FFV’s Recon ultra-compact DVR used in outer-space research

FFV, a recognised innovator of digital video recorder (DVR) technology for broadcast, surveillance, industrial video, presentation, and military applications, has announced that Kayser-Threde GmbH is using the Recon ultra-compact DVR board in a scientific instrument on the International Space Station for outer-space research on physics under weightlessness.
The Recon’s small size, robustness, and image quality made it the best match for Kayser-Threde’s Plasma Kristall Experiment 3 Plus device.
“Our biggest design challenge was transferring standard analogue video to digital video, and then transferring digital video into a format that can be displayed with commercial viewing software and processed for scientific evaluation,” said Dr Juergen Burfeindt, project lead for development of the PK-3 Plus. “The Recon was one of several DVRs we considered, but we chose FFV not only because the product was compact and reliable, but also because the company has a professional hotline service and technicians who were able to quickly provide modifications to meet our specific requirements.”
Four DVRs (video 1 to 4) are integrated into the PK-3 Plus Telescience Unit. The retracted metal box is the video hard disk.
At only 2.8 in. by 3.9 in. (72 mm by 100 mm) in size and offering a choice of either pre-assigned GPI inputs or an extensive menu of control and configuration options available through RS-232 or RS-422 control, the Recon offers exceptional design flexibility to OEM manufacturers.
The professional-quality, board-level DVR accepts a low-level DC input and has the same form factor as notebook IDE/ATA drives, making it well suited for both fixed and portable applications. Based on the same architecture as the award-winning Omega Deck DVR, the Recon uses integrated Motion JPEG and provides scalable compression to maximize image quality with outstanding 720-by-486-pixel resolution.
Recorded video can be played back locally or transferred to PC in QuickTime format for easy viewing and editing.
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