Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. Tech Briefs

Aegis WBENC Certified

2011-11-17T15:39:00.000-08:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. received nation certification as a Women's Business Enterprise by the regional certifying partner of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

WBENC's national standard of certification is a meticulous process including in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.

By including women-owned businesses among their vendors, corporations, and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier/vendor diversity programs.

WBENC is the nation's largest third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC is a resource for the more than 700 US companies and government agencies that rely on WBENC's certification as an integral part of their diversity programs.

Sony FCBEH6300 Housed and SDI, HDMI and GigE Outputs

2011-11-17T12:06:00.000-08:00

Aegis has introduced it's new housed Sony HD color camera, FCBEH6300, housed camera solution with multiple outputs; SDI, HDMI and GigE. The GigE out is using the Pleora back-end which is certified GigE Vision Compliant. Pleora is also GenICam compliant. GenICam™ is an international standard that allows a single application programming interface (API) to control any compliant video source, regardless of its vendor, feature set, or interface technology (GigE Vision®, Camera Link®, etc.). This GigE makes networking a simplified solution. Please contact David Naranjo, Technical Sales Manager, Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. 760-729-2026.

Thailand Flooding Impacts Camera Delivery

2011-11-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

Many companies have been impacted by the heavy flooding in Thailand. Technology manufacturers like Western Digital Corp, Seagate Technology PLC, Apple Inc. and Sony have all reported significant difficulty with operations due to the flooding. Some companies that had facilities in Japan that were effected by the tsunami moved their some of their production to Thailand only to have the typhoon and subsequent flooding cause yet more delays.

The Sony Electronics, Inc. Visual Imaging Products division may feel some of this impact and deliveries will continue to be an issue. Aegis has continued to see delays in both block cameras and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras, EVI-D70, EVI-HD1.

Please contact your Aegis Electronic Group, Inc representative for more information.

Pleora's iPORT-SB PRO GigE Solutions for Sony Blocks Cameras

2011-11-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

Pleora Technologies, iPORT-SB PRO, makes converting Sony analog block cameras signals to GigE possible. The Sony FCBH11, FCBEH4300 AND FCBEH6300, High Definition Color Block Cameras and the FCBEX1020 and FCBEX995E are all supported by Pleora’s iPORT-SB PRO.

The advantages of being able to convert these cameras to a GigE with the iPORT-SB PRO interface are many:

· converts the camera to a GenICam Compliant camera

· makes networking easier

· makes the transfer of large amounts of data faster

· transfers data at full 30fps

· transfers data over longer distances

· reduces cabling by transporting data and video over one cable

What is GenICam? There are basically three types of GenICam^TM compliant products: cameras, transport layers, and software libraries. The rules specifying which products are considered to be GenICam^TM compliant are listed in the GenICam^TM license document.

The GenICam^TM standard committee will provide a checklist for each type of product (camera, transport layer, library) allowing individual vendors to verify compliance of their product(s) with the standard. Products passing all required tests are considered GenICam^TM compliant and may be advertised using GenICam^TM logo. (http://www.emva.org/cms/index.php?idcatart=83)

GenICam consists of four modules:

GenApi: This module defines the format of an XML file that captures the features of a device. GenApi also specifies how to access and control the features. All GenICam-compliant devices must contain an XML file that conforms to this format.
Standard Features Naming Convention: This module standardizes the names of more than 220 commonly used camera features. To comply with GigE Vision, seven of the features are mandatory. The rest are either recommended or optional. Compliance with the naming convention is important for interoperability, as it frees application software from the complexity of situations where vendors call the same feature by different names, such as, 'Brightness' and 'Gain'.
GenTL: This module defines a software interface for accessing image data from a generic transport layer.
CLProtocol: This module allows cameras that comply with the Camera Link® standard to be accessed through GenApi. It defines the format of a dynamic-link library that converts a vendor-specific serial protocol to a GenApi interface.

There are two levels of compliance to GenICam:

GenICam-compliance: where a product either provides or interprets a compliant XML file.
GenICam TL-compliance: where a product exposes a transport layer compatible with GenTL.

(http://www.pleora.com/what-we-do/networked-video/genicam)

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. offers the Pleora Interface Converters and Sony Block Cameras as well as other products that support camera technology and peripherals. Please visit our website at www.aegis-elec.com for more information.

When Will Product Flow Return to Normal From Japan?

2011-06-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

While I have no direct knowledge of when product flow will return to normal, I can speculate that Q4 will certainly be better than Q2. In a general sense across product lines it seems that Q2 and Q3 have been and are going to be the hardest months to navigate with inventories increasing towards the end of Q3. This flow of product seems to be in general while some products could continue to be slow to return to normal. It looks like about 95% of products will be heading in positive direction while other products will continue to struggle.

The big word out there is "allocation". It is best to have your products on order and to get in line for allocation. There is no "JIT", Just-In-Time, inventories right now. The other issue is increased pricing. While Aegis continues to wait on inventories from factories, we have also had to secure inventories from other sources to keep our customers in production. The supply and demand economics have definitely struck home when Aegis has had to purchase inventories at higher prices for minimum quantities and pass those higher prices on to customers.

The good news is that while this time has been difficult there is progress being made in Japan and productions are coming back slowly.

Migrating From The Sony FCBEX980S

2011-02-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

Sony Electronics, (Visual Imaging Products) VIP has introduced it's new line up of FCB "E" Version Block Cameras. In the past the migration from one version to another would be pretty straight forward just change the letter at the end of the part number to the latest revision and there you have it. However when migrating from the FCBEX980S (FCB-EX980S) to the new FCBEX995E (FCB-EX995E) the Tele end is 2.1 degrees instead of the 1.6 degrees. Many customers are going to the FCBEX1020 (FCB-EX1020) that has a Tele end of 1.7 degrees.

Toshiba Introduces IKHR2D

2011-02-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

Vince Giovinco of Toshiba America Imaging Systems introduces the high definition industrial camera, IKHR2D (IK-HR2D) at the Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. San Diego, CA sales office. Vince provided Aegis with a seek peek of this new camera that promises to be great for lifesciences and microscopy applications. You can save images without a frame grabber. This high definition camera offers USB2.o with real time DVI output at 5 fps 1080p and 15fps 780p and is available now for just under $8,000 dollars.

dPict Aexeon A Great Replacement for FlashBus MV Lite

2011-02-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

The dPict Aexeon LT, video capture card, is a great replacement for the Integral Flashbus MV Lite, part number 3043. This low cost board from Integral Technology was a favorite for many markets such as the badging and ID markets. This discontinued legacy product has left many looking for a replacement. The dPict Aexeon LT is a perfect replacement meeting both the functional needs and the low cost frame grabber price point.

For more information please contact Aegis Electronic Group, Inc., or to simply purchase online USA Security Systems has shopping carts and offers overnight shipping.

We See It Everywhere, Sony FCB-H11

2010-10-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Sony FCB-H11, high definition block camera, is in so many applications. We see it in underwater applications, drones (unmanned vehicles), dental applications, video conferencing rooms, broadcast and more. The FCB-H11 is available with a variety of outputs, DVI, SDI, Analog, NTSC (standard video). This camera can transmit in standard video and be recorded in High Definition (HD).

Sony XC-505 with Right Angle CS Mount Adaptor

2010-10-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Aegis has created a new right angle CS-mount adaptor for the XC-505. This new XC-505 right angle adaptor allows you to use CS-mount lenses with the new 1/3 inch imager. You pick the lens and we assemble as one unit guaranteeing the focusing ability of the lens. Not every lens currently works with the Sony LO999CMT, C-mount adaptor because not all lenses have the same flange back. The LO999CMT was made specifically for Fujinon lenses and you may or may not be successful with other brands. Our new Right Angle CS-Mount adaptor assembly will make that a perfect match. The great thing about CS-mount lenses is there are a wide variety and sometimes present an opportunity for lower pricing.

Sony VIP Announces Aegis Top Distributor for 2009

2010-10-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

Sony Electronics, Inc. VIP (Visual Imaging Products) announced Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. was it's top distributor in sales for fiscal year 2009. Sony conducted a sales meeting in Rancho Bernardo, CA this past Sunday-Tuesday (September 27-29) bringing in distributors and representative throughout the United States for training on new products.

Sony is releasing a new block camera "E" series, new analog, Firewire and GigE cameras. The new analog feature is the XC-505 a replacement to the XC-555. The feature changes are a smaller imager, shorter length, CCD Iris and RS-232 controls. The one feature change that might create the most issues is the removal of the circuitry to add a Video Iris Lens. The XC-555 allowed you to connect a video iris lens and the XC-505 does not. There isn't any DC drive available either and this has left many OEMs with a design replacement issue.

Sony also released preliminary information on a new ultra-compact (29x29x19mm), lightweight (37g) 1394.b camera (Firewire camera), the XCD-MV6. This camera features VGA resolution at 60 fps. The target markets for this camera are automated optical inspection, wire bonding, food processing and bottle inspection.

The new GigE cameras are the XCG-ITS series. These feature 2.8MP and 6MP color and black and white models. This information was all preliminary and more information will be released next year.

Aegis Introduces High Definition Camera

2009-03-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

Aegis is now offering the Sony High Definition block camera, FCB-H11 in a housing. This camera can also be interfaced with HD-SDI board for SDI output. This camera features:

• 1/3 type CMOS imager
• Approx. 2M effective pixels
• 16x9 Aspect Ratio
• Auto ICR for DaylNight function
• Minimum Illumination - 1.0 lx (ICR On Mode - F1.8 50 IRE)
• High-speed serial communication (max. 38.4 kbps)
• TIL signal-level control (VISCA1M protocol)
• 120x optical zoom (10x zoom/12x digital)
• Programmable factory preset
• High Performance Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
• Various customizable settings
• Electronic Shutter/Slow Shutter
• VBS and Y/C video output (SD modes only)
• Picture Freeze Function
• Spot AE
• Internal/External sync
• Small and Compact (47.2 x 43.1 x n.2mm)

Aegis Expanding Facilities

2008-09-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. is expanding this month into new office and warehouse space that will total almost 6,000 square feet. Aegis will keep some of it's original office space in building 1 for engineering and a conference center and move the remainder of Sales, Marketing, Operations and Warehousing into building 2, previously occupied by General Dynamics.

The expansion takes place as a result of new product development and increased business development in targeted business segments.

The renovations and move are expected to be complete by the end of September.

Shortage on X18 Lense Affects Deliveries

2008-09-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

The X18 lenses that is in Sony cameras listed below has run into delivery issues due to an earthquake that took place in Japan in June. The earthquake damaged the lens factory and has not been up to full capacity. Deliveries on cameras started to be effected in July and allocations were even more difficult during the month of August. However, Sony VIP managed the shortage well and most customers received allocations to get them through. September seems to be showing signs that the factory may be at full capacity or very close to it.

EVID70/P - Sony PTZ camera
FCBEX480C/CP - Sony block camera
FCBPV480 - Sony progressive scan block camera
FCBIX45C/CP - Sony smallest block camera
FCBIX47C/CP - Sony block camera
FCBEX490D/DP - Sony block camera
FCBEX48C/CP - Sony block camera
FCBEX45MC/MCC Sony black/white block camera

SONY INTRODUCES NEXT GENERATION SMART CAMERAS

2008-08-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group Inc. announces four New Sony XCI-Series Smart Cameras.

Sony Electronics is introduced its next-generation of Smart Cameras at Vision Show East. The new additions to the XCI series provide a comprehensive range of Smart Cameras to meet a broad spectrum of machine vision applications. The introduction of color capabilities as well as improved sensor and processor performance create opportunities for new applications including those that utilize advanced third-party analytics of visual data.

The four new cameras in the XCI lineup are offered in VGA and SXGA resolutions and come in monochrome or color. Other improvements include support for C and CS mounts, additional SDRAM memory, and enhanced x86 CPU performance. Also, the digital I/O now includes two USB 2.0 ports as well as Gigabit Ethernet.

These enhanced Windows® XPe models with their open architecture can provide opportunities for OEMs, systems integrators and manufacturers to use existing vision library assets, third-party software applications and algorithms developed for the Windows platform to be easily leveraged to maximize value. The four new Sony Smart Cameras allow system integrators and manufacturers to combine a powerful industrial PC with a high-end CCD camera in one small form factor.

The new arrivals to the Sony XCI Smart Cameras include the black and white XCI-V100 and color XCI-V100C, both in VGA resolution. Each utilize a high-performance sensor that is capable of achieving 90 fps frame rates, a 50 percent improvement over the previous generation of Sony cameras.

The XCI-SX100 and XCI-SX100C smart camera models both image at SXGA resolution, utilizing a unique light sensitive Sony CCD sensor with a 30 fps frame rate. This delivers high resolution, full motion video at twice the typical frame rates. All feature an auto-iris lens output and utilize the Windows XPe operating system.

The color capabilities as well as enhanced processing power and additional interfaces in this new XCI smart camera lineup create opportunities for traffic control, security and pharmaceutical applications, food and beverage inspection as well as other classic machine vision tasks.

The Sony XCI series Smart Cameras will be shipping from Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. in early September.

Sony EVI-D70 #1 PTZ Camera

2008-07-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Sony EVI-D70 (EVID70) continues to be Sony's number one selling PTZ camera. This camera is used in a variety of applications including videoconferencing, security, house of worship applications and many others. The successors to the EVI-D70 were the EVI-D30 (discontinued), then the EVI-D100 (EVID100). The EVI-D100 is still currently offered, but sales on this camera have been on a decline with the introduction of the EVI-D70. The EVI-D70 offers 18x optical zoom, 340 degrees of pan and 120 degrees tilt.

Although the EVI-D70 is the number one selling PTZ (pan tilt zoom) camera. Sony has also received great review and sales on it's new EVI-HD1 (EVIHD1). The EVI-HD1 is Sony's newest PTZ camera offering high definition. This camera is great for video conferencing (if there is bandwith to support it) or broadcasting video on an intranet. This high definition PTZ camera is CMOS not CCD imaging and offers 1080i and 720p.

While the high definition PTZ, EVI-HD1 is great for video conferening applicaitons, the new BRC-Z700 is great for broadcasting. This 3 chip high definition PTZ camera is 1080i and 1080p switchable, 20x optical zoom and is fast becoming a hot seller for reality television. Sony also offers related products such as the HD Multiplex Card, HD Interface Board, SD Interface Board, XGA Interface Board and I.link Interface board.

For a complete line up of PTZ cameras, visit the Aegis Electronic Group, Inc, PTZ page.

The Vision Show June 10-12, 2008 Boston, MA

2008-06-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

(Neue Messe Stuttgart, Vision 2008)

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc.'s General Manager, Sonja Walker and Project Manager, William Larson-Garcia attended The Vision Show in Boston, MA on June 10-12th. The camera manufacturers were primarily pushing the Camera Link industrial camera technology, as well as, the Gigabit Ethernet digital camera technology. There appeared to be less of the Firewire IEEE-1394.b camera technology, although Point Grey and Allied Vision Technology were displaying the technology. Lumenera and IDS (Ueye USB cameras) had their USB cameras on display. The Vision Show was small and had mixed reviews. Some vendors seem to think that the traffic was slow but steady, while others complained of low attendance.

The Vision Show is set to be in Arizona next year March 31st - April 2nd at the Phoenix Convention Center. The interesting thing about this is that it conflicts with the Apex IPC Show in Las Vegas on the same dates, as well as ISC West in Las Vegas on the same dates.

The feedback on the conferences offered was positive with a highlight to the conference titled Connectivity Performance in Machine Vision Systems Design. Reynold Dodson, President of Bitflow, Inc. and Steve Kinney, Director of Technical Sales, JAI, Inc., both gave very informative information on upcoming releases for simplified connectivity with respect to Camera Link and monochrome applications, a new standard called Camera Link Lite (no PoCL) is coming out. They also discussed the trend to move away form PoCL for longer length applications due to the amount of power that some cameras require.

It will be interesting to see what the turnout is for Stuttgart for Vision 2008, November 4-6, 2008. The expectations are high from what everyone indicated at The Vision Show.

New Software Engineer Joins Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. Team

2008-05-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

William Larson-Garcia has joined the Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. team as a full-time Project Engineer.(Pictured with Sonja Walker, General Manager) William's primary focus will be software design and integration with the variety of imaging products that Aegis offers.

William has a Bachelors of Science in Applied Computer Science from Arizonia State University's School of Technology and Innovation. William first joined Aegis is 2004, providing support in web design and moving into technical support and trade show engineering sales.

Look for upcoming announcements on software releases at www.aegis-elec.com.

Toshiba Imaging Awards Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. Top Distributor Award

2008-05-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

May 16, 2008 Irvine, CA - Toshiba Imaging Systems Division, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) and a leader in advanced video imaging today awarded Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. it’s Top Distributor Award for the fiscal year 2007 at a recent visit to their headquarters in Gilbert, AZ.

Shown in the photo presenting the award to Aegis President, Carolynn Larson-Garica and to the Aegis corporate staff is Toshiba’s National Sales Manager Vincent J. Giovinco.

“Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. has shown its ability to sell and service our unique cameras across the entire line of vertical markets which our products address. We are enormously proud of the partnership we have with Aegis and look forward to many more years of a profitable relationship” stated Mr.Giovinco

Toshiba Imaging Systems Division (Irvine,CA) is the premier supplier of high quality video cameras for machine vision, R&D and scientific applications. Advanced video imaging technology and high resolution cameras such as Toshiba’s 3 CCD color cameras and their remote head family has earned Toshiba America Imaging Systems Division the distinctive reputation for offering the most advanced imaging solutions to the industrial and scientific communities. Direct Web site: www.cameras.toshiba.com

TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of information products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, which is a global leader in high technology and integrated manufacturing of electrical and electronic components, products and systems, as well as major infrastructure systems. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 740 companies, with 198,000 employee’s worldwide and annual sales surpassing US$76 billion. For more information on Toshiba’s leading innovations, visit the company’s Web site at www.toshiba.com.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. is a valued-added International distribution company integrating a technical sales staff and the highest performance industrial imaging equipment. Aegis offers a full line of industrial imaging equipment: cameras, lenses, frame grabbers, monitors and software for complete imaging application integration. Aegis is a small business woman-owned entity serving the imaging industry since 1990, for more information visit www.aegis-elec.com.

Industrial Cameras: What is the right choice?

2008-04-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

What is the right choice when selecting an industrial camera? If you look in the current trade magazine like Vision Systems Design, 2008 Buyers Guide, (www.vision-systems.com) you will find an abundance of camera manufacturers offering similar technologies and digital camera interfaces. It is hard to decide which company and technology to choose.

The first choice to make is the technology. The industrial camera industry provides a variety of technologies from analog to digital. There are a few digital technologies to consider. The current digital camera technologies are Firewire IEEE-1394.a and IEEE-1394.b, Camera Link, Gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0. Of course, there is still wide use of analog technology. Analog for the most part is converted to digital with the use of a frame grabber (PCI Card) and then with software, formatting an application. This being said, that although analog cameras are used, much of what we see today is digitized camera technology that allows for image processing using software.

When making the technology choice it is really important to be clear on exactly what the application is going to be. What are the real requirements? Here are a few questions to consider when selecting and industrial camera technology:

What resolution is required?
Is it a color or monochrome application?
Is image processing speed important?
Is there a space limitation? (Is camera size important?)
Is there a weight limitation?
What kinds of optics are going to be used?
Is there a cabling limitation?
What is the budget for the project?
What is the time frame?
Do you need a lot or little technical assistance?

These are just a few questions that must be considered when selecting an industrial camera and technology.

The second choice to make is which camera manufacturer to use. There are manufacturers that provide the best technology but they may not meet your budget requirements or your time frames for delivery. There are also low cost providers but you also have to consider how long they’ve been in the industry and how much technical support they will provide for your application.

When trying to select a camera a technology and manufacturer it is wise to use distributor. Industrial camera distributors have a history with different technologies and manufacturers and can provide a quicker solution based on your requirements. The expertise that an industrial camera distributor can provide can save limitless amounts of time and money. Sourcing a good distributor can be as easy as going to an industry association. AIA, Automated Imaging Association is a great source for locating industrial camera distributors, www.machinevisiononline.org.

There are many decisions to be made when sourcing camera technology, manufacturers and distribution channels. It is wise to do all the homework upfront and pick the technology and channel you want to work with by working with a sound distribution partner.

For more information contact, www.aegis-elec.com.

Aegis USB Camera Systems Inexpensive Solution for Inspection

2008-04-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Aegis recently displayed the their new Aeg-USB10x-Sys. This integrated machine vision camera system features the Sentech, STC-B33USB-A, VGA (640x480), USB industrial color camera. This system is easily integrated with a laptop or desktop computer with no additional interface needed. The camera features a soft trigger, 90fps and free SDK. This system can incorporate the lensing and lighting needed to provide a complete solution. For addtional information visit, www.aegis-elec.com. (Pictured above Liz Carnes, Principle of Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. and Tom Campbell VP Sales and Marketing Sentech America, Inc.)

IPC, Apex and Designers Summit 2008 a Success for MV Systems

2008-04-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Apex Show in Las Vegas, April 1-3 proved to be successful for Aegis Electronic Group, Inc.'s product offering of Integrated Machine Vision Systems. Aegis displayed the 5 Megapixel Sony, XCL5005CR, Camera Link camera system. This camera system features the Bitflow Neon Pocl (Power Over Camera Link) frame grabber board, with a list price of just $695.00. The system also featured a high resolution Orion monitor with 1280 x 1024 resolution. This Aeg-CL-5M-Sys sells for $7000.00 and is a great solution for bench sodder inspection for PC boards. For more information visit www.aegis-elec.com.

Imaging Solutions for Military Manufacturers

2008-04-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. has been serving the Southern California, National and International vision markets since 1989, providing imaging component solutions for many different applications, which support the military and defense industries.

The vision component of many high-end applications such as unmanned vehicles for flight, underwater or roadside bomb detection have proven that vision equipment and technical expertise can save lives and provide a leveraging edge in the protection of our military and borders. The overall vision component industry has grown exponentially with respect to defense due to the overall advantage it provides by reducing loss of life and injury for our military personnel.

There are many different camera technologies available today from analog to different digital technologies. Analog technology is still widely used because with the use of PCI cards it can be converted into a digital format, but many vision component users are moving to the pure digital formats like Firewire ‚ IEEE-1394.b, Camera Link ‚ and an even newer technology, Gigabit Ethernet. The use of the digital technologies provide for higher bandwidth, faster processing speeds and higher resolutions. Many of the technologies in vision that were first used in industrial inspection are now being used for applications such as retinal scanning and finger print analysis.

The more imaging and component vision become an important part of defense technology, the more important it is to have organizations that are committed to technical expertise in this arena. Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. has a long-standing commitment to providing the knowledge and technical expertise needed for engineers to incorporate a vision component into an application.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. is a small business, woman-owned organization. Aegis is a franchised distributor for cameras and peripheral equipment. Our offices are located in Oceanside, California and Gilbert, Arizona. Please visit our website for more information www.aegis-elec.com.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. Presenting New Solutions at Apex

2008-03-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. will be presenting new industrial camera solutions at IPC/Apex from April 1-3 at booth 2525. This is the first time that the Apex show will be hosted in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay. Previous Apex shows have been in February located in Southern California, first at the San Diego Convention Center, then at the Anaheim Convention Center and finally at the LA Convention Center.

Aegis will present industrial cameras solutions featuring different camera technologies from Camera Link and Firewire 1394.b to Smart Camera solutions. Aegis will feature the Sony VIP XCL-5005 (Camera Link), the new XCD-SX90CR (Firewire 1394.b) and the XCI-SX1 (Smart Camera). The industrial camera technologies will be featured in full system set-up. Camera systems will feature Tamron lenses, Bitflow Camera Link frame grabbers, Intercon 1 cabling, Orion monitors and more.

The small system set-ups with high resolution, high frame rate capabilities make Aegis's integrated camera solutions a preference for those looking for an inexpensive vision system. The Aegis integrated systems can also be customized based on customer requirements. The Aegis vision system can also be integrated with NI Vision Builder to offer an even more sophisticated yet still inexpensive solution for your inspection purposes.

Please visit our booth 2525 or contact us at 888-687-6877, www.aegis-elect.com.

USASS Offers New ID Badging Camera Station

2008-01-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

USA Security Systems is now offering a USB ID badging camera. This VALCam indentification camera offers a high quality image, full screen live video at 640 x 480 (VGA Resolution) at 30 fps and high intensity flash for a perfect image 18 inches to 14 feet. The USB interface is great for labtop or desktop computers. USASS also offers back drop screens and other related items to complete your entire ID badging camera station set-up. The VALCam USB ID camera is great for police stations, jail facilities and company security.

USA Security Systems is owned and operated by Aegis Electronic Group, Inc.

National University Hosts Peak Performance Awards

2008-01-17T16:04:00.000-08:00

National University honored seven organizations with Peak Performance Awards at a luncheon on Monday, November 12.

The School of Business and Management sponsored the event in conjunction with the National University Center for Organizational Excellence and the San Diego Daily Transcript. The competition generated more than 130 applications and attracted a sizable audience to the banquet room at the La Jolla Hilton Torrey Pines.

“This represents an historic and significant milestone in collaboration in recognizing those organizations that perform at superior levels for sustained periods,” said National University Provost Tom Green, who served as Master of Ceremonies at the event.

A group of 30 finalists was selected by a distinguished nomination committee comprised of community leaders, National University faculty and Daily Transcript staff. Companies and organizations of all sizes were eligible to apply. Nominees were evaluated on the following five criteria: sustainability; a clearly demonstrated vision and mission; commitment to customers; commitment to employees; and top-line profitability.

Selecting from the 30 finalists, a panel of six judges chose the following seven winners:

Aegis Electronic Group, a leading supplier of imaging components and integrated system solutions, specializing in fields such as machine vision, bioscience, microscopy and robotics.
ARINC, serving the rapidly emerging world of transportation communications with more than 150 innovative products and services, including in flight mobile phones and internet access at airports
Northrop Grumman, a global defense and technology company providing innovative systems, products and solutions to ensure security and freedom for the United States and its allies.
PomeradoHospital, healing, comforting and promoting health to residents in the 850-square-mile health care district between NorthSan DiegoCounty and SouthRiversideCounty.
RBF Consulting, making the world a better place through the application of sustainable development principles, providing design services that enhance the quality of life and the environment.
San Diego Family Justice Center (and the Justice Center Foundation), a comprehensive “one-stop shop” for victims of domestic violence and their children, offering legal, medical, advocacy and social services all under one roof.

Scripps Health/Hospital, offering four acute-care hospitals on five campuses totaling 700 licensed beds and a network of clinics served by close to 2,600 physicians.

The six judges included: George Chamberlin, executive editor for the San Diego Daily Transcript; Joe Guerin, editor of the Daily Transcript; Eileen Heveron, vice president of information technology at National University; Barbara Warden, president of the Downtown San Diego Partnership; National University alumnus Brent Wilsey, president of Wilsey Asset Management; and Don Zillioux, founder and chairman of Strategic Development Worldwide LLC.

By studying the ability of peak performing organizations to sustain long-term performance and maximize their potential, it is possible to enhance the performance of individual institutions, as well as entire sectors of business and industry.

The National University Center for Organizational Excellence (NU-COE) was established to apply academic research toward institutional performance. It is a consortium of business and academic professionals which was organized in accordance with

Why Use Firewire IEEE-1394.b As Your Digital Camera Interface?

2008-01-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

There are many new digital interfaces for industrial vision, the new Firewire IEEE-1394.b industrial vision cameras from Sony Electronics, Inc. VIP, the Fire Dragon Series from TTAI (Teli-Toshiba America Inc.) and the Hitachi Firewire 1394.b cameras.

The older Firewire 1394.a version is still best supported by Pixelink. Pixelink offers a great software package and is compatible with Direct Show, Direct X and Lab View. They also offer board level and right angle configurations. The Pixelink Firewire industrial cameras should also be considered a good replacement for the Sony 1394.a versions as they use the same Sony chip set (CCD sensor) as the discontinued model by Sony and the Pixelink versions are $100 to $150 dollars less then the Sony models.

PL-B952F same sensor as the DFWX710
PL-B954F same sensor as the DFWSX910
PL-B953F same sensor as the XCDX710
PL-B955F same sensor as the XCDSX910

If you are considering moving form Firewire 1394.a to 1394.b a good consideration is Sony's new versions XCDV60 (90fps VGA), XCDSX90 (30fps SXGA) and XCDU100 (15fps UXGA). Although presently they do not offer an SDK and are due to release one at the end of January 2008. Another good selection for Firewire 1394.b cameras are the new Fire Dragon series by TTAI. TTAI does have a free SDK available and all cameras are currently shipping.
The TTAI versions to look at are the CS6910F (30fps SXGA), CSFV90CC3 (90fps VGA), CSFV36CC3 (36fps XGA), CSFS20CC3 (20fps SXGA) and the CSFU15BC18 (15fps UXGA). Finally, Hitachi Kokusai offers a line up of Firewire 1394.b cameras the KP-FD140F (Color, SXGA), KP-F140F (BW,SXGA), KP-FD32F (Color-VGA), KP-F32F (BW, VGA) and the KP-F83F (BW, XGA). They offer a free SDK and good technical support.

Aegis is finding that customers are very interested in GigE industrial vision cameras and both Pixelink and TTAI are coming out with versions Q1 2008. The interest for GigE seems to be more long range in that customers are looking to work with a technology they feel will be good in the future, but for now most are migrating from Firewire 1394.a to Firewire 1394.b. When customers are using analog they are expressing interest in moving to GigE and investigating the technology, but not leaping as they feel that later releases will have more to offer.

Firewire 1394.b seems like it will be the preferred digital technology for the present time. Camera link is still a rather small market and GigE is just emerging. Firewire 1394.b with 800 Mb, fast frame rates, low cost PC interfaces and free SDK's seems to be the industrial digital technology for 2008.

Aegis Offers Complete Line Up of Products to Support PTZ Cameras

2008-01-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. offers a complete line up of products to support Pan Tilt Zoom cameras. Currently Aegis offers Pan Tilt Zoom cameras from both Sony Electronics, Inc. VIP and Canon. Sony's most popular analog PTZ cameras are the EVID70 (EVI-D70), EVID100 (EVI-D100) and the newest high definition PTZ camera the EVIHD1 (EVI-HD1). Sony also offers IP pan tilt zoom cameras. Canon's analog Pan Tilt Zoom camera the VCC50i (VC-C50i) has been the popular replacement to the VCC3 and VCC4 PTZ models.

Aegis can deliver a full pan tilt zoom camera package from frame grabber (Osprey), cabling (visca and s-video), controllers (RMBR300), wall-mounts (WM100B), ceiling mounts, DVR and recommended software for videoconferencing. Aegis's primary aim is to be a total solutions provider for the integrator with pan tilt zoom camera applications.

Aegis Demostrates New Sony Firewire at Apex

2008-01-14T14:26:00.000-08:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. will be at Apex in Las Vegas in April. The Apex show has previously been in San Diego, Anahiem and Los Angeles, but this year has moved on to Las Vegas Nevada. This change from a Southern California show to a new venue out of state should prove to be interesting. The show dates are set for April 1-3, 2008 and Aegis will be in booth 2525.

This year Aegis will feature the new Sony Industrial Firewire IEEE-1394.B cameras, XCDSX90, XCDV60 and XCDU100. There will be software (including and SDK) and drivers available to download off the Sony site starting in February. Sony and Aegis have joined together to bring these outstanding industrial vision/machine vision cameras to the Apex show for potential designers. Please visit the Aegis Electronic Group, Inc booth 2525 for more information or visit our website, www.aegis-elec.com.

PixeLINK Announces Release of GigE Industrial Cameras

2008-01-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

PixeLINK a premier manufacture of industrial vision cameras has announced the release of new industrial Gigabit Ethernet camera modules. PixeLINK is a well-established manufacturer of industrial Firewire IEEE-1394.A camera products delivering the best SDK (Software Developers Kit) in the industry. PixeLINK previously Vitana of Canada first began as a software company in the 1990’s and started delivering high performance industrial Firewire cameras as a complete solution by the late 1990’s. The introduction of their Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) CMOS and CCD in both 8 bit and 10 bit depth will prove to move them into the realm of the elite provider of industrial vision Gigabit Ethernet cameras. The key reason to use PixeLINK industrial vision cameras as a solution for an application are the API, Capture Software, SDK (Software Developers Kit), 3^rd Party IIDC DCAM 1.31 compliant software and the Twain and Direct Show Interface. PixeLINK Software also supports Window 2000, XP and Vista operating systems.

Currently PixeLINK is offering industrial Firewire IEEE-1394.A and USB 2.0 cameras. These cameras are by far the most complete solution when considering the software, drivers and technical support.

The roll-out of GigE industrial cameras is set to begin in January 2008. PixeLINK is offering the option of GigE for all PL-B700 and PL-B900 series cameras.

Highlights include:

CMOS and CCD Sensors
100 meters of point-to-point connection for control
Low-cost
Interface based on proven Pleora technology
GigE interface compliant
Compatible with the PixeLINK API
Easy to control and network

For more information contact David Naranjo, Technical Sales Manager, Aegis Electronic Group, Inc.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. wins Peak Performance Award

2007-11-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. and six other companies were honored on November 12, 2007 as recipients of the National University Peak Performance Award.Companies and organizations of all sizes were eligible to apply, including for-profit, not-for-profit, public and private entities. The nominees were evaluated using the following five criteria: (1) sustainability; (2) clear demonstrable vision, mission, purpose and/or values; (3) commitment to customers; (4) commitment to employees; (5) top line profitability.The Peak Performance Awards were conceived by National University Center for Organizational Excellence in partnership with The Daily Transcript. The center is the only organization consulting practice in the nation attached to a business school, National University's School of Business and Management. Seven San Diego-based institutions were among the select few identified by a distinguished nomination committee comprised of community leaders, National University faculty and Daily Transcript staff. Among the institutions honored were Aegis Electronic Group, Inc., ARINC, Northrop Grumman, Palomar Pomerado Health, RBF Consulting and the San Diego Family Justice Center and The San Diego Family Justice Foundation.

Sony VIP National Sales Meeting Introduces in Products

2007-10-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sony Electronics, Inc. VIP (Visual Imaging Products) introduced new products at their National Sales Meeting, Oct 12th-15th in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. Sony will be offering additional cameras to their industrial block camera line. The new Sony block cameras are the FCB-EX990D (pictured left) (NTSC version) and FCB-EX990DP (PAL version), the FCB-EX490D (NTSC version) and FCB-EX490DP (PAL version) and a smaller version of the FCB-IX11A in and EX version, the FCB-EX11D.

The release date for the FCB-EX990D/P and the FCB-EX490D/P cameras is December 2007. The release date for the FCB-EX11D is March 2008.

Key Features for the FCB-EX990D and FCB-EX490D:

Wide-D (Wide Dynamic Range)
530 TV lines
low lux 1.5
Motion Detection
Multi Lines for titles
Mosaic mask

The "D" is to notate the next version of the cameras. Previous version have been the A (FCB-IX11A), or the C (FCB-EX480C). The new FCB-EX490D and FCB-EX990D are the upgraded versions of the FCB-EX480C and FCB-EX980 offering Wide-D and 530 TV lines, however the older versions are not being discontinued and firmware will be upgraded to include the motion detection, multi title lines and mosaic mask features. These additions to the Sony industrial block camera line make it more comprehensive.

Sony Firewire Discontinuation Update

2007-10-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

On a conference call today with Ilias Levis, Sony Electronics, Inc. (VIP), Product Manager, the following information was updated for Aegis Electronic Group, Inc.

DFW-SX910- proposed replacement XCD-SX90CR
DFW-X710- proposed replacement XCD-SX90CR
XCD-SX910, proposed replacement XCD-SX90
XCD-SX910CR- proposed replacement XCD-SX90CR
XCD-SX910UV- no replacement
XCD-V50- proposed replacement XCD-V60
XCD-V50CR- proposed replacement XCD-V60CR
XCD-X710- proposed replacement XCD-SX90
XCD-X710CR - proposed replacement XCD-SX90CR
(The above information is all released as "Preliminary")

Ilias suggested that the replacement for the DFW color cameras would the XCD-SX90CR version. The new XCD-SX90CR cameras offer software that will more than compensate for the DFW's DSP color processing. All the new cameras will use the VCT-701 mounting bracket, which is the standard mount for most of Sony's cameras.

Ilias was quick to point out that these new cameras have many new features that were not available on the older models and the new software will definitely provide new potential opportunities for new designs.

Sony Discontinues Firewire Cameras

2007-10-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

October 1, 2007 Sony Electronics, Inc. (VIP) division announced that it was discontinuing the following IEEE 1394.a and IEEE 1394.b cameras immediately:

DFW-SX910- no replacement
DFW-X710- no replacement
XCD-SX910, proposed replacement XCD-SX90
XCD-SX910CR- proposed replacement XCD-SX90CR
XCD-SX910UV- no replacement
XCD-V50- proposed replacement XCD-V60
XCD-V50CR- proposed replacement XCD-V60CR
XCD-X710 - no replacement
XCD-X710CR- no replacement

There is a new UXGA resolution camera coming out, the XCD-U100 and XCD-U100CR (1600x1200), 1/1.8 CCD and 15 fps.

The replacement cameras (all 1394.b versions and using Bayer Filters for color, CR versions) are due out in December 2007 (12/07). Sony will be accepting last time buys for the older models through December 20, 2007 and accepting schedules through March 15, 2008.

Assemby Tech Expo a Success for Aegis Electronic Group, Inc.

2007-10-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. had a successful run at the Assembly Tech Expo in Rosemont, Il., Sept 25th-27th. Aegis displayed Sony Electronics, Inc. (VIP) cameras, CBC Lenses, Bitflow framegrabbers and Intercon 1 cabling. The compliation of these products were used to demonstrate the features of Camera Link, Firewire, USB 2.0 and the Sony Smart camera technologies.
(pictured Michelle Witt, Jim Larrison and David Naranjo)

The booth had a surprising turnout of quality customers and lead opportunities. Aegis had a booth in the Quality Expo section with manufacturers like TTAI and Navitar. Sony Electronics, Inc. (VIP) had there booth in the manufacturing section demonstrating their new Firewire 1394.B cameras and Sony Smart camera, XC-IV3. Aegis plans to go back next year for the Quality Expo, which is going to be in Detriot, MI.

Teli-Toshiba America, Inc. (TTAI) Display Gigabit Ethernet Camera

2007-10-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Toshiba Teli America, Inc. (TTAI) displayed their new Gigabit Ethernet camera, CS6910G, at the Assembly Technology Expo in Rosemont, Il., last week.

Al Sabeh, TTAI's West Coast Sales Manager, demonstrated this model and others at the booth. (Pictured left Al Sabeh (TTAI) and Michelle Witt, Aegis)

The CS6910G is the world's only Gigabit Ethernet industrial camera to incorporate the Super CCD™ color image sensor. It delivers the huge bandwidth required to stream non-compressed RGB 24-bit color video at up to 30 frames-per-second at 1280 x 960 resolution (SXGA) over CAT5 cabling to a host PC positioned up to 300 feet away.

1/4” Super CCD™

1280 x 960 Pixels

Gigabit Ethernet Interface

30 Frames Per Second

24 Bit Output

Sony VIP Introduces New IEEE 1394.B Cameras at Assembly Tech

2007-10-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

Sony Electronics, Inc. (VIP division) introduced and demonstrated (preliminary) specifications and information on their new Firewire IEEE 1394.b digital video cameras. There will be three new models projected for release in December 2007 (12/2007). All models are monochrome (B/W), but offered in Raw Color (CR versions). The three models are:

XCD-V60, 1/3 CCD, VGA (640 X 480) at 90 fps, (XCD-V60CR, raw color option)
XCD-SX90, 1/3 CCD, XSGA (1280 X 960) at 30 fps (XCD-SX90CR ,raw color option)
XCD-U100, 1/1.8 CCD, UXGA (1600 x 1200) at 15 fps (XCD-U100CR, raw color option)

Preliminary features include:

Compact form factor (33(H) x 44(W) x 57.5(L))
Binning
Partial Scan (F7)
Bus Synchronization
Trigger Inhibit/Overlap
Dual IEEE-1394.b connectors for daisy chaining
12P Hirose connector:

Optional external power
Trigger in
Strobe out
I/O

Pricing has not yet been released, however, from discussions it appears that they will be aggressive and beating, if not meeting, competitor pricing. Whatever the price point the technology that Sony has to offer far out does the competition. The most exciting part of these releases of IEEE-1394.B cameras is that Sony is going to release software to support these cameras. They will offer a Capture, Control, Display software, as well as, a Software Developers Kit (SDK). Again, pricing has not been released, but this is a new advancement in the delivery of their higher end products.

FCB-H10 Interface FCBEX232-HD

2007-09-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

The FCB-H10 Sony High Definition block camera interface board, IFBEX232-HD is pictured to the right. This is all of the cabling included with the board currently priced at $210.00. These cables are available and shipping in limited quantities.

Please contact us at www.aegis-elec.com for more information.

EVI-HD1 High Definition Camera Available

2007-09-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

The EVI-HD1, Sony High Definition PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) camera is available and shipping now. These cameras have only been released a short time and are increasing in popularity.

The EVIHD1 inherits many outstanding features from Sony’s popular EVI-D100 P/T/Z camera and couples these with superb HD picture quality. Smooth, high-speed pan/tilt operation, 16x9 aspect ratio images and a built-in 10x optical zoom/wide angle lens, make the EVI-HD1 ideal for small to medium size conference rooms.

For easy purchase or technical help, visit www.usasecuritysystems.com.

USASecuritysystems.com is a web based business designed to provide security and surveillance products such as; cameras, monitor, cables and other security/surveillance related products. The products that are offered on this website are in stock and will ship the same day if placed before 3pm Mountian time. Our customers are invited to contact us and request products to be sold on this website. It is our goal to provide products that are needed quickly to resolve your security needs. The products that are offered by Panasonic, Sony, Canon, Elmo and Integral are designed to be easily integrated your security systems. Systems that are currently using these products are; indentification systems (ID systems), surviellance systems, and other monitoring systems.

IK-HD1 Integrated with Matrox Vio

2007-09-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Toshiba, IK-HD1, has been successfully integrated by customers using the Matrox, Vio framegrabber board. This is important news for integrators wanting to successfully use all the features of the cameras as well as for film makers who wish to edit footage for broadcasting.

Please visit Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. for more information about the IK-HD1 and Matrox for more information on the Vio framegrabber board.

CIS America Releases PoCL Camera

2007-09-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

CIS America has released the first PoCL camera the V22G31PCL. This camera is following the new standard format for Power Over Camera Link (PoCL). PoCL is now the AIA standard for providing power over the same connector as the Camera Link technology. This allows for a more streamlined back end solution, one cable for power and video.

PoCL Requirements:

PoCL Camera
PoCL Cable
PoCL Framegrabber

FCB-H10 Interface Board Available

2007-09-18T11:09:00.001-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. is now shipping the interface board, IFBEX232-HD for the high definition block cameras from Sony, FCB-H10. This board allows for easy interface with the camera with outputs in Standard High Definition, Y/C and Composite. There are limited quantities available but production will increase as demand dictates. The pricing is currently $210.00 and is expected to decrease as production runs become larger. The IFBEX232-HD is the answer for many customers wanting to incorporate the new High Definition cameras into there applications, but were limited due to lack of interface capibilities.

For more information please contact, David Naranjo at 800-362-3447, david@aegiselect.com, or visit our website at http://www.aegis-elec.com/

For other Industrial High Definition cameras, please visit our website.

High Definition Cables for Toshiba IK-HD1

2007-08-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

Toshiba has released it's new High Definition 3 CCD, remote head, industrial camera. This camera is currently released and shipping. The high definition cables that go with this camera are the EXCHD03 (3 meters), EXCHD06 (6 meters) and the EXCHD10 (10 meters). Since the longer length cables can run upwards as much as $1500.00, it is helpful to note that the EXCT503, 3 meter standard cable for the 3 chip standard definition camera (IKTU51) can be used for the high definition with little or no resolution loss and at almost half the cost. However, don't try this cost cutter on the longer cables because you will loose video and definition.

Tamron Introduces New Machine Vision Megapixel Lenses

2007-08-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Tamron announces release of three new megapixel machine vision lenses. The M118FM16, M118FM25 and M118FM50 are a new line up of factory automation lenses and are currently available.

- 16mm high-resolution fixed focal lens for industrial use, for 1/1.8" mega-pixel CCDs (Model M118FM16)
- 25mm high-resolution fixed focal lens for industrial use, for 1/1.8" mega-pixel CCDs (Model M118FM25) - For new release
- 50mm high-resolution fixed focal lens for industrial use, for 1/1.8" mega-pixel CCDs (Model M118FM50)

With the objective of further strengthening its product line-up and thus enabling Tamron to precisely meet the varied needs of customers, Tamron has now developed high-resolution fixed focal lenses for industrial applications that can be used with 1/1.8" mega-pixel CCDs. These lenses are compatible with 1/1.8" and 1/2" mega-pixel CCD factory automation and machine vision cameras. By reducing the minimum focus distance, these lenses offer a broader shooting range. With the new lenses, imaging for most applications can be achieved without attaching a close-up extension ring. This helps to boost system reliability and lower overall costs. The minimum focus distance for the 16mm lens has been reduced from 0.3 m* to 0.1 m. For the 25mm lens, it has been reduced from 0.25 m to 0.1 m, and for the 50mm lens, from 0.5 m to 0.2 m.

Visit www.aegis-elec.com for more information.

Aegis To Offer Interface for FCB-H10

2007-08-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. will be offering an interface kit for the new Sony VIP, FCB-H10, high definition block camera. This interface kit will make it easier to get the camera up and running for new users. Most users of this camera will eventually build their own cabling depending on the signal type they wish to use, but while in development this interface kit will help new designers. The interface kit will be available in the next 8 weeks.

What You Should Know About High Definition Industrial Cameras

2007-08-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

High Definition industrial cameras have significantly higher resolution than the standard format cameras. HDTV (High Definition Television) technology was first introduced in the US during the 1990s by the Digital HDTV Grand Alliance. It consisted of entities like AT&T, General Instrument Corporation and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The introduction of the HDTV format required specialized high definition cameras, cabling and television monitors.

There are three HDTV standards are currently defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R BT.709). They are 1080i (1,080 actively interlaced lines), 1080p (1,080 progressively scanned lines), and 720p (720 progressively scanned lines). All of these standards use a 16:9 aspect ratio. All current HDTV broadcasting standards are encompassed within the ATSC and DVB specifications.

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is the group that developed the ATSC Standards for digital television in the United States, also adopted by Canada, Mexico and South Korea.

DVB, short for Digital Video Broadcasting, is a suite of internationally accepted open standards for digital television.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. is currently offering three new High Definition camera models: the Sony VIP, EVI-HD1, PTZ High Definition camera, the FCB-H10, High Definition block camera and the Toshiba, IK-HD1 High Definition 3CCD camera.

High Definition Cameras Available Now

2007-08-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. is currently offering three new High Definition camera models: the Sony VIP, EVI-HD1, PTZ High Definition camera, the FCB-H10, High Definition block camera and the Toshiba, IK-HD1 High Definition 3CCD camera.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. is stocking the Sony EVI-HD1, PTZ High Definition camera in quantities. This High Definition camera is suited well for broadcast and boardroom applications.

The Sony, FCB-H10, High Definition block camera is currently on order and we are accepting orders. This High Definition block camera is a great fit for applications requiring it’s small food print and flexible packaging.

The Toshiba, IK-HD1, High Definition 3CCD camera is currently backordered and Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. is accepting orders for fulfillment this month (8/2007). This High Definition 3CCD camera is a perfect fit for broadcast, military and industrial vision applications.

For more information please contact Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. at www.aegis-elec.com, or view specifications at the links listed below:

Sony EVI-HD1 High Definition Camera
Sony FCB-H10 High Defintion Camera
Toshiba IK-HD1 High Defintion Camera

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. Offers New High Definition Cameras

2007-08-07T15:19:00.001-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. offers new High Definition Cameras from Sony VIP and Toshiba Imaging Systems Division.

Sony VIP released earlier this year the EVI-HD1, PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom), Color High Definition camera. This camera features 14 formats to choose from (including 8 HD types and 6 SD video formats), this new dynamic camera allows you to decide when your ready to migrate from SD to HD. The EVI-HD1 is compatible today with your existing videoconferencing system, and with the flip of a switch, compatible tomorrow.

The EVIHD1 inherits many outstanding features from Sony's popular EVI-D100 P/T/Z camera and couples these with superb HD picture quality. Smooth, high-speed pan/tilt operation, 16x9 aspect ratio images and a built-in 10x optical zoom/wide angle lens, make the EVI-HD1 ideal for small to medium size conference rooms.

Sony VIP is now shipping (8/2007) the FCB-H10 Sony’s first high definition block camera. The FCB-H10 allows for Standard Definition (SD) to High Definition (HD) migration with the ability to capture images in either 720p or full high definition 1080i. The small and lightweight size allows for space-restricted applications. (47.2 x 43.1 x 72.2 mm, 120g) The FCB-H10 features 16x9 aspect ratio, making it ideal for wide screen displays.

Toshiba Imaging Systems Division has released and filled orders for the IK-HD1 consisting of the camera control device IK-HD1C, the camera head IK-HD1H and the appropriate camera cable EXC-HDxx, that is available in lengths up to 30 m.

One of the IK-HD1's key features is the cameras remote head with an 1/3" 3-CCD sensor. It offers a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels in 16:9 video format. The remote head's size is only (38,6 x 32,6 x 40) mm. The lens-mount is C-mount.

The image is output over digital HD-SDI (1 x BNC) or analogue RGB resp. YPbPr (3 x BNC). The camera is set via On Screen Display (OSD) or RS232. With it's 12 V power supply the camera is ideally suited for mobile use.

Application Examples Medical (endoscopy, microscopy, dermatology) Print inspection Food inspection Pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry Broadcast Technical Highlights 1/3" 3CCD sensor Resolutio 1920 x 1080 active pixels Video format: Full-HD 1080i60 (16:9) Video outputs: digital HD-SDI ( 1x BNC) analogue RGB and YPbPr (3 x BNC) Excellent colour reproduction Camera setting via OSD or RS232 Camera head in compact housing: (38,6 x 32,6 x 40) mm©¯ Light weight Lens mount C-Mount Camera cable up to 30 m available 12 V DC (also suited for mobile use)

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. Presents New Line of Machine Vision Solutions

2007-07-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. offers a full line of analog progressive scan cameras for the machine vision, robotic and other industrial vision markets. CIS Americas is the latest addition to this line up of products. CIS Americas is one of the few that offer custom models for larger OEM requirements.

CIS offers a broad lineup of Machine Vision cameras to match diverse machine vision requirements. These range from the cost-effective VCC-G20 series analog cameras to the new VCC-F32 color digital camera with 5M CCD image sensor and an ultrahigh-speed 72MHz pixel clock. All CIS cameras are configured in exceptionally high-density packaging, delivering high-speed and high-performance operation in an extremely small footprint.

CIS Americas 1/2 inch (VCC-G20s20) and 1/3 inch (VCC-G20X30) analog progressive scan cameras have become a popular item for machine vision, robotics and other industrial vision applications. The advantage of a small size, high quality and low cost make this a perfect selection. The VCC-G20 progressive scan series is similar to competitive models by Sony, Hitachi, Sentech leading manufacturers of analog progressive scan machine vision cameras.

For additional information and specification visit our website, www.aegis-elec.com.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. Displays Sony's High Definition Camera, FCB-H10

2007-07-03T14:06:00.001-07:00

Sony Electronics, Inc. VIP division has released preliminary specifications for the new FCB-H10, High Definition Color Block Camera. This camera features 10x optical + 4x digital zoom, for a 40x zoom ratio. The FCB-H10 camera incorporates a 1/3 type HD CMOS sensor providing high resolutions images and excellent picture quality.

The FCB-H10 is Sony Electronics, Inc. first high definition block camera. The FCB-H10 allows for Standard Definition (SD) to High Definition (HD) migration with the ability to capture images in either 720p or full high definition 1080i. The small and lightweight size allows for space-restricted applications. (47.2 x 43.1 x 72.2 mm, 120g) The FCB-H10 features 16x9 aspect ratio, making it ideal for wide screen displays.

The FCB-H10 has been moved up to an August release with the demand for high definition products moving to the front line. The demand seems to primarily come from the broadcast markets, but military, medical and other markets seem to be peaking in interest as well.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. a premier distributor of imaging products and accessories is poised to offer the technical support needed to OEM’s that choose to integrate this product into their systems. Aegis is already at work developing cable solutions that offer a variety of output selections. The value of the FCB-H10 is it’s flexibility for OEM development and Aegis is working to meet the needs of OEM’s by offering connectivity solutions. Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. plans to display the FCB-H10 camera in a view station at the Assembly Technology Expo, September 25-27, booth 6344.

For additional technical information contact David Naranjo, Aegis Electronic Group, Inc., Technical Sales Manager, ndavid@aegiselect.com, 800-362-3447.

Carolynn Larson-Garcia

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. Introduces New XCL-5000 at Assembly Technology Expo

2007-06-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. will be demonstrating the Sony XCL-5000, Camera Link camera, and the Bitflow Neon-CL frame grabber, as well as the Sony Smart Camera, at the Assembly Technology Expo, September 25 – 27, in Chicago. This trade show brings together different facets of the assembly processes providing a comprehensive opportunity for demonstration of a wide range of products and services.

Sony Electronics, Inc. (VIP) has joined together with Aegis Electronic Group, Inc., a premier distributor and integrator of imaging components and systems, to sponsor a booth (#6344) and demonstrate two new cutting edge products.

The Sony Smart Camera, XCI-XS1 is Sony’s first Smart Camera. The XCI-XS1 monochrome camera incorporates a 1/2 progressive scan CCD with square pixels that produces high-quality SXGA (1280 x 1024) resolution at selectable frame rates of either 15fps (SXGA) or 34fps (VGA). Sony provides multiple operating platforms, Windows Xpe and Linux, as well as, open architecture allowing different software programs. The Sony Smart Camera is designed for choice and flexibility and is proving to be a viable selection for camera designs.

The XCL-5000 is Sony’s first 5-megapixel digital machine vision camera. The XCL-5000 is a black-and-white model that incorporates a new 2/3-inch progressive scan CCD sensor with square pixels and increased low-light sensitivity providing exceptional dynamic range and low noise characteristics. This imaging technology can capture high-quality, high-resolution video at 15 frames per second, and supports up to 12-bit processing with a C-mount lens. List price is $4377.

The new Bitflow Neon-CL released just this month (June 2007), is the first frame grabber to offer PoCL (Power over Camera Link). This board is designed for high performance at a low price point. Adding the Neon-CL to an application is simple with the provided SDK, which supports both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. The SDK provides high-level APIs for sophisticated buffer management and low-level direct access to the board for speedy custom control. The Neon-CL is also backwards compatible with non-PoCL cameras and cables. List price is $695.

Aegis offers Sony XCL-5000 Camera Link cameras, Bitflow Neon-CL frame grabbers, Nortech/Intercon Camera Link“ cables, and a wide selection of C-Mount lenses for a fully integrated solution. Aegis makes available fully integrated solutions along with extended-hour technical support, and is committed to providing ongoing value to its customers from the beginning of the design process through full production.

For additional information about these products and services that Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. offers, please come see us at booth #6344 at the Assembly Technology Expo, September 25-27 in Rosemont, IL or visit our website at www.aegis-elec.com.

Carolynn Larson-Garcia

RoHS: The Challenges of Compliance in the Distribution Channel

2007-05-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

There are many resources for information about RoHS compliance on the Internet. It is sometimes difficult, however, to get to a clear and direct answer for some questions. On March 1, 2007, ‘China RoHS’ became effective, and with that came a flurry of conversation about compliance, who is compliant, what constitutes compliance, and how that compliance is being implemented. This can make for confusing situations for Distributors who ultimately rely on compliance and compliance certification from its OEM Suppliers.

When the EU-RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) took effect in July 2006 the rollout was time consuming, but smooth. It currently appears that most manufacturers are compliant and all old stock has been removed. However, little, if any, attention has been paid to the ‘China RoHS’, “Law of the People’s Republic of China for the Promotion of Clean Production” and the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes” and other related statutes. While there is crossover between the EU-RoHS Directive and the ‘China RoHS’ Laws they are not identical. Most importantly they require different labeling.

The current practice of most Manufacturers is to provide a letter to its Distributor claiming that products are compliant with China-RoHS. Most Manufacturers refuse to label the product according to the China directives. In these cases, the responsibility is passed on to the Distribution Channel to choose whether they want to be held accountable for marking the product on behalf of the supplier OEM and subsequently take the responsibility for the compliance of the product. Ultimately, it would seem that whoever marks the product would be the one taking responsibility for the compliance of the product.

In a recently issued whitepaper by Symphony Consulting, “Transition to RoHS: The Seven Common Pitfalls to Avoid”, the implication is that if a Distributor supplies the product and certifies it as compliant and it is later determined that it contains a banned chemical, the manufacturer whose logo appears on the product could be banned from that country. This could also include severe fines if the non-compliance event is due to negligence and/or willful misconduct.

These implications travel up and down the supply chain for the Distribution Channel. If we certify compliance based on a letter from the supplier OEM and label the product and if it’s found to be non-compliant, then our contracted relationship could be damaged with our supplier OEM. If we provide to our OEM customer a component product that is certified with a letter and marked by the Distributor but found to not be compliant, the implication is severe for the OEM customer.

The situation is precarious. Why was the EU-RoHS Directive carried out swiftly and effectively and the ‘China RoHS’ all but ignored? It will be interesting to see how the compliance is handled in the future for ‘China RoHS’ as demand increases.

www.aegis-elec.com

ALL TIED UP OVER CAMERA CABLES?

2007-04-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

April 2, 2007

There are many solutions today for medical cables and connectivity. However, not every cable solution will provide the actual connectivity required. There are two key factors that should be considered when selecting a cable. The first item of consideration is the manufacturer of the cable. If you are purchasing the cable from the camera manufacturer, you will be certain to get the connectivity that you are looking for, however you may not get the best price or the desired cable length. Most camera manufacturers subcontract their cable assemblies out to cable manufacturers. This will lead to higher pricing due to multiple delivery channels. The second item to consider when purchasing directly from the cable manufacturer is their understanding of the camera and its connectivity (pin outs, shielding, and length requirements). If this is not taken into account, you will certainly have a cable, but not necessarily the desired solution. The use of a Value-Added Distributor and/or System Integrator will provide your best solution and value. They have the knowledge base of both camera and cable manufacturers, an in-depth understanding of what key connectivity factors are important, and can provide competitive pricing.

Canon Features VC-B300 at ISC West 2007

2007-03-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

CANON VB-C300 FEATURED AT ISC WEST
March 28, 2007 – ISC West 2007, Las Vegas, NV.

The new Canon VB-C300 wide angle, PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom), PoE (Power over Ethernet, 802.3af compliant) network camera was featured with full demonstrations at ISC West. This progressive scan camera features 70° horizontal angle of view and pan of 170°, tilt of -25° / +90°, +25° / -90° (Reverse Mode). The optical zoom of 2.4x and 4x optical zoom makes this camera a perfect choice for hospital and supermarket applications. The auto Day and Night Mode allows the VB-C300 to automatically switch from color video in daylight condition to light sensitive black & white video in dark conditions. Marking this cameras high performance in low-light situations with as little as 1lux of illumination it operates at 30 fps color video without reducing the frame rate. The images are clear and noise free due to the high sensitivity of the CCD. The VB-C300 offers two-way audio, with a simultaneous speak and listen feature.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc., a premier distributor and solutions provider of camera and peripheral equipment, participated in meetings with Michael Ames, Manager of Canon’s Network Video Solutions Sales, Shane Tokumaru, Manager of VSC Product Planning & Control, and Alan Uchida, VSC Manager of VSC Marketing. Aegis and Canon Network Video Solutions Sales have partnered to bring these products to the forefront of not only the security markets but to other related markets.

For additional product information contact David Naranjo, Aegis Electronic Group, Inc., Technical Sales Manager, 800-362-3447.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. introduces new Sony Smart Camera at Apex Show in Los Angeles.

2007-03-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

February 28, 2007 – Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. introduced the new Sony Smart Camera at the Apex Show in Los Angeles (Feb 20-22). Ilias Levis, Sony’s Smart Camera Product Manager, Richard Hofmeister, Sony’s Western Regional Manager and Liz Carnes, President of Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. kicked off the show with demonstrations of Sony’s XC1-V3.

The XCI-V3 is equipped with a 1/3-type VGA (640 x 480) progressive scan CCD. The XCI-SX1 incorporates a 1/2-type SXGA (1280 x 1024) progressive scan CCD. Both cameras include a high-performance and flexible AMD GeodeTM GX533 processor with either built-in Linux ®OS or Windows®XPE OS. In addition, these cameras incorporate 1 Gig of compact Flash and a 100BaseTX/10Base-T interface for network connectivity. The Sony Smart cameras feature open architecture which allows for the users to install a variety of image-processing software applications or to develop and apply customized applications.

Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. a Sony VIP distributor for 17 years and partner in the Smart Camera market development, featured compatible National Instruments software, Vision Builder at the show. David Naranjo, Aegis Technical Sales Manager, emphasized “The partnership of Sony, Aegis and NI and the flexibility of using all software will make Sony’s Smart Camera a viable contender for the Smart Camera market.”

For additional information, please contact David Naranjo, Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. Technical Sales Manager, 800-362-3447. www.aegis-elec.com