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Laboptix 318CU Colour Video Camera
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High Speed 3-Megapixel Colour Video Camera for Microscopy
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- Image Sensor: 1/2" colour CMOS
- Sensor Resolution: 2048(H) x 1536(V)
- 24-bit colour
- Built-in IR cut-off filter
- Extended dynamic range
- Frame Rate:
- up to 8 frames per second at full resolution with no compression
- up to 20 frames per second in reduced resolution
- Pixel Size: 3.2µ x 3.2µ
- Imaging Area: 6.55mm x 4.92mm
- Computer Interface: USB 2.0
- Fully featured software for:
- Camera control, including video and frame capture to disk
- Image processing
- Image measurement
- Image annotation
- Image printing
- Database for image storing and retrieving
- Operating systems: Windows (32-bit) 2000/XP/Vista
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Laboptix 318CU Video Camera
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Outline
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The 318CU is a 3 megapixel high-resolution colour camera for microscopy
that is very easy to use and provides a quality, low noise affordable
solution for viewing or capturing high quality digital video or still
images from the microscope and recording it to your computer.
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The camera has a high dynamic range, low noise and low dark current.
This in conjunction with automatic exclusion of the 10ms and of an exposed
frame contributes to the unusually high image quality. An IR cut-off filter
ensures that undesired wavelengths are excluded thus producing colour accurately.
The camera has a CS type nosepiece adaptor to attach to various instruments
and lenses. A variety of adaptors can be purchased separately to extend the
camera’s functionality.
The camera comes with everything you need, including the Micrometrics SE Premium
software and Image Browser.
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Applications
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The 318CU camera has applications in macrophotography and brightfield
microscopy where illumination is controllable. In all cases the camera will
transmit data to the PC that approaches the practical bandwidth limits of
the USB 2.0.
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Camera Electronics
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The Laboptix 318CU back-end is a FIFO type implemented with FPGA, SDRAM
(DDR in the latest models) achieving speeds up to 32MHz. The efficient
FIFO enables asynchronous data transmission boasting no frame loss and
maximum data transmission only limited by the USB2.0 port.
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Image Quality
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The 318CU camera can stream video at up to 12 frames
per second (depending on your computer hardware, 7-8 fps typical) at
2048x1536 (uncompressed, true) resolution. The camera can equally
capture single frames at various resolutions.
Proportionally higher frame frames can be achieved at progressively lower
resolutions or at preview modes. While preview mode enables speedy focusing
and search of the view field, capture mode produces high quality still
images at maximum resolution.
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Sophisticated algorithms closely match previewed and captured images with hardly
noticeable colour or colour aberrations. The Laboptix 318CU camera has on-board
support for Global and Area-Based White Balance, and Black Level Calibration. This
ensures accurate colour reproduction and increased contrast.
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Noise Reduction
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Proprietary sensor technology utilises advanced algorithms to cancel Fixed
Pattern Noise (FPN), eliminate smearing, and drastically reduce blooming
and dark current.
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White Balance
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White Balance enables the automatic removal of unrealistic colour casts,
so that objects are rendered in the captured image as they would appear
in reality. Area Based White Balance calibration enables the camera to
respond differently to different regions of the video image to produce
realistic colour under different conditions within the filed of view,
impossible to achieve in image post-processing.
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Black Level Calibration
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The Laboptix 318CU incorporates on-board Black-level Calibration that
is critical to achieving a picture with full contrast while revealing
subtle details in dark shadow regions.
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Camera Specification
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| Model |
Laboptix 318CU |
| Sensor |
OmniVision OV3610 |
| Optical Format |
1/2" CMOS colour sensor |
| Resolution |
2048(W) x 1536(H) / 1024x768 / 1024x512 / 1024x190 |
| Pixel Size |
3.2µ x 3.2µ |
| Imaging Area |
6.55mm x 4.92mm |
| Colour Bayer RGB Mosaic |
24-bit (3 x 8-bit) Uncompressed output |
| Signal/Noise Ratio |
43dB |
| Dark Current @25°C |
30mV/sec |
| Fixed Pattern Noise |
0.03% of Vpeak-to-peak |
| Responsiveness |
0.9 V/Lux-Second @ 550nm |
| Exposure Range |
10µs to 500ms (first 10ms excluded for best quality) |
| Frame Rate |
Typical 7fps to 8fps @ Full Resolution Progressive Scan |
| Shutter |
Electronic Rolling |
| ADC |
10-bit digital RGB RAW data |
| Dynamic Range |
61dB |
| Analogue Gain |
Max 8x Min. Step Size 0.125 |
| Computer Interface |
USB 2.0 with 3.5 metre (11.5 feet) long USB cable |
| Power Requirement |
USB Bus Power |
| On-board Processing |
Continuous Automatic & Manual Exposure Control |
| Continuous Auto White Balance |
| Global and Area based White Balance |
| Light Source Adaptation |
| Black level Calibration |
| Gain |
| Gamma |
| Flip (Horizontal and/or Vertical) |
| Operating System |
Windows 2000/XP/Vista |
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NOTE: Please note that camera on-board electronics may enhance or limit certain sensor functions to best suit the intended application.
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Micrometrics SE Premium & Micrometrics Image Browser
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Micrometrics SE Premium that is included with the camera is a powerful software
application that has been designed especially for microscopy. A range of
powerful tools are included under the sections below.
- Video Preview.
- Video and Frame Capture.
- Camera Control.
- Video Clip Playback.
- Image Processing.
- Image Measurement.
- Image Annotation.
- Image Printing.
- Database.
The bundled Micrometrics Image Browser helps to organise and view images
captured with your camera.
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The user interface of Micrometrics SE Premium.
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Video Preview
The live image can be displayed either zoomed to fit to the window size or
1:1 for maximum detail. The former is referred to as browsing mode and the
latter as focusing mode. In browsing mode, pixels may be decimated to increase
frame rate so that you can quickly find a particular field of view.
Note that for modern scientific cameras delivering millions of pixels per frame
the decimation does not have to result in an inferior on-screen resolution.
When re-sampling the images aspect ratios are always kept intact to avoid
geometric distortion.
In focusing mode, you may scroll the window to any region of interest and only
pixels contained therein are transferred to the computer. The focusing mode is
the most useful when you are adjusting the optics, during focusing, or when
examining a particular part of the specimen.
Micrometrics SE Premium supports previewing of the camera video stream from a
camera or hard disk.
Video and Frame Capture
Micrometrics SE Premium supports the capturing of an uncompressed video stream
into an AVI file and frames from the video stream into a BMP file.
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Camera Control
All aspects of camera operations can be fully controlled from sidebars
or task panes. Camera parameters are set on the fly when the camera is
streaming video and in such a way that video preview window will not
be obstructed. Particular user selected camera settings may be saved as
presets and recalled later to quickly restore the camera to those settings.
Video Clip Playback
Micrometrics SE Premium is able to play a video clip in any format for which
a decoder has already been installed on your PC. The video may be
previewed exactly as if it is from a camera. Frame capture is also
possible in this case.
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Image Processing
A wide selection of tools is included in Micrometrics SE Premium for applications
in scientific imaging. All functions are carefully designed and efficiently
implemented. These include common actions such as colour adjustment and highly
advanced operations such as depth of field extending, image stitching and
spherical aberration corrections.
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Image Measurement
Planimetry is made trivial with Micrometrics SE Premium. By a few mouse clicks touch
count, density profile, area, perimeter, radius, distance and so on are obtained
instantly. Measurements are recorded by vector graphics on the images.
Quantities in the worksheets may also be exported to an external program for
specific analysis.
Image Annotation
Lines, rectangles, round rectangles, arrows, ellipses, and texts may be placed
onto image easily.
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There are numerous line styles and arrowhead shapes to
choose from. A particular shape can be either transparent or filled with a
designated colour. Annotation objects can be moved, resized, edited, cloned,
deleted or permanently placed on to image. External objects provided by
installed OLE servers are manipulated in the same way as native annotation
objects.
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Image Printing
Micrometrics SE Premium provides four ways for image printing. An image may be
dragged to an external program for printing and Micrometrics SE Premium will
ensure that it appears at the same size as if seen through eyepieces,
a technique called true-size printing. In the context of Micrometrics SE Premium
true-size printing is just as easy. It is also convenient to print an
image according to the dimension and orientation of the paper.
Micrometrics SE Premium is capable of printing multiple images simultaneously.
In this mode, image layout and pagination are fully automated.
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Database
Micrometrics SE Premium includes a full featured database capable of storing,
retrieving and querying images and associated measurement as well as
other textual information.
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Optional Laboptix attachments to connect any C-mount camera to a microscope.
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Laboptix Cameras Comparison Chart
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| Model |
Laboptix 122CU |
Laboptix 318CU |
Laboptix 518CU |
| Optical Format |
1/2 inch 5:4 |
1/2 inch 4:3 |
1/2.5 inch 4:3 |
| Resolution |
1280(W) x 1024(H) |
2048(W) x 1536(H) |
2592(W) x 1922(H) |
| Imaging Area |
6.83mm x 5.45mm |
6.55mm x 4.92mm |
5.70mm x 4.28mm |
| Pixel Size |
5.20µm x 5.20µm |
3.2µm x 3.2µm |
2.2µm x 2.2µm |
| Sensitivity |
1.8 V/Lux-Second |
0.9 V/Lux-Second |
1.2 V/Lux-Second |
| S/N Ratio |
45dB |
43dB |
41dB |
| Typical Frame Rate @ Full Resolution |
12-15 FPS |
7-8 FPS |
4 FPS |
| Frame Rate @ Preview Mode |
15 FPS @ 1280x1024 |
20 FPS @ 1024x768 |
15 FPS @ 1280x960 |
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Laboptix 122CU, 318CU, 518CU
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The Laboptix 122CU, 318CU and 518CU incorporate large format high
quality 1/2” and 1/1.8” sensors unlike cameras that they will typically
use much smaller 1/4” standard quality sensors.
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More important the resolution specified in the 122CU, 318CU and 518CU
cameras is true resolution and not interpolated and/or interlaced as in
cheaper cameras. A fast on-board USB 2.0 based interface subsystem is used to
transfer the uncompressed image to the PC at very high speeds.
Finally the 122CU, 318CU and 518CU cameras incorporate on-board
electronics to further enhance the image. Image enhancement takes place
inside the camera thus producing the best possible image quality.
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Relative sensor size (not drawn to scale).
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Notice
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We are constantly checking the accuracy of the technical data. We are prepared to provide
more detailed information on request. Technical data is subject to change without notice.
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