Processing Video Images in a Host-Target Application

Introduction

The xPC Target software supports webcams compliant with the USB Video Class (UVC) standard and cameras compliant with the Automated Imaging Association Camera Link^® standard.

Note   UVC compliant cameras are often referred to as "driverless webcams". For more information, see your camera documentation.

The xPC Target Video library contains blocks that support the following real-time video image applications:

• Acquire real-time video frames from cameras connected to the target computer.

• Select a region of interest in the real-time image.

• Compress video frames acquired on the target computer.

• Stream video frames acquired on the target computer to the host computer.

• Decompress video frames on the host computer.

You can then process and display video frames on the host computer using blocks such as those described in the Computer Vision System Toolbox Reference.

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Before You Start

To acquire video frames, buy one of the following camera types:

• USB Video Class (UVC) compliant webcam — Use the From USB Video Device block, available in the Video/USB library.

  Tip   Enable USB general support through the BIOS.

• Camera Link compliant camera — Use the NEON BitFlow Image Input block, available in the xPC Target for BitFlow library.

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Basic Workflow

On the target computer, you can do the following:

• Acquire images.

• Process or reduce images.

• Compress images.

• Transmit images to the host computer.

On the host computer, you can do the following:

• Receive images from the target computer.

• Decompress images.

• Process or reduce images.

• Display images.

For example, the following workflow acquires and compresses video frames on the target computer, transmits them to the host computer, and decompresses and displays them:

1. Connect a USB webcam or Camera Link camera to the target computer.

2. Add the image input block (From USB Video Device or NEON BitFlow Image Input) for the camera to the target-side model. Configure the block as required.

   Note   If you add a From USB Video Device block, you can optionally add the USB Video Device List block to query the available configurations for the attached camera.

3. Add the JPEG Compression block to the target-side model. Connect this block to the output of the image input block.

   Note   Some USB cameras support on-chip JPEG compression. For these cameras, you do not need to use an additional JPEG Compression block.

4. Add the Image Transmit block to the target-side model. Connect this block to the output of the compression block. Configure the block to transmit frames to the host computer.

5. Add the Image Receive block to the host-side model. Configure the block to receive frames from the target computer.

6. Add the JPEG Decompression block to the host-side model. Connect this block to the output of the Image Receive block.

7. Add the To Video Display block from the Computer Vision System Toolbox™ to the host-side model.

8. Build and download the target-side model to the target computer.

9. Run the host-side model on the host computer.

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Video Image Processing

Acquiring Images from Camera Link Cameras

Related Products & Applications

• Simulink
• Control Design
• Signal Processing & Communications
• Model-Based Design
• Physical Modeling
• Verification & Validation

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