single board 14mm x 14mm OEM AHD/TVI camera - 21C14AT - sensor covers 95% of front side
skoopia is proud to announce its next member of its industrial AHD/TVI cameras. This OEM camera is a super-small, single board 14mm by 14mm board camera with extremely low light sensitivity. The camera is called skoopia 21C14AT.
It sets the new industry standard replacing small 14mm by 14mm and Φ 19 mm single board CVBS OEM cameras providing superior image quality, offering additional functions while allowing you to use the existing cabling.
Key USPs skoopia 21C14AT
Very sensitive 1/2.7" sensor
Extremely small form factor: 14mm x 14mm single board (fits Φ 19 mm)
No latency
Easy integration via FFC (flexible flat cable) on OEM board
Active amplified differential video (V+/V-) and regular video (V, GND)
Extreme long cable distances possible
Extreme operational temperature range: -40°C / 105°C
Agile powering: 4-16V, Very low power consumption 0.8 W
Dynamic camera control via direct register access (via I2C and UtC)
True DOL WDR: max. 120 dB, WDR fully customizable
Very sensitive industrial 1/2.7" sensor
The industrial AHD/TVI camera 21C14AT is equiped with a (at least for the size of the camera) very large sensor. The very large sensor of 1/2.7" offers Full HD output in the Full HD aspect ratio (16;9), effectively providing the largest possible pixel size on a 14mm x 14mm board camera. The sensor uses state of the art sensor technology, providing extreme low light sensitivity per pixel.
The combination of a very large pixel size combined with a very low light sensitivity provides a super sensitive OEM camera that in low light conditions even exceeds the Sony Starvis Exmor R IMX327.
Very small industrial Full HD AHD camera - single board 14mm x 14mm
The 21C14AT is an extremely small single board OEM AHD/TVI camera providing Full HD video output without latency.
It is fully focused on integration in an environment where camera dimensions are constraint. Moreover, purposefully a FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) integration is chosen. Reason for the FFC is fourfold:
Soldering at these dimensions is cumbersome at manufacturing. The FFC avoids soldering mistakes and allows for additional signals allowing the OEM to choose the most suitable signal.
Soldering such dimensions in the filed is impossible. Using the FFC, allows replacement of the industrial AHD/TVI camera, by simply opening the FFC clip.
The integration of the FFC connector on the OEM integration board is also having the smallest possible footprint. Nearly all times, OEM integration boards are present, as such boards typically take care of: 1) OEM camera lighting, 2) Required measurement information not provided by the industrial camera (e.g. pressure, tilt, GPS location, temperature (in camera housing, but also outside housing temperature).
The choice for an FFC offers more flexibility with respect to length to the OEM integration board, as FFC lengths can be customized. An FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) offers a small footprint advantage (no connector required on the PCB board), but has disadvantages in reliability, maintenance and offers no flexibility in length. (Click here for comparison of FFC and FPC).
The 21C14AT has cut off corners, allowing replacement of industrial CVBS cameras with the dimension of Φ 19 mm single board implementation.
21C14AT - single board 14 mm x 14 mm Full HD AHD/TVI camera - dimensions
Sensor/DSP board 14mm x 14mm (cut off corners to meet Φ 19 mm)
FFC and connector for easy integration in OEM PCB
Small separate solder connector board for easy initial testing
FFC length is customizable (here: 50 mm)
For easy image quality testing, a 14mm x 14mm lens mount for M12 lenses is available. Moreover, industrial camera samples are delivered with a separate solder collector board, allowing assessment of the camera performance without the investment of connector integration on the OEM integration board.
Comparing 21C14AT with single board 14mm x 14mm OEM CVBS cameras
The skoopia 21C14AT industrial AHD camera is targeted at OEM integrations requiring small single board footprint. This could be new applications, but also replacement of existing - CVBS based- cameras. CVBS cameras measuring 14mm x 14mm, Φ 19 mm or larger dimensions could be replaced using the 21C14AT.
Reasons to replace industrial CVBS cameras with the skoopia 21C14AT.
CVBS cameras provide a lower image resolution (quite some implementations of single board 14mm x 14mm or Φ 19 mm even deliver resolutions below PAL standard (e.g. 640x480 and not 768x 576, while th 21C14AT OEM AHD/TVI camera delivers 1920x1080
CVBS industrial cameras typically are based on "old" sensor and "old" DSP. Three reasons to change: 1) End of life of such DSP and sensor is expected soon or already a reality. 2) Sensors are significantly less sensitive ("4 generations old") 3) Sensors are typically 1/4", compared to 1/2.7", providing significantly more image distortion, particularly if larger viewing angles are required.
Same cabling can be used. Easy integration of the skoopia 21C14AT OEM camera to replace the CVBS industrial camera, as form, fit and function are maintained.
Active differential OEM camera signal (V+)/(V-)
21C14AT supports next to regular AHD/TVI video out (Video/GND) also active differential signal. Active differential signal (in combination with an active receiver) provides significant improvements in video transfer.
Longer distance: We measured a near double length* using the active differential signal (V+, V-) compared to the regular signal (Video, GND).
Less EMC disturbances, as the EMC impact can be filtered out. **
Active differential signal is therefore very suitable if your setup is used in environments where:
large currents are running close to or alongside your video cabling (e.g. in pipe repair: currents driving the curing lamps that thermally harden the reliner).
regular Video/GND does not provide the required image quality versus cable length.
* we measured with standard cable (CAT7 for (V+)/(V-), RG6 for Video/GND), without any sliprings or connectors except for connectors at the cable end.
** EMC impact (noise) on the video signal of the industrial OEM camera occurs, but because the video is split in (V+) and (V-) the impact on both signals is likely to be identical. Forming back the factual video signal, by substracting the signal on V+ and V- one gets a signal (theoretically ) without any EMC impact/noise, factual with significant EMC impact/noise reduction.
Industrial OEM cameras - active differential signals (theory)
Assume the Video signal gets inverted on the second line, so Video become (V+) and (V-).
Assume the EMC impact due to (e.g. electrical currents running parallel or close to the video wiring to amount to δ.
Then the video signal:
(V+) becomes (V+) + δ
(V-) becomes (V-) + δ
Substracting the video signals without EMC/noise at the end of the cable would result in:
(V+) - (V-) = 2*(V+)
If the EMC impact on the video signal is identical (theoretical assumption, but fairly practical as the twisted pair cables are assumed to be running close and parallel to each other:
Substracting the video signals with EMC/noise at the end of the cable would result in:
((V+) + δ) - ((V-) +δ) = (V+) - (V-) = 2*(V+)
Extreme temperature industrial camera
21C14AT is typically used in settings where space is limited. And with limited space, temperature and/or cooling is also often a problem that needs to be tackled. Here, the 21C14AT provides two major USPs.
Low power consumption (0.8W)
Very high operational temperature range
Low power consumption has the key benefit that only limited power has to be dissipated. Although heat sinks and other measures can be in place, heat sinks can only reduce the time before reaching top temperature, assuming the industrial camera is in usage permanently. Lower power consumption in general leads to a lower temperature intrinsically.
It reduces the time it takes before the maximum temperature is reached.
It reduces the factual maximum temperature.
The 21C14AT OEM camera combines its low power consumption with a very broad range of operating temperatures, ranging from -40°C up to 105°C.
Image quality test of the 21C14AT in climate room test
No image issues from -40°C up to 80°C.
Above 85°C noise increase is clearly visible.
Image loss occurs above 95°C, but even at 105°C a color image is still visible.
Next to the very low power consumption and extreme broad temperature range the skoopia 21C14AT industrial AHD camera can be used, it also provides a very broad voltage range (from 4V up to 16V), further easing the implementation of the OEM camera in any type of application in need for a very small camera minimizing the required changes replacing existing lower resolution cameras and/or implementing this camera in a setting where controlling a specific voltage requires (re-)engineering.
Industrial camera productivity - Up the Coax / I2C
The 21C14AT supports UtC (Up the Coax) as well as I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) protocol. Where I2C requires 2 wires for transferring the camera control data, UtC allows you to make use of the existing video wiring for control commands. Direct control implies direct access to registers of the camera, instead of using an on-screen-display (OSD) menu to set parameters.
Both technologies offer direct control. The specific benefits of UtC (Up the Coax) for existing and new applications will be discussed in detail below. The general benefits of direcdt commands are discsused here.
OEM direct command camera
Although implementations of direct camera control only represent approximately 1% of all cameras sold, dynamic camera control has been seen in industrial camera applications and medical camera applications for quite some time. Moreover, more and more camera applications adopt direct control in these environments, because it enhances productitvity.
The following reasons existing for direct control.
A) OEM manufacturing benefits:
Single or controlled set of commands to set OEM camera in preferred setting for integration in product (manufacturing benefit). 1) avoid mistakes in setting parameters (i.e. consider setting 10 cameras with 20 different camera parameters identical from delivered camera without failure). 2) more productive, faster follow up (extremely productive is the self-customizable block command (skoopia (R)) is used, single button)
Single unit in stock, single unit to customize camera to specific delivery (region (NTSC/PAL), camera orientation (FLIP, MIRROR, etc), color (outdoor, indoor, 6400K/5600K etc), but also - one-push white balance (single calibration).
Time benefit: 5-10 minutes, stock management: 25% less on stock
B) Productivity features selling OEM products
Presets or direct setting of commands via a single button/ command, without navigation in a menu structure. 1) OEM camera presets or even just single commands without searching for individual commands in OSD structure (never 100% clear, only 1 level visible at a time) by operator.
2) allowing direct buttons to set or reset a specific parameter (e.g. digital zoom, focus or one push white balance).
Time benefit: 1 minute per request of an operator to perform such action (assuming he needs it at least once a day ***.
*** if the direct command is not often needed, he will likely browse the OSD menu for a long time, should no direct command be present. If he requires the direct command often, he will be a lot faster, but require the command often (Measurements made over a period of three weeks, three operators).
OEM UtP Camera - Industrial camera with Up the coax.
As indicated before, the 21C14AT supports UtC as well as I2C protocol. Where I2C requires 2 wires for industrial camera control data, UtC allows you to make use of the existing video wiring for controlling the OEM camera.
The 21C14AT offers direct commands using Up the Coax. It is the first camera world wide to provide the benefits of direct control (either in manufacturing or in operation) without the requirement of two additional wires for control. Effectively, this makes the 21C14AT extremely suitable in any environment where dynamic image adaptation is required, but the contemporary solution simply lacks control wires.
Missing wires, Why is UtC not adopted so far.
Although UtC offers signfiicant benefits, the technology is still at its infancy in adoption.
Reasons are threefold.
Industrial and medical cameras, so far have adopted the fact that they can only be delivered pre-configured, and no settings can be changed, or new wiring with an additional pair of wires is available for direct control (I2C, VISCA, PELCO). UtC has only been available for new video technologies, such as AHD, TVI, and SDI, not for CVBS.
UtC so fare has been available as OSD, not as direct commands. Selection of commands via OSD structure has limited the productivity. Therefore, operators have so far worked with fixed settings.
UtC is a fairly new technology. It takes time before people become aware of the capabilities.
Not sure you can use UtC are require a test setup with UtC: Just sample the 21C14AT in combination with the skoopia recorder D20AT-1, which supports UtC. Naturally, the skoopia M7BIP2 test monitor also supports UtC.
Full HD - AHD WDR industrail camera - WDR customizable.
The 21C14AT supports true DOL WDR, providing a dynamic range of 120 dB. But the WDR range can be set exactly to the liking of the OEM customer, as selecting the full dynamic range provides the largest interval, but not necessarily the best signal to noise ratio.
WDR OEM cameras - Wide Dynamic Range - How does it work?
Let's start with two types of WDR found in data sheets of cameras.
Digital WDR - forget it. It is a noise reduction solution that does not benefit anybody, merely adding latency and/or image distortion. Some DSPs of cameras skoopia offers have digital WDR, but skoopia purposefully does not market it, as it does not provide any benefit. We call it specificiation sheet WDR or "bull-shit" WDR.
True DOL WDR - True DOL WDR provides a great dynamic range. True WDR makes use of the image made with a slow shutter time (e.g. 1/25 sec) and a fast shutter time (e.g. 1/25000 sec), uses the captured image pixels with very low light entrance from the 1/25 sec image, and uses the 1/25.000 sec image for the extreme bright settings.
So far, nearly all (we could be mistaken, but we think we are the first providing configurable WDR) cameras using WDR offer maximum dynamic range (i.e. combine minimum shutter time and maximum shutter time.
Whenever the dynamic range of the camera needs extension, WDR is a fantastic solution, but if the dynamic range only needs to be 80 dB, using a full dynamic range of 120 dB induces significant noise, particularly at the low light sections of the image.
Here, the 21C14AT provides the next level of WDR. Customizable WDR. Our industrial AHD camera allows you to set upper as well as lower shutter time limit of the WDR image, offering you the dynamic light range you require, in combination with the lowest possible noise level.
Meeting your product's life cycle
skoopia cameras are designed to meet your product's life cycle.cameras are available for 5+ years. The 21C14AT industrial AHD camera is based on automotive sensor and DSP, offering even longer availability (10+ years, or even 15+ years)
Replacement cameras will adhere to form, fit and function camera upgrades still meet form, fit, but offer additional function.
Customizations, from pre-configured settings up to FFC length and/or special housing/lighting are available upon request.
Yet, skoopia will also continue to engineer board cameras having higher resolutions, different video outputs while meeting existing dimensions and connectors.
Why an industrial AHD/TVI camera? -> No cable changes from CVBS
Why does skoopia push the AHD / TVI so hard? Industrial AHD/TVI cameras provide the only known low bandwidth (50MHz) video technology for transferring a Full HD (1080p30/25) video while having no latency.
In any setting you do not want to change cabling from CVBS and/or your setup has plural connectors and/or slip rings to transfer your video signal, consider AHD as your best alternative to limit the impact on your contemporary solution.