BACK TO TROUBLESHOOTING HOME PAGE!

DVR LEARNING LAB!

CLICK HERE FOR CHEAP 4 CHANNEL DVRS! 

CAMERA LEARNING LAB!  

Camera Selection

Fixed Camera

Zoom Camera

PTZ  (Pan, Tilt, and Zoom) Camera

If the camera is mounted near the viewing area then you only need to select the proper lens to give you the view that you need.

If the camera is far from where the viewing area is located then you need a lens that gets you close up to the viewing area. Think of a telescope.

If you want to remote view in, and see what production stage the employees are at in a warehouse, then you can install a camera that has a motor that turns the camera left, and right, and it has a motor to tilt the camera up, and down, and it can zoom out for wide angle, or zoom in to get a close up shot.

If you need to go further than the optical lense can go, then perhaps a combination of optical, and digital zoom is required. 12X optical 10X digital = 220X zoom.

 

Staying with in a budget will bring you up, and down the ladder of the various cameras styles.

PTZ

A budget system will not have a PTZ.

A system that has a manned viewer with a controller would prefer a PTZ.

ZOOM

Zoom cameras can be changed remotely with a controller unlike a vari - focal camera that has to be changed manually.

Night clubs that need to watch the parking lot may prefer dome cameras with zoom, or combo zoom as they do not need to turn the camera left, or right.  The camera can be set in a default area, but then when there is a new issue, or a problem down the road, then they can zoom in, or out to resolve an issue, and then it can be put back to a default position after the issue is over.

FIXED

A fixed camera would be a static camera. The camera may have different model numbers in relation to which lens it comes with. If you have to change the view you may have to order another camera with a different model number to get the lens you need.

Vari focal

This is a camera that swings from one setting to another setting, or anywhere in between.

4mm - 9mm. This goes from wide angle to slight amount of zoom, or any point in between. These have to be changed manually at the camera.  You will have to break out a ladder every time you want to change the lens setting.

Vari Focals are the installer best friend. If you install a camera, and the view is not what you wanted then you can tweak the camera to make it do want you want it to do.

If you have vari focal cameras then you do not need other cameras (based on lens selection). Bolt on the vari focal. Need a wide angle camera for this view? Set the setting to wide angle.

Need to install a camera with out distance distortion, but want more peripheral vision? Set the vari focal to 5mm.

Need to install a camera, and you need facial recognition? Set the vari focal to the maximum range.

LENS INFORMATION

FISHEYE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisheye_lens
ZOOM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoom_lens
VARI FOCAL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varifocal_len
TELEPHOTO
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephoto_lens

LENS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_makers_equation 

ASPHERIC LENS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspheric_lens

BACK FOCUS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_focal

COATINGS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_coating  

FOCALPOINT

F STOP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-number  

LUX

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux 

FABRICATION AND TESTING OF LENS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabrication_and_testing_of_optical_components

HOW TO SET BACK FOCUS ON A LENS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIMGmsCcCno

WHAT IS INSIDE OF A ZOOM LENS?

http://www.adaptall-2.com/articles/InsideZoomLens/InsideZoomLens.html

Lens are selected by a number that represents a view.

A wide angle lens will be at 3.8mm, or 4mm.  Fisheye lens, and wide angle lens suffer from distance distortion.  Anything in the distance will appear farther away in the video, when compared to reality.  Wide angle lens are not the right lens for facial recognition.

If you want facial recogintion then you will want to select a lens that puts the person caught in the viewing area to be in the 25% of the monitor screen.  You will want it to look like the 6 O' Clock news.  All head, and shoulders!

A fisheye lens is just like a peep hole on a door.  When you look through one you can see everything.  You can see the welcome mat, you can see the ceiling above, you can see the mailbox on the left, and you can see the light mounted on the wall to the right.  If you look in the distance the house across the street may be upside down due to the lens effect.

A high mm (millimeter) number will give you a closer look through the lens.  If a camera is mounted a distance from a gate then perhaps you will need to select a 50mm lens, or higher to get up close to your subject. 

A vari focal lens of 80mm - 150mm will get you real up close to your subject.

A normal lens will be a 6mm lens.  You do not have as much peripheral view, and you will not have the distance distortion.

A 12mm lens will get you closer to your subject compared to a 6mm lens.

C Mount Lens

 

The flange back (distance from the surface where the lens comes in contact with the camera to the focal point) of C mount lens is 17.526mm (0.69 inch). This is the only difference between the C mount lens and CS mount lens. C mount lens, as well as CS mount, is 1 inch diameter with 32 threads per inch. A C ring (5mm spacer ring) is required when a C mount lens is to be mounted to a CS mount camera unless the camera has built-in flange-back adjusting ring.

 

CS Mount Lens

 

The flange back of CS mount lens is 12.5mm (0.492 inch). This is 5mm shorter than the C mount lens and you need a 5mm spacer ring (or, C-ring) when you mount a C mount lens to a CS mount camera.  CS mount camera is always compatible with C or CS mount lens. C mount camera is not compatible with CS mount lens.  

Cost wise the CS mount lens is much less expensive since it uses fewer glass elements. Quality of image is the same. C mounts are becoming less, and less popular.

AXIS LUX SCALE TUTORIAL

http://www.axis.com/edu/light_intensity/index.htm

PAN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panning_%28camera%29

TILT

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt_%28camera%29

SURVEILLANCE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance

CCTV IMAGES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCTV_Images

CCD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge-coupled_device

CMOS ACTIVE PIXEL SENSOR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_pixel_sensor

NIGHT VISION

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_vision

CCD VS. CMOS

http://www.dalsa.com/markets/ccd_vs_cmos.asp

EXVIEW HAD CCD INFO

http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/cxd2463r.pdf

HAD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hole_Accumulation_Diode

STAM MULITMEDIA WEB BASED TRAINING SOLUTIONS.

http://www.stamweb.com/Article_Camera.html

Lens Calculator

http://www.csgnetwork.com/foclencalcl.html

CCTV LABS  Test Chart Manual        Great info on testing cameras!!

ENGLISH

Anatomy of a Digital Camera: Image Sensors

CCD Architecture

At its most basic, an image sensor needs to achieve five key tasks: absorb photons, generate a charge from the photons, collect the charge, transfer the charge, and convert it to a voltage. Both CCD and CMOS sensors perform all five tasks. The first three tasks are performed similarly but they diverge in their methods of charge transfer and voltage conversion.

Simple Elegance
CCDs perform fewer functions on-chip than CMOS sensors (see CMOS Architecture), but the simple elegance of the CCD results in superior image quality. Of course, simply because a digital camera has a CCD doesn't mean that the camera itself will produce a superb image. The image quality produced by a digital camera is the result of the entire camera system including the optics, analog to digital conversion, image processing, image sensor, and all the other camera components and processes. Further, the way these components work together is an important factor in determining final image quality.

CCDs are so named for the way they transfer charges between pixel wells, and ultimately out of the sensor. The charges are shifted from one horizontal row of pixels to the next horizontal row from top to bottom of the array. This is a parallel (or vertical) shift register architecture, with multiple vertical shift registers used to transport charges vertically down the rows. The charges are "coupled" to each other (thus the term charge-coupled device) so that as one row of charge is moved vertically, the next row of charge (which is coupled to it) shifts into the pixels thus vacated.

With the charges shifted down the parallel array row by row, you might wonder what happens to the charges in the last row of the sensor device. Using a serial shift register architecture, the last row is actually a horizontal shift register. Charges in that row serially transferred out of the sensor using the charge-coupling technique, making room for the next row to be shifted out, and the next, and so on. This serial transfer of charge out of the CCD is often described as a "bucket brigade," referring to its similarity to the old-fashioned fire department's bucket brigade.

Before being transferred out of the CCD serially, each pixel's charge is amplified resulting in an analog output signal of varying voltage. This signal is sent to a separate off-chip analog to digital converter (ADC) and the resultant digital data is converted into the bytes that comprise the raw representation of the image as captured by the sensor, prior to any post-processing. Unlike computer RAM that represents a 1 or 0 by either storing a charge or not, the charge on a CCD remains in analog form until the ADC stage late in the process.

Because the CCD transfers a pure electric charge over the entire sensor via the charge-coupling process with little resistance or interference from other electronic components, it tends to produce a cleaner, less noisy signal than CMOS sensors (which have much more circuitry than CCDs). The transfer, however, is never 100 percent efficient; some electrons will inevitably be lost somewhere between the pixel well and the sensor readout. A sensor's charge transfer efficiency (CTE) is a defining specification provided by manufacturers.

The Gatekeepers
Electrodes act as gatekeepers to the entire process. Electrodes are conductors that permit current to flow in or out of an electronic device and can act as electronic gates. They are also called by other names in CCDs, according to their function in the sensor design (i.e. transfer gates, exposure control gates, and overflow gates). In the case of transfer gates, the electrodes receive clock pulses of varying voltage that enable the transfer of charge from one pixel well to the next. This includes transfer of pixel charges from row to row down the array, and the final serial readout of the last row. The electronic shutter on a sensor involves using voltage controls and electrodes to limit the integration time (exactly how long a pixel will accept photons and generate electrons), performing an exposure control function. And overflow gates are used to keep electrons from spilling and contaminating adjacent pixel charges.

The most common electrodes are made of polysilicon, though Kodak has introduced another type of electrode made from indium tin oxide (ITO). This can improve the process of capturing electrons in the pixel wells, because ITO is optically more transparent than polysilicon. An unfortunate side effect of polysilicon electrodes is that they can reflect or absorb incoming photons at certain wavelengths.

CMOS electrodes function differently than those on CCDs because of the inherent differences in the way the two kinds of sensors transfer the charge. In other words, CMOS doesn't use the CCD's charge-coupled transfer process. Therefore, CMOS doesn't use electrodes the way CCD does for that process. However, electrodes are used on CMOS to reduce noise and for transfer gates to the offload transistors.

As mentioned, a key function of the electrodes is to act as transfer gates to control the charge transfer in CCDs. To delve a bit deeper in understanding how this process works, let's look at a "four-phase CCD," which has four electrodes per pixel. (Most CCDs are multi-phase devices and the number of the phases/electrodes varies by sensor model.)

The first phase of each pixel has the same voltage applied, as do the second, third, and forth phases. If an electrode receives a high voltage, a potential well is formed beneath the electrode in the silicon substrate, and if it receives a low voltage, a potential barrier is formed, which helps keep the captured electrons (the pixel data) in the potential well. Then by varying the voltages applied to adjacent electrodes in a properly timed sequence, the potential wells can actually be shuttled across the pixel and ultimately into the next pixel, enabling the bucket brigade effect as described above.

Simple but Complex
The four-phase operation is a simple process, though a bit complex to describe in words. We'll try here.

The process starts by first turning off phase one and phase two electrode (gate) voltages in the first clock period, while turning on phase three and phase four electrode voltages in that period. During the second clock period, phase one is turned on and phase three is turned off. Then phase two is turned on and phase four is turned off in the third clock period. Finally phase three is turned on and phase one of the next pixel is turned off during the fourth clock period. This process is repeated to move the charge along the sensor.

Four-phase CCD technology is a popular sensor architecture because it can be created using two layers of material. In addition, according to Philips which uses a four-phase design, it allows for at least 50 percent of the pixel well for storage and also offers the highest charge capacity among competitive designs. A three-phase CCD provides only 33 percent of the pixel well for storage.

Mintron Question and Answers

http://www.mintron.com/

1.What is Minimum Illumination? What is Sensitivity? What does 0.0001 lux stands for?

2.What is 10 bit DSP all about why other company used only 8~9bit DSP?

PIXIM

This is the best White Paper that I have found so far about Video Imaging Systems!!

Pixim White Paper

Digital Pixal System Technology

http://www.pixim.com/assets/files/product_and_tech/Pixim_Technology_White_Paper.pdf

Pixim Powered Cameras

http://www.pixim.com/pixim-powered-cameras

Resources

http://www.pixim.com/products-and-technology/pixim-design-resources

Every Pixal tells a story

http://www.pixim.com/products-and-technology/technology

Compression Advantages

http://www.pixim.com/why-pixim/Pixims-Compression-Advantage

Side By Side Comparison

http://www.pixim.com/image-comparisons/side-by-side-images

Enhanced Flicker Reduction Mode Overcomes Flicker Related Issues

http://www.pixim.com/news-and-events/press-releases/PIXIM-ANNOUNCES-VIDEO-CAPTURE-BREAKTHROUGH

Flashed Based Flip Books Explain How Pixim's Digital Pixal System Technology Works

http://www.pixim.com/assets/flash/chronicles/volume1/index.html

SONY

CX News

http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/cx_news/vol49/np_icx638_9aka.html

Sony Image Sensor List

http://www.sony.co.jp/~semicon/english/90203.html

Digital CCD Camera Head Amplifier  CXA2096N PDF

http://www.sony.co.jp/~semicon/english/img/sony01/a6802110.pdf

ENGLISH

High Speed Buffer Amplifier For CCD Image Sensor  CXA3691AEN  PDF

http://www.sony.co.jp/~semicon/english/img/sony01/a6809930.pdf

ENGLISH

CCD Verticle Clock Timer  CXD1267AN PDF

http://www.sony.co.jp/~semicon/english/img/sony01/a6807155.pdf

ENGLISH

Sony Super Had II  PDF

http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/cx_news/vol52/pdf/featuring52.pdf

ENGLISH

1/4 (4.5mm)  CCD Image Sensor For NTSC Video Cameras  ICX228AK

http://www.sony.co.jp/~semicon/english/img/sony01/a6809608.pdf

ENGLISH

1/3 (6mm)     CCD Image Sensor For NTSC Video Cameras  ICX258AK

http://www.sony.co.jp/~semicon/english/img/sony01/a6805275.pdf

ENGLISH

1/2 (8mm)     CCD Image Sensor For NTSC Video Cameras  ICX418AKL

http://www.sony.co.jp/~semicon/english/img/sony01/a6805298.pdf

ENGLISH

1/3 (6mm)     CCD  Image Sensor For NTSC SUPER HAD  ICX638AKA (NTSC)  PDF

http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/cx_news/vol49/pdf/icx638_9aka.pdf

DRSCAN     Dot sequential Readout System with Current Amplified signal output Noise reduction circuit.TM

HAD            Hole Accumulation Diode.TM

SONY INFORMATION

SONY CAMERAS

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-securitycameras/

RESOURCES

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-securitycameras/resource

SOLUTIONS, AND TECHNOLOGY

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-securitycameras/resource.solutions

Deciphering Minimum Illumination Specifications 

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-securitycameras/resource.solutions.bbsccms-assets-cat-camsec-solutions-minIllumination.shtml
 

USER GUIDES

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-securitycameras/cat-cctv/resource.manuals.bbsccms-assets-cat-camsec-manuals-SecurityUserGuides.shtml 

2000 Sony Product Guide  (For reference only)

ENGLISH

KODAK

CMOS IMAGE SENSOR DATA SHEETS

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/business/ISS/Products/CMOS/index.jhtml?pq-path=11939

INTERLINE CCD IMAGE SENSOR DATA SHEETS

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/business/ISS/Products/Interline/index.jhtml?pq-path=12032

FULL FRAME CCD IMAGE SENSOR DATA SHEETS

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/business/ISS/Products/Fullframe/index.jhtml?pq-path=12138

LINEAR CCD IMAGE SENSOR DATA SHEETS     (USED IN SCANNERS)

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/business/ISS/Products/Linear/index.jhtml?pq-path=12139

MANUFACTURE  CHIPER

http://www.chiper.com.tw/showproduct.aspx?sn=21

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS CCD SIGNAL PROCESSOR FOR CAMERAS!

http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/vsp2260.pdf

ENGLISH

BOX CAMERA EXAMPLE (MANUAL)

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/CCTV/OperatingInstructions/WV-CL924A-OPERATING-INSTRUCTIONS.pdf

ENGLISH

ZOOM DOME CAMERA (MANUAL)

ENGLISH

RORY'S LINKS ON CAMERAS FROM   WWW.CCTVFORUM.COM 

DAY NIGHT, INFRA RED, AND OTHER INFO.

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=6122

TAMRON
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamron

http://www.tamron.com/cctv/cctvnew.asp

Neutral Density Filter (FOR BRIGHT OUTDOOR LIGHTING)
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&partNumber=VF67ND&CategoryName=acc_DIAccessories_DIFilters&DCMP=OVERTUREPI_DF

HERE IS HOW YOU CLEAN YOUR DOME CAMERAS!

CONTACT SCORPIONTHEATER FOR PRICING HERE!

There are complaints that Rain X will smear a windshield. This is true, and the same for your cameras. It is due to a lack of proper cleaning of the glass surface prior to the application of the Rain X. The other issue is the application of the Rain X. It has to be buffed all the way through. Think of auto paint, and Turtle Wax. If it is not buffed all the way through then it can have a "smear" look to it.

Motorcyclist use it on their helmets. There used to be a complaint that the shields would "yellow". That would be a valid complaint in the old days, but the modern poycarbonates are very stable.

This may be in issue with your camera lens, / housing, camera cover ect.

Clean your cameras before you apply the Rain X.

Apply it in a small out of the way area of your lens / lens cover, for a test.

When you appy it wait for it to haze then buff with a micro fiber towel.

Rain X is denatured alcohol, and silicone.

Rain Clear is Rain X. The name Rain X name was sold to the Shell Oil Company, but they maintained the patent rights to it. They sell it under the Rain Clear Name. Rain X was invented by Howard Ohlhausen.

http://rainclear.com/
I recommend the Glass Scrub product for windshields also.

http://www.rainx.com/

What do you think of this page? 

http://scorpiontheater.com/contactus.aspx