Digital camera interface available for Ariel's PCIbus image processing board; targets machine vision applications.

CRANBURY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 1, 1996--Ariel Corp. announced GMI-DCAM, a mezzanine module that provides a digital camera interface for the company's TMS320C80-based Griffin PCI Bus image processing board.

Targeting machine vision applications such as high-speed inspection, alignment, pattern verification and motion control, DCAM links 8- and 16-bit digital cameras with Griffin's high-speed image processing engine. DCAM supports line- and area-scan cameras from a broad range of popular manufacturers, including Dalsa (line and area scan), Kodak (Megaplus) and DVC.

The DCAM module provides a pair of RS-422 ports, which implement two separate 16-bit digital camera data channels, including data, sync and pixel clock I/O lines. Featuring a maximum clock rate of 40 MHz with separate clock and data lines, the two channels may be operated independently or synchronously. They may also be configured via software as a single 32-bit channel.

The DCAM module also provides a header with six auxiliary TTL-level programmable input and output lines. These lines are ideal for machine vision applications, enabling Griffin to provide real-time control over manufacturing and inspection processes.

The DCAM module interfaces to Griffin via a synchronous, 64-bit 400-Mbyte/sec mezzanine interface dubbed GMIbus. An extension of the TMS320C80's memory bus, the GMI bus gives digital cameras direct access to the C80's high-speed processing facilities.

The C80's transfer controller handles packet and interrupt-based data transfers between DCAM and Griffin's system memory. A pair of 512 x 32-bit FIFOs decouple the DCAM module from the GMIbus, which enables C80 program execution to proceed in parallel with digital camera I/O.

The DCAM module's RAM-based FPGA can be easily configured to support a broad range of digital cameras. The FPGA also supports simple data processing such as triggering on a threshold and byte ordering. The C80 downloads the FPGA program when the module is initialized.

DCAM module operating modes include external trigger, strobe control, internal/external pixel clock source and internal/external synchronization. The pixel clock, line-valid and frame-valid may be derived from an external digital camera or the DCAM module. The pixel rate is programmable from 200 kHz to 40 MHz.

Camera support packages, which enable GMI-DCAM to be configured for a particular camera, include cabling, software, and rear-panel brackets and connectors.

DCAM costs $1,495 and is available immediately.

More on Griffin

Griffin, the heart of Ariel's image processing and machine vision systems, is a PCI-bus plug-in board based on Texas Instruments' TMS320C80 parallel digital signal processor. Griffin features a full 32-bit master/slave PCI bus interface, a 24-bit RGB graphics display interface with a 4-Mbyte video RAM frame buffer, and up to 8 Mbytes of DRAM.

To support memory expansion, I/O and other peripheral options, Griffin also provides a high-performance stackable mezzanine bus interface known as GMIbus.

Griffin's GMIbus mezzanine interface is a stackable design that gives designers direct access to the C80's address and data buses, including interrupts, clock, and control signals. Up to four mezzanine cards, measuring 3.05 x 5.40 inches, can be stacked on 0.452-inch centers.

Griffin is available with a variety of GMIbus modules. In addition to the GMI-DCAM digital camera interface, Griffin is available with DRAM and SDRAM memory expansion modules, a prototyping debug module and video input/output modules.

The analog video input module, known as GMI-VIDEO-IN, supports Y/Cr/Cb, RGB and monochrome video modes, and features programmable hue, brightness, contrast and saturation. The module converts analog video signals (component or composite video in a NTSC or PAL format) to a 16-bit Y/Cr/Cb or 24-bit RGB format.

The VIDEO-IN module can signal the C80 via interrupts or through externally generated packet transfers (XPT).

Griffin's composite video output module, known as GMI-VIDEO-OUT, enables Griffin to output video to cameras, VCRs, television monitors and virtual-reality glasses. The module provides both PAL and NTSC CCR601 video outputs and supports 15-bit RGB, 24-bit RGB and 16-bit Y/Cr/Cb data formats. The module also includes a 1-Mbyte video RAM frame buffer.

Griffin also provides an on-board RGB video output based on the Texas Instruments TVP3025 RAMDAC. The RGB RAMDAC supports a wide variety of video resolutions, an overlay plane, and a VGA pass- through input with hardware windowing. The video output provides resolutions of up to 1600 x 1280 at 16 bits/pixel with up to 65,336 colors, and 1024 x 768 at 24 bits/pixel with up to 16 million colors.

Software support for Griffin includes drivers for Windows NT, Windows 95 and Windows 3.x supporting Microsoft, Borland and WATCOM C compilers; a C80 ANSI C compiler; native PCIbus and external JTAG in-circuit emulators for both PC and SPARC (external only) hosts. Ariel's comprehensive C80-optimized image processing library (IMPLIB) is optional.

More on Ariel

Ariel, based in Cranbury, offers the industry's most complete range of advanced OEM digital signal processing hardware and software. The company's board-level products, hardware/software development tools and custom DSP hardware/software are used in a wide range of industrial, commercial, military/government, computer telephony, educational and research applications.

For more information, please contact Ariel Corp. at 2540 Route 130, Cranbury, N.J. 08512; telephone [phone]; fax [phone]; e-mail [e-mail]; World Wide Web http://www.ariel.com.

CONTACT: Ariel Corp., Cranbury

Steve Curtin, 609/860-2900

or

Davis-Marrin Communications, San Diego

Ken Marrin, 619/573-0736