The Frangioni lab has made this request:
<pre> We have a GigE color camera that we need to use for control and auto-focusing of a zoom lens.
Id like the BU EDF to design a circuit that contains:
1) GigE interface that accepts "broadcast" from the GigE camera. The camera output itself is being controlled by an image acquisition computer. We want your circuit to simply "eavesdrop" on the image.
2) FPGA to convert 32 bit color to 16-bit grayscale. Then, apply a Sobel or Prewitt Edge Filter to the image.
3) Output a single analog voltage proportional to the edge filter result. We will tie this analog signal into a focus motor control and use it to adjust focus motor until contrast is maximized (i.e, image is in-focus).
4) Zoom and focus motor controllers. The motors are DC servos with encoders and limit switches. For the zoom motor, we need the controllers to keep track of the lens position. For the focus motor, we need the circuit to tie in the FPGA contrast output and adjust focus motor until image is in focus. </pre>
Frist is the issue of "eavesdropping" on GigE. This is certainly not in compliance with the standard. It would require at a minimum two GigE ports, and some hardware and firmware to transparently pass packets in both directions. Or alternatively a computer with to GigE NICs and some software to do likewise.
Newer cameras use the new closed "GigE Vision" standard. Since the standard is closed, one cannot obtain the required documentation to access the camera data.
Assuming an image is captured, the required conversion to grayscale and signal processing seems relatively straightforward. It could be done either in a general-purpose processor (i.e. PC) or an FPGA.
Finally, the motor controllers should be off-the-shelf items.
Some notes about passive auto-focus algorithms.
