RCX C-Link Series
The LED
EDT, Inc.
2011 June 29
7
11. Connect an LC duplex fiber from the X-channel extender at the camera end to the X-channel extender
at the framegrabber end.
12. Connect an LC duplex fiber from the YZ-channel extender at the camera end to the YZ-channel extend-
er at the framegrabber end.
13. Turn on power to all devices.
14. Verify each LED shows a steady light (see
Status and LED Status Codes on page 11
).
With a FOX framegrabber
A FOX framegrabber for medium and full mode is currently in development.
Eighty-bit packing
Certain full-mode cameras, such as the Basler A04k and Mikrotron MC1310 and MC1311, will reassign the
Spare, Data-valid, and Frame-valid control signals to allow a transfer of up to 80 bits of data per pixel clock.
Your extender can be configured with a configuration code to accommodate these cameras. Configuration
codes of 1-5 (at the camera end) and 2-5 (at the framegrabber end) allow 80-bit packing at frequencies of
60–72 MHz. The 72 MHz upper limit is determined by the bandwidth available over the fiber, but is sufficient
to support all modes currently available on the cameras specified above.
The LED
Each extender has a light-emitting diode (LED), as in
Figure 2
. By displaying various patterns of blinks (blink
codes), the LED communicates information about the extender’s configuration and status, as follows.
At power-on, the LED blinks a configuration code (indicating the operating mode for which the extender is
configured) one time, and then blinks rapidly as the firmware loads. After power-on, the LED continuously
displays a status code (indicating whether the unit is working properly or has errors). The LED also is used
when resetting or changing the operating mode.
The two types of LED codes are explained more fully in
Configuration and LED Configuration Codes on
page 7
and
Status and LED Status Codes on page 11
.
Configuration and LED Configuration Codes
Your EDT extender can support a wide range of camera models and data transfer rates, depending on the
extender model and operating mode selected. For fiber extenders, standard firmware will support most
base-mode cameras from 20 to 80 MHz, with UART data rates of up to 19.2 KBaud, and full-mode operation
at 60–80 MHz. For coax extenders, standard firmware will support most base-mode cameras from 20 to 60
MHz, with UART data rates of up to 19.2 KBaud.
Each extender is factory-preset for the operating mode that was specified in the product order. The
operating mode is selected and indicated through LED configuration codes, as explained below.
Each extender is configured for the desired operating mode through a pattern of blinks called the LED
configuration code. This code, displayed once at power-on, consists of two digits, each represented by a
certain number of blinks. The two digits are separated by a pause, shown in this guide as a hyphen. For
example, a configuration code of “one blink, pause, one blink” is shown in this guide as 1-1.
