High Performance Imaging on the PC
The MaxPCI Workstation enables users to quickly begin development of a wide variety of image processing applications on a fully featured, industry-standard computer platform. Workstation users are able to plug their systems in and immediately begin programming with no complex system configuration and installation required. Graphical application development tools included with the Workstation significantly reduce the time and effort users must invest in programming, and the industry-standard Windows NT(R) user interface simplifies all system-level tasks.
MaxPCI Workstation Hardware
The MaxPCI Workstation is housed in a standard PC with an Intel Pentium(R) processor equipeed with a minimum of 32 MB RAM and both PCI and ISA expansion slots. The standard tower-style PC chassis includes an Ethernet card, fully installed, to support network connections. Workstations include one 3.5" floppy drive, a CD-ROM drive, a minimum of 1 GB hard disk space, and a keyboard and mouse. Users may choose to purchase the optional super-VGA monitor available from Datacube to complete their system.
MaxPCI Image Processor
MaxPCI is a high-powered, single-slot image processing subsystem for PCI bus-based platforms. It includes a complete line of acquisition modules (MaxACQs) and processing and storage modules (PSMODs) to provide exceptionally flexible configurations. MaxPCI is based on Datacube's powerful pipeline processing architecture, which converts 2D images to a 1D stream of video data, and pipes them through a configurable series of computational elements. Each of these elements optimizes the performance of a specific image processing task. Multiple parallel pipelines work synchronously to complete billions of operations per second, producing tremendous data throughput.
For fixed and one snap-in VSIM (Virtual surface Image Memory) provide 16 to 32 MB of memory on the main MaxPCI board. In addition to functioning as surface stores, these VSIMs are capable of performing specific region-of-interest processing functions on active images at 40 MHz.
Max VGA Display Card
Installed in a second PCI slot and fully configured when the system arrives, the MaxVGA display card displays up to 40 MB/sec. of imagery (1K2 pixels @ 30 FPS), using its private bus for image transfer. Image data is displayed in its own window under Windows NT, eliminating the need for a second monitor. High Speed Image Access (HSIA) is also availabel for transfer over the PCI bus.
PC ImageFlow Software
PC ImageFlow is a library of C-callable functions developed by Datacube specifically for pipeline image processsing and control PC ImageFlow manages data transfers among the software configurable processing elements on Datacube hardware. It accomplishes this task with minimal overhead, achieving near-register-level performance while handling complex synchronization and timing issued, significantly simplifying pipeline processing control.
Application Development Tools
The MaxPCI system software distribution includes time-saving development tools to help programmers simplify and expedite application development. DatacubeWit is a graphical development tool that allows users to develop image processing applications using high-level icons. When decomposed, the icons reveal the underlying PC ImageFlow code generated by DatacubeWit. Compilation and debugging of PC ImageFlow code can be simplified by using Microsoft Visual C++TM.
Setting Standards
The MaxPCI Workstation is a self-standing, fully integrated imaging computer shipped ready for application development. The combination of Datacube's MaxPCI hardware and the widely used Windows NT operating system environment is setting a new standard for image processing on the PC platform.
・Powerful pipeline processing architecture on low-cost PC platform for billions of operations per second
・Industry-standard Windows NT user interface simplifies system-level tasks and reduce learning curve
・System approach eliminates time-consuming system set-up and configuration
・DatacubeWit provides a high-level development tool with an easy-to-use, point-and-click interface
・Modular acquisition and processing resource provide flexible configuration
・MaxVGA display card overlays up to 1K2 pixels @ 30 Frames Per Second for live video display
