Camera Corps to Introduce Optical Fibre Link at IBC2011 

Integral LC connectors allow fast attachment of dual single-mode optical fibres

Camera Corps announces a major new addition to its range of broadcast-quality television production equipment. Scheduled for introduction on stand 10.C49 at IBC2011, the optical fibre link allows Camera Corps remote heads and in particular the Q-Ball HD/SD remote pan/tilt/zoom camera system to be operated over much longer distances than traditional copper cable.

“Optical fibre is ideal for long-run point-to-point digital video feeds, particularly when covering large-scale sports events and reality shows,” says Jim Daniels, Technical Director of Camera Corps. “It provides highly reliable signal delivery over much longer distances than copper cable. The link uses dual-fibre to carry HD/SD-SDI from the camera to the control position plus a reverse direction feed which sends data from the controller to the camera. Control data is encoded onto an audio carrier using the proven technology deployed across our entire range of remote camera control systems.”

Integral LC connectors allow fast attachment of dual single-mode optical fibres to the link. Power can be sourced from the same 12 volt supply as the Q-Ball. Equalisation and reclocking within the integral video processor allow long cables to be used from the camera to the link. A red LED on the front panel illuminates in the event of signal loss. Video output is via a standard 75 ohm BNC connector.

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The data input port has a high impedance, allowing many fibre transmitters to feed it in parallel. Low output impedance enables five interface boxes to be fed from a single fibre receiver. XLR link and XLR4 splitter cables are available for use with the Q-Ball interface.

Housed in a robust 92 x 64 x 30 millimetre metal case, the optical fibre link weighs 100 grammes and can be operated over a wide temperature range (-30 to +70 degrees Celsius). Power consumption is just 2.5 watts.