PRODUCTS & SERVICES
UNCONVENTIONAL
IMAGING WORKFLOWS
Advances in high-speed camera
technology help researchers
increase the quality and
efficiency of data acquisition
AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM // DECEMBER 73
High-speed cameras are used by
aerospace engineers for a variety of
subjects. They are found assisting in the
development and evaluation of new
materials, performing inspections, and
monitoring safety tests. As the technology
advances the imaging power of these
cameras continues to increase as pixel
resolution and frame rate capabilities provide
better motion analysis.
Many of the events these cameras capture
are very short and occur in under a second.
Traditional RAM-based cameras are designed
with this principle in mind. RAM sizes
inherently limit the possible duration of each
capture, then those images must be
transferred before the next test can run. The
more frames per second (fps) there are in a
recording, and the more pixel resolution, the
larger the file size is that must be transferred
out of the RAM of the camera. This is a
challenge due to the sheer size of the data.
For example, a 1 Mpx camera at 1,000 fps
results in 1.5GB for every second of capture, a
4 Mpx camera at the same rate results in 6GB
per second. A Phantom v2640 which
captures 4 Mpx at over 6,000 fps, requires
72GB for 2 seconds of data.
RAM sizes are expanding, up to
288GB in the case of the v2640, to
accommodate several seconds of capture.
This is useful for data assurance with single
events, and otherwise can be segmented to
capture multiple events back to back before
transferring the data. This on its own
can increase efficiency, particularly for
events that happen in fast succession.
The speed of which those raw images are
then transferred is the next obstacle. Highspeed
cameras create a lot of data and using
Gb Ethernet as the main connection and
download source can be slow, 20 minutes or
more, if the full RAM is used. Phantom
cameras solve this problem by either - using
the continuous recording feature with
segmented RAM, saving to the ultra-fast
CineMag recording media, or using 10Gb
Ethernet to download to a computer. With
10Gb Ethernet an uncompressed 72GB
recording can download in as little as two
minutes.
While large RAM sizes and fast data
transfer are helpful, they are still limited by a
fixed duration, measured in seconds, that the
camera can record at one time. New offerings
in high-speed image streaming can solve this
problem by interfacing with DVR units
consisting of very large banks of secure SSD
media. CXP-based streaming cameras,
including the full line of Phantom high-speed
machine vision cameras, can record at high
frame rates for several minutes with these
DVR systems.
As an example, wind tunnel testing often
involves repositioning the subject throughout
a test that can last several minutes. By using
a Phantom S210 and a 3 TB DVR up to 20
minutes can be recorded at 1,700 fps without
interruption. The images can then be played
back immediately, trimmed and saved, or
saved as one large video to an alternate
system for later analysis. A long record DVR
system improves the wind tunnel test
efficiency by allowing the test to run in its
entirety, while knowing every frame is being
recorded so unexpected events are captured
as well.
While different systems may be
recommended depending on the required
frame rate, resolution and duration, Phantom
CXP-based streaming cameras and DVR
system provide new possibilities to the world
of high-speed image acquisition. \\
1 // A long record DVR
system improves the wind
tunnel test efficiency
2 // Many events these
cameras capture occur in
under a second
3 // By using a Phantom
S210 and a 3 TB DVR up to
20 minutes can be
recorded at 1,700 fps
without interruption
FREE READER INQUIRY SERVICE
vision research
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