mike@focsys.uucp (Mike Walma) (06/16/90)
At long last, here is the summary of replies I received in connection
with a request I made about the existance of Transputer based/compatible
frame capture/display hardware.
Thanks to one and all for taking the time to reply.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Louis L. Whitcomb <watmath.waterloo.edu!iuvax!corwin.eng.yale.edu!llw>
Subject: Re: Transputer based frame capture
Greetings:
The transputer white pages is usually the best place to begin a search.
You can get a set from your INMOS field application engineer.
To provide for our need for a real-time object tracking vision system
at the Yale Robotics Lab, we found it necessary to build our own, as
detailed in the NATUG89 Proceedings (Salt Lake, UT, April 1989).
In general, We found that there are a number of image display boards
available on the market. There are, however, fewer image digitizing
boards. Two representative digitizing boards available are the
paracom TFG and the caplin QTVIO.
The stringent real-time demands of our *particular* application,
in which we needed to process images at *field* rate (1/60 sec!)
demanded that we build some special hardware to do the job. Building
fast, economical vision boards is a lot of work, so don't do so
unless there is absolutely no alternative.
The Best,
Louis
Louis L. Whitcomb arpa:llw@corwin.eng.yale.edu
Yale Robotics Laboratory phone: (203) 432-4311 fax: (203)432-7481
Department of Electrical Engineering, 1968 Yale Station, New Haven, CT 06520
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Roger Clowes <watmath.waterloo.edu!iuvax!CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu!RGC%STARLINK.ROE.AC.UK>
Subject: Transputer-based frame grabber
We bought a VAX-based transputer frame grabber from the Caplin Cybernetics
Corp. of London, England.
It worked fine until we took it to 14000 feet where it seemed to suffer
from lack of air - problem not yet diagnosed. Should be OK at lower
altitudes!
Let me know if you want further details.
Roger Clowes
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: Re: Transputer based frame capture
From: Scott Galuska <watmath!rutgers!udel.edu!galuska>
Mike-
Here at the University of Delaware, I'm working on a project that involoves
real-time image processing using transputers (I presented a paper on this at
the last NATUG meeting). Anyway, framegrabber TRAMs are few and far between
on the commercial market.
We got ours from Quintek, Ltd. (UK) for approx
US$4500. It has a T800-20 with 1 Mbyte of memory, with two 1/4 Mbyte image
buffers. They also have a library of routines for image capture and display.
I believe colour is supported. Anyway, we're quite happy with it.
Transtech have also recently come out with a frame-grabber, the TTG-F, which
has a T800-25 and either 1 or 4 Mbytes of memory. It supports up to
1024 X 1024 8-bit pixel images (4 1/4 Mbyte buffers, if you will). It
apparently has a colour palette chip.
I believe Parsytec also has a framegrabber out- you may want to check with
them.
--
Scott Galuska
Dept. of Computer & Info. Science "...Walla-Walla...
Univ of Delaware ...Budapest...
galuska@dewey.udel.edu ...Sea of Tranquility..."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Mark Wilson (Technical Mangler) <watmath!relay.EU.net!transt!mrw>
Subject: Transputer based frame capture and dsiplay
Cc: prg.oxford.ac.uk!transputer
Status: RO
I saw your recent request for information. I enclose some info on our products
Mark Wilson (mrw@transtech.co.uk, ...!ukc!transt!mrw, mrw@transt.uucp)
TRANSTECH TTG-F, TTG1 and TTG3
Transtech Parallel Systems of Ithaca USA and Transtech Devices of High Wycombe
England, recently launched their new TTG-F transputer frame grabber TRAM at the UK Occam User Group in Exeter. The TTG-F complements the TTG1 and TTG3 display
TRAMs which have been shipping for over a year.
The brief specs are:-
TTG-F
IMST800-25 transputer
1 or 4 MBytes program RAM
1 MByte Video RAM
Supports upto 1024 x 1024 8 bit pixels
Size 4 TRAM
TTG1
IMST800-25 transputer
1 MByte Video RAM
Texas 34061 CRTC
Inmos IMSG178 Colour palette
512 x 512 8 bit resolution
Size 2 TRAM
Compatible with Inmos IMSB007
TTG3
IMST800-25 transputer
IMSG300 colour video controller
2 or 8 MBytes DRAM
2 MBytes Video RAM
1280 x 1024 resolution
Size 4 TRAM
The TTG3 is totally software compatible with the Inmos IMSB419 G300 based TRAM.
But better ;-)
Further details are available from
Transtech Parallel Systems Corp
120 Langmuir Lab
95 Brown Road
Ithaca
NY 14850
USA
Tel 607 257 6502
Fax 607 257 3980
or
Transtech Devices Limited
Unit 17, Wye Estate
London Road
High Wycombe
Bucks HP11 1LH
England
Tel 44 (0)494 464303
Fax 44 (0)494 463686
--
Mike Walma -- Focus Systems -- Waterloo, Ontario
watmath!focsys!mike (519) 746-4918