Fire Wire Camera - Special Cameras

Special Cameras

In the domains of industry, medicine, astronomy, microscopy and science FireWire cameras are often used not for aesthetic, but rather for analytical purposes. They output uncompressed image data, without audio. These cameras are based on the protocol DCAM (IIDC) or on company specific protocols.

Due to their field of application, their behavior is considerably different from photo cameras or video cameras:

1. Their case is small and built mainly from metal and do not follow aesthetic, but rather functional design constraints.
2. The vast majority of special cameras does not offer integrated optics, but a standardized lens mount called "C-mount" or "CS-mount". This standard is not only used by lenses, but also by microscopes, telescopes, endoscopes and other optical devices.
3. Recording aids, such as autofocus or image stabilization are not available.
4. Special cameras often utilize monochrome CCD or CMOS chips.
5. Special cameras often do not apply an infrared cut filter or optical low pass filters, thus avoid affecting the image.
6. Special cameras output image data streams and single images, which are captured using an external trigger signal. In this way, these cameras can be integrated into industrial processes.
7. Mass storage devices are not available since the images have to be analyzed more or less immediately by the computer connected to the camera.
8. The vast majority of special cameras is controlled by application software, installed on a computer. Therefore, the cameras do not have external switches.
9. Application software is rarely available off-the-shelf. It usually has to be adapted to the specific application. Therefore, camera manufacturers offer programming tools designed for their cameras. If a camera uses the standard protocol DCAM (IIDC), it can also be used with third party software. A lot of industrial computers and embedded systems are compatible to the DCAM (IIDC) protocol (please cf. Structure / Interface and Exchanging data with computers).

In comparison to photo or video cameras, these special cameras are very simple. However, it makes no sense to use them in an isolated manner. They are, as other sensors, only components of a bigger system (please cf. System integration).