Software

Phantom Camera Control (PCC) is the main software for Phantom cameras; the current version is PCC 4.1. Before recording, it sets resolution, frame rate, exposure, memory segmentation, trigger modes and automatic functions. PCC 4.1 controls from 1 to 64 synchronized cameras, shows exposure, frame rate, trigger position and synchronization for each camera in a single panel (Tracks View), and saves the complete test configuration in projects, so you can repeat the experiment with the same settings. Playback is GPU-accelerated. After capture, it manages Cine RAW files: histogram, image adjustments applied as metadata until conversion, cropping, batch editing and download from RAM or from the CineMag, with conversion to standard video and image formats, export for analysis in Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW or C#/C++ and direct import into PCA. The 2D measurement tools calculate distance, velocity, acceleration, angle and angular velocity. It runs on Windows, verified on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11.

The Phantom Cine Analyzer (PCA) turns Cine files into scientific data. The pre-installed Track & Measure module does simple measurements and manual and automatic object tracking by cross-correlation, with subpixel precision, and extracts 2D kinematic data such as displacement, velocity, acceleration, rotation and vibration over time. Relative tracking measures one object against another that is also moving, which is useful in ballistics and crash testing. PDF reports come out ready to use, with metadata and kinematic charts, and the Python Portal accepts custom modules, such as optical pyrometry, pixel intensity measurement or particle sizing. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.

The Phantom SDK lets you build your own applications with the cameras and Cine files, with support for MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW and C++. Through it, PCC and PCA integrate with the analysis platforms the lab already uses. The package includes PhPython, a Python SDK for camera control and reading Cine files, with documentation and sample code. The latest version is released on request to Phantom support.

The CineMag is Phantom's non-volatile, hot-swappable memory and the fastest data transfer solution for compatible cameras, at up to 1.4 Gpx/s. The camera records to RAM and offloads to the CineMag in seconds, with no downtime between shots; in Run/Stop mode, it records directly to the CineMag for several minutes at lower frame rates. The CineMag 5e, the current version, comes in 2 TB or 8 TB and is compatible with TMX and T-Series cameras with the Mag option, as well as earlier models such as the Flex4K. The CineStation is the download station: connected by Gb or 10 Gb Ethernet to a computer running PCC, it shows each Cine, crops and saves the files, including automatically, and leaves the camera free for the next test.

The JB3 is the junction box of crash test systems with the C-Series: it connects up to 8 C540J and C980J cameras per unit and distributes power, signals and data. It has 10 Gb Ethernet for faster downloads, hardware trigger or software trigger through PCC over the network, external synchronization by FSync or IRIG-B timecode, and daisy chain connection for systems with more cameras. It withstands repeated shocks of up to 170 G, for onboard and barrier tests, and is compatible with JB2 installations.

Phantom cameras fit into the workflow the lab already uses. PCC synchronizes the camera with USB data acquisition (DAQ) modules from the X and M series from National Instruments and shows the signals together with the video during playback; CSV data from other DAQ systems can also be imported into the Cine file. Many third-party software packages read Cine RAW directly, and PCC converts to formats such as h.264 MP4, Apple ProRes, AVI, TIFF and DNG. Vision Research maintains partnerships with developers of DIC, PTV, 2D and 3D tracking and microscopy solutions, and collaborates with the International Digital Image Correlation Society (iDICS).