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Imaging Products Digital Firewire Cameras IEEE-1394 from Basler, Sony, Prosilica, The Imaging Source, Unibrain and Pixelink

Fire-i™ Digital Camera

Fire-i™ Digital Camera is the best FireWire Color Digital Camera available for home/office applications. Its superior VGA picture quality and lightweight housing clearly distinguishes it from other FireWire or USB cameras.

Fire-i™ Digital Camera ships in a unique retail package that includes support and software for PC, Mac and Linux users.
Several cameras can be daisy-chained and viewed simultaneously on a PC, via Unibrain’s Fire-i™ Software and the camera’s two FireWire ports. Fire-i™ Software allows the user to monitor one or multiple cameras locally or remote (Internet). At the touch of a single button, the user can store snapshots or live video-stream, change and adjust all camera settings for each and every camera connected

Fire-i™ Digital Camera is ideal for monitoring applications, video conferencing, and home or office surveillance.

  
Main Features

  • Home/Office Monitoring, locally or remote
  • Direct Internet streaming: Web Server included in Fire-i™Software
  • Multiple cameras simultaneous operation and display on same PC
  • Picture sharing between several PCs
  • Still images or video stream captures, while monitoring
  • Storage in any encoding format
  • Low power consumption
  • Bright (F 2.0), glass elements, 4.3 mm focal length, lens.
  • Two 400Mbps FireWire ports
  • 640x480 video resolution
  • 30 frames per second
  • Tripod adaptor with standard photographic screw
    (compatible with tripods and wall /ceiling mounting fixations)
  • Included mini-tripod with telescopic legs

 

 

  
Packaging includes:
  • One Fire-i™ Digital Camera.
  • One 2m (6.6ft) firewire thin cable.
  • Tripod attachment and mini-tripod.
  • CD with documentation, manual, Drivers & Software for Windows and Linux.
  • Natively supported by Mac OS X.
Requirements:
  • Windows/Linux computer with 1GHz or faster processor and 512 MB RAM; Running Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista & 64bit XP/Vista or Linux 2.4 kernel or later.
  • Macintosh computer with 1GHz or faster PowerPC G4, G5 or Intel processor; Running Mac OS X 10.2.5 or later.
  • Microphone for audio support.
  • Internet connection required for web camera use (128Kbps or faster broadband for video).
Order part number: 2036

Fire-i™ Digital Camera Specifications

Interface   IEEE-1394a (FireWire) 400 Mbps, 2 ports (6 pins)
Camera Type   IIDC-1394 Digital Camera, V1.04 Specification compliant
Sensor Type   Sony™ Wfine* ¼” color CDD with progressive scan (ICX-098BQ)
Resolution   VGA 640 x 480
Optics   Bright (F 2.0) lens, with with 4.3 mm focal length.
Lens filters/coating   Antireflective coating and infrared cut filter
Video Modes   YUV (4:1:1, 4:2:2, 4:4:4), RGB-24bit, Monochrome-8bit
Frame Rates   30, 15, 7.5 and 3.75 frames per second
Gain   Automatic or Manual Control 0-30 dB
Shutter   Automatic or Manual Control 1/3400s-1/31s
Gamma   ON / OFF (visual use / image processing use)
White Balance   Automatic or Manual Control
Color Saturation   Adjustable
Backlight Compensation   6 modes + OFF
Sharpness   Adjustable
Special Features   Software sleep mode, Color bar generator
Power Supply   8 to 30 VDC, by 1394 bus or external jack input Consumption 1W max, 0.9 W typical,
0.4 W sleep mode
Dimensions (WxHxD)   62 x 62 x 35 mm
Housing & Weight   Silver gray plastic polymer, 60 gr

To cover sub-branding and OEM needs, Fire-i™ Digital Camera is also offered as a Board Camera, 
in colour or monochrome, with various lens types. Please click here to learn more about the  
Fire-i™ Board Camera.

 

Fire-i™ Digital Camera Detailed Specifications

The BEST Color Digital Camera for PC and Mac

Device type
IIDC FireWire Digital Camera
Compliance
v 1.04
Interface
FireWire, 2 ports ( 6 pins )
Speed
400 Mbps
Sensor type
SONY® Wfine* ¼" CCD
Scanning
progressive
Effective pixels
(H x V) 659 x 494
Pixel shape
(H x V) square, 5.6 x 5.6 μm
Color
Yes, RGB filtering, Bayer
Resolution
TV-lines (H x V) 480 x 480
Optics
f 4.65 mm built-in
Focus
Manual, from 5 mm to infinite
Iris
Fixed
Horizontal view angle
42°
Vertical view angle
32°
Coating
anti-reflective
Picture Modes
progressive VGA uncompressed,
modes selection by FireWire link
Resolutions
640x480, 320x240, 160x120
Codings
YUV, RGB, Monochrome

Frame rates (fps) 30 15 7.5 3.75
Video Modes  
640x480 RGB-24 (24 bits) — X X X
640x480 YUV 4:2:2 (16 bits) — X X X
640x480 YUV 4:1:1 (12 bits) X X X X
640x480 Y-Mono8 (8 bits) X X X X
320x240 YUV 4:2:2 (16bits) X X X X
160x120 YUV 4:4:4 (24 bits) X X X —
Picture Settings
Selection by FireWire Link
Gain
Auto/Manual 0 - 30 dB
Shutter
Auto/Manual 1/3400s - 1/31s
Black level
Auto/Manual
Gamma
OFF (linear) = 1
ON (visual) = 0.45
Backlight compensation
6 modes + OFF
Sharpness
OFF (linear) = 0
ON (visual) = manual
White balance
Auto/Manual
Color saturation
Manual
Reference picture gen.
Bars and ramps, all modes. ON/OFF
Power supply
8 to 30 VDC, software switched by FireWire link
Source
by 1394 link/external jack input
Standby power
400 mW typ.   450 mW max.
Operation power
900 mW typ.   1 W max.
General
Temperature/Humidity
General operation: -10 to 50C
20 to 80 % rel. non cond.
Storage: -20 to 60C
20 to 95 % rel. non cond.
Dimensions
(W x H x D) 62 x 62 x 35 mm without clip
Weight
60 gr camera + 32 gr clip
Housing
Plastic, transparent
Attachment
Spring clip, laptop suitable
Accessory
Fire-i™ software
Powering the Camera

Fire-i™ Digital Camera is powered by the FireWire bus DC voltage, coming from host adapters or other FireWire devices connected with 6-pin cables.

Fire-i™ Digital Camera is provided with a DC power input jack connector, that can be used when the FireWire connection does not provide DC power. This happens typically:

  • when the FireWire bus is converted to a 4-pin connection
  • when, in 6-pin, no powering device is present, even from the FireWire interface. This is the case when using CardBus FireWire adapters or on some laptops with built-in interface

Even if the FireWire bus is already powered, the DC power input jack of the camera can also be used to reinforce it. The FireWire bus voltage will adapt automatically when needed. A built-in diode avoid any risk of voltages conflict or reverse current flow.

Recommended DC adapter must provide stable regulated output voltage of at least 12VDC, 1 A or best 15VDC, 1.5A. To match camera DC input connector, the jack plug of the DC adapter need following dimensions and polarity as on the figure.

 

* Wfine CCD is a trademark of Sony Corporation.