RAID engine to protect recorded data Includes easy-to-use CoreView software 2

8 Introduction Ordering Information Ordering Options Power Over Camera Link2 (Add -P to P/N) Standalone Configuration3 (Add -S to P/N) External Storage Configuration4 (Add -X to P/N) Model Part Number Premium Upgrade1 (Add -U to P/N) DVR Express Core Camera Link Base CORECLBASE DVR Express Core Camera Link Base Single CORECLBASE1 DVR Express Core Camera Link In/Out CORECLBASEIO DVR Express Core Camera Link Full CORECLFULL DVR Express Core GigE Vision COREGEV - - DVR Express Core 3G-SDI CORE3GSDI - DVR Express Core 3G-SDI In/Out CORE3GSDIIO - DVR Express Core NTSC/PAL CORENTSC - DVR Express Core S-Video CORESVIDEO - Table 1: DVR Express Core Ordering Information 1 - Premium upgrade enables advanced DVR features and CoreView software functions. See Section 4.4 below. - Power over Camera link (PoCL) allows powering to Camera Link cameras over the camera interface cable. Requires PoCL-capable camera cables. See Appendix D - Power over Camera Link (PoCL). 3 - Standalone Core models include an embedded PC in the Core chassis, eliminating the need for a separate DVR Control PC. 4 - External Storage option replaces removable internal storage with an external storage interface, which can be connected to a separate storage chassis. 2 Examples: - DVR Express Core Camera Link Full with Premium Upgrade and PoCL Option: CORECLFULL-U-P - DVR Express Core 3G-SDI Standalone: CORE3GSDI-S 3

9 Specifications 3- Specifications 3.1 All Models - Physical/Environmental Category Specification Dimensions 320 x 165 x 50 mm (12.6 x 6.5 x 2") Weight 1.4 kg* (3.1 lbs*) Power Input V DC input Power Dissipation Approx. 35W* Ambient Temperature Operating: 0-50 C ( F) Storage: C ( F) Relative Humidity Operating: 8-90% (non-condensing) Storage: 5-95% (non-condensing) Chassis Material Black anodized aluminum Installation Requirements - Can be mounted in any orientation - Do not block front or back air vents *depends on Core model and storage options Table 2: Specifications - All Models - Physical/Environmental Figure 3: DVR Express Core - Mechanical Diagram (CORECLFULL shown) 4

10 3.2 Specifications All Models - Operational Category Specification Connection to Remote Computer 3Gb/s esata (external SATA) Trigger Input/Output (6) Bi-directional TTL ports (Input or Output direction configured in pairs) (2) LVDS Inputs (2) LVDS Outputs Time Stamping Hardware timestamping of all recorded frames (100ns resolution) Synchronization Timestamps can be synchronized to external IRIG, GPS, or other time source. Several DVR Express Core units can be connected in a Master/Slave configuration to synchronize timestamps and start/stop of recording. Control Software IO Industries CoreView, Streams 5, or customer-developed Core API applications (Windows XP/Vista/7, 32/64 bit) Video Data Storage - Removable Drive Shuttle - Up to (4) 2.5" SATA-II solid state drives - Hardware RAID (levels 0, 1, 0+1, 3) Table 3: Specifications - All Models - Operational 3.3 DVR Express Core Camera Link Base Figure 4: DVR Express Core Camera Link Base Single (Rear) Category Specification Video Input(s) (2) Camera Link Base (Camera Link v1.1 compliant) Connector Type (2) MDR-26 Supported Pixel Configurations 8 bit x 1-3 taps 10 bit x 1-2 taps 12 bit x 1-2 taps 14 bit x 1 tap 16 bit x 1 tap 24 bit x 1 tap Scan Types Area or Linescan Color Types Monochrome, Bayer, RGB Table 4: Specifications - DVR Express Core Camera Link Base Single 5

11 3.4 Specifications DVR Express Core Camera Link Base Single Figure 5: DVR Express Core Camera Link Base (Rear) Category Specification Video Input(s) (1) Camera Link Base (Camera Link v1.1 compliant) Connector Type (1) MDR-26 Supported Pixel Configurations 8 bit x 1-3 taps 10 bit x 1-2 taps 12 bit x 1-2 taps 14 bit x 1 tap 16 bit x 1 tap 24 bit x 1 tap Scan Types Area or Linescan Color Types Monochrome, Bayer, RGB Table 5: Specifications - DVR Express Core Camera Link Base 3.5 DVR Express Core Camera Link In/Out Figure 6: DVR Express Core Camera Link In/Out (Rear) Category Specification Video Input(s) (1) Camera Link Base (Camera Link v1.1 compliant) Video Output (1) Camera Link Base (repeated from input or direct output of recorded video) Connector Type (2) MDR-26 Supported Pixel Configurations 8 bit x 1-3 taps 10 bit x 1-2 taps 12 bit x 1-2 taps 14 bit x 1 tap 16 bit x 1 tap 24 bit x 1 tap Scan Types Area or Linescan Color Types Monochrome, Bayer, RGB Table 6: Specifications - DVR Express Core Camera Link Base In/Out 6

12 3.6 Specifications DVR Express Core Camera Link Full Figure 7: DVR Express Core Camera Link Full (Rear) Category Specification Video Input (2) Camera Link Base cameras or (1) Camera Link Medium, Full or Full-80 camera (Camera Link v1.1 compliant) Connector Type (2) MDR-26 Supported Pixel Configurations Camera Link Base x2 Mode*: 8 bit x 1-3 taps 10 bit x 1-2 taps 12 bit x 1-2 taps 14 bit x 1 tap 16 bit x 1 tap 24 bit x 1 tap Camera Link Medium Mode*: 8 bit x 4 taps 10 bit x 3-4 taps 12 bit x 3-4 taps 16 bit x 2 taps Camera Link Full Mode*: 8 bit x 8 taps 14 bit x 4 taps 16 bit x 4 taps Camera Link Plus Mode*: 8 bit x 10 taps Camera Link Plus 10 Mode*: 10 bit x 8 taps Camera Link Full-80 Mode*: 8 bit x 10 taps 10 bit x 8 taps 16 bit x 5 taps Scan Types Area or Linescan Color Types Monochrome, Bayer, RGB *User must reprogram the device's firmware to switch between modes Table 7: Specifications - DVR Express Core Camera Link Full 7

13 3.7 Specifications DVR Express Core GigE Vision Figure 8: DVR Express Core GigE Vision (Rear) Category Specification Video Input (2) GigE Vision cameras (GenICam Rev. 1 compliant) Connector Type (2) RJ-45 Scan Types Area or Linescan Color Types Monochrome, Bayer, RGB Table 8: Specifications - DVR Express Core GigE Vision 3.8 DVR Express Core 3G-SDI Figure 9: DVR Express Core 3G-SDI (Rear) Category Specification Video Input (2) 3G/HD/SD-SDI sources Connector Type (4) 75-Ohm BNC SDI Repeat Outputs (2) Fully re-clocked repeat outputs, (1) for each input Supported SMPTE Standards 425M (3G), 260M (HD), 259M (HD), 274M (HD), 296M (HD), 125M (SD) Supported Bit Depths 8 bit, 10 bit (16 bit, 20 bit for YCbCr) Color Types Monochrome, Color (YCbCr) Table 9: Specifications - DVR Express Core 3G-SDI 8

14 3.9 Specifications DVR Express Core 3G-SDI In/Out Figure 10: DVR Express Core 3G-SDI In/Out (Rear) Category Specification Video Input (1) 3G/HD/SD-SDI source Video Output (1) 3G/HD/SD-SDI output (for direct playback of recorded video) SDI Repeat Output (1) Fully re-clocked repeat output SDI Sync (1) SDI Sync input, (1) SDI Sync output. Used for synchronizing output of Play(out) port. Connector Type (5) 75-Ohm BNC Supported SMPTE Standards 425M (3G), 260M (HD), 259M (HD), 274M (HD), 296M (HD), 125M (SD) Supported Bit Depths 8 bit, 10 bit (16 bit, 20 bit for YCbCr) Color Types Monochrome, Color (YCbCr) Table 10: Specifications - DVR Express Core 3G-SDI In/Out 3.10 DVR Express Core NTSC/PAL Figure 11: DVR Express Core NTSC/PAL (Rear) Category Specification Video Input (4) Composite NTSC or PAL sources Connector Type (4) 75-Ohm BNC Supported Bit Depths 8-bit (16-bit for YCbCr) Color Types Monochrome, Color (YCbCr) Table 11: Specifications - DVR Express Core NTSC/PAL 9

15 3.11 Specifications DVR Express Core S-Video Figure 12: DVR Express Core S-Video (Rear) Category Specification Video Input (4) S-Video NTSC or PAL sources Connector Type (4) 4-pin mini-din Supported Bit Depths 8-bit (16-bit for YCbCr) Color Types Monochrome, Color (YCbCr) Table 12: Specifications - DVR Express Core S-Video 10

16 3.12 Specifications System Connections Figure 13 below shows the back panel of the DVR Express Core. Figure 13: Rear Panel Connectors Connector Description Camera Interface Connects to camera device(s). Various connector types (see model-specific descriptions above). Power Input Provides DC power. See pin descriptions below. Mating Connector: RM12 6-pin Female (Hirose P/N RM12BPE-6S(71)) PC Connection (esata) Host control interface for DVR Express Core. Used for DVR control, live video transfer, video review & export data streaming. Note: Maximum esata cable length: 1.83m (6'). Auxiliary I/O General-purpose TTL and LVDS inputs/outputs for synchronization with external devices. See Appendix A for pin descriptions. Mating Connector: DB-26 High Density Male (Norcomp P/N 180-M26-103L001) Fuse Holder Contains circuit protection fuse. Fuse type: 125V 5A slow-blow 2AG (Littelfuse P/N HXP) Table 13: Connector Descriptions 3.13 Power Input The DVR Express Core can be powered from a DC power source ranging from V. This power source must be conditioned and free of harmonics. Power provided by an alternator (ie. vehicle power) is not recommended. Pin Description V DC Input 2 Negative Return 3-6 N/C Table 14: Power Connector Pin Descriptions Figure 14: Power Connector Low Power Mode Grounding Pin 19 on the Auxiliary I/O connector puts the Core device into Reset/Low Power mode. This can be used as a remote power switch. See Appendix A.3 for more information. 11

17 3.14 Specifications Indicator LEDs The front panel (Drive Shuttle) has (5) indicator LEDs, shown below in Figure 15. Figure 15: Front Panel/Drive Shuttle Indicator LEDs Indicator LED LED Color State Description Green Off No drive detected on this channel On Drive is connected - no drive activity Blinking Drive is being accessed (reading or writing) Off Core has not linked to Remote PC On Link to Remote PC established - no host activity Blinking Data is being transferred (control commands and/or video data) Drive Activity (one per drive channel) Host Communication Blue Table 15: Description of Indicator LEDs 3.15 Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) The following shows the DVR Express Core models that have been tested and certified for electromagnetic compatibility. Models not listed below have not achieved certification. Contact IO Industries Inc. for further information. Models DVR Express Core Camera Link Base Single (P/N: CORECLBASE1)* DVR Express Core Camera Link Base (P/N: CORECLBASE)* DVR Express Core Camera Link Full (P/N: CORECLFULL)* Certification FCC Class A Digital Device or Peripheral 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 own expense. 12

18 Specifications WARNING: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. CE Compliance This equipment has been certified to conform to the requirements of Council Directive 89/336/EC for electromagnetic compatibility and to comply with the following European Standards: Immunity: EN55024:1998, A1:2001 Emissions: EN55022:1998 Class A / CISPR 22:1997 All products bearing the CE mark have been declared to be in conformance with the applicable EEC Council Directives. Note that the use of interconnect cables that are not properly grounded and shielded may affect CE compliance. *The use of Camera Link cables greater than 3 meters in length is not recommended, otherwise decreased immunity of the device to electromagnetic interference (EMI) may result. Use of cables longer than 3 meters may cause the system to be non-compliant with the regulatory requirements. 13

19 4- Control Software Control Software There are several software options for use with the DVR Express Core. Depending on how the recording system will be used, these packages can be used in different ways to control the hardware and provide the features required for an end-to-end recording solution. Figure 16: DVR Express Core Software Layers 4.1 IO Industries CoreView 1.0 CoreView is a simple-to-use application, created to allow configuration and operation of the DVR Express Core. One or more DVR Express Core units can be controlled from a single instance of CoreView, which will provide individual DVR controls and a video viewer window for each connected Figure 17: CoreView 1.0 User Interface 14

20 Control Software camera. CoreView can also synchronize the DVR Express Core to external timing sources (such as IRIG-B or GPS) to allow accurate video timestamps. CoreView is included with each DVR Express Core. CoreView is designed solely for the purpose of controlling the DVR Express Core, and is therefore unable to record from any data sources other than those connected to a DVR Express Core. For customer applications requiring video and "other" data to be recorded (such as GPS position information, audio, etc.), IO Industries Streams 5 software is better suited to handle the different types of data streams. With a Premium-enabled Core device (part number includes -U suffix), CoreView exposes some advanced DVR features that fully exploit the hardware capabilities of the DVR Express Core. These features are listed in Table 16 below. 4.2 IO Industries Streams 5 Streams 5 is designed to record data from several types of devices, including video, audio, GPS and other data types. Timing filters are available to synchronize all recorded data with external timing sources for accurate correlation between data sets. Streams 5 also has a fully-featured software developer's kit (Streams 5 SDK), allowing users to create custom plugin modules for Streams 5 or integrate the operations of Streams 5 into a 3rd party application. A software license key is required in order to use Streams 5 to record data. However, once data has been recorded, it can be viewed using Streams 5 without requiring the software license key. For example, video can be recorded using CoreView, and then reviewed using Streams 5. This allows powerful features of Streams 5 to be used, such as data exporting or archiving. With a Premiumenabled Core device, Streams 5 exposes some advanced DVR features that fully exploit the hardware capabilities of the DVR Express Core. These features are listed in Table 16 below. 15

21 4.3 Control Software Core API Custom Application The Core API SDK is a C++ class library that allows developers to integrate the DVR Express Core hardware into any software application. For specialized recording solutions, creating an application using the Core API SDK allows the system operation and user interface to be tailored for specific purposes. A developer's license key is required to "mark" applications compiled using the Core API SDK. Without being "marked", these applications will not communicate with the Core API, unless a developer's license key is connected to the system. For deployment, applications compiled with the Core API SDK do not require a runtime license, they must only be "marked" using a developer's license key after compiling. For more information, see the Core API SDK manual. With a Premium-enabled Core device, applications built with the Core API SDK can use the advanced DVR features that fully exploit the hardware capabilities of the DVR Express Core. These features are listed in Table 16 below. 4.4 Premium Features If a DVR Express Core has been purchased with Premium features enabled (part number includes -U suffix), several advanced DVR features are available. If several Core devices are to be connected to the same system and Premium features are to be used, all connected devices must have Premium features enabled. If any connected Core device does not have the Premium features enabled, the software will not allow the features to be used with any device. Table 16 below lists the available Premium features, and whether they are supported by the different control software applications. 16

22 Control Software Feature Supported in CoreView 1.0 Supported in Streams 5 Supported in Custom Core API Applications Simultaneous DVR Operations - Record and review at the same time - Record and export at the same time - Review two different recordings at the same time - Review two different frames of the same recording at the same time Note: There may be limitations with some DVR Express Core models Yes No Yes Advanced RAID Options for Drive Set - RAID-1 (mirroring, requires 2 or 4 drives) - RAID-3 (parity, requires 4 drives) Yes Yes Yes Image Stitching - Combine multiple camera ports into a single image - Required for use with multi-output cameras such as Photron 1024PCI and Xenics Cheetah-640CL Yes Yes Yes Multiple CoreView Windows - Allows for extended desktop display of CoreView - One window for each camera or camera group - One window for the CoreView GUI, and one window for full screen output to monitor - Mirror the output of one window onto another Yes No No CoreView Interactive Pixel Value Viewer Yes No No CoreView Pixel Frequency Histogram Yes No No Table 16: DVR Express Core Premium Features 17

23 Choosing a Control PC 5- Choosing a Control PC 5.1 Control PC System Requirements The Control PC system requirements are listed below in Table 17. These are only minimum requirements, and will provide for baseline operation with the DVR Express Core. For systems involving multiple DVR Express Core devices, additional system resources will benefit the live video display and playback capabilities of the system. Item Required Recommended CPU 1GHz Single-Core +2GHz Multi-Core Memory (RAM) 512MB 2GB or more Hard Drive Space 100MB for software installation Operating System Windows XP/Vista/7 (32/64-bit) External PC Interfaces (1) esata port per DVR Express Core Table 17: Control PC System Requirements 5.2 Example System Configurations By using an esata link as the Control PC connection, the DVR Express Core can be connected to a variety of different PC system types, including workstations, laptops or even low-power netbooks. Each Control PC type has individual benefits and drawbacks. Depending on how the system will be used, selection of the appropriate Control PC is important in order to maximize the system's capabilities. The following examples show some of the different possibilities for system configurations. A list of recommended esata adapter cards can be found in Section 5.3 below. Example 1: DVR Control Workstation This is an example of a stationary recording system, using a standard desktop or server PC. There are many options for esata connectivity in this example, because workstation PCs generally have several expansion slots available to install add-in cards. The options for adding esata ports are listed below. Figure 18: Example Configuration - Workstation Control PC 18

24 Choosing a Control PC 1) Unused Motherboard SATA Port Most new PC motherboards are equipped with several Serial ATA ports on-board, which will be used for system hard disks or optical drives. Any unused ports can be converted to esata ports with a simple cable, shown below in Figure 19. Note: this will not technically be an esata port because the signaling voltage will still be that of normal SATA. And, the hot-plug features of esata may not be supported by the motherboard's SATA controller. However, as long as external cables are kept short, and no hot-plugging is performed, this is an acceptable and low-cost solution for adding one or two esata ports to a PC. 2) esata Add-on Card esata Adapter cards are available from many manufacturers, usually with a 32-bit PCI or PCI Express (PCIe x1) interface. These low-cost cards generally have (1) or (2) esata ports, as seen below in Figures 21 and 22. This solution adds basic esata connectivity and features to a PC, however the bus interface limit may reduce performance if more than one DVR Express Core is used. Figure 19: SATA -to- esata Adapter Figure 21: Generic 32-bit PCI 1-port esata Adapter Card Figure 20: esata Cable Figure 22: Generic PCIe x1 2-port esata Adapter Card 3) Multi-port SATA/SAS Host Bus Adapter To connect multiple DVR Express Core units to a single PC and still have adequate bandwidth for each device, a host bus adapter (HBA) with a multi-port interface is necessary. These HBAs may have a multi-lane connector style (such as SFF-8088, shown in Figure 23 below), so an adapter cable (shown in Figure 24) must be used. Most HBAs have fast PC interfaces (PCIe x4 or PCIe x8), so be sure the Control PC has the appropriate expansion slots available. Figure 23: 4-port SATA/SAS HBA (PCIe x4) Figure 24: esata Fanout Cable (SFF-8088 to 4x esata) 19

25 Choosing a Control PC Example 2: DVR Control Laptop Using a laptop Control PC allows a DVR Express Core-based recording system to be extremely mobile. Many newer laptops include an esata interface as a standard feature, and expansion cards can be used to add esata ports as well. Depending on the laptop hardware, performance for operations such as playback or export will not be as fast as with a workstation Control PC. However, recording is still managed by the DVR Express Core, so the performance of the laptop will not affect the recording performance. The interface options for using a DVR Express Core with a laptop are listed below. Figure 25: Example Configuration: Laptop Control PC 1) On-board esata port Many new laptops have an esata port available. This is a simple and effective method for interfacing the laptop to a DVR Express Core. 2) esata Expansion Card If the laptop has an expansion port, it will either be an ExpressCard or CardBus (PCMCIA) port. Newer laptops have ExpressCard expansion ports, which incorporate a PCI Express x1 lane. Older laptops have PCMCIA ports, which use a slower 32-bit PCI interface. Single and dual-port esata adapters are available for both interfaces. Figure 26: 2-port ExpressCard esata Adapter Figure 27: 2-port CardBus (PCMCIA) esata Adapter 20

26 5.3 Choosing a Control PC Recommended esata Add-On Cards The following esata adapters have been tested by IO Industries for use with the DVR Express Core. Manufacturer Model PC Interface esata Ports Notes Startech.com ECESATA1 ExpressCard/ Uses Silicon Image SiI3132 chipset Startech.com ECESATA2 ExpressCard/ Uses Silicon Image SiI3132 chipset Startech.com PEXESATA2 PCI Express x1 2 - Uses Silicon Image SiI3132 chipset Rosewill RC-209 PCI 32-bit 2 - Uses Silicon Image SiI3114 chipset. Check jumpers. Adaptec 1045 PCI Express x4 4 (1x SFF-8088) - Requires SFF-8088 to 4x esata cable (Figure 24) LSI SAS e PCI Express x8 8 (2x SFF-8088) - Requires SFF-8088 to 4x esata cable (Figure 24) LSI SAS e PCI Express x8 16 (4x SFF-8088) - Requires SFF-8088 to 4x esata cable (Figure 24) Table 18: Recommended esata Interface Adapters 21

27 66.1 Setup Instructions Setup Instructions Removing and Installing the Drive Shuttle The DVR Express Core's quad-pack drive shuttle may need to be removed if another shuttle is to be swapped in, or if the recorded data is to be moved to a separate location. To remove the drive shuttle, un-screw the two thumbscrews and pull the drive shuttle out using the handle. To install the drive shuttle: a) Check that the drive shuttle is properly oriented - the thumb screws should be on the same edge as the thumb screw mating plates. b) Align the edges of the drive shuttle with the guides on the inside of the chassis. c) Press the drive shuttle into place, ensuring it is pressed as far in as possible. d) Tighten the thumb screws to secure the drive shuttle. 6.2 Installing SSDs on the Drive Shuttle Up to four 2.5 SATA solid state drives (SSD) can be installed on a Drive Shuttle. SSDs are recommended over traditional hard disk drives (HDD), since HDDs are susceptible to reduced performance due to vibration during operation. Even the vibration from the Core's cooling fan can be enough to affect performance of an HDD. Mounting Instructions The following instructions show how to install SSDs onto the Core Drive Shuttle: a) Mount SSDs to Mounting Plates using M3 4mm countersunk screws. - If possible, apply thread lock to screws before mounting Figure 28: SSD Installation Step 1 22

28 Setup Instructions b) Attach Mounting Plates using M2.5 10mm machine screws and lock nuts. Figure 29: SSD Installation - Step 2 Choosing SSDs Deciding how many SSDs to install and what capacity to use depends on two factors: recording data rate and recording duration requirements. Recording data rate is the primary factor, which determines the minimum number of SSDs required, based on the performance of each SSD. After that, more SSDs or larger SSDs can be used to increase the recording duration. SSDs should always installed with equal capacities. If a larger SSD is installed with a smaller SSD, the full capacity of the larger SSD will not be taken advantage of. Once the drives are installed, they will be grouped into a Drive Set, a logical volume of the installed drives. Depending on whether the Drive Set is configured as RAID-0, RAID-1 or RAID-3 will also affect the SSD requirements. To calculate the recording data rate, the image dimensions and pixel bit depth is required. Follow this formula: [(Width x Height x Bytes per pixel x Frame Rate)/ ] x 1.01* = data rate in MB/s** *Multiplication by 1.01 compensates for file system overhead. **MB = Megabyte = bytes. To calculate the required total SSD capacity, given the recording duration and recording data rate, follow this formula: [(Data Rate in MB/s) x (recording duration in s)]/1024 = Required SSD Capacity in Gigabytes (GB) Depending on the format of the video data, each pixel will be stored using one or more bytes of storage area. For some formats, pixel packing is used to conserve data storage requirements and reduce data inflation. The following table explains how many bytes are used based on the video format. 23

29 Camera Interface Camera Link, GigE Vision SDI NTSC/PAL/S-Video Setup Instructions Video Format Recorded Bytes per Pixel 8-bit Monochrome/Bayer 1 10-bit Monochrome/Bayer bit Monochrome/Bayer bit Monochrome/Bayer 2 16-bit Monochrome/Bayer 2 24-bit Monochrome/8-bit RGB 3 8-bit Monochrome 1 10-bit Monochrome bit Color (YCbCr) 2 10-bit Color (YCbCr) 2.5 Monochrome 1 Color (YCbCr) 2 Table 19: Recorded Bytes per Pixel for different Video Formats Example Device: CORECLBASE Camera(s): 2x Imperx Bobcat B0620M, Camera Link Base, 200fps each Recording Duration: 1.5 hours SSDs : 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB (rated for 180 MB/s write speed) A) Recording Data Rate: [2 x (640 x 480 x 1.25 Bytes x 200)/ ] x 1.01 = Approx. 148 MB/s B) Required Total SSD Capacity: 148 MB/s x (1.5 x 60 x 60s) = MB = Approx. 780GB Since the recording data rate is 148MB/s, and a single SSD is rated for 180MB/s, only one SSD is required to maintain the recording data rate. However, the largest SSD available is only 512GB, which is not enough for the 1.5 hour requirement. The only possible options are: - 4x 256GB SSDs; or - 2x 512GB SSDs It may be necessary to use this set of SSDs for a later application that requires higher data rate recording. In this case, selecting the 4x 256GB SSDs would be more useful than the 2x 512GB SSDs. Alternatively, it may be necessary to expand the recording duration in the future, so having the two open spaces for additional 512GB SSDs may be a reason to choose the 2x 512GB SSD option. 6.3 Connecting System Components The following connections must be made in order for the system to operate properly: a) Install Drive Shuttle - Follow the steps in section 6.1 above. 24

30 Setup Instructions b) Connect Cameras - Depending on the camera interface, different cables will be used to connect cameras to the DVR Express Core. Table 20 below shows the cable types and maximum recommended lengths for the different interface standards. c) Connect Power to Cameras - Check the camera manual to find the recommended power supply for specific cameras. d) Connect DVR Express Core to PC - Connect the DVR Express Core to an available esata port on the PC using an esata cable. - Options for adding additional esata ports to PCs are listed in Section Example System Configurations. e) Connect Power to DVR Express Core - Use the DVR Express Core power supply, or a separate power supply matching the necessary power requirements. The above steps do not need to be followed in the listed order. For example, the DVR Express Core can be powered before the esata connection is made to the Control PC. Also, for most camera types, power can be applied to the camera before the interface cable is connected to the Core. Model Camera Cable Type (Connector) Maximum Recommended Length DVR Express Core Camera Link Base DVR Express Core Camera Link Base Single DVR Express Core Camera Link Base In/Out Camera Link (MDR26 Male) 10m (32.8')* DVR Express Core Camera Link Full 2x Camera Link (MDR26 Male) Equal-length, up to 10m (32.8')* DVR Express Core GigE Vision Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6e UTP/STP (RJ45 Male) 100m (328.1') DVR Express Core 3G-SDI DVR Express Core 3G-SDI In/Out Belden 1694A 75-ohm coaxial (BNC Male) 150m (492.1') at 2.97Gb/s (3G-SDI) 250m (820.2') at 1.485Gb/s (HD-SDI) 480m (1574.8') at 270Mb/s (SD-SDI) DVR Express Core NTSC/PAL 75-ohm coaxial (BNC Male) 7.62m (25')** DVR Express Core S-Video S-Video (4-pin Mini-DIN Male) 7.62m (25')** *Use of Camera Link cables longer than 3m may cause issues in areas of high electromagnetic interference. See Section 3.15 above. **Longer lengths possible with high quality cable. Check cable specifications for more information. Table 20: Camera Interface Cable Types and Recommended Lengths 25

31 6.4 Setup Instructions Detecting Connected Core(s) To check and see if the Control PC has detected one or more DVR Express Core devices: a) Open Windows Device Manager. - In Windows XP, right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop and select Manage - In Windows Vista/7, if the My Computer icon is not on the desktop, click Start, then rightclick Computer and select Manage b) On the left side of the Computer Management window, select Device Manager c) In the list of system devices, find the entry for Disk Drives and expand it by clicking the '+' icon. d) For each detected DVR Express Core, there will be an entry with the model name "CORE104" in this list. Figure 30 below shows an example of one detected DVR Express Core. Figure 30: Windows Device Manager showing one installed DVR Express Core Troubleshooting If the DVR Express Core is not detected by the PC, check the following: Is the Core powered on? Is the esata cable connected to the PC? Is the blue Host Communication LED on? Are the Windows device drivers installed for the esata adapter being used? Does restarting the computer or Scan for New Hardware make it show up? Contact IO Industries for support if further assistance is needed. 26

32 6.5 Setup Instructions Software Installation As stated in Section 4 - Control Software, the DVR Express Core can be controlled by either the IO Industries CoreView or IO Industries Streams 5 software packages. Note: If Streams 5 is to be used with the DVR Express Core, it must be installed prior to the DVR Express Core software being installed. If not, the appropriate Streams 5 Device Driver will not be installed and Streams 5 will not be able to access the DVR Express Core devices. Follow these steps to install software support for the DVR Express Core: a) If Streams 5 will be used with the DVR Express Core, complete the Streams 5 software installation before proceeding. The Core software installation will automatically install the appropriate Streams 5 Device Driver if it detects that Streams 5 is already installed. See the Streams 5 User's Guide for more information on installing Streams 5. b) Run "Core.exe" from the software CD provided with the DVR Express Core, or from the software update provided by IO Industries support. c) At the Welcome screen, click "Next" to continue. d) Accept or change the default directory chosen by the installer and click "Next" to continue. e) If a DVR Express Core GigE Vision (COREGEV) is being used, include the "CoreApi GigE" component in the installation, otherwise, it can be removed to reduce installation space. f) Click "Install". Figure 31: Including the 'CoreApi GigE' installation component to support DVR Express Core GigE Vision devices g) If this is the first installation for this Control PC, the system must be rebooted once the installation is complete. 27

33 7- Software Utilities Software Utilities This section describes the software utilities included with the DVR Express Core software package: Storage Manager Terminal Control Signal Manager Firmware Updater Scene Importer Core API Administrator 7.1 Storage Manager Before video can be recorded, the solid state drives installed in the DVR Express Core must be configured into a Drive Set, which is a logical grouping of one or more drives. The Core Storage Manager is a utility for creating or deleting Drive Sets, as well as managing other storage-related features. The Core Storage Manager is also built into the CoreView 1.0 application. If CoreView is the control application to be used, all features described below can be accessed directly through the CoreView application (Storage Manager button is found on the Tool Bar). If Streams 5 or a customer-developed Core API application is to be used, this separate utility can be used. To launch the utility, use the Core Storage Manager shortcut in the Windows Start Menu. The main window of the utility is shown in Figure 32 below. The top half of the window shows the drives installed in the selected Core device. The bottom half of the window shows the Drive Set created using those drives. The controls for this utility are described in Table 21 below. Figure 32: DVR Express Core Storage Manager 28

34 Software Utilities Control Description Core Device Select the DVR Express Core to change Storage Management settings for. Rescan Scans the selected Core for detected drives. If no drives are detected, the removable disk shuttle may not be fully inserted. Once the disk shuttle is inserted, click Rescan to check for detected drives again. Format Erases all records of files and Drive Set information from a selected drive. View Recordings Switches Drive Set view into Recording File view. Allows individual recording files to be deleted. Click View Drive Set to return to Drive Set view. Create Opens the Create Drive Set dialog. Only one Drive Set can be created per Core device, so this button will be disabled if a drive set already exists. Delete Erases the selected drive set, including any recording files it may contain. Delete Recording File N/A Repair Recording File N/A Test Performance Opens the Drive Set Performance Test dialog, a benchmark application that displays the recording speeds capable by the selected Drive Set. Manage Backups Shows dialog to manage opening and closing CoreView Backup Files. Table 21: Description of controls in Core Storage Manager The Drives section shows a list of the drives installed in the selected Core device. The SATA channel, serial number, total size of the drive (GB) and drive status are all shown. The status can be one of the following options: Not currently a member of a Drive Set. In use A member of an existing Drive Set. Corrupted A member of an existing Drive Set that has an error. If a drive is listed as Corrupted, there is an error in the drive-specific information header stored on the drive. This can be caused if power is lost to the Core device during a recording or file delete operation. If the recordings on the Drive Set are not needed, select each connected drive and click Format. All drives will return to, allowing a new Drive Set to be created. Contact IO Industries for further information. Creating a Drive Set To create a Drive Set, follow these steps: a) Click Create. A new dialog will be displayed, showing a list of Drives and Selected Drives. b) Only one Drive Set can be created per Core device, so generally, all available drives are used together to form a Drive Set. Move all entries from the " Drives" list to the "Selected Drives" list using the >> button. NOTE: The selected channel numbers must be contiguous, ie not c) Final Steps: - Enter a name for this Drive Set (optional). 29

35 Software Utilities - Select the appropriate RAID level (note: RAID-1 and RAID-3 require the Core device to be Premium-enabled). - (optional) Set the Drive Set Capacity Limit, if only a portion of the capacity should be used*. Figure 33: Create New Drive Set dialog d) Click "Create Drive Set" to continue. The new Drive Set will be created, and will now be ready to record video into. *Solid state drives have a consistent write speed across the entire capacity of the drive, so a Capacity Limit does not normally need to be set. Hard disk drives have a continuously decreasing write speed; the speed at the end of the drive can be close to half the speed at the start. When using hard disk drives, ensure the Drive Set will maintain the required write speed by preventing access to the regions of the drive that cannot be written to at the required speed. For example, if the performance test of a hard disk drive showed that the write speed at 75% of the drive capacity was 60MB/s, and the camera being recorded had a data rate of 55MB/s, re-create the Drive Set with a Capacity Limit of 75%. This will prevent any frames from being dropped during recording. Drive Performance Testing Measuring the performance of a drive set performs three very useful functions: Determines if the write speed of the Drive Set is fast enough for the data rate of the cameras being recorded. Helps locate any slow spots on a drive, or identify a malfunctioning drive. If hard disk drives are used, the position to set the Drive Set Capacity Limit can be identified. The performance test does not overwrite any existing recordings. A new file is created in the available space of the Drive Set and a write speed benchmark is performed. For this reason, to fully measure the performance of the entire capacity of the drive set, all existing recordings should be deleted. 30

36 Software Utilities Figure 34: Drive Performance Test dialog To run the performance test, click Start. The graph will begin to display the maximum write speed of the Drive Set, along with horizontal guidelines showing the maximum and minimum speeds overall. The minimum speed is the most important metric this is the speed that the camera data rate should not exceed. See the Example in Section 6.2 to determine the camera data rate. The test can be stopped at any time by clicking Stop. The results can be saved to a text file by clicking Save. 7.2 Terminal The Core Terminal application is used to send and receive camera configuration messages with the Camera Link models of the DVR Express Core. The Camera Link interface incorporates a serial port to allow a Camera Link device (such as the DVR Express Core) to communicate with a Camera Link camera. Over this serial port, camera configuration and control can be performed. Provided the camera has an ASCII-based command structure, Core Terminal can be used to send and receive command strings. To launch the utility, use the Core Terminal shortcut in the Windows Start Menu. The main window of the utility is shown in Figure 36 below. To communicate with a camera, follow these steps: a) Under the File menu, click New Connection. The dialog in Figure 35 below will be shown. b) Under Device, choose the Core device the camera is connected to. c) Under Data Interface, choose the camera port on the Core that the camera is connected to. 31

37 Figure 35: Core Terminal: New Connection page Software Utilities Figure 36: Core Terminal: Main Dialog d) Under Properties, enter the serial port parameters specified by the camera. This information is generally published in the camera's user manual. e) Click OK. f) At the bottom of the Core Terminal window, type a text string and click Send. The entire text string is sent at once when Send is clicked, not as each character is typed. If the connection was set up correctly, and a valid command was sent, the camera's response will be shown in the main window. 7.3 Core Control Signal Manager The DVR Express Core has several general-purpose signal manipulation tools, used for synchronization and interfacing with external equipment, as well synchronizing multiple Core devices together. These include signal inputs and outputs, as well as signal generators, delayers, and other tools. The Control Signal Manager is a utility that allows configuration of these tools. Depending on which software application is being used, the Control Signal Manager is accessed differently: In CoreView, click the "Control Signal Manager" icon on the main toolbar. In Streams 5, right-click the device management controls for the DVR Express Core device, and choose "Configure Device". Under the "Options" tab, click "Control Signal Manager". To launch the standalone utility, use the Control Signal Manager shortcut in the Windows Start Menu. An interactive user's guide for the Control Signal Manager is included with the software installation. Click Help inside the Control Signal Manager to view the guide. Use the "Device" list at the top of the dialog to select which DVR Express Core to adjust parameters for. This will populate the dialog with the entries appropriate to that device's signal tools. 32

38 Software Utilities Figure 37: DVR Express Core Control Signal Manager Some settings are specific to the selected DVR Express Core device, such as the TTL signal directions or which settings are loaded on power-up. Controls for these settings are outside of the Signal Tools list, and can be found in the top sections of the dialog. Power-Up Settings Configuration On power-up, there are two options for which Control Signal Manager settings to load. Either the default (factory) settings, or a user-saved set. Use the radio buttons to select which settings to load on power-up. To save the current settings of all components through a power cycle, click "Save Power Up Settings". If "Load Power Up Settings" is selected, these saved settings will be loaded on the next power cycle. Signal Tool Configuration This list contains entries for the different signal component types, which can be expanded to show the indexed components of that type currently available on the selected DVR Express Core. Each component will have parameters, all of which are described in Section 11.1 below. Input Signal Status This list can be used to check the level of the Auxiliary input signals. This does not show a live status of the input pin, but the "Refresh" button can be used to check if the status has changed. 7.4 Firmware Updater The firmware update process is detailed in Appendix B - DVR Express Core Firmware Update Procedure. 33

39 7.5 Software Utilities Scene Importer This application allows recordings recording files to be imported into a Streams 5 Video Library file. This allows users to view the recorded data using the Streams 5 interface, and export the data using the file filters included in Streams Core API Administrator This application sets system variables for the Core API, the software layer between all DVR Express Core software applications and the Core devices. In general, users do not need to modify the settings in this dialog, but may be asked to do so for troubleshooting purposes, under the instruction of IO Industries support personnel. 34

40 8- Camera Descriptions Camera Descriptions Camera descriptions are information files that describe the parameters of one or more cameras. A description file is required in order to configure the DVR Express Core to record the video correctly from the camera. Several descriptors are included in the Core software installation, covering generic camera types as well as cameras from many manufacturers. A camera manufacturer may create several camera models, each having separate operating modes. As such, DVR Express Core camera descriptions are organized using Manufacturer, Model and Mode headings. At a minimum, a camera mode includes the following key information: - Camera Output Format (ie. Camera Link Base, SDI, etc.) - Image Dimensions (width and height) - Pixel Bit Depth (ie. 8-bit, 12-bit, etc.) - Image Color Format (ie. Monochrome, Bayer Color, etc.) Note that the camera description does not specify the frame rate of the camera, only the parameters of the individual images. 8.1 File Locations Camera descriptions are stored in XML files (.XML) on the Control PC. The Core software installation places the default collection of descriptions in the install directory, usually C:\Program Files\IO Industries\DVR Express\Core\Descriptors. As described below, new descriptions can be created using the CoreView application. Any usercreated descriptions are stored in the current user account's Documents folder, under My Documents\IO Industries\DVR Express\Core\Descriptors. Note: If a descriptor is created on one Control PC and the Core device is moved to another Control PC, the descriptor should be copied to the second PC and placed in ether directory above. This way it will be available for use on the second PC. 8.2 Generic Descriptions For non-camera Link DVR Express Core models, generic camera descriptions are used, instead of specific manufacturer/model descriptions. Some models, such as Core NTSC, use standardized video interfaces with little or no parameters differing between cameras. With other models, the camera interface supports automatic detection of the camera parameters, such as with Core GigE Vision or Core 3G-SDI. 35

41 Camera Descriptions If a non-camera Link model is used, and the user adds a camera object to either CoreView or Streams 5, instead of selecting a specific manufacturer and model, choose the generic description applicable to the connected camera, according to Table 22 below. Generic Camera Description Core Model CORE3GSDI CORE3GSDIIO Manufacturer Generic SDI Model Camera Camera (Composite) Generic NTSC CORESVIDEO (use S-Video ) Camera (Composite) Generic PAL COREGEV 8-bit Monochrome Progressive SD/HD/3G-SDI Video 8-bit Color 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 Color Progressive SD/HD/3G-SDI Video 10-bit Mono 10-bit Monochrome Progressive SD/HD/3G-SDI Video 10-bit Color 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 Color Progressive SD/HD/3G-SDI Video 8-bit Mono Interlaced 8-bit Monochrome Interlaced SD/HD/3G-SDI Video 8-bit Color Interlaced 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 Color Interlaced SD/HD/3G-SDI Video 10-bit Mono Interlaced 10-bit Monochrome Interlaced SD/HD/3G-SDI Video 10-bit Color Interlaced 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 Color Interlaced SD/HD/3G-SDI Video Color 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 NTSC Video Color Field 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 NTSC Video, displaying individual fields deinterlaced (reduces motion artifacts) Mono 8-bit RS-170 Video Mono Field 8-bit RS-170 Video, displaying individual fields de-interlaced (reduces motion artifacts) Color 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 PAL Video Color Field 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 PAL Video, displaying individual fields deinterlaced (reduces motion artifacts) Mono 8-bit CCIR Video Mono Field 8-bit CCIR Video, displaying individual fields de-interlaced (reduces motion artifacts) or Camera (S-Video) Generic Video Format 8-bit Mono or Camera (S-Video) CORENTSC (use Composite ) Mode No User-Selected Camera Description Fully automated by control software application Table 22: Generic Camera Descriptions 8.3 Creating or Modifying Camera Descriptions Camera Link cameras often have many different output formats, whether this means different pixel bit depths or different image resolutions. As such, a separate camera description is needed to describe these parameters to the DVR Express Core. If the camera or the specific output format being used is not found in the standard camera descriptions included with the DVR Express Core software, a modified or brand-new description needs to be created. 36

42 Camera Descriptions The simplest method for creating a new camera description is by using CoreView, which has a built-in wizard for adding new cameras. Once the new camera has been added in CoreView, the camera description will be available for use with other applications such as Streams 5 or a custom Core API application. The CoreView user guide describes in detail how to use the New Camera Wizard to create a new camera description. Access the guide via the Windows Start Menu shortcut titled CoreView User Guide, or inside CoreView by pressing F1 or the help cursor. 37

43 9- System Operation using CoreView Launching CoreView System Operation using CoreView 1.0 CoreView can be launched via the Windows Start Menu, by choosing: Start -> Programs -> IO Industries -> DVR Express -> Core -> CoreView. 9.2 Using CoreView A fully detailed and interactive User's Manual for CoreView is included in the software installation. Access it via the Windows Start Menu shortcut titled CoreView User Guide, or inside CoreView by pressing F1 or the help cursor. 38

44 10 - System Operation using Streams 5 System Operation using Streams 5 The Streams 5 User's Guide, provided with Streams 5, includes instructions for general operation with Streams 5. Specific instructions for using the DVR Express Core in the Streams 5 environment can be obtained directly from IO Industries. Contact IO Industries for full details. 39

45 Control Signal Manager 11 - Control Signal Manager 11.1 Signal Tools Different DVR Express Core models will have different signal tools or quantities of signal tools available in the Control Signal Manager. For example, only the Camera Link models will have the Camera Control (CC) signals, as those are specific to the Camera Link interface. Figure 38 below shows the block diagram of the Control Signal Manager for the DVR Express Core Camera Link Base. Figure 38: Block Diagram of Control Signal Manager Components for DVR Express Core Camera Link Base The components included in the Control Signal Manager are: Auxiliary input/output signals Signal tools, including signals specific to certain camera interfaces CSM Bus, an interconnect system used to connect signals and signal tools The various properties of these components are described below. Auxiliary Input/Output Signals The DVR Express Core has several general purpose auxiliary I/O signals that allow connections with other external equipment, such as external time source devices, illumination lasers, or other recording devices. Auxiliary I/O signals can be used for start/stop recording triggers, as well as for synchronizing multiple DVR Express Core devices together. 40

46 Control Signal Manager Using the CSM bus, the Control Signal Manager can connect external signals to signal tools, or route them to the camera interfaces (for example, if Camera Link cameras require a signal over the CC1 Camera Control line to trigger image readout). Each DVR Express Core model has six available TTL signals. These ports are bi-directional, with the direction configured in pairs. Thus, TTL 1/2, TTL 3/4 and TTL 5/6 can be configured either as input or output signal ports. Also included are two LVDS input and two LVDS output signals. To change the direction of the TTL signals, change the current status of "Enable TTL Output # and #" for the desired TTL signal. To view the status of an input signal, expand the selected Input's entry in the "Inputs" list. A parameter named "External Input Status" will show the state of that signal when the Control Signal Manager was last refreshed. Click the "Refresh" button to check the current status. See Appendix A - Auxiliary I/O Interface for more information. Signal Generator Signal generators create square-wave signals at a user-specified frequency. These are most often used to generate camera trigger signals. The duty cycle can be varied, which can be used to control frame exposure time on some cameras in triggered-readout mode. Figure 39: Signal Generator Block Diagram Parameter Description Range Enable Controls whether the Signal Generator outputs a signal or not. Parameters of this component can not be changed while a signal is being output. Enabled/Disabled Frequency Rate of change of the output signal. 0.01Hz - 50MHz Duty Cycle Ratio of high time to low time. A 20% duty cycle means the signal will be Logic High for 20% of the signal period % Table 23: Signal Generator Parameters Scaler Scalers are used to multiply or divide signals. These are most often used to generate camera trigger 41

47 Control Signal Manager signals. The duty cycle can be varied, which can be used to control frame integration time on some cameras in triggered-readout mode. Figure 40: Scaler Block Diagram Parameter Description Range Enable Controls whether the Scaler outputs a signal or not. Parameters of this component can not be changed while a signal is being output. Enabled/Disabled Divide The divisor of the scaling factor (integer) Multiply The multiplier of the scaling factor (integer) Force High Time Enables a fixed high time for the output signal. Default output signal has a high time equal to the input period divided by 2x the "Multiply" parameter value. See description of "High Time" parameter. On/Off High Time The amount of time the output signal should stay at Logic High before transitioning to Logic Low to e+07μs Input Chooses the input signal for this component. The input signal can be inverted by enabling the "Inverted" option of this parameter. All CSM Bus Signals Table 24: Scaler Parameters Edge Delayer An Edge Delayer is used to delay a signal by a fixed amount of time (ie. phase shifting). This can be used with illumination lasers, so that the laser is triggered a fixed time after the camera is triggered. The Edge Delayer does not preserve the duty cycle of the input signal it only shifts the signal edges. Figure 41: Edge Delayer Block Diagram 42

48 Control Signal Manager Parameter Description Range Enable Controls whether the Edge Delayer outputs a signal or not. Parameters of this component can not be changed while a signal is being output. Enabled/Disabled Delay The amount of time to delay μs Force High Time Enables a fixed high time for the output signal, specified by the High Time parameter. On/Off High Time The amount of time the output signal should stay at Logic High before transitioning to Logic Low μs Input Chooses the input signal for this component. The input signal can be inverted by enabling the "Inverted" option of this parameter. All CSM Bus Signals Table 25: Edge Delayer Parameters Sampler A sampler is used to detect and measure the period of a signal. This signal tool has no outputs. Use the following procedure to begin the measurement process: a) Choose an input signal using the Input parameter. b) Check the box of the Start Sampling parameter to begin the sampling process. c) Wait the amount of time it should take for the signal period to be measured (i.e. about twice the expected signal period). d) On the bottom of the Control Signal Manager dialog, press the Refresh button. e) When a measurement is available, the Sampling Complete parameter will be checked and the Measured Period parameter will display the period of the input signal in microseconds. Note: To convert the period to a frequency (Hz), divide the period into 1,000,000. Parameter Description Range Start Sampling If checked, the period of the input signal will be measured. If not checked, the element is disabled. Enabled/Disabled Sampling Complete If checked, sampling is complete. If not checked, sampling is not complete. This attribute is read-only. Enabled/Disabled Measured Period The measured period of the input signal. Note: This attribute is read-only e+07μs Input Chooses the input signal for this component. The input signal can be inverted by enabling the "Inverted" option of this parameter. All CSM Bus Signals 43

49 Control Signal Manager Other Signal Tools The remaining signal tools are described fully in the interactive User Guide for the Control Signal Manager. In the Control Signal Manager dialog, click the Help button to view this guide. 44

50 12 - Appendices Appendices Appendix A - Auxiliary I/O Interface(page 46) Appendix B - DVR Express Core Firmware Update Procedure (page 48) Appendix C - GigE Vision Receiver Module Firmware Update (page 50) Appendix D - Power over Camera Link (PoCL) (page 53) 45

51 Appendices Appendix A - Auxiliary I/O Interface The Auxiliary Input/Output connector on the DVR Express Core is used to transmit and/or receive general-purpose control signals. These signals may be used for many purposes, such as sending triggers to cameras, synchronizing multiple DVR Express Core devices or sending triggers to a DVR Express Core to start or stop recording. The mating connector is a DB-26 High Density Male (Norcomp P/N 180-M26-103L001) or compatible. Figure 42: Auxiliary I/O Connector A.1 TTL Inputs/Outputs The six available TTL signals are bi-directional and configured in pairs. TTL 1/2, TTL 3/4 and TTL 5/6 can be configured either as input or output signal ports. Configured as an input, these ports accept 3.5V to 5.0V signaling for a logic High, and 1.5V or lower as logic Low. Configured as an output, these ports are capable of driving 4.75V at 1 ma and 2.6V at 10 ma. Maximum recommended cable length between these ports and other equipment is 50 feet (may be less depending on signal frequency). A.2 LVDS Inputs/Outputs Two LVDS inputs and two LVDS outputs are available. The output ports drive a 300mV swing, centered at 1.25V, across a 100 ohm load. The input ports have a 2.5V maximum input voltage and 100mV minimum swing. Cables connecting LVDS signals should be twisted-pair. Maximum recommended cable length between these ports and other equipment is 50 feet (may be less depending on signal frequency). A.3 Low Power Mode When pin 19 (LOW_PWR) is connected to ground, the device is placed in Low Power mode. The internal power supply cuts power to all internal components, including the storage drives. The power supply in idle mode consumes minimal power. 46

52 A.4 Appendices Pin Descriptions DB26 Pin Designation Description DB26 Pin Designation Description 1 N/C No Connect 14 LVDS_OUT1+ LVDS Output #1 (+) 2 N/C No Connect 15 LVDS_IN1+ LVDS Input #1 (+) 3 N/C No Connect 16 TTL4 TTL Input/Output #4 4 LVDS_OUT2- LVDS Output #2 (-) 17 TTL2 TTL Input/Output #2 5 LVDS_OUT1- LVDS Output #1 (-) 18 TTL1 TTL Input/Output #1 6 LVDS_IN1- LVDS Input #1 (-) 19 LOW_PWR Low Power Mode Enable 7 TTL6 TTL Input/Output #6 20 N/C No Connect 8 TTL5 TTL Input/Output #5 21 N/C No Connect 9 TTL3 TTL Input Output #3 22 LVDS_IN2+ LVDS Input #2 (+) 10 N/C No Connect 23 LVDS_IN2- LVDS Input #2 (-) 11 N/C No Connect 24 N/C No Connect 12 N/C No Connect 25 N/C No Connect 13 LVDS_OUT2+ LVDS Output #2 (+) 26 GND Negative Return/Ground Table 26: Auxiliary I/O Pin Descriptions Note: Leave all N/C pins disconnected 47

53 Appendices Appendix B - DVR Express Core Firmware Update Procedure The following steps outline how to perform a firmware update with the DVR Express Core. A user may need to update the firmware in order to use a newer version, or to switch between input modes (ie. a DVR Express Core Camera Link Full being used with Camera Link Base cameras). *** It is important to not remove power from the device while a firmware update is in progress*** If power is lost during programming, repeat the procedure below until programming completes successfully B.1 B.2 Required Components DVR Express Core + power supply esata cable Control PC with DVR Express Core software installed DVR Express Core Firmware Update Key Figure 43: Firmware Update Key Instructions To update the firmware of the DVR Express Core, follow these steps: a) With the DVR Express Core powered off, plug the Firmware Update Key into the Aux I/O port of each device to be updated (multiple devices can be updated simultaneously). b) Connect the esata cable between each DVR Express Core and an available esata port on the Control PC. c) Turn on the DVR Express Core(s). The drive activity LEDs will blink in sequence to indicate the unit is in firmware update mode. d) Run the DVR Express Core Software Installer (if not already installed) - Launching "core.exe" will install the DVR Express Core software, including the Core Programming Files (*.cpf) required to update the DVR Express Core firmware. - This installer will either have been provided with the Software and Documentation CD received with the DVR Express Core unit, or downloaded from the IO Industries website at the instruction of an IO Industries employee. e) Run Firmware Updater from the Windows Start Menu shortcuts (\Programs\IO Industries\DVR Express\Core). f) Check the box beside each device to update, under the Select which devices to update list. g) Choose a firmware model appropriate for the selected DVR Express Core device(s). 48

54 Appendices - See Table 27 below to see the allowed programming files for each Core model. - If a programming file is selected that is not supported by the model of the DVR Express Core device, the programming process will complete, however the next time CoreView or Streams 5 is used, a notification will be displayed that the improper firmware was programmed. h) Click "Update Firmware" to begin programming the device. Once programming is complete, close the Core Firmware Updater and turn off the Core device(s). Note: Be sure to remove the Firmware Update Key(s) before turning the unit(s) back on. Figure 44: Core Firmware Updater application DVR Express Core Model Supported Core Programming File(s) Camera Link Base (CORECLBASE) Camera Link Base x2 (core104_01.cpf) Camera Link Base Single (CORECLBASE1) Camera Link Base x1 (core104_0d.cpf) Camera Link Base In/Out (CORECLBASEIO) Camera Link Base In/Out (core104_0b.cpf) Camera Link Full (CORECLFULL) Camera Link Full-80 (core104_0e.cpf) Camera Link Plus 10 (core104_09.cpf) Camera Link Plus (core104_03.cpf) Camera Link Full (core104_02.cpf) Camera Link Medium (core104_04.cpf) Camera Link Base x2 (core104_01.cpf) GigE Vision (COREGEV) GigE Vision x2 (core104_05.cpf) 3G-SDI (CORE3GSDI) 3G/HD/SD SDI x2 (core104_06.cpf) 3G-SDI In/Out (CORE3GSDIIO) 3G/HD/SD SDI In/Out (core104_0c.cpf) NTSC/PAL (CORENTSC) NTSC/PAL/S-Video x4 (core104_07.cpf) S-Video (CORESVIDEO) NTSC/PAL/S-Video x4 (core104_07.cpf) Table 27: Allowed Firmware Modes for Different DVR Express Core Models 49

55 Appendices Appendix C - GigE Vision Receiver Module Firmware Update The following steps outline how to update the firmware of the GigE Vision receiver modules used with the DVR Express Core GigE Vision. There is one receiver module used for each camera input port, so these steps must be completed twice to fully update each DVR Express Core GigE Vision. C.1 C.2 Required Components DVR Express Core GigE Vision + power supply esata cable Control PC with DVR Express Core software (and GigE Vision support software) installed See section Software Installation, step e). Instructions To update the GigE Vision receiver module firmware, follow these steps: a) Connect the DVR Express Core GigE Vision to the Control PC using the esata cable. b) Turn on the DVR Express Core and verify it has been detected by the Control PC. c) Open the Core Terminal application from the shortcut found in the Windows Start Menu. d) Click "File -> New Connection". Enter the following settings, then click "OK": - Data Interface: "GigE 1" or "GigE 2" (depending on which receiver module is being updated) - Baud Rate: Parity: None - Stop Bits: 1 - Flow Control: None - New Line: CR Figure 45: Core Terminal application - Create Connection dialog e) In the terminal input field, type "x" and hit Enter. - If an "e" is returned in the terminal window, communication is successful. - If no response, close Core Terminal, re-start the DVR Express Core, and try again. 50

56 Appendices f) In the terminal input field, type "r " and hit Enter. g) As soon as the bootloader begins displaying, type "x" and hit Enter. - The "boot>" prompt should be displayed (See Figure 46 below). Figure 46: Core Terminal application showing GigE Vision receiver module at boot prompt h) In the terminal input field, type "u" and hit Enter. i) In the Transfer menu, click XModem. Choose the file "gige_bitstream.bin" and click Open. j) When the transfer is complete, open the file "gige_cksum.txt" found in the Firmware folder under C:\Program Files\IO Industries\DVR Express\Core\. - Compare the checksum for "bitstream.bin" with the response from the GigE Vision receiver module (see Figure 47 below). - NOTE: If the checksum does not match, restart from step "h)" above. k) In the terminal input field, type "sb" and hit Enter. - Compare the checksum in "gige_cksum.txt" for "bitstream.bin" with the response from the GigE Vision receiver module (see Figure 47 below). - NOTE: If the checksum does not match, contact l) In the terminal input field, type "ss" and hit Enter. - Compare the checksum in "gige_cksum.txt" for "bitstream.bin" with the response from the GigE Vision receiver module (see Figure 47 below). - NOTE: If the checksum does not match, contact 51

57 Appendices Figure 47: Comparing Checksum Values After File Transfer m) In the terminal input field, type "u" and hit Enter. n) In the Transfer menu, click XModem. Choose the file "gige_application.bin" and click Open. o) When the transfer is complete, compare the checksum in "gige_cksum.txt" for "application.bin" with the response from the GigE Vision receiver module (see Figure 47 above). - NOTE: If the checksum does not match, restart from step "m)" above. p) In the terminal input field, type "sa" and hit Enter. - Compare the checksum in "gige_cksum.txt" for "application.bin" with the response from the GigE Vision receiver module (see Figure 47 above). - NOTE: If the checksum does not match, contact At this point, the firmware has been successfully updated for the selected GigE Vision receiver module. NOTE: Power must be cycled on the DVR Express Core for the update to take effect. NOTE: Be sure to repeat these steps for the second GigE Vision receiver (choose "GigE 2" in step d) ). 52

58 Appendices Appendix D - Power over Camera Link (PoCL) D.1 Overview Power over Camera Link (PoCL) is a recent addition to the Camera Link interface standard, which allows power to be provided to a camera over the same cable as the video data is received. The DVR Express Core models with the Camera Link interface (CORECLBASE, CORECLBASE1, CORECLBASEIO, CORECLFULL) can be ordered with optional PoCL support (add -P to P/N when ordering), allowing cameras that support PoCL to be powered by the DVR Express Core. D.2 Technical Description In the original specification of the Camera Link interface, the 26-pin connector used to transmit video data incorporated four drain conductors (pins 1, 13, 14, 26). With PoCL, two of those conductors (pins 1 & 26) are used to provide power of up to 333mA at 12V, with the other two used for negative return. This allows up to 4W of power to be provided to a camera. Specialized PoCL-compatible Camera Link cables are required, which separate the four original ground conductors into two pairs, instead of connecting all four to the internal cable shield. These cables are generally marked with a PoCL label to distinguish them from traditional cables. To ensure backwards compatibility with cameras that do not support PoCL, protection measures need to be in place on the device providing power, so as to prevent damage to non-pocl cameras. There are two accepted methods for this protection: Over-Current Protection - Dedicated power is provided to the camera. A resettable fuse protects against the camera drawing too much current. SafePower - A protocol is used for detecting the presence of a PoCL-compatible camera. If a PoCLcompatible and SafePower-compatible camera is detected, power will be provided to that camera. Note: After a compatible camera is connected, and power is provided, the protocol does not re-negotiate with new cameras if the original camera is disconnected. Power will continue to be provided to that camera port. If a non-pocl camera is connected, a power-ground shortcircuit will occur at the camera, and the fallback over-current protection will turn off power to that camera port. The DVR Express Core implementation uses an advanced version of the over-current protection method. Instead of a resettable fuse, an electronic current limiter is used, which will detect an overcurrent situation much quicker than a fuse, preventing damage to a non-pocl camera. This method ensures that all PoCL-compatible cameras, SafePower-compatible or not, can be powered by the DVR Express Core. 53

59 D.3 Appendices Operation Depending on the cable and camera type being used, power will either be enabled or disabled. Refer to Table 28 below for more details. Cable Type Non-PoCL PoCL Camera Type Notes Non-PoCL Conventional cable will short-circuit power supply; fault will be detected; power will be disabled. PoCL Conventional cable will short-circuit power supply; fault will be detected; power will be disabled. Non-PoCL Camera circuitry will short-circuit power supply; fault will be detected; power will be disabled. PoCL Power will be provided to camera, provided power draw does not exceed 4W. Table 28: Power over Camera Link Compatibility If a fault is detected, a red LED will be illuminated beside the Camera Link connector on the DVR Express Core. In order to reset this, the power must by cycled on the DVR Express Core. Figure 48: CORECLBASE-P-S showing PoCL fault on CAM 2 port Depending on the model of DVR Express Core, the PoCL upgrade will convert all or some of the Camera Link ports into PoCL-compatible ports. Refer to Table 29 below for more details. Model CORECLBASE-P CORECLBASE1-P CORECLBASEIO-P CORECLFULL-P Connector PoCL Compatible Notes CAM 1 Yes - n/a CAM 2 Yes - n/a CAM Yes - n/a CAM Yes - n/a OUTPUT/REPEAT No - Normally connects to a frame grabber, not a camera CAM 1 (Base) Yes - n/a CAM 2 (Med/Full) Yes - Not normally needed to provide power if a CL-Full camera is used, but this port can be re-programmed to be a CL-Base port, and may be used with a PoCL camera. Table 29: PoCL Capability on different DVR Express Core models 54