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You do not need to write any code to use PixelPusher® right out of the box. However, if you want to include your own image processing functions, or extend the user interface, you can use any of the .NET languages, e.g., Visual C#, Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual J++, or Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) . The SDK includes complete sample applications written in C#, Visual Basic and MFC, which you can easily extend to incorporate the features you want in the user interface. You can also use these applications as is and easily embed your own image processing functions as methods (or member functions) in the CImgPro class that is provided in each language. The PixelPusher® dyanmic link library (DLL) is written as a regular Win32 DLL, which means that virtually any 32-bit Windows program can link to it, including console applications or third party software that provides an interface to32-bit Windows DLLs.

Question: Does PixelPusher® save video to my hard drive?

Answer:

No. PixelPusher® is not a DVD recorder. It is a device for performing image processing on real-time video feeds. You need to supply the image processing algorithms as functions written in any .NET language or MFC. Applications include machine vision for manufacturing, video surveillance and others where image processing is an integral component of the application

Question: I want to build a simple video surveillance system where I can monitor a few video sources. Will this device work?

Answer:

You can connect up to six (6) composite video sources (or 4 composite and 1 S-Video source) to the PixelPusher® hardware. From the PC user interface, you can switch between cameras. You can also view up to four (4) cameras at quarter screen resolution and the software will automatically switch between them at a user specified interval. However, the device is not a DVD recorder, i.e., there is no support for saving video files to a hard disk.

There may be more cost effective solutions for simple video surveillance, including DVD recorders. But if you want to develop and apply your own image processing algorithms to the problem at hand, the PixelPusher® environment offers a cost effective solution for doing exactly this.

Question: How can I use this system to develop and test image processing operations?

Answer:

PixelPusher® enables you to easily build an image processing pipeline, involving any number of steps or "stages." You can view the result of any stage to see if an operation (embodied in your own image processing function) is performing as expected. You can display up to four (4) stages simultaneously. In addition, with the brightness and contrast controls, you can immediately see how robust your pipeline is to changes in illumination. Basically, you write the image processing functions in any .NET language or MFC, and then call these functions in the order you want. The PixelPusher® interface provides the interface to display the results at each stage of the pipeline.

Question: Can I use this device in a motion detection application?

Answer:

Yes, but you need to supply the motion detection algorithms (written in any .NET language or MFC) that you will embed in the Visual Studio 2005/2008 projects that are provided in the SDK (software development kit).

Question: Can I save out individual frames of the source video?

Answer:

Yes, PixelPusher® has an easy to use "snapshot" feature that allows the user to easily take and view snapshots of the video stream.

Question: I'm a value added reseller with an application in mind that uses image processing. What is in the SDK that will get me off to a quick start?

Answer:

There are three (3) Visual Studio 2005/2008 solutions provided in the SDK, and each one provides a complete user interface to access all the features of the hardware device. These solutions are written in the .NET languages of C# and Visual Basic .NET, and there is a version written in Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC). These sample solutions therefore provide an environment that virtually any programmer can be productive in. The three solutions are functionally identical (except that only the MFC version provides toolbars).

Purchasing Related Questions

Question: There are plenty of frame grabbers on the market. Why should I consider buying this one?

Answer:

This is a standalone USB device. You do not need to open a computer case to install a card. You can install the PixelPusher® software on any number of machines, and simply plug in the hardware to the machine you want to use at a particular time.

Many image processing engineers have their own algorithms and code. The PixelPusher® software allows you to easily integrate your own algorithms for test and development. When you're ready to deploy the application, you only have to distribute the executables. No additional licenses are required.

Question: Do I need to purchase the optional video breakout cable

Answer:

If you plan to only use the RCA and S-Video jacks on the PixelPusher® device, you do not need the breakout cable. However, if you plan to connect one or more cameras having BNC connectors, you will probably want to purchase the breakout cable. You can, of course, purchase an adapter from Radio Shack or other popular consumer electronics stores to convert a BNC connector to the RCA jack, but this limits you to attaching a single BNC device to PixelPusher®.

Design Related Questions

Question: Why does making a change in resolution or color mode require a restart?

Answer:

The design of PixelPusher® is such that when it is started and the video frame data structures are created, they are sized to work for a single resolution and bits per pixel (e.g., 640*480=307,200 pixels at 8 bits per pixel). When the resolution or color mode changes, these data structures need to be re-created and the easiest way is to restart the application. The restart is automatic and takes only 3-5 seconds, and in general, users will not often switch resolutions or color mode, so most applications will not be affected by this requirement.