The Sky's the Limit

Space-age technology keeps terrestrial cameras functioning

• By Derek Rice
• Oct 01, 2006

IN 1999, NASA sent a complex digital camera into space as part of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, a telescope that relays images of the universe back to Earth.

With the system, scientists are rewriting textbooks on the origin and evolution of the universe. Of course, a simple lock up on the digital camera transmitting images back to Earth would be devastating to the entire project.

NASA set its sights on developing a device that would monitor the electronics in the digital camera and, if necessary, reach across space and reset the camera automatically. The resulting device allowed Chandra to operate smoothly well beyond its planned five-year life.

NASA set its sights on developing a device that would monitor the electronics in the digital camera and, if necessary, reach across space and reset the camera automatically. The resulting device allowed Chandra to operate smoothly well beyond its planned five-year life.

On the Ground
If NASA's concerns about cameras locking up sound familiar, they should. The processors in digital IP cameras have been locking up since introduced. In fact, VideogeniX, a Boston-based provider of flexible alternatives for standard video systems, noticed an increase in the number of calls about IP camera lock ups from end users, integrators and even manufacturers as IP cameras increased in popularity.

Coincidentally, Glen Schaff, co-founder and chief technology officer of VideogeniX, was the senior software engineer for the Chandra project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Space Research. Having worked on Chandra, and in light of concerns from the industry, Schaff came up with the idea of a smaller unit that would work for digital IP cameras on Earth.

"Restarting a camera in space is an extreme example of where a watchdog device is most helpful, but even here on Earth, there are cameras that can't be easily reached and reset," Schaff said.

The idea, combined with requests for the technology, was the impetus for Schaff, working with VideogeniX co-founder and vice president of operations and engineering Eric Louis to invent the patent-pending iPulse, similar to the device NASA installed on Chandra.

The Ins and Outs of iPulse
iPulse easily connects to a camera through an I/O port and monitors the output of the digital signal to the camera -- in other words, its digital heartbeat. When the heartbeat becomes erratic, iPulse automatically resets the camera, eliminating the need for human intervention to keep cameras running. iPulse connects directly to the power source and sends power to the camera through a switchable cable -- allowing it to continue to receive power while restarting the camera. An optional, audio alarm sounds when the camera fails.

iPulse also can tie into a serial port and cameras that use PoE or analog cameras connected to a video server.

Because cameras are so often used for covert surveillance, many are located in remote areas and sites difficult to reach and a chore to reset manually.

"Having to manually reset those cameras is an incredible waste of time and money," Louis said.

Single Event Freeze-Up
The phenomenon of electronics freezing up is known as a single event upset (SEU). An SEU occurs in digital circuits when an energized particle causes a transistor to flip on or off. This happens in microcircuits, including memory chips and microprocessors. One study found that, on average, a device like a digital camera's imager experiences an SEU approximately once a year.

Other studies have shown that SEUs also are caused by neutrons in cosmic rays, alpha particles, impurities in chips, software bugs, product quality, errors in video processing and human error. Regardless of the cause, SEUs are not preventable in electronic devices. The only solution is to turn the device off for a while and then turn it back on.

VideogeniX president and CEO Lewis Cohen said it's often hard for end users and even manufacturers to be told that their digital camera will, at some point, freeze up and stop working.

"I've never owned an electronic device that didn't lock up at one time or another," he said. "We're in discussions with several manufacturers about incorporating iPulse technology within their digital cameras."

To combat SEUs, some manufacturers include a software watchdog in their digital cameras that will, in theory, restart the camera if there is a problem. However, Schaff said, a camera with such a feature can't reset itself once the camera has locked up because the watchdog is part of the microprocessor -- which is what has frozen.

"Because iPulse is separate from the microprocessor, it encapsulates the entire camera system, including the CPU, RAM, networking chip and power regulators," he said. "iPulse can reset all of these devices that cannot be reset by an internal device, which may itself be frozen."

Deployed on Earth
The first iPulse devices were deployed at a Boston-area, self-storage facility in 2004. To date, none of those cameras has experienced any downtime.

More than a year ago, an 11-camera, wireless video system was installed at Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina. The system consists of cameras mounted on light posts and in other hard-to-reach locations. Each camera included an iPulse.

"Because of the salty, windy and cold conditions these cameras experience at Boston Harbor, they would probably have locked up pretty regularly," Louis said.

So far, every one of the cameras installed at Boston Harbor with an iPulse are running perfectly, Schaff said.

The Sky's the Limit
Schaff said the demand for iPulse is growing rapidly. Recently, the Drug Enforcement Agency ordered iPulse units for its cameras. The agency sought a solution after cameras from multiple manufacturers kept locking up.

Including iPulse, VideogeniX has more than 18 individual patents pending and more than 90 different patent claims for its video solutions. But that's not enough for Schaff, who said VideogeniX is developing iPulse-like technology for other electronics that are also prone to locking up.

"Networked devices like routers, modems, switches and firewalls can definitely benefit from a device like the iPulse, so we have adapted and sold this product for wider use," he said. "In light of what the NASA device has done for Chandra, when you look at the benefits of iPulse, the sky's the limit."