IVT MODEL 6100 OCR CAMERA /

WIDE AREA BARCODE READER INSTALLATION and OPERATION MANUAL

I. INTRODUCTION

This manual describes the installation and operation of the IVT Model 6100 OCR Camera / Wide Area Barcode Reader. The unit is usually simply called the Reader in this manual. Software tools are provided and described to assist with focus and alignment, parameter setup, and performance analysis. The IVT Model 6100 OCR Camera / Barcode Reader locates and decodes POSTNET and PLANET barcodes anywhere on the face of a mail piece, up to 6.2 inches. The Reader may also be configured to read the new USPS Four-State Customer Barcode (4-CB) ,OneCode. A CameraLink interface is provided for OCR address recognition. The Reader is designed to mount on any high-speed mail sorter, and the decode results are communicated to a host computer via the RS232C interface. The Reader also includes an optional Merlin Assistant feature that analyzes barcodes to determine if they are likely to fail MERLIN tests at the USPS bulk mail site.

Figure 1: IVT Model 6100 OCR Camera / Barcode Reader

II. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION The reader consists of a 2048-pixel TDI Line-Scan camera, LED illuminator, and DSP-based control chassis all in a self-contained stand-alone enclosure.

Camera: The reader uses a Dalsa HS-41-02K30 TDI camera. The camera uses TDI technology to provide approximately 80x higher sensitivity vs. standard line-scan cameras.

This allows the reader to use LED illumination instead of the halogen illumination used with many standard line-scan recognition systems.

Illuminator: The mail piece is illuminated by two White Light Emitting Diode (LED) boards that are controlled by the DSP processor. The illuminator is turned ON when the leading edge of a mail piece reaches the document detect photocell. The illuminator is turned OFF when the trailing edge has passed the camera read window (provided the next mail piece has not already reached the photocell). LED illuminators are safer, they generate significantly less heat, and they use less power compared to halogen lamps. In addition they experience lifetimes of 4-6 years, compared to 2-3 months for halogen lamps.

Control Chassis: The heart of the IVT Model 6000 OCR Camera / Barcode Reader is a custom processor board housed in the control chassis. The board uses two large Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to control the camera, reformat the camera video, and detect patterns in the image that may be bars. A Texas Instruments TMS320F2812 DSP processor reads the detected bars, links them into fields, and decodes the fields. If the Merlin Assistant option is enabled, the DSP then examines the barcode field to determine if it meets all of the USPS DMM specifications. The camera outputs 2048 pixels per scan at a rate of 120 MHz (2 channels at 60MHz). Only 1600 pixels per scan (at 256 pixels/inch) are required for a 6.2 scan height. The gate arrays reformat the video and output it to the CameraLink output at a rate of 75 MHz (2 channels at 37.5MHz).

Power Supply: The reader uses an external printer-type desktop DC power supply. The power supply provides +5V and +12V to the unit. The +12V is used to power the Eclipse camera and the LED illuminators. A resettable fuse on the processor board protects the camera in the event of voltage spikes, etc. The +5V is used to power the processor board. A dual voltage regulator on the processor board generates the +3.3V and +1.8V supplies required by the FPGAs and DSP.

III. INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS

The following external connectors are provided on the Reader:

Transport Interface connections for light barrier photocell and optical encoder. The light barrier signals the Reader that a mail piece is approaching the read window. The encoder provides an indication of the transport belt speed.

Serial Interface RS232C serial communication interface to host computer. TRANSPORT INTERFACE CONNECTOR: 9-POS DSUB (MALE) PIN

# SIGNAL NAME

FUNCTION PIN #

SIGNAL NAME

FUNCTION

1 GND 0V Ground to Encoder 6 VCC +5V to Encoder 2 No Connection 7 GND 0V to IPD 3 No Connection 8 VCC +5V to IPD not used if

IPD powered by transport 4 No Connection 9 TACH Encoder input signal 5 IPD Item Presence Detect

Table 1: Transport Interface Connector

RS232 SERIAL INTERFACE CONNECTOR: 9-POS DSUB (FEMALE) PIN

# SIGNAL NAME

FUNCTION PIN #

SIGNAL NAME

FUNCTION

1 No Connection 6 No connection 2 TXD Transmit Data (to host) 7 No Connection 3 RXD Receive Data (from host) 8 No Connection 4 No Connection 9 No Connection 5 GND

Table 2: RS232 Serial Interface Connector

CameraLink Interface CameraLink is an industry standard camera to frame grabber interface. The Reader uses the Base configuration (i.e. one cable) with two 8-bit video channels. Images of mail pieces may be captured by the frame grabber for real-time OCR recognition or for image archival and analysis.

DC Power Input Standard 5-position DIN connector provides +12V, +5V, and GND.

PIN 5-POS DIN 1 GND 2 GND 3 +5V, 0.75A 4 GND 5 +12V, 0.75A

IV. PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS Figure 2 - Physical Specifications

Dimensions: 10.50 L x 4.25 W x 7.25 H Belt speed: up to 164 ips Image Read Window: 6.25 inches Barcode Read Window: 4.0 inches (configurable)

V TEST2 DIAGNOSE IMAGE CAPTURE The user can calibrate the 6100 camera by selecting the Camera Calibration button from the Maintenance menu, see figure 1. The Test2 software enables the user to capture a production mail piece image on the fly. Perform the following steps:

1. Select Camera Calibration button from the main menu, see figure 1.

Figure 1

2. Select WABCR button, figure 2.

Figure 2

3. The user can select the Diagnose feature to check the image and if the camera is reading the barcodes. Select Diagnose button, figure 3.

Figure 3

4. The following screen appears. Wait for the Reader communication established message to appear at the bottom left of the Test2 screen, see figure 4.

Figure 4

5. The user should run a production mail piece or a test deck mail piece. Place the DBCS in the in the maintenance mode by turning the Maintenance Key on the

Operator Control Panel (OCP) to the right. Press the Start button on the OCP. Select Actions -> Run from the Test2 tool bar, see figure 5. Open the Feeder slide and force the mail piece to the Pinch roller and ensure that the mail

does not jam.

Figure 5

6. The mail piece Read results will appear in the Test2 screen, see figure 6.

Figure 6

7. Select Actions -> Stop at the Test2 tool bar, see figure 7.

Figure 7

8. Wait for the Reader communication established message to appear at the bottom left of the Test2 screen. Before proceeding the user should perform the following steps to speed up the image transfer.

Select Configuration -> Port at the Test2 tool bar, see figure 8.

Figure 8

9. The Port window will appear and display the Bar Code Reader and PC port number and Baud Rate 38400. At the Bar Code Reader only change the baud rate to 115200. This will cut the time down from about 10 minutes to 2 minutes.

Select the drop down arrow button and select 115200. Click the OK button, see figure 9 and figure 10 below.

Figure 9

Figure 10

10. To display the image continue with the following steps: Select Configuration -> Show On, see figure 11.

Figure 11

11. The Show Selection window will appear. Select Document under the Image Reports column. Click OK button, see figure 12.

Figure 12

12. At the Test2 screen point the cursor arrow on the X at top left corner. The Show Last Document message, at the bottom of the screen should appear, see figure 13. Click-on that X.

Click here for image

Figure 13

13. The Please WAIT data collection in progress message should appear, see figure 14. If the Please WAIT data collection in progress message does not appear. Repeat the above steps. Start at the step that feed and runs the mail piece.

figure 14

14. The Show display complete should appear within 2 1/2 minutes, see figure 15. Close the Test2 screen by clicking on the X at the top right of the Test2 screen.

Click here to exit

Figure 15

15. When the user close the Test2 screen at figure 15 an image of the capture mail piece will pop-up, see figure 16. The user can manipulate the image with the Windows Picture screen. The user can magnify, rotate, save it and etc, see figure 16 below. Click-on the X at the top right corner to exit the Windows Picture image screen.

Click here to exit

Figure 16

16. When the user close the Window Picture image screen at figure 16 above, a WordPad text file of the mail piece barcode data will pop-up, see figure 17. Scroll down to see the barcode results.

Click here to exit

Figure 17

17. When the user close the WordPad text file screen at figure 17 above, the Leaving Camera Maintenance Mode window will pop-up, see figure 18. When Leaving Camera Maintenance Mode window is complete the user can enter the camera Align or Diagnose feature again, see figure 19 below.

Figure 18

18. The user can exit the Camera Calibration screen by pressing or clicking the F1- Camera Calibration button at the left of the screen, see figure 19.

Figure 19 - Camera Calibration screen

19. Press or click-on the F1 to exit to the Main Menu, see figure 20 and 21 below.

Figure 20 - WABCR

Figure 21 - Main Menu

II. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION III. INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS PIN PIN

IV. PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS