Texas Instruments MC-1000WU-20A 4.1 General Operating Procedures

General Operating Procedures

4-2

4.1 General Operating Procedures

The MC-1000WU-20A camera features high-resolution, stable, very sensitive,

linear images from an array of 1000(H) by 1017(V) picture elements. The cam-

era operates as one unit of a user-defined imaging system. Other components

typically consist of a mechanical shutter or strobe light, a TV frame-buffer or

frame-storage computer or hardware system, an optical system (lens), and a

power supply. The MC-1000WU-20A camera operates with little or no opera-

tor adjustment after the initial setup period. The following paragraphs give op-

erating procedures for the camera.

The camera does not have a power switch; as soon as power is applied by the

power supply, the camera becomes operable. The green LED on the rear

panel signals that power is applied to the camera. After connection of the

power supply, a picture should appear on a monitor screen within a few

seconds. If additional frame-buffer hardware is used in the application, verify

that the hardware is working properly.

To turn off the camera, remove the power connector from the camera, or switch

off the appropriate system power supply.

The MC-1000 series cameras use a lens-locking ring to set the minimum dis-

tance between the rear lens element and the CCD imager. Focus the lens by

rotating the front lens barrel clockwise or counterclockwise until the image is

sharp. If a sharp image cannot be obtained, do the following steps:

1) Check lens surface for smears, smudges, or dust. Clean lens surface per

lens manufacturer’s instructions.

2) Check glass cover on CCD imager for smears, smudges, or dust. Clean

glass cover with alcohol and a cotton swab. See Chapter 6, Maintenance

Instructions, for details.

3) Check the distance between the rear lens element and the CCD imager.

If necessary, adjust the distance by loosening the lens-locking ring.

Remember to tighten the lens-locking ring after adjusting to fix the new

distance setting.

Image brightness is a function of exposure time (which is fixed in standard TV

applications) and lens aperture (F number). The sensitivity of the CCD sensor

and the amount of light reaching the sensor through the optical system is a

function of scene illumination, optical alignment, and magnification. In most

cases, the image brightness can be adjusted by varying the lens aperture. If

an image is too dark, rotate the lens aperture ring to a smaller number. This

selects a larger lens aperture, allowing more light through the lens.