Success Story

IVSA-01R was specifically designed for a customer that operates a remote video monitoring control room. The IVSA features 10 channels of video surge protection that starts clamping at 2.5 volts instead of the industry standard of 5 volts. This unit also features ground-loop isolation and one 10/100 Ethernet surge protection port.

Last week one of our customers sites was struck by lightning. Of the 52 channels of video on the site the 20 video channels connected to the IVSA units were the only ones not damaged.

VCSA-016R UTP Surge Arrestor

BFR Digital releases the VCSA-016R. This product is a 16 channel UTP video surge arrestor for our Video CAT range of products.

PSU-250VA update

The colour of the PSU-250VA has changed to black. The PSU-250VA is a 16 channel video surge arrestor and a 10Amp 24Vac Power Supply. The power supply features 16 outputs with individual surge protection and individually fused.

Fibre Lite Plus

Here we have it! Fibre Lite Plus is now available. Fibre Lite Plus has been designed to transmit Video, Data, Contact Closures and Audio over multimode fibre optic cable. Fibre Lite Plus has ample power budget to achieve a cable distance of 6km.

Fibre Lite Plus transmits at 1300nm and features the same AGC functions as our popular Fibre Lite products.

Fibre PRO VQTXD and VQRXD

BFR Digital launched the VQTXD and VQRXD models earlier this year. These models feature the transmission of 4 video channels and 2 bi-directional data channels over a single fibre. This range is available for both multimode and single mode fibre optic applications. All video channels are digitally encoded using 8-Bit A to D encoders but is not compressed; delivering 4 high resolution images in real-time. The data and video is transmitted simultaneously on a single fibre with the use of WDM technology. The data channels are available in RS422/485 and RS232.

VC-016PR update

VC-016PR product update:

The colour of the VC-016PR has changed to black.

VC-016PR application note:

The VC-016PR is part of our Power CAT range. It transmits power to the camera and receives differential video from the camera. The VC-016PR delivers 0.5Amps per camera on a maximum cable length of 300m per channel over CAT5e cable. Each channel will require a VC-01PM, the VC-01PM features a DC-DC converter that supplies 12Vdc at 0.5Amp to power the camera and a differential video transmitter. One CAT5e cable is required per camera.

The benefits are:

• Centralized power supply for the cameras
• Lower labour costs
• Lower cable costs
• Lower conduit and cable path costs
• Faster installation process
• Better noise immunity
• Ground loop isolation
• Higher bandwidth cable
• Longer cable runs (300m)

VSA-016R surge arrestor

VSA-016R product update:

The colour of the VSA-016R has changed to black. The VSA-016R is a 16 channel video surge arrestor.

BFR Digital increases Warranty to 5 Years

We are so confident in our fibre optic transmission equipment that we have increased our warranty on all fibre optic products from 2 years to 5 years. Our product has proven to be incredibly robust because it’s made in South Africa for African conditions.

Gautrain Solution from BFR Digital

The first phase of the Gautrain opened last week and BFR Digital is proud to be involved with this world class project.

The Gautrain team required an enclosure to fit the cameras to their cable management system. The enclosure not only had to fit in with the aesthetics of the train stations but also had to manage the data, UTP video and feature a power supply for the camera. We engineered an enclosure with a single PC board that managed all these facilities for the camera. The enclosure also features video loss and power indicators. 360 of these unique enclosures were supplied for the first phase of the Gautrain project.

Contact Closures and New Field Lite Enclosure

It’s been a busy year and I can’t believe that we are half way through June. We have finished development on the Fibre Lite Plus product range. Fibre Lite Plus is a multimode analogue link in 1300nm with enough optical power budget for 6km of cable. All the Fibre Lite (2.5km multimode) products are available in Fibre Lite Plus (6km multimode).

We have also introduced 2 new products:

• This offers 5 inputs which are transmitted as data, then received and presented as dry relay output contacts at the receiving end.
  
• Field Lite Enclosure. This enclosure features a 12Vdc 2Amp output, is battery backed by a 7AH battery, has a 12way splice cassette and 2 slots which can accommodate any Fibre Lite, Fibre Lite Plus or DTX Series cage card.

32 channel Fibre Lite video receiver

Here we have it a Fibre Lite card cage populated sixteen 2 channel video receiver cards.

Fibre Lite 2 channel receiver card

Hi there,


Sorry I’ve been out of the loop the last couple of months. I’ve been busy developing a new product range with my team. This is our first product introduction this year and in true BFR tradition it's built to last.

I’m proud to introduce the Fibre Lite 2 channel video receiver card. With this unit it is possible to populate the 2U Fibre-Lite cage card with up to 32 channels of fibre optic video receivers.

This receiver has Automatic Gain Control with a range of ±6dB and normalizes the video to a standard 1Vpp level no matter if the device connected to its composite video output is terminated at 75ohm or hi-impedance.

Keep watching this space for new procucts.

Digitally Controlled AGC

AGC (automatic gain control) is nothing new and is used in a variety of equipment from CCTV cameras to fibre optic transmission equipment. When it came time to implement AGC in our Fibre Lite range of products we decided to do something really special with the AGC.

We analysed the sort comings of traditional Gain Control on analogue fibre optic equipment and found that the biggest problem was video drift. Simply put this is when the image starts losing its contrast, colour and eventually video sync (the image rolls on the screen). Video drift is caused by a number of factors like; cable aging, electronic component aging, large temperature fluctuations, additional losses on the cable due to the cable being damaged and requiring some splicing work, etc.

The Gain Control is there to compensate for all these variables but it’s normally a manual adjustment. This means that the system requires regular servicing by a qualified technician to maintain a crisp high resolution image.

We thought that in today’s world of high labour costs and the low cost digital microprocessors; why not have a microprocessor continually sampling, analysing and adjusting the gain control? This is how we come up with the idea of Digitally Controlled AGC. In our Fibre Lite range each fibre optic video receiver has its own dedicated microprocessor continually sampling, analysing and adjusting the gain control. Below is a simple diagram of how it’s done.

This is the magic behind Fibre Lite and what makes the product range adjustment free without digitally encoding the video as is the case with our Fibre Pro range.

http://www.bfrdigital.co.za/fibrelite.html

Can’t get Video Images from your IP Camera?

I've been asked on several occasions to assist CCTV and Networking companies resolve issues with IP camera installations. The common fault I have encountered is that the system can view the IP camera settings on a web browser but it’s not able to view the camera images.

The common problem I encountered on all these installations is that the maximum CAT5 cable distance between the IP camera and the Ethernet Switch has been exceeded. Here is a table that I recommend:

If your installation needs to exceed the 100m limit then consider one of the following options:

1. Repeat the signal by installing another Ethernet Switch before the recommended maximum cable distance is achieved.
   
2. Consider installing fibre optic cable and fibre optic media converters.

BFR Digital Ethernet Switches: http://www.bfrdigital.co.za/switches.html

BFR Digital Media Converters: http://www.bfrdigital.co.za/dtxseries.html

Ethernet Surge Protector

BFR Digital releases its new Ethernet surge protector.

Specifications:
Standard: 10/100Base-T
Nominal discharge: 5KA
Voltage limit: ≤ 40V
Response time: ≤ 1ns

Connectors: RJ45
Working temperature: -20 to 60°C
Not suitable for PoE applications

http://www.bfrdigital.co.za/

Twisted pair video transmission (UTP)

This contribution is courtesy of my colleague Renato Bordin.

Video signals from cameras are transmitted to the receiving end via coax cables, normally RG59, RG11 and so on. The camera’s composite video output buffer has a series output resistance of 75Ω and requires an end of line load impedance of 75Ω, hence all video equipment such as matrices, DVR’s, monitors etc have a cable termination of 75Ω to match the cable and camera specifications. This transmission method is referred to as an unbalanced signal path and requires a return path which the coax cable provides in the form of the screen or braiding. The concept is the same as a light bulb connected to a battery with two wires, remove one wire and the bulb stops burning since there’s no electrical connection to complete the current flow. This method of video transmission has one major disadvantage; the video is referenced to ground making it susceptible to common mode interference and provides a path for potential differences between two ground points. This often results in poor quality pictures received on the monitor and when a lightning ground surge moves between the camera and monitor the potential difference is now at a dangerous level resulting in camera failure. Other disadvantages are the attenuation properties of coax cables, RG59 for example cannot reproduce a high resolution image at 300m, the high frequency attenuation, and hence the upper end of camera resolution is reduced. The net result is a high resolution camera installed for a particularly demanding application but the received picture is in fact more a medium resolution image. Bear in mind that most applications involve a digital recording device that further reduces picture content or resolution. Digital recording devices require the highest possible camera resolution or rather video bandwidth to reproduce an acceptable image after digitization and then compression.

The alternative to using coax cable as a video transmission medium is the twisted pair cable but we have some challenges to overcome. Let’s take a look at the most popular of twisted pair cables – CAT5e, widely available and well known in the IT industry. For starters the cable impedance is 100Ω and not 75Ω as required by a camera and has no screen, so induced common mode interference becomes a problem. More importantly the cable is designed for a balanced or differential transmission method such as Ethernet and RS485/422. In the active domain differential input and output operational amplifiers (Opamp’s) are used to convert an unbalanced signal to a balanced or differential signal appropriate for twisted pair transmission and visa versa at the receiving end. In the passive world a Balun transformer is used to match impedances. In simple terms this device receives video from a camera and converts it to balanced video matched for a cable impedance of 100Ω and the receiving end converts this balanced video signal back to its original format suitable for a coax connection to the DVR, matrix etc. There are only advantages in using CAT5e cable for video transmission. 1. Since we now have balanced video, common mode interference is rejected far more than coax, resulting in less noise present on the picture. 2. CAT5e cable frequency response specifications are ideal for video so longer cable runs are possible. RG59 cable runs must not be longer than 220m – 250m using high quality cable but CAT5e cable runs can be at the 300m mark and up. 3. Since CAT5e has 4 twisted pairs, one cable can carry 4 video signals. 4. Some twisted pair video solutions have full ground loop isolation. 5. Installation ease and costs are less than a coax based installation. I’m sure several installers reading this can see several other installation related advantages.

The VIDEO CAT range of products available from BFR Digital currently includes the VC-01, a direct camera mount twisted pair converter and the VC-016R. This is a 16 channel rack mount version with full ground loop isolation. Both products feature BNC’s for camera or head end video connections and terminals for twisted pair connections.

Renato Bordin

http://www.bfrdigital.co.za/videocat.html

February 2009 fly-fishing trip

These pics are courtesy of my wife. They were taken earlier this year at Millstream Farm in Dullstroom. This is one of my favourite fly-fishing spots.

I had lots of luck with a dry line and an olive red-eyed damsel. I caught 19 rainbow trout that weekend but was only able to release 18.

Why AM modulated analogue multimode fibre optic video transmitters are smaller than digitally encoded multimode fibre optic video transmitters?

I think the best way to explain this is with a few block diagrams and some photos. The block diagram below shows the basic design of a simple AM modulated fibre optic transmitter.



Our first fibre optic transmitter released in 2002 ran on this exact design and below I include a photo of this product’s PCB (Printed Circuit Board).

As you can see the design is so simple that the product is a mere 35mm in length.

A digitally encoded fibre optic transmitter is more complicated because all the video and data signals have to be converted into digital signals before they are processed and transmitted. The block diagram below shows the basic system design for this type of product.

As you can appreciate this is a far more complex design. The picture below is of our VTXD-030-SMM. When we designed the VTXD-030-SMM we decided to make the video transmitter and the video/data transmitter a one PCB design and only populate the component required for the particular model. It is for this reason that our video and our video/data units are the same size. This was done to simplify the product range and to decrease the cost of the product.

This product is 133mm in length, which is 98mm longer than the simple analogue design.

http://www.BFRDigital.co.za/fibre.html

BFR Digital Advert

I am absolutely overwhelmed by this advertisement that our marketing team and our advertising agency put together. Please click on the advert above and have a look at it in its original size.

I think it’s fantastic. It delivers a simple and clear message.

Well done to both our marketing team and our advertising agency! :-)

Let me know what you think.

Field-Lite Termination Enclosure

This is one very cool piece kit!!! 4 multimode video transmitters, 1 multimode data receiver with power supply and splice cassette in one field enclosure.
When I first designed the Fibre Pro Field Termination Enclosure (FIELD-ENC) I never thought it would be as popular as it is. This popularity has led to the DTX-Adaptor, which is an adaptor plate to accommodate the DTX Series equipment in the FIELD-ENC.

Now with the Fibre-Lite Field Termination Enclosure (FIELD-LITE), I took a completely different approach. As you can see, I designed this product to be modular. The base of this product is a motherboard which includes the power supply for the transmitter/receiver fibre optic modules; 4 output data channels to control PTZ cameras and a 12-way splice cassette. On to this motherboard, up to 5 multimode fibre optic modules can be plug-in. The modules could be 5 video transmitters OR it could be 4 video transmitters and 1 data receiver. The data from the data receiver is distributed and offers one output per video channel. All this is housed in a IP55, self-extinguishing plastic enclosure according to IEC60695-2-1 standards.

http://www.BFRDigital.co.za/