Interface module converts Camera Link, NTSC to 1-Gbit/s Ethernet

NOVEMBER 27--Startup Pleora Technologies (Kanata, Ontario, Canada; www.pleora.com) has introduced iPORT, an interface the company claims reduces the cost of connecting video cameras and imaging systems to IP/Ethernet networks by up to tenfold, while allowing cameras and imagers to send IP-format data at speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s over long reaches of ordinary Cat-5 copper cable. Pleora's iPORT architecture consists of a protocol engine, device driver, and SDK. In operation, the iPORT Protocol Engine for cameras converts video data, including Camera Link, NTSC, PAL, and RS-170 formats, into IP packets for Ethernet transport. The engine processes video data at rates of up to 1 Gbit/s with microseconds of latency.

The iPORT IP device driver resides in a PC and gives incoming IP/Ethernet video packets direct access to memory, bypassing the compute-intensive Windows software stack. This allows the PCI bus to route video data to memory efficiently. According to Pleora, end-to-end, camera-to-memory data transfers use less than 1% of the capacity in the PC's CPU, leaving almost all its power free for video applications.

iPORT's software development kit provides developers building blocks to enable third-party or custom video applications. iIPORT's Internet Explorer plug-in allows video access and camera control from a browser. Other software delivers working applications for functions like camera control and image display and acquisition. Contact George Chamberlain at (613) 270-0625 for more information.