The KODAK EKTAPRO Motion Analyzer, Model 1000 HRC records color images at 1000 fps.   This motion analyzer accepts one monochrome or color imager. The HRC analyzer has full frame capture rates of 250, 500 and 1000 fps.   Playback rates are variable both forwards and reverse at rates from 0 to 1000 fps. The motion analyzer can store approximately 5,456 frames. The motion analyzer is configured and controlled through a back-lit Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) keypad or any one of its standard interfaces [SCSI, GPIB, RS422 or RS232].   The main display uses a 24 bit RGB computer monitor.   Video taping to either NTSC or PAL is a standard interface.   The images are annotated with data on the outside border.   This data includes frame rate, replay rate, frame number, an identification number for the current recording, motion analyzer's operational status, elapsed time, exposure setting, input signal status, graphical representation of a user's analog   or digital inputs and other special messages.    

Kodak Ektapro Model 1000 HRC Embedded Tools 

·         Color Balance & Uniformity:   The user may alter the image color balance by selecting between pre-defined color temperatures or defining an area within an image as a white patch. The best choice depends on the color temperature of the source of illumination. Color balance selections are provided to correct color balance for 5600 degree sources, such as Daylight and Xenon Flash tubes, 4500 degree sources, such as metal-halogen illuminators,  3200 degree sources such as Tungsten Incandescent lamps or under the users own lighting conditions.  Making sure that the image is uniform when exposed to a white or black flat field will help to produce high quality images.  The user has the option to rebalance the Imager to produce a uniform field.  Normally, this is not required, however, the capability is still accessible through the keypad. This process is similar to White Balance on a camcorder.  A uniform white area needs to be imaged.  The Processor changes the red, green & blue gains until the selected area is white.  The Black Level process is similar except the lens is capped during this process.  This process is expected to be required only when the user  wants to do it and is not a regular part of ordinary product use.   

·         Exposure Modes :  The User has control of exposing and capturing image frames in several ways, dependent on a user application requirements.   Selections of various Exposure Modes are made at the keypad.  When the ROC is selected at the keypad, the image capture is continuous but image storage is qualified by the user's signal input to the ROC connector.  Externally synchronized mode is also selected from the keypad.  It allows the user to stimulate frame capture at any rate, or periodically,  up to the maximum capability of the Imager. Externally synchronized image exposures occur when the user  inputs a signal at the SYNC connector on the Imager body.  When a single pulse is detected, the sensor is exposed for the selected exposure period.  Following this, the image is transferred  to the processor.   Subsequent image capture will await the next pulse.  The advantage of these exposure modes are to image only what is necessary and to synchronize the Imager to an application.  It also allows the precise synchronization of multiple Imagers when more than one system is used. 

·         Computer Control:   Control of the system by a host computer is allowed in all configurations through the standard interfaces.  Simultaneous control over more than one interface is not allowed. Each of the external control interfaces (RS-232C, RS-422, GPIB, SCSI) has a command set that has the same functions as found on the keypad.  This means that these interfaces provide the user with a command set that can do everything the keypad can do, plus more.  These external interfaces allow the downloading of RGB data, the downloading of a subset area of the video, the ability to "goto" a specific frame number within a session, the ability to move the Reticle or Grid to a specific coordinate and to receive motion analyzer status information. 

The SCSI interface is a single ended 8 bit bus that has no termination.  The image transfer rate on the optional optical disk is approximately 2.5 images/second.  Although the SCSI bus can operate up to 4 MB/s, the magneto-optical drive transfer rate limits the down/up loading of images.  The file formats on the SCSI cartridges are MS-DOS.  A session is stored as a directory.  Under the directory that has the name of the session will be individual files.  These files have the name of the frame number including minus numbered frames.   

·         Multi-Event Recording:   The Processor memory can be broken into smaller record sessions. Through the Keypad, the user can specify how many recording sessions desired.  Each session will be the same length.  Therefore, if the Processor had 5000 frames and the user specified 5 record sessions,  each session would last for 1000 frames.  All of the record modes may be used in this configuration.   

The advantage of this multi-event recording is that independent recordings can be made without having to archive the images.  It allows for fast comparison of multiple test.  It allows for very long record times when used with a Trigger signal.  The Processor can be put into an automatic rearm mode.  Therefore, after a Trigger signal is recieved and the memory has filled, it will rearm itself for another recording.  This continues until the last session is filled.   

·         Display Modes:  Two display modes are selectable from the keypad, a single-frame display mode and a multi-frame display mode. The RGB display operates at 640x480 pixel resolution. Graphical and "Data-Frame" information is displayed with 16-colors, with a 512x384 24 bit accurate-color window for video images.  Multiple Image frames are displayed in a 4x4 array, within the video window occupied by the single frame described above.  The user can step frame-by-frame with thumb-nail images wrapping from top to bottom.   There are three simultaneously supported video display interfaces.  The RGB output is on standard VGA connector.  The RGB port provides the maximum resolution and image stability.  The NTSC/PAL output is on a coax connector. This base-band video signal is provided to allow the user to setup the Imager while composing the scene and to provide VCR archival data storage capability.  The SVHS output is on a standard S-VHS connector.  Separate luminance and chrominance signals permit the high quality archival data storage capability possible with S-VHS VCR's. 

·         External Data:   There are optional interfaces for IRIG-B timing data  and user data.  The IRIG-B interface accepts a FM carrier to sync the internal timecode.  The user data is through the Kodak MCDL interface.  This MCDL provides the user with two analog inputs and 6 digital inputs.  The maximum external data recording rate is 10 samples per frame.  The MCDL data during playback of images is displayed on a x-y graph below the image area.  The two channels are in differant colors.  

The advantage of this display is the instant correlation of user data to image data.  An example would be a tranducer measuring pressure on a container under destructive testing.  When the container begins to destruct, the visual change in the container can be observed along with it’s pressure.  There is no guessing on what actually happen! 

·         Grid:   Users will often only analyze an image by observing what is moving within the scene.  Our analyzer has X-Y reticles for measuring a displacement.  However, laying a grid on top of the image would provide more visual data  for reference.    Therefore, we have provided the user with both a rectangular and circular grid.  This grid is not part of the image but an overlay.  The grid can be calibrated from the Keypad and display.  Calibration requires a setup of the user defined points within a live image.  This setup is accomplished by identifying two points, XY1 and XY2, with the distance between these two points being the fundamental unit.  This unit will have meaning to the user only and is valid only in the image plane in which the calibration was made.  The origin of the grid is controlled by the user.    

The advantage of the grid to a user is that the entire image has a reference plane.  Judgments on relationships between objects in the scene are easily made with the grid.   

·         Auto Save:   Sometimes it takes a lot of patience to capture a fault in a process.  Hours may accumulate before a defect occurs requiring constant recording.   The table below shows the amount of storage require to capture every image for 1 hour and how long it takes to play these images. 

Searching through 3.6 million frames to find a few frames that show the defect occurring can be very monotonous.  A better approach is to record only what you need, archive and rearm for the next occurrence.  The user can configure the Processor to automatically save sessions on either the VCR,  the SCSI or both VCR & SCSI.  Therefore, a tranducer is set up to detect the problem under observation.  The signal from the tranducer is used as a trigger for the Processor.  When the Processor is triggered, it enters a Stop state.  The last session will be saved on the selected device.  After downloading the recorded frames the system rearms itself for the next session.   When a VCR is used to record the images, there is a VCR interface that will command a professional recorder. The advantage of AutoSave for a User is time.  It provides a way to extend record time over long periods.  It also saves time in finding the images that are important since these are the only ones saved.