os@primerd.prime.com (04/30/91)
Does anyone know where to get CCD imaging chips and associated driving logic chips to build a video camera? Just a pointer in a known right directions is appreciated. Explanation: I am attempting to build a very small camera. The idea is to launch it on an Estes-type rocket. The image will be transmitted back to the ground via Amateur TV (Ham Radio). I can acquire/build a small transmitter and adequate antenna. However, the camera is the problem. Most Hams regard a camera as a black box as they concentrate on transmitters, receivers, and antennas. The cameras I can find are either too big, too heavy, black & white, or are too expensive. As I only need a small, fixed focus device, this should be easy - just a few chips, right? If I look at the average camcorder, much of it is taken up by the case, the battery, the tape, the recorder load/play/ write mechanism, and other associated motors and controls. The amount of room taken up by the actual imaging electronics must be very small. The way I figure it, it must consist of the CCD imaging chip (which is probably viewed as one large shift register), an external clock crystal, and a driver chip which takes the output of the CCD and turns it into RS170A compatible signals. At least, this is what I hope to reduce it to. The problem is, I can't find a source of parts. The CAPS online parts system, a library of 35 CD-ROMs here at work doesn't have much other than single line imagers used to scan something. I want the rows and columns of a full picture image. The local cable company doesn't have anything. The TV studio at my old college, offhand, can get parts, but they are replacement parts. i.e. To fix some camera with a broken part, they order replacement part xyzzy. No specs, no idea of what the parts do. Are all cameras/camcorders made in Japan with Japanese parts considered proprietary and locally unavailable or expensive? Thanks, Jim Cook <j.cook@ens.prime.com> (508) 435-2292 9 Oakhurst Road, Hopkinton, Mass. 01748
horner@hpdtczb.HP.COM (James G Horner) (05/01/91)
Try EG&G Reticon, I believe they have a line of CCD devices. Jim Horner
ahenden@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Arne A Henden) (05/01/91)
In article <44900004@primerd> os@primerd.prime.com writes: > >Does anyone know where to get CCD imaging chips and associated driving logic >chips to build a video camera? Just a pointer in a known right directions is >appreciated. > >Explanation: I am attempting to build a very small camera. The idea is to >launch it on an Estes-type rocket. The image will be transmitted back to the >ground via Amateur TV (Ham Radio). I can acquire/build a small transmitter and >adequate antenna. However, the camera is the problem. Most Hams regard a >camera as a black box as they concentrate on transmitters, receivers, and >antennas. The cameras I can find are either too big, too heavy, black & white, >or are too expensive. As I only need a small, fixed focus device, this should >be easy - just a few chips, right? If I look at the average camcorder, much >of it is taken up by the case, the battery, the tape, the recorder load/play/ >write mechanism, and other associated motors and controls. The amount of room >taken up by the actual imaging electronics must be very small. The way I >figure it, it must consist of the CCD imaging chip (which is probably viewed >as one large shift register), an external clock crystal, and a driver chip >which takes the output of the CCD and turns it into RS170A compatible signals. >At least, this is what I hope to reduce it to. > Radio Electronics, March 1991 page 33 describes a video telephone. They used a CCD module from Chinon, the XP CCD-1 ($305 incl shipping) that sounds like it would fit your requirements. It has a 240x320 resolution, size of 1 x 1 3/16 x 2 3/4 inches, weight 2.1 ounces. This is about the smallest CCD camera that I have found. A group in England has just announced a CCD chip with all supporting electronics built on the chip. In other words, with just a few external parts you can have an RS170 video camera. They hope to market the chip for around $40, so this may be another source in a year or so. Another option is to buy one of the survelance (sp) cameras from DAK. They were going for $300 or so, I think including the monitor. Don't know if it was RS170 tho, and one person I know who bought one thought the sensitivity was pretty low (ok for rocket launches which invariably occur in the daytime!). Hope that helps. Arne Henden
bame@hpfcbig.SDE.HP.COM (Paul Bame) (05/01/91)
There was an advertisement in Circuit Cellar, Inc. within the last 6 months or so selling the guts out of the Lionel "TV train" or whatever they called it - quite cheap - and probably fits in a 1.5" tube. If you go looking for this advertisement, don't expect to see the Lionel name anywhere - just an ad for small PC-board CCD cameras. I think the CCD assembly is on it's own tiny board (would be vertical in the train) which might be useful by itself. Also, if you are into ATV but haven't seen it, grab a copy of Spec-Com magazine (may be difficult to find - try a Ham store). They advertise a camera which they show in a hard cigarette pack (with some room to spare). It's not cheap, but is small and claims higher quality than the "TV Train" or the FP camcorder or the Uniden baby monitor. For raw CCD devices, contact EG&G Reticon for their data books - but I'll warn they are EXPENSIVE. Some of the other "normal" silicon folks also carry CCDs but most normal IC consumers don't have the information. Phillips/Signetics sells a little camera module which is high quality and probably just what you want - reference available with difficulty. -Paul Bame 303 229 6602 bame@hubble.sde.hp.com N0KCL
will@rins.ryukoku.ac.jp (will) (05/07/91)
In article <44900004@primerd>, os@primerd.prime.com writes: >Explanation: I am attempting to build a very small camera. The idea is to >launch it on an Estes-type rocket. > Well, I am a former Estes rocket and Centaur and FSI rocketeer. I can tell you that the Estes rocket catalogs do carry the camera that you are looking for. If they don't carry it any more than check with the Centaur group. Will...