A simple mini PC with a PCI-e slot: recommendations?

[Vizier87]

Hi all, it's been a while.

I've had to setup a research rig which uses a really pricey camera with a control board connected to a PCI card. Here's how it looks like:

It requires a PCI slot but I need the setup to be as robust and mobile as I could because it'll pretty much just be for a specific application.

I've been mulling on using a Gigabyte Brix which has a PCI-e slot but it's not so popular in my country so I'm not sure how it'll perform.

Any other recommendations?

Thanks!
Vizier87

 

[rjenkinsgb]

What are the CPU and operating system requirements?
If it's something that needs video processing it may need quite a powerful CPU to work properly.

A lot of the smaller motherboards use low power and low performance CPUs to simplify cooling.

 

[Vizier87]

What are the CPU and operating system requirements?
If it's something that needs video processing it may need quite a powerful CPU to work properly.

A lot of the smaller motherboards use low power and low performance CPUs to simplify cooling.

This is where I'm not totally sure. Here's a link to the specs of the board:

https://www.epixinc.com/products/pixci_eb1.htm

But I believe it doesn't require that much since it can run from Windows XP as well.

I've been hoping that there'll be a PCI-to-USB converter around but from the hacker forums they're just too impractical and costly.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

As far as I can see, the "Brix" PCs only take mini-PCIe, they do not have standard PC I/O card size expansion slots.

I think your best option is probably an ITX size motherboard which takes a standard CPU and select a case that can take the capture card.
ITX boards are around 6" square. eg. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BMV3...8-0d61034d6259&linkCode=g12&tag=ignonelink-21

You can use a link cable for the PCIe card rather than plug it in directly. I seem to remember that there are some ITX cases that have a card slot cutout positioned so an expansion card fits flat ways over the motherboard, if you want to keep the height down.

Otherwise one of the ITX "cube" style cases would quite compact.

 

[Vizier87]

I see. Yeah I was having trouble discerning PCI and mini PCIe and this helps a lot.

Thanks mate!

 

[rjenkinsgb]

I've not found the case I was thinking of, but you can get cases intended to be portable..

eg.

Tower cases - Cheap Tower case Deals | Currys

Take advantage of amazing deals on our Tower cases range here at Currys. Shop online and get free delivery or order & collect in store.

www.currys.co.uk

Or smaller still: https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16811112408

 

[Vizier87]

I've not found the case I was thinking of, but you can get cases intended to be portable..

eg.

Tower cases - Cheap Tower case Deals | Currys

Take advantage of amazing deals on our Tower cases range here at Currys. Shop online and get free delivery or order & collect in store.

www.currys.co.uk

Or smaller still: https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16811112408

A bit too big though. Do you have Gigabyte-Brix-size-equivalent motherboards which might be suitable too?

 

[rjenkinsgb]

The case must be big enough to take, and have a large enough power supply to run, the your framegrabber card...

That rules out the really tiny all-in-one PCs.
The page for the capture card says "low profile" but only shows it with a full height bracket.

If you go below the "Mini ITX" standard for parts you would end up with the bare capture card hanging out the case on a bit of wire, as far as I can see.

The case in the second link I posted (the Lian Li one) is not the absolute smallest you can get, but it may well be the smallest where you can guarantee that everything needed will fit with enough power and cooling.

It is very small, compared to a normal PC.

 

[Vizier87]

If you go below the "Mini ITX" standard for parts you would end up with the bare capture card hanging out the case on a bit of wire, as far as I can see.

I can live with that actually. My priorities are on the size and cost. As long as it can handle a simple .NET executable and operate something simple like OpenCV, I'll be happy to consider it.

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[gophert]

Why do you want to use the old fram-grabber card? Modern PCs can grab frames easily. A bit of Python code can even do it on near,y any Linux, windows or Mac computer...

pyscreenshot

python screenshot

pypi.org

 

[Vizier87]

Why do you want to use the old fram-grabber card? Modern PCs can grab frames easily. A bit of Python code can even do it on near,y any Linux, windows or Mac computer...

pyscreenshot

python screenshot

pypi.org

The card interfaces the PC with an unobtanium camera from Raptor Photonics.

The camera port uses the CameraLink adapter. Here's the datasheet:
https://www.penlink.se › Owl...PDF
Web results
Owl 320 HS VIS-SWIR - Penlink

Is it possible to go around using the card by converting the CameraLink cable into a more manageable type? I'd be extremely grateful if you can suggest a way to do away with the card...

Thanks!

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Something like these??

Camport CL2USB3 - Euresys

Euresys is a leading and innovative high-tech company, designer and provider of image and video acquisition components, frame grabbers, FPGA IP cores and image processing software. Euresys is active in the computer vision, machine vision, factory automation and medical imaging.

www.euresys.com

iPORT CL-U3 - Pleora Technologies

Discover Pleora’s iPORT CL-U3 External Frame Grabbers for seamless integration of Camera Link cameras into native USB3 Vision cameras with low latency and high bandwidth

www.pleora.com

 

[Vizier87]

Something like these??

Camport CL2USB3 - Euresys

Euresys is a leading and innovative high-tech company, designer and provider of image and video acquisition components, frame grabbers, FPGA IP cores and image processing software. Euresys is active in the computer vision, machine vision, factory automation and medical imaging.

www.euresys.com

iPORT CL-U3 - Pleora Technologies

Discover Pleora’s iPORT CL-U3 External Frame Grabbers for seamless integration of Camera Link cameras into native USB3 Vision cameras with low latency and high bandwidth

www.pleora.com

I see. I didn't think of it!

However oh my. It doesn't look very affordable though. I'll ask for a quote.. they're not showing the price and that's already quite a sign!

Thanks!

 

[unclejed613]

if you were to make your own box, you can get one of the PCI right angle adapters so the card will be parallel to the motherboard: https://www.amazon.com/RDEXP-PCI-Ex...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B06XX63TDK