Pictured: AXIOM Beta Developer Kit with 1 x HDMI Plugin Module engaged.
Modularity is key.
The general approach for designing the AXIOM Beta PCB stack was to give every board a clear,
core purpose and not just pack as many things as possible onto each one. This way individual PCBs can be replaced
without affecting the rest of the stack - for example, as the interfaces between the boards are predefined, a new
image sensor can be installed simply by changing the Sensor Board PCB. Likewise, as individual printed circuit
boards ultimately become more complex and offer richer features, the user can upgrade any of the camera's boards as
and when they're ready to do so. Unlike with existing manufacturers, who typically use the shelf-life of a camera's
individual components as a way to ensure that a customer purchases a whole new camera, this approach also enables
users to perform minor repairs in the event that, for example, one of the PCBs needs to be replaced. Aside from
this there are four other ways that the camera has been made extensible:
High speed
Plugin Modules
Low-speed and
mid-speed Shields
Center-Solder-On
Modules
Lens Mount and
Optical Filter
Pictured: AXIOM Beta printed circuit board stack.
Main PCBs in Detail
CMV12000 ZIF Sensor Board
Beta CMV12K ZIF Sensor Board hosts the CMV12000 image sensor. The ZIF (Zero insertion force) socket is
useful
for developers as it allows for the sensors removal at the turn of a lever (zero force). For this reason
this
sensor board is best suited to the AXIOM Beta Developer Kit version of the camera, as it can be expected
that
sensors may be swapped on a regular basis.
CMV12000 THT Sensor Board
The CMV12000 THT (Through-hole technology) Sensor Board is suited to applications where the
sensor-front-end
won't be being removed on a regular basis. Through-hole technology (THT), also spelled "thru-hole", refers
to
the mounting scheme used for electronic components that involves the use of leads on the components that
are
inserted into holes drilled in printed circuit boards (PCB) and soldered to pads on the opposite side
either by
manual assembly (hand placement) or by the use of automated insertion mount machines.
Interface Board
The Beta Interface Dummy Board acts as a bridge between the image sensor board and the rest of the camera.
It
converts communication between the aforementioned components to a standard protocol so that almost any
image
sensor that becomes available in the future can be used with the AXIOM Beta without changing the rest of
the
hardware. If AXIOM users felt that 8K was in demand they would simply swap the sensor board for one capable
of
capturing images in the desired resolution.
Beta Main Board
The Beta Main Board hosts two shield slots and two high-speed plugin module slot connectors. The Mainboard
itself acts as a central switch for defining where data captured by the sensor and other interfaces gets
routed
to inside the hardware. In this regard, all specifics can be dynamically reconfigured in software opening
up a
lot of new possibilities such as adding shields for audio recording, genlock, timecode, remote control
protocols or integrating new codecs and image processing inside the FPGA.
AXIOM Beta Power Board
The Beta Power Board PCB is the last board in the stack before the MicroZed™. It generates all the
different supply voltages for the chips and logic on the other PCB’s inside the camera. It also monitors
currents so
that it can estimate remaining power based on the recorded consumption. In the current revision of the
camera a
predefined set of supply voltages matching the current application with the rest of the camera have been
generated, in the future however, it will be possible for users to dynamically reconfigure voltages
according to their needs through the camera’s software.
Xilinx MicroZed™
The AES-Z7MB-7Z020-SOM-G MicroZed™ is a development board based on the Xilinx Zynq®-7000 All Programmable
SoC
(System-on-a-Chip). It can be used as both a stand-alone development board for SoC experimentation or in a
product like the AXIOM Beta.
Main Board CSO
Pictured: AXIOM Beta Main Board CSO PCB V1 bottom populated.
Some of the floor space in the centre of the AXIOM Beta Main Board has been left clear so that
a CSO (centre solder-on) board can been incorporated. This will host chips capable of measuring and controlling
compensation processes via the camera's software, i.e. for orientation and acceleration (the same chips used to
stabilise quadcopters and track movement in VR headsets), magnetic field related data, and three dimensional motion
sensing. Being situated directly behind the image sensor centre means that these sensors are ideally positioned to
supply data for image stabilisation or metadata about the camera’s orientation and movements during a shot.
Shields
Pictured: AXIOM Beta Developer Kit.
AXIOM Beta features two shield-slots with space for additional connectors going to both east
and west sides of the camera. One shield has a slow-speed (200Mb/s) interface and one medium-speed (1Gbit/s)
interface connecting to the main processing FPGA. Therefore these shields are perfect for additional future
interfaces like: Trigger in/out, Genlock in/out, Timecode in/out, Sync in/out or connecting external sensors or
buttons, small LCDs, etc. The name "shields" was inspired by the
Arduino
plugin boards - also called "shields".
AXIOM Beta PCB stack front
Debug Shield
The AXIOM Beta Debug Shield features 2x10 GPIO banks with LED indicators and two power LEDs. 4 LVDS pairs are
routed to external connectors JP1/JP2 (plus one GND).
Status: Complete.
Technical
details.
Plugin Modules
Pictured: AXIOM Beta Developer Kit.
The AXIOM Beta has two high speed module slots with PCIe connectors (these are not really PCIe
cards, we just utilize PCIe for the connectors). Each module has a total bandwidth to/from the main processing FPGA
of at least 6 Gbit/s. This makes the modules perfect for dealing with high bandwidth video outputs like
HDMI/Displayport/SDI.
Pictured: AXIOM Beta PCB stack with two 1x HDMI Plugin Modules engaged
1 x HDMI Plugin Module
This module provides one 1080p60 HDMI output stream via 4 LVDS channels directly from the Zynq on the Microzed.
Status: complete
Technical details
1 x USB 3.0 Plugin Module
Offers 3.2 Gbit/s throughput which corresponds to 400MByte/s, enough to record uncompressed 4096x2160 raw 12
bit video at 25 FPS to a connected computer.
Status: in development
Technical details.
1 x 4K Displayport/HDMI
Will allow recording 4K/UHD video on an external recorder with a standard 2160p signal. Will also work to
supply 4K/UHD screens with a signal of course.
Status: in development
Technical details.
1 x SDI Plugin Module
Provides an industry standard serial digital interface (SDI) connection with a nominal data transfer rate of
3G/6G.
Status: in development
Technical details.
1 x PMOD Plugin Module
1x PMOD (Peripheral Module interface) Plugin Module hosts inputs/outputs for connecting a wide range of
external PMOD devices - mainly intended for development and testing when General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) is
required.
Status: complete
Technical details.
3 x PMOD Plugin Module (2x slots)
Triple PMOD debug inputs/outputs are used for connecting a wide range of external PMOD devices - mainly
intended for development and testing when General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) is required.
Status: complete
Technical details.
Dual SATA Plugin Module
This development board is meant to be paired with a Trenz TE0714 and lays the foundation for the necessary development for writing video footage to solid state drives directly from the AXIOM Beta in the future.
Status: In development
Technical details.
3 x DisplayPort Link Plugin Module (2x slots)
Three independent DisplayPort Links act as diverse video output ports. Also supports adapters eg. to HDMI
directly.
Status: in development
Technical details.
Lens Mount
Pictured: AXIOM Beta Compact enclosure prototype detachable lens mount.
The AXIOM Beta Compact enclosure which is currently being prototyped features a lens mount (currently a passive e-mount) that is attached
securely with four screws and can be swapped out and changed easily. Since a lot of adapters are available for the e-mount off-the-shelf pretty much any lens system can be used with the AXIOM Beta. The lens mount also contain two optical filter trays
to allow for changing infrared/ultraviolet (IR/UV) cut-off behaviors or Optical Low Pass Filter (OLPF) on demand.
The image sensor is situated just 6.75mm below the enclosure surface and therefore provides plenty of room to
accommodate the
flange-focal-distance
(FFD) of any lens system in the future. More technical details on lens mounts and enclosures can be found
in the
Project Wiki.
Camera Control
There are basically three ways envisioned how an operator can control camera functionality: The first method is connecting to the camera Linux terminal over SSH via Ethernet cable or WiFi using a connected PC or Laptop and is primarily intended for programmers and software developers (this method is operational already now with the AXIOM Beta Developer Kit. The second method is to utilize the camera internal webserver to provide an app-like Graphical User Interface to change camera parameters and settings using any connected device that can run a webbrowser (smartphone,t ablet, PC, etc.). This also requires the device to connect to the camera via Ethernet or WiFi. The third method is a dedicated device that connects to the AXIOM Beta with a cable and offers buttons and knobs together with a display to show menus and parameters: the AXIOM Remote (see visualization below - currently in development).
AXIOM Remote Concept Visualization - 2019.
AXIOM Beta - Versions
AXIOM Beta is available/planned in the following enclosures/versions:
AXIOM Beta Developer Kit
This version of the camera is suitable for anyone who’d like to work on development, reconfigure its
software and or core components, or build their own enclosures etc… Developer Kits are supported by a
custom CNC-milled skeleton framework and provide easy access to the camera’s printed circuit boards - With
this in mind associated design files, board layouts, BOMs, CAD models, software source code repositories,
etc. are all made freely available.
For insight into how AXIOM Beta Developer Kits have been configured by members of the community see
Case Studies.
Price: €3,990.00 (excl. VAT + Shipping)
Status: Shipping - Delivered inside six weeks.
Order
AXIOM Beta Compact
This enclosure option provides a solid but lightweight aluminum layer around the camera's electronics and
incorporates several mount points and future expansion slots. Individual modules are swappable (eg. lens
mount, plugin modules) and extra care has been taken to use screws instead of glue so that customisation,
and, should the need arise, simple repairs are made easy.
AXIOM Beta Compact is purpose-built for rig integration and general in-the-field protection, making it
ideally suited to video production environments.
Price: €5,990.00 (excl. VAT + Shipping)
Status: In development
Get Pre-Order Access
AXIOM Beta Extended
Currently in a state of early development, and inspired by the 35mm film camera magazines of yesteryear's
golden
age of analog film cameras, this enclosure is ideal for any film production scenario and rests well on the
DOP's
shoulders.
With ergonomics in mind and providing space for a more sophisticated airflow system, AXIOM Beta Extended is
a
camera and integrated AXIOM Recorder combination that plans to incorporate an INTEL NUC and 2.5" SSD(s).
And of
course, the AXIOM Recorder module can be attached in various locations around the enclosure and at
different
angles.Learn more about the AXIOM Beta Extended from
Team Talk 13.2.
Price: TBD
Status: Early Development
Get Pre-Order Access
Note: If you purchased a voucher during the project's crowdfunding and have queries regarding prices
see
AXIOM Beta Crowdfunding Information.