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Picolo Tetra is a
new cost-effective PCI capture board dedicated
to high-demanding multiple cameras video surveillance
applications. Picolo Tetra has a superior ability
to manage streaming and switching. Thanks to its
four color video digitizers, Picolo Tetra acquires
four real-time image sequences in parallel. With
the three video expansion brackets, this Picolo
also manages efficiently quick switching from
up to sixteen cameras.
TTL I/O lines are provided for system integration.
In addition, Picolo Tetra is compatible with the
MIO module, enabling users to implement isolated inputs and outputs.
Picolo series general features
- Four color-video digitizers for video streaming
and camera switching
- 240 fps
- 64-bit, 66 MHz PCI bus
- Expandable architecture:
3 Video Expansion Brackets for up to 16 camera inputs
1 Video Expansion Bracket 12 for 16 camera inputs
1 Video Expansion Bracket for 4 buffered video outputs
MIO, I/O module compatible
- Software support:
- DirectShow filters
- MultiCam drivers
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Streaming
with Four Simultaneous Video Digitizers
Picolo Tetra is able to simultaneously digitize four video signals and to send the resulting digital data
in real time into the PC memory through the PCI bus.
The video streams issued from four cameras are displayed
and/or recorded in parallel.
Quick Switching
Adding three Video Expansion Brackets, Picolo Tetra
provides the four digitizers with sixteen inputs. This
maximum configuration leads to a 16-camera system. The
four digitizers of the Picolo Tetra board are switched
between these inputs at a very high frame rate.
NTSC configuration |
4 camera |
8 camera |
12 camera |
16 camera |
Fields / Frames per second (per camera) |
60 / 30 |
8.6 / 6.7 |
6 / 4.6 |
4.6 / 3.5 |
Fields / Frames per second (all cameras) |
240 / 120 |
69 / 54 |
72 / 55 |
74 / 56 |
PAL configuration |
4 camera |
8 camera |
12 camera |
16 camera |
Fields / Frames per second (per camera) |
50 / 25 |
7.1 / 5.6 |
5 / 3.8 |
3.8 / 2.9 |
Fields / Frames per second (all cameras) |
200 / 100 |
57 / 45 |
60 / 46 |
61 / 47 |
64-bit, 66 MHz PCI Bus
The Picolo Tetra bus capability is 64 bits at 66 MHz
making this capture board compatible with the most recent
PC architectures. This wide PCI bus supports a peak
data transfer rate of 528 Mbytes/s. Picolo Tetra is
compatible with conventional PCI architecture, including
32 bits and 33 MHz. Signaling voltage compliance is
3.3 V and 5 V for maximum versatility.
Maximizing Performance
With a top performance 64-bit 66 MHz PCI bus, Picolo
Tetra is able to simultaneously acquire full size video
images in real time. System consideration may lead to
functional trade-off. In order to reach the targeted
performance, the user will consider downsizing images
(SIF or CIF), operating in parallel of less than four
digitizers or tailoring the bitmap image format. In
particular, YCrCb 4:2:2 and RGB16 formats are highly
recommended.
PICOLO Tetra-RC
Picolo Tetra-RC provides a solution to customize all
the 16 connections of the video inputs. The Picolo Tetra-RC
performances are identical to Picolo Tetra. The suffix
-RC stands for "Remote Connection". Picolo
Tetra-RC features a blank bracket and allows the user to connect the 16 video inputs to a customer patchpanel.
On-board TTL I/O Lines
TTL I/O lines are provided for easing system integration.
An internal 16-pin header connector provides 13 general
purpose input / output TTL lines usable for triggering
image capture and interfacing to alarm system. This
connector is pin to pin compatible with the Picolo Pro
2 solution.
Video Image Formats
Picolo Tetra supports the acquisition of full resolution
images or any smaller-size format, such as SIF. Acquisition
of full frame (two fields) or single field images is
selectable. Individual fields or frames as well as video
sequences are captured directly to the PC memory. Picolo
Tetra ensures an excellent fidelity of the grabbed bitmap
in respect of the original video signal.
Watchdog
A hardware watchdog is available on Picolo Tetra. Its
purpose is to monitor the software application and to
restart the PC after an anomalous inactivity time-out.
This ensures a reliable operation of unattended systems.
This watchdog implementation is identical to the Picolo
Pro 3 solution.
Expandable Architecture
Video Expansion Bracket as Input: Picolo Tetra is designed to receive up to three video input modules fitted each with four BNC connectors leading to a maximum configuration of sixteen connected cameras.
Video Expansion Bracket 12 as Input: As an alternative, Picolo Tetra can receive one Video Expansion Bracket 12. It offers twelve video inputs through one DB25 connector. The maximum configuration of sixteen connected cameras is achieved with one Video Expansion Bracket 12.
The spider cable is the recommended way to connect the 12 BNC video inputs to the DB25 connector. It is provided with each Video Expansion Bracket 12.
Video Expansion Bracket as Output: Four buffered video outputs are offered on an additional four-BNC module as an alternative to loop-through connecting the video sources.
These video signals represent the image applied to each internal video color digitizer.
MIO Compatible
Each MIO module adds four optically isolated inputs
and four relay outputs. A maximum of twenty isolated
inputs and twenty isolated outputs is achieved with
five MIO modules. For more details about MIO, click
here.
Dip-Switch
Picolo Tetra and the Video Extension Brackets are equipped
with a dip-switch to conveniently enable the 75 ohms
termination resistors from outside the PC.
Characteristics
PCI |
64 bits, 66 MHz, 3.3 V and 5 V compliant |
Size |
168 mm x 107 mm / 6.61 in x 4.21 in |
Typical power consumption |
8 W (1,2 A @ 5 V, 120 mA @ + 12 V, 5 mA @ - 12
V) |
Certification |
Certification FCC class B and CE |
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