XC-003 (NTSC), XC-003P (PAL)

Color 3-chip CCD camera for machine vision.

2. Main features

Electronic shutter

The camera can be switched to several shutter modes, which enable versatile random timings.

Normal mode

Shutter off mode, intended for capturing still objects.

Normal shutter

An ordinary electronic shutter with shutter speeds selectable between 1/125 and 1/10 000 sec in 7 steps.

Flickerless mode

For suppressing the flicker of light (illuminating the captured scene) produced depending upon the frequency of the power source. The shutter speed is 1/100 sec for thee 50 Hz area and 1/120 sec for the 60 Hz area.

Donpisha

Donpisha (= «immediate» in Japanese) is a newly developed external trigger shutter. It provides one frame high resolution video output at any time specified with an external trigger pulse. Shutter speed can be set from 1/1000 to 1/11 000 sec. Donpisha shutter is used to capture random, fast moving objects without a time delay.

Low speed shutter

The exposure time can be set down to 129 FRM (1 FRM = 1/30 sec in EIA and 1/25 sec in CCIR). This mode is intended for shooting still dark scenes.

Color handling

The XC-003/003P is a 3-chip camera. The newly developed 3CCD C-mount optical prism block offers three times higher resolution in comparison with 1-CCD systems. The unit employs cosite sampling to ensure perfect RGB information aligning. The XC-003/003P thus provides output image in excellent color quality.

The color information can be adjusted by setting proper white balance mode, according to the lighting conditions: fixed (3200 or 5600 K), ATW (auto tracing white balance) and manual (by red gain and blue gain adjustment within the range of values -128 through 127).

Internal/External synchronization

In addition to internal sync, the camera can be synchronized by external device too. Possible external sync modes are:

VS/VBS mode

External synchronization is performed by means of a normal composite signal, VBS or VS (video, sync).

HD/VD mode

Camera is synchronized by HD/VD (horizontal drive/vertical drive) signals. According to their phase relation, the camera decides whether to operate in interlace or noninterlace mode (see Scanning system).

Following features are compatible with XC-75/77 cameras

Restart Reset function

The Restart Reset function enables to start new image integration at any time (specified by external trigger pulse). While HD signal must be supplied all the time, V reset pulses are generated from the trigger signal. Meaningful video signal (being stored after the trigger) is output since the second (in the field integration mode) or the third (in the frame integration mode) field.

The other kind of the restart reset function (which requires further internal setting in the camera) assures the slow speed shutter operation. The image data, integrated since the first reset input signal, is taken out as video signal after the second reset. This is used for capturing dark objects.

Scanning system (interlaced/noninterlaced)

The camera can operate either in interlace or noninterlace mode (depending on phase relation between HD and VD pulses).

Interlace mode

Full frame image is split into two fields: odd (lines 1-3-5...) and even (2-4-6...). It enables higher image resolution, but two steps (2 · 1/60 = 1/30 sec or 2 · 1/50 = 1/25 sec for CCIR) are necessary to read out full frame data. Period of VD signal is V = (A + 1/2)H in this mode, A is an integer.

Noninterlace mode

The camera reads just the odd lines (1-3-5...). That's why full frame data is output every 1/60 or 1/50 sec, however the resolution is half when compared to the interlace mode. Period of VD signal is V = (A)H, A is an integer.

Integration modes

The charge accumulated in the CCD can be presented as output on two different ways.

Field integration mode

The data of any line in the output is a result of mixture of two adjacent lines - in the odd field charge from lines 1 and 2 is mixed and output as line 1, data from lines 3 and 4 becomes line number 3 in output and so on (in the even field lines 2 and 3 are mixed and read out as line 2). This method minimizes motion blur when shooting a moving target. The disadvantage lies in lower vertical resolution.

Frame integration mode

The data for every output line is read out from a single line in the CCD chip. This results in a higher vertical resolution, however when shooting fast moving objects the two fields (odd and even) of an image are shifted each other and the image quality is degraded.

Note: The differences between field and frame integration were explained for the case of an interlaced image scanning. The situation is similar for noninterlaced images.

Output

Video signal (VBS, 1.0 Vp-p, 75 ohm), generated by the camera electronics, can be output either to a BNC connector or to a special 12-pin multiconnector. The 12-pin connector enables to output internal sync signals (HD, VD, clock) as well.

Besides the interface common in monochrome XC-series cameras, the XC-711/711P features a direct 9-pin D-sub plug (providing RGB, Y/C and SYNC output) for computer imaging devices.

The last camera's connector (6-pin) allows to connect and automatically adjust auto iris lens.

3. Comprehensive specifications

Note: The following table tries to describe all known features and parameters of the camera. When a times mark (×) is filled in a cell, it means that the camera doesn't employ accordant feature or specifying such parameter doesn't make any sense for this camera type.

4. Complementary and related products

Best suited framegrabbers for use with XC-003/003P

Leutron Vision offers complete, well-known line of framegrabbers, PicPort^®. The best suited for work with XC-003/003P are:

PicPort^®-Color

Framegrabber for image acquisition from color video cameras (PAL/CCIR, NTSC/EIA).

Correspondent cables

Please choose all the necessary cables for connecting the camera to a framegrabber.

Camera accessories

Leutron Vision also provides a range of lenses and illumination products, as well as other camera accessories.

Related cameras

LV-2000/2000CE

Color auto focus camera with 16× zoom and external RS-232C control.

SONY XC-711/711P

1-chip color CCD camera, RGB primary color stripe filter, electronic shutter.

SONY XC-999/999P

Miniature cigar-type color CCD camera, electronic shutter, auto iris, RGB output.

5. Ordering information

This camera type is already not available to order.