Chapter 1 Introduction
IMAQ PCI-1428 User Manual 1-2 ni.com
Easily synchronizing several functions to a common trigger or timing event
is a common challenge with image acquisition devices. The PCI-1428 uses
the Real-Time System Integration (RTSI) bus to solve this problem. The
RTSI bus uses National Instruments RTSI bus interface and ribbon cable to
route additional timing and trigger signals between the PCI-1428 and up to
four National Instruments DAQ, motion control, or IMAQ devices. The
RTSI bus can even synchronize multiple IMAQ hardware captures.
Detailed specifications of the PCI-1428 are in AppendixA, Specifications.
Camera Link
This section provides a brief overview of the Camera Link standard.
Formore detailed information about Camera Link specifications, reference
the Specifications of the Camera Link Interface Standard for Digital
Cameras and Frame Grabbers manual. This manual is available on several
Web sites, including the Automated Imaging Association site at
machinevisiononline.org.

Overview

Developed by a consortium of camera and frame grabber manufacturers,
Camera Link is a standard for interfacing digital cameras with image
acquisition devices. Camera Link simplifies connectivity between the
image acquisition device and the camera by defining a single standard
connector for both. This standard ensures compatibility of devices bearing
the Camera Link logo.
The basis for the Camera Link standard is the National Semiconductor
Channel Link chipset, a data transmission method consisting of a
general-purpose transmitter/receiver pair. The Channel Link driver takes
28 bits of parallel digital data and a clock and serializes the stream to four
LVDS (EIA-644) data streams and an LVDS clock, providing high-speed
data transmission across 10 wires and over distances of up to 10m.
Interfacing with the PCI-1428
The Camera Link standard defines physical connections between image
acquisition devices and Camera Link cameras, and it allows for flexibility
of image format and data transfer protocols. The camera manufacturer
defines image parameters, such as image resolution and the number of bits
per pixel. Camera control parameters, such as frame-on-demand and
exposure control signals, are also defined by the camera manufacturer.