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Products
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Q01: What
is CMOS camera. What is it different from CCD camera? 
Q02: What is Minimum
illumination? What is Sensitivity? What does 0.0001 lux stands for?
Q03: Why Mintron camera
using 10 bit DSP but everybody else used only 8~9 bit DSP. What' s good about
it?
Q04: What is smear
rejection ratio what's is the physical meaning of it. How do you measure it?
Q05: What is ROAD MAP of
Mintron DSP? What is next exciting product?
Q06: What is
instantaneous response?
Q07: What is
"STAT LIGHT" camera?
Q08: What is S filter?
How can s filter be beneficial to image quality?
Q09: What is EX-View CCD
camera? What's good or bad about it?
Q10: What is Super HAD
CCD camera? What's good or bad about it? Does Alpha camera using Super HAD CCD?
Q11: What is super-wide
dynamic?
Q12: What is super smear
rejection?
Q13: What is 48 zone
BLC?
Q14: What is
star light mode?
Q01: What is CMOS
camera. What is it different from CCD camera?
A: CMOS sensor is a kind of sensor that is normally 10 times
less sensitivity then CCD sensor. As human eye can see object under 1 lux
illumination (full moon night), CCD sensor normally will see better or as good
as human eye in the range of 0.1 ~3 lux and are 3 to 10 times more sensitive
then CMOS sensor.
More:
CMOS sensor's sensitivity is normally in the range of 6 to 15 lux. CMOS sensor
has 10 times more fix pattern noise then CCD sensor. Fixed pattern
noise is the kind of noise that stays on screen as if there is a patterned. As
CMOS sensor will become useless under 10 lux. All cameras for serious
application are using CCD sensor. CMOS sensor are normally
using on toy or very low-end home security.
There 2 exception. CMOS sensor can be made very big and have same sensitivity
as CCD sensor. CMOS sensor are very fast, it is 10 ~100 times faster then CCD
sensor, so it is very good for special application such as high-end DSC camera
(Cannon D-30) or fast frame camera.
CMOS sensor can have all the logic and control circuit be building on the same
silicon wafer dice so as to make the camera simple and easy to handle. Hence
CMOS camera can be very small in size.
CMOS camera though consume same or more power then CCD sensor but CMOS sensor
use less peripheral circuit such as CDS, TG and DSP circuit, so the total power
consumption is 1/2 to 1/4 less then a CCD camera on same size.
There is only one exception that Mintron C series camera is using only 12V/65
mA power, which is almost same as CMOS camera but having much better image
quality. C series camera using 0.35um 3.3v DSP hence consume very small power
(54C0, 54C1, 54C2, 54C1, 54C5, 54C6) . All other CCD camera making by other
company are consuming 12V/150~300mA, hence is 2 to 4 times more then CMOS
camera that is on 5~12v and 35~70 mA
Ironically, although CCD stand for "Charge Couple Device" and CMOS stand for
"Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon" but actually neither CCD nor CMOS have
anything to do with image sensing. The actuarial sensor is a device called
"Photo Diode" Both CCD sensor and CMOS sensor (as so called), are actually
using same kind of sensor called Photo diode. Photo diode is a P N junction
diode that will convert photon of the light that is bombing the junction into
proportional amount of electron. The amount of electron are them calculated and
read as voltage of signal. The more the light that entering the photo diode the
more the electron generated and the higher the voltage out put from the sensor.
CCD stand for "Charge Couple Device", CCD actually is only the technology to
store the electron charge and the method to move these charge out of photo
sensor in and organized way.
CMOS stand for "Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon". CMOS actually is only a
technology to make transistor on silicon wafer, and have no further meaning.
Sensor being called CMOS sensor was a convenient way to discriminate it from
CCD sensor and have nothing to do with the real ways that the sensor handling
image.
CMOS sensor convert electron generated by photo diode into voltage signal
immediately without complicate process. Hence it is much faster. This good
point makes CMOS sensor very useful for fast frame camera, the frame speed can
be as high as 400 ~2000 frame/sec. This point makes it very good for high speed
moving object survey. However due to lack of good fast speed DSP there are
little high speed camera on the market and are normally very expensive $3000 ~
300,000 per unit. Mintron makes 75 frame CCD camera, which is 3 times faster
then PAL TV standard on 25 frame/sec. and it is the physical limit for a CCD
device.
[ top ]
Q02: What is Minimum
illumination? What is Sensitivity? What does 0.0001 lux stands for.
A: Minimum illumination is a way to measure the sensitivity
of a camera. In another word it' s mean, how dark the camera can still see
usable image. However because there is no ISO standard to regulate, so major
CCD makers have their own way of testing sensitivity of CCD. However a camera
specified as (1 lux, F10) can be exactly the same as a camera specified as
(0.01 lux F1.0)!!! Surprise? Why?
 
More:
The most common way to measure minimum illumination is called target
illumination. Target illumination means how much light is received by the plan
where CCD surface is located. Although the definition is clear however there
are three major parameter will dramatically changed the result of the
measurement. There are:
| F stop |
( F stop of the lenses used for the camera
under test ) |
| Color temperature |
( Color temperature of the light source.
i.e. spectrum contain ) |
| IRE |
( IRE level of the video amplitude ) |
| Reflection ratio |
( Reflection ratio of the object and it's
background ) |
F stop
F stop is the way to measure the capability of a lenses to collect light. a
good lens can collect more light and throw the concentrated ray to CCD sensor.
A lens of F1.4 will collect 2 times more light then a F 2.0 lenses. in another
word a F1.0 lenses will collect 100 times more light then a F 10 lenses. So it
is important to specify the F stop of the lenses used during the test, or not
the reading will be useless.
Color temperature
Color temperature is the way to express the spectrum contain of the light
source. A light source of 3200k contain mostly spectrum around 600nm to 900nm,
and a light source of 9300k contain mostly spectrum around 300 to 500 nm. Hence
different color temperature will totally altered the testing result. A light
source with 600 nm wave length will generate 10 times more electron the a light
source with 900 nm wave length light source on a typical CCD sensor, hence is
10 time more sensitive. This is why that color temperature must be specified to
make the reading meaningful.
IRE level
Maximum amplitude of video output from a CCD camera normally should be set at
100 IRE or 700mV. A video in 100 IRE means that it will fully drive a monitor
to expressed best image with best brightness and contrast. A video with 50IRE
means it has only half of the contrast, and 30 IRE mean 30% of original
amplitude or 210mV. It is generally acceptable that 30 IRE is a minimum value
for a meaningful image. A regular camera will have noise level on 10 IRE while
AGC kick up to max gain, hence will provide 3:1 or 10dB S/N ratio for a barley
acceptable image.
A reading measured under 10 IRE will be 10 times better then measuring read
under 100 IRE. So a reading without defining IRE level is actually useless.
Reflection ratio
Reflection ratio of the object and its background will significantly distort
the measurement. An object with 100% reflection rate will generate 100 times
more light on target plane then an object with 1% reflection rate.
How do people normally set this parameter:
Most reputable company will measure sensitivity of their camera under following
criteria.
F stop F1.4
Color temperature 5600k
Video level 30 IRE
Reflection ratio 80%
So a honest camera make will specify the minimum illumination as
3 lux (F1.4 5600K 30 IRE 80%)
IF any parameter is omitted the reading can be 10 to 1000 time different.
For example The same camera can be specify very differently
1 lux (F1.4 5600K 30 IRE 80%
0.001 lux ( F 0.75 5600K 10 IRE 1% )
This is why some irresponsible make will specify their Ex-view camera actually
measured
1 lux ( F1.4 5600K 30 IRE 80% ) but be specified
as 0.0001 lux .
Now you know why!!! Because they were measured under
(F 0.75 5600K 10 IRE 0.1%)
Curiously want to know if what (F 0.75 5600K 10IRE 0.1%) stands for?
F 0.75 is the kind of lenses will cost you $30,000 or more to get, and it is
not essentially not available for CCTV industry.
10IRE video is below noise level, so nothing will be seen.
Putting a tiny white line in front of a very dark background can create 0.1%
reflective ratio.
Next time be a smart buyer, cause you've read Mintron Q and A session. !
[ top ]
Q03: Why Mintron camera
using 10 bit DSP but everybody else used only 8~9 bit DSP. What' s good about
it?
A: NTSC /PAL video need about 8 bit data resolution to
present all the necessary gray scale and color rendering. However as technology
of TV set, monitor unit and tape recorder is advanced so fast. Nowadays HDTV
can express a video of 10 bit resolution, S-VHS and DV recorder and DVD also
surpassed NTSC/PAL spec. But actually this is not the reason why Mintron have
to spend big investment in a 10 bit DSP.
More:
The reason why Mintron spend big money to develop a 10 bit DSP and a 10 bit
CDS/AGC/AD converter IC is not for the reason stated above. Instead it is to
deal with a more serious issue that only very high-end studio camera will have
to put it into consideration- the Gamma correction.
Gamma correction is the essential technology to create excellent image quality.
As most of the CRT tube have 1/0.45=2.22 gamma curve and LCD panel have even
worse gamma curve as 1/0.3-3.33 hence if a perfect linear video signal is sent
to a CRT for image display, the end result will be a very bad image with 80% of
lumens contain be squeezed into 30% of the gray scale. In another words every
thing look dull and dark, and totally unlike the way human will see. To
overcome this natural physic of every CRT tube, a video must be Gamma corrected
before sent to a CRT. i.e. the dark zone must be exaggerated base on a gamma
curve of 0.45 hence 2.22 X0.45 will yield a true 1:1 image on the CRT screen.
During Gamma correction process, DSP will need 2 to 10 times more information
or in another word 2 to 4 more bit of data so that to provide enough detail
information for later process. The perfect way to do Gamma correction is to
input 12bit and yield 8 bit after process. With extra 4 more bit (12-8 = 4 bit)
DSP will be able to create a perfect image.
Unfortunately nowadays all the CCD maker can only offer DSP in 9 bit DSP for
CCTV industry which will provide only 1bit more information or 2 times more
gray scale. The result is that the dark zone of the image will lost it detail
in gray scale and color rendering.
Mintron intended to be as industrial leader choose to design it's own M-88128
DSP in 10 bit and M88020 CDS/AGC/AD also in 10 bit so as to provide 4 times
more gray scale information or 2 bit more data. The result is a very brilliant
image with 4 times more gray scale and color rendering. This excellent feature
is one of the major foundations to create 60 db S/N, 7:1 times more dynamic
range and 3 times higher sensitivity. This is why Mintron camera can out
performed all other competitor including famous Japanese firm such as S Company
and P Company.
Will Mintron stop here, No! Under developing Mintron is planning to use it's
4th generation DSP and CDS chip by winter of 2001. The new M-89 DSP and CDS
will have astonishing 12 bit of resolution, it's a technology that is only
being using on top end studio camera cost $300,000 per set or more for TV
broadcasting. With 12 bit data, Gamma correction circuit will have extra 4 bit
of information or 16 times more gray scale. This extra 16 time more gray scale
will be more enough to create seamless grayscale curve that is far beyond that
human eye can discriminate.
[ top ]
Q04: What is smear
rejection ratio what's is the physical meaning of it. How do you measure it?
A: Smear is an effect created by imperfection of CCD sensor.
Every video camera have a CCD sensor, due to imperfect of the CCD sensor,
strong light enter CCD sensor will penetrate the photo resistance layer and
create fag image. These unwanted image is called smear. The extend of a CCD
camera can reject strong light is called Smear Rejection Ratio.
 |
 |
| Smeared image |
Image with no smear |
More:
Normal CCD sensor having 95 to 120 dB smear rejection ratio. During last 15
years it was evolve from 60 dB to 120 db. As the improvement can only be done
by CCD sensor semiconductor foundry, a camera-assembling firm has essentially
no way to have hands on it. However, this rule is now broken by Mintron Jaguar
63W1 .
Jaguar 63W1 having a super high speed 20 MIPS DSP It will improve smear
rejection ratio for 50 time (34 dB) and create 154dB superb smear rejection
ratio that leading the world.
Although the actual way to achieve this goal is an proprietary industrial
secrete of Mintron, however put it a laymen term the camera first take an image
with shutter off to build a smear only image in memory and then take second
image with normal shutter speed that including wanted image and smear portion.
Two image is then substrate by super speed DSP ad eliminate the smear.
Mintron's test procedure for Smear Rejection Ratio
The formulas to calculate Smear Rejection Ratio by Mintron lab is as below
S= 20 x log ( Ys / 200mV x 1/500 x 1/10 )
S = Smear rejection ratio in term of dB
Ys = Video generate by strong light while electronics shutter is off
200mV = Video generated by a standard object and back ground with lenses
aperture set on F 5.6
500 = A very strong light that it 500 times larger then normal situation is
used to force creation of smear image
10 = Smear image is measured as 1/10 V of normal image.
For example, if 200mV of smear image is measured under above test condition S
will equal to
S= 20 log (200mV/200mV x 1/500 x 1/10) = 20 log (1/5000) =20 (-3.5) =70 dB
Mintron 63W1 having 154 dB Smear rejection ratio, means if the light increase
for 35,000 times more 63W1 will have as little smear as other camera.
[ top ]
Q05: What is ROAD MAP of
Mintron DSP? What is next exciting product?
A: Since 1999 Mintron had developed 4 generation of DSP that
is shocking the CCTV industry.
More:
1st Generation DSP
1st generation DSP was designed to have 6 ms white balance
to overcome color-rolling problem that exists on every DSP color camera. DSP
made by other Japanese maker normally takes 150 ms
to achieve white balance. Mintron M86 DSP with 50 times faster speed was
successfully offering zero color rolling camera first time in the world and
still the only one in the world up to date.
Reduce power consumption from 12V/350ma to 12V/85mA (from 3500mW to
900 mW) With the significantly lower power, the Alpha camera become
useable for spy camera that is running under battery power.
Increase DSP bandwidth from 8~9 bit to 10 bits. With 10 bit DSP Alpha
camera can handle 4 times more information and allow plenty of room for Gamma
correction. Hence alpha camera has 4 step grayer scale the all other CCTV
camera. (The bright, brighter and brightest, the dark darker and darkest)
Super BLC is an invention to calculated exposure that will tracking the
main object and adjusts shutter and AGC to provide best exposure despite the
strong background lighting.
2nd Generation DSP
Second generation is development for Vertical drive synchronization and
is ready for line lock feature. Power consumption
is further reduced to 12V/65mA or 750mW
3 rd Generation DSP
3 rd Generation is a major step to include
Zoom: 1~2X digital zoom or
2~256X zoom
OSD: Digital interactive on screen display for brilliant OSD character
for control of shutter AGC BLC zoom
48 zone BLC: Divide CCD into 48 mini zone and store exposure information
in 48 register, and fully programmable.
4th Generation DSP
To be available on Sep/2001, Mintron's 4th generation DSP will provide
12 bit band width to cope with most demanding picture quality that is
required by studio camera
Noise cancellation circuit to further upgrade S/N ration to record
breaking 75dB
General locking circuit will allow synchronization of vertical
horizontal and color burst.
Digital encoder for all format of analog video and digital video output
Digital YVU out put
ITU-R BT656/601 20 bit
YUV 4:2:2
YUV 8:4:4
YUV 4:1:1
YUV 8:1:1
Analog out put
RS-170A NTSC
PAL (B, D, G, H, I)
NTSC/PAL YC S-VHS
Beta Cam YUV
0.7V p-p RGB (with sync signal)
[ top ]
Q06. What is
instantaneous response?
Instantaneous responses
While using wide dynamic camera in an environment with very strong contrast, it
is understandable that it will take longer time for a camera to achieve good
exposure for both dark and bright zone. We have tested the world most famous
product and surprisingly found that it takes 12 sec. for their 460/SKII to
reach stable exposure point. Instead Mintron Jaguar 63w1
takes 0.003 second on manual ON mode, which is 8 to 4000 times faster.
A: As a result of strictly test. Mintron Jaguar 63W1 takes
only 0.001 sec. to align and 0.003 sec. to be stable and reach perfect exposure
on wide dynamic mode, compare to P Brand 460/SKII that take 12 second to be
stable. Hence Mintron Jaguar 63W1 is tested to be 4000 times faster then the
former world leader. (12/0.003=4000)
More:
This testing result surprised most of the people that have a chance to evaluate
63W1. Most people would expect that Mintron to be same or slightly faster the P
maker. However it is also surprised by Mintron own QC team that is confirming
that 63W1 will achieving perfect exposure lever in merely 3ms (0.003 s). This
feature makes tracking of fast object feasible, such as shooting picture of a
flying object.
A camera that takes 12 sec. to reach good exposure might be useless while
tracking a walking person, because a person can easily walk out of range of
camera before it can be seen. Normally it takes a person 2 sec to open door and
move in; hence exposure to be stable in 2 sec. should be the Minimum spec.
[ top ]
Q07. What is
"STAT LIGHT" camera?
 
A: The "Star Light" series of CCD video cameras is one
of the many unique lines of cameras that Mintron has developed for
special-purpose applications.
By incorporating frame integration technology, Star Light cameras offer an
unsurpassed level of low-light performance, allowing image formation in near
total darkness.
In these cameras, the CCD accumulates photons for periods 2 to 128 times longer
(1-2 seconds) than normal maximum exposure times for video CCD cameras (1/60 or
1/50 second). As a result, the minimum illumination needed by the camera to
produce a usable image is decreased by a factor of 2 to 128 times.
Using our Star Light cameras with frame integration technology, users can see
color images under starlight�@illumination conditions (0.0035 Lux) and black
& white images under cloudy starlight conditions (0.0002 Lux). The
scattered background light prevalent in cities (i.e. light pollution) is
adequate for good colour exposures.
Star Light cameras can also extend the effective range of supplementary
infrared illumination used to generate "night-time" images. Using frame
integration exposures, the effective range of an infrared source can be
extended 128 times - so, for example, an infrared projection lamp designed to
illuminate an area 10 m. away will have its range extended to 1280 m.
immediately using a Star Light camera.
The maximum exposure (frame integration rate) is fixed at four times (4x) for
the "F" series models (63F0/ 63F1/62F1) and 64 times (64x) for the 6318/ 6368/
6268 models. The "V" series models (63V0/63V1/62V1)
are capable of 2 ~128 times (2x -128x) frame integration periods, programmable
by the user through an on-screen display (OSD) menu. The frame integration
exposure capability of the "V" series cameras can be further extended to 256x;
512x; or 1024x (or more) by special order. Note that these special extended
exposure times also require that a special cooling system be installed to bring
the CCD chip temperature down to -10C to decrease the dark current and prevent
"pixelation"�@
[ top ]
Q08: What is S filter?
How can s filter be beneficial to image quality?
A: S filter is the nick name for Mintron proprietary infrared
filter, if installed in alpha series camera the white balance range
will be extended and the color rendering will be much better especially using
the camera under fluorescent lamp.
More:
Most of the color CCD camera on the market is using dichroic filter to reduce
the un-wanted infra red so that infrared will not be mis-interpreted as red
color. A typical 33 layer coating will be able to provide a good cut of of
infrared on 750nm, however if use a CCD camera with this kind of inexpensive IR
filter under illumination of tungsten lamp with color temperature of 3200k or
lower, the steep-up of energy of red to infrared spectrum will not be able to
stopped properly and will cause bad white balance and color rendering. Customer
that using CCD camera Marjory under illumination of tungsten lamp is
recommended to use S filter for best result.
[ top ]
Q09: What is EX-View CCD
camera�H What's good or bad about it �H
A: "EX-View" is a sensitivity-enhancement technology
developed by SONY to improve light sensitivity of its CCD by a factor of two
for visible light and a factor of four for near-infrared wavelengths.
More:
EX-View is a proprietary SONY technology in which the P/N junction of each
photodiode in the CCD matrix is specially fabricated to have much better
photon-to-electron conversion efficiency. In addition, each photodiode
(representing one pixel in an image) has a microscopic lens fabricated over it
to better capture and focus light onto the active semiconductor junction. This
results in an improvement in light sensitivity of 2 times for visible light and
4 times for near infrared (800 ~ 900 nm) compared to the conventional CCD
versions offered by SONY. The lux rating of the EX-View CCD is two times better
than the premium SONY "Super HAD" CCD for both visible and near-infrared
wavelengths.
Mintron's proprietary DSP can be reprogrammed to work with the EX-View CCD
sensor, however only a few select camera models have been chosen to incorporate
the Ex-view sensor. They are models 62V1; 63V1; 63V0 from the "Starlight"
series cameras and models 32K9; 33K9 from the "WK" series. B&W versions are
also available with 10 times more light sensitivity at the same price.
The drawback to EX-View technology is that, due to the difficult nature of the
CCD chip manufacturing process and the delicate nature of the chips, there is a
limited supply of the sensor elements from SONY.
According to SONY, there are more latent imperfections in the photodiodes of
the EX-View CCD chip compared to the Super HAD sensors. These few defective CCD
elements may break down, thereby causing "dead pixels", which leave white or
black spots on the image which cannot be removed. Dead pixels are known to
develop whether the CCD chip is in storage or in active use.
As an example, an EX-View CCD might ship from SONY's factory with only 3 dead
spots but the number might increase to 5 during transportation and then perhaps
grow to 7 while sitting in the camera manufacturer's warehouse and grow further
to, say, 12 when installed in a CCD camera. The number of dead pixels might
later grow to 15 to 30 by the time the camera is received by the end user. This
process will continue until the latent defects in the photodiodes stabilize.
SONY says that the growing number of dead pixel elements is caused by cosmic
rays that bombard the more vulnerable junctions of some of the photodiodes in
the CCD array.
Due to the sensitive nature of the manufacturing process, the yield rate for
EX-View CCD chips is relatively low, limiting delivery quantities of acceptable
units. The high cost associated with the manufacturing process makes the
EX-View CCD chip good for specific applications (e.g. scientific; industrial)
where the high light sensitivity the chip provides is important, but the
devices are not cost-effective for use in conventional surveillance cameras.
As Mintron is a highly reputable and responsible manufacturer, we feel
obligated to remind our customers of the benefits and limitations of cameras
incorporating the SONY Ex-View chip. We sincerely regret that we have to limit
availability of cameras incorporating the SONY EX-View chip, declining orders
from some of our valued customers who have applications in the traditional
surveillance field. Please understand that this is not a limitation of
Mintron's technology or our manufacturing processes but a supply-and-demand
situation pertaining to the availability of EX-View CCD chips from SONY at this
time.
[ top ]
Q10: What is Super HAD
CCD camera? What's good or bad about it? Does Alpha camera using Super HAD CCD?
A: All Alpha family C, D, F, G, H, V, W series camera are
come with Super HAD CCD, or optionally having Ex-view CCD.
More:
SONY CCD cameras selling today on market are almost using Super HAD technology.
Super HAD will provide 2 times better sensitivity and 6 db better smear
rejection ratio then former old type CCD. Two micro lenses on top of each photo
diode will collect more photon from incoming light than old CCD made by SONY
and any other maker.
Panasonic believe their new 37 series is as good as SONY Super HAD and their 39
series is as good as SONY EX-View on visible light zone.
For best color rendering and good dynamic range, Alpha B and K series camera
mainly using Panasonic CCD.
Sony Ex-view CCD Do has 4 times better sensitivity on near infrared zone (800~
900 nm). Compare to Super HAD, however this advantage If handled proper it will
be excellent for night vision. But if not handled properly, it will became a
draw back, because the infrared will cause color distortion and blurred image
due to basic physics that infrared will focus on deeper location and cause
hologram image especially if certain lens is used.
[ top ]
Q11: What is super-wide
dynamic?
A: Super wide dynamic is a feature to allow a camera to see
an image under very strong contract.
More:
Mintron Jaguar 63W1 having 280:1 dynamic range
which is 90 times more then legacy camera that is having only 3:1 dynamic
range. Natural lighting can range from 120,000 lux to 0.00035 lux in
star light night. While a camera see from an indoor room to scenery outside
window the indoor illumination may be 100 lux and out door scenery may be
10,000 lux, the contract is 10,000/100 = 100:1, this kind of contract is easy
for human eye because human eye can handle 1000: 1 contract level. However a
legacy CCTV camera will have big problem to handle it. Legacy camera with only
3:1 contract capability, It can only choose to use 1/60 sec. shutter speed to
provide good exposure for indoor object but the out door image will be washed
out (all white), or in another way the camera can choose to use 1/6000 sec to
provide good exposure to optimize for outdoor image, but then the indoor image
will be dark out (all black), this is a long time deli mar since camera was
invented.
Mintron Jaguar 63W1 having 280:1 super wide dynamic range will solve this Deli
mar all in once. Jaguar running on twice higher speed the legacy camera. It
will take 60 frame/sec, which is 2 times more then legacy camera that is
running 25/30 frame/sec. Jaguar will for example take in door image on 1/100
sec. to optimize exposure for indoor object, and then take second exposure on
1/10000 sec. to optimize exposure for outdoor image. Two images then merged to
create a perfect image as if seeing from a superior human eye created by God.
[ top ]
Q12: What is super smear
rejection?
A: Super smear rejection will remove smears image created by
strong spot light, head light of a car or bright light from a window.
 |
 |
Smear image
on all legacy camera |
Smear cancelled by
Jaguar 63W1 makes license
plate clear to see |
More:
Every Video camera has a CCD or CMOS sensor, due to imperfect of the CCD
sensor, strong light enter CCD sensor will penetrate the photo resistance layer
and create fag image. These unwanted image is called smear, the extend of a CCD
camera can reject strong light is called Smear Rejection Ratio.
Normal CCD sensor having 95 to 120 dB smear rejection ratio. During last 15
years it was evolve from 60 dB to 120 db. As the improvement can only be done
by CCD sensor semiconductor foundry, a camera-assembling firm has essentially
not way to hand on. However, this rule is now broken by Mintron Jaguar 63W1.
Jaguar 63W1 having a super high speed 20 MIPS DSP It will improve smear
rejection ratio for 50 time (34 dB) and create 154dB superb smear rejection
ratio that leading the world.
Although the actual way to achieve this goal is an proprietary industrial
secrete of Mintron, however put it a laymen term the camera first take an image
with shutter off to build a smear only image in memory and then take second
image with normal shutter speed that including wanted image and smear portion.
Two image is then substrate by super speed DSP ad eliminate the smear.
[ top ]
Q13: What is 48 zone BLC
A: Weighting on or all, some or most of the 48 zone to
optimize exposure level of mail object.
More:
Mintron V and W series camera equipped with more advance 48 zone BLC feature.
User can manually choose which of the 8X6 zone (48) need to be emphasized
(weighted). User can turn on one or several of the 48 zone to optimize exposure
level under very difficult lighting situation in helping the artificial
intelligent to further optimize the exposure level of the mail object.
[ top ]
Q14: What is
star light mode?
A: Star light mode will make a CCD camera able to see clear
color image under very low lighting situation such as 0.0002 lux illumination
level.
 |
 |
Legacy camera
see nothing under 0.0035 lux |
Clear image and vivid color
with Mintron star light camera |
More:
All CCD sensor was designed to work on 1/50,1/60 ~1/2000 sec. shutter speed,
hence the minimum illumination level or so called sensitivity is then limited
on 3 to 6 lux with a F1.2 lens on 5600k Mintron proprietary DSP can drive CCD
shutter speed to as low as 1 sec ~ 10 sec. As a fundamental of physics the
longer the shutter open, the more photon the CCD will capture, hence increase
the sensitivity to 100 ~ 600 time more then legacy camera.
Mintron V series camera having 4 times better sensitivity on legacy made than
other camera, plus it will multiply light for 128X on star light mode, all
these makes V series camera 512 times more sensitivities then all other camera
on the market. �@
Jaguar MTV-63W1 also equipped with a 64X star light mode
How do Star light mode kick in? is it automatically? How can I activate it!
User can turn on star light mode (slow shutter frame integration mode).
advanced model V and W series such as 63V1 and 63W1 user can turn on star light
mode by OSD screen and interactive push bottom.
If a camera has Star light mode turned on as above, while incoming light
getting weak the camera will automatically increase AGC gain to bring video
level back to 100 IRE, after AGC pull up to maximum and still can not maintain
100 IRE, then the frame integration feature will automatically kick in, the
shutter speed will start to drop from 1/60 to 1/30, 1/15, 1/8 1/4 1/2, 1, 2, 4,
8 ... and all the way down to 1~10 sec. Due to manufacturing art of CCD sensor,
most of the CCD will have too much dark current noise on 64X multiply or 1sec
shutter speed. The new V series camera 63V1 / 63V0 use better selected CCD and
adaptive noise cancellation circuit, it's can go further up to 128X multiply or
2 sec. slow shutter. Hence will add two times better sensitivity. In V series
an even more advanced feature is equipped. The priority of AGC or SLOW SHUTTER
can be programmed by OSD push bottom.
Shutter priority
In case shutter priority is selected, while lighting level goes down the frame
integration mode will kick in first to maintain a clean brilliant noise free
image with perfect color rendering, and after shutter slow down to maximum 128X
or 2 sec. but still can not maintain100 IRE video level, the AGC will start to
kick in and continue to hold the video level on 100 IRE till AGC pull up to
maximum ( +32 dB ). The draw back for this mode is that, while the shutter slow
down first, the motion article will become blur in the early stage.
AGC priority
In case AGC priority is selected, while incoming light goes down, the AGC will
kick in first, and the shutter will maintain on 1/60 or higher. (1/50,1/60 ~
1/120,000) Hence motion picture will be very good and no blur. But the draw
back is that while AGC kick in first and gradually pull up to maximum the image
will be more noisy and the color become annoying
Normally Shutter priority is selected on industry and astronomical filed
especially for steady object observation, and where good picture quality is the
priority. On another side AGC priority mode is selected for surveillance,
traffic control and military where motion picture is the main purpose.
In the new alpha V series the output of the CCD is 2 times bigger then normal
CCD, It is not because of better CCD but due to special micro adjustment timing
circuit controlled by advance M88 DSP is used. Hence the sensitivity is
naturally 2 times better even if on 30 frame real time mode. The performance is
found to be almost as same as a SONY EX-View is installed. Hence while using V
series camera on shutter priority mode the motion picture will be 2 times
faster and more action picture can be sent out. On another side while using it
with AGC priority mode the noise will become half naturally.
SONY Ex-View CCD
If a SONY Ex-View CCD is installed in any legacy camera the sensitivity on
visible light will be 2 times better, but if it is installed in V series
camera, the sensitivity of V series will be 4 times better on 30 frame real
time mode and the motion and noise will be improved for 2 more times, however
everything has its draw back. The bad part for Ex-View CCD is that it is twice
more expensive than a SONY Super HAD CCD, and due to fine art of the photo
sensor and micro lens; the bad spot on the CCD will grow more and more due to
Cosmos Ray bombing (Claimed by SONY)
However due to nature of physics, human can only compromise on one side and can
not have them all.
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