Ametek Phantom TMX Series User manual

TMX 7510/6410
USER MANUAL
When it’s too fast to see, and too important not to.®
PHANTOM HIGH-SPEED CAMERA

The contents of this manual are subject
to change without notification.
PN: ZDOC-64114-MA-0001 Rev 1
Last Updated: March 2021
PHANTOMHIGHSPEED.COM
1 Camera Overview 1
2 Connectors 5
3 Network Setup & Quick Start Guide 7
4 On-Camera Controls & On-Screen Display 13
5 Working with Phantom CineMag and CineStation 23
6 Phantom PCC Software: 27
- Camera Operation
- Playback and Downloading
- File Conversion
7 Signals and Programmable I/O 37
8 Accessories 41
9 FAQs & Support 43
- Mechanical Drawings
- Connector Pin-outs
- Regulatory
When it’s too fast to see, and too important not to.®
Phantom TMX 7510/6410
User Manual

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 1: Camera Overview | 1
CAMERA OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
The Phantom TMX Series of high-speed cameras are designed to deliver the high frame rate
performance required by many cutting edge applications, including:
• Ballistics studies
• Shock wave analysis
• Glass crack propagation and material strain analysis
TMX is available in 2 performance levels:
• TMX-7510, offering 75 Gpx/sec throughput
• TMX-6410, offering 64 Gpx/sec throughput
CUTTING EDGE SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
TMX cameras are the first high speed cameras that use a back side illuminated (BSI) sensor.
BSI technology places the metal required for high frame rates on the back of the sensor,
exposing the pixels to light. This makes the sensors very light sensitive. Additionally, with
BSI technology, TMX cameras provide larger resolutions for very high frame rates, allowing
users to see a larger area of their experiment than before.
TMX cameras offer a binning feature that groups pixels into 2 x 2 blocks to provide alternative
aspect ratios. Binning is available on color cameras, but the output image is in monochrome.

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 1: Camera Overview | 3
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Programmable I/O: Assign and define signal parameters for each Programmable I/O port.
Available signals include Strobe, Ready, F-Sync, Pre-Trigger, Event, Memory Gate and several
core signals. See Programmable I/O section for more information.
Data Acquisition: External sensor data imported through a compatible National Instruments
DAQ model can be embedded in Cine files and visualized in PCC along with the high-speed
images.
Image-Based Auto-Trigger (IBAT): Trigger the camera (or a number of connected cameras)
from motion detected within the live image. The active IBAT area and parameters are defined
using PCC or the camera’s OCC menu interface.
Exposure Tools: Auto-exposure, Threshold mode for the video output, PCC histogram, and
a Zebra pattern overlay in PCC are all tools used to dial in the best exposure without over
saturation.
Multi-Cine: Support for up to 511 partitions.
Quiet Fans: When enabled, the fans are stopped during capture to eliminate vibration.
Continuous Recording: Automatically and continuously saves Cines to external storage.
Shutter Off Mode: (also known as Exposure in PIV) turns off the shutter to maximize
achievable exposure with minimal frame overhead.
Burst Mode: Generate a precise number of frames with every frame sync pulse.
DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol enables the automatic assignment of an IP
address when using a DHCP router. This method eliminates the requirement to define
the PC’s dedicated camera network. Automatic DHCP is an alternative to the secondary
userdefinable IP network available in all Phantom cameras.
CAMERA CONTROL
Phantom cameras come with PCC software for Ethernet-based setup and control. TMX
cameras also have an On-Camera Control (OCC) menu system for use with an attached
video monitor. The OCC menu can adjust both basic and advanced settings. Capture,
Play and Save-to-CineMag functions are also available via the camera’s OCC menu.
IMAGE STORAGE
Phantom TMX Series cameras may have 128GB, 256GB, or 516GB RAM. Memory can be
segmented into up to 511 partitions to capture several shorter events back-to-back with
no downtime between shots.
TMX Series cameras can be equipped with a CineMag interface for use with secure,
removable Phantom CineMag V media. The CineMag V is available in 2TB and 8TB
capacities, CineMags also support direct recording for long record times at reduced
resolution and support video playback to review all the recordings.
Data on the CineMag V can be downloaded via a Phantom CineStation IV, or the camera,
using 1Gb or 10Gb Ethernet. 10Gb Ethernet is the fastest way to download the files to
optimized systems. Cine Raw files are compatible with many of the video industry’s top
editing and measurement programs, or they can be converted to a variety of formats
(e.g. h264.mp4, Apple ProRes.mov, avi and tiff) using PCC software.
IMAGE MONITORING & VIDEO OUTPUTS
Phantom TMX Series cameras have 2 x 3G HD-SDI outputs for use with video monitors.
Standard video rates up to 1080 p60 are supported. The video feed from each output is
identical and can show either live video or playback from the camera RAM or CineMag.

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 2: Connectors | 5
CONNECTORS
B3 STROBE /P
C5 READY /P
D2 TC IN
E1 TRIGGER
F4 FSYNC /P
HRANGE DATA
G6 TC OUT /P
IREMOTE
JBACKUP DC INPUT
KPRIMARY DC INPUT
LUSB
METHERNET
NPOWER SWITCH
OCINEMAG PORT
ASDI
PVF POWER
QCAPTURE
BNCs outputs 3G-SDI video
Programmable I/O, Port ID = P3. Default signal = Strobe
Programmable I/O, Port ID = P5. Default signal = Ready
Timecode-in fixed port for IRIG-B (Modulated/Unmodulated)
Trigger-in fixed port. TTL pulse, Switch closure
Programmable I/O, Port ID = P4. Default signal = FSync
Programmable I.O, Port ID = P6. Default signal = TC OUT
8-pin Fischer used to input and embed frames with acquisition data
5-pin Fischer for RS-232 serial communication
3-pin Fischer for 20-28V DC backup power
3-pin Fischer for 20-28V DC primary power
For WiFi dongle (Dongle requires chipset RT5370)
Ruggedized RJ45 for Gigabit and 10Gb Ethernet for control and data
transfer
Off/Auto/On functionality (see FAQ)
Port on right side of camera, exists on CineMag models only
Power for Monitors
12-pin Fischer for signal access (Capture cable not included with camera)
A complete cable connector reference and pin-out
guide is available in the last section of this manual.
REAR CONNECTOR PANEL
M
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0
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Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 3: Network Setup & Quick Start | 7
NETWORK SETUP & QUICK START GUIDE
Phantom cameras are typically controlled with PCC software through a dedicated Ethernet
network. PCC is compatible with the 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 10 operating
systems.
The latest version can be downloaded at: www.phantomhighspeed.com/PCC
Gb & 10Gb ETHERNET
Phantom TMX Series cameras come with standard Gigabit (Gb) Ethernet and 10-Gigabit
(10Gb) Ethernet.The camera has one Ethernet port which handles both protocols. The
camera will auto-negotiate the connection speed based on the computer’s network card and
its IP configuration as described later in this section.
GETTING STARTED

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 3: Network Setup & Quick Start | 9
WORKING WITH 10Gb ETHERNET
STEP 1: IDENTIFY NETWORK ADAPTER
Identify a 10GBase-T network card or adapter for the computer itself. For desktop (tower)
PCs, Vision Research specifically recommends Intel PCIE cards.
Laptop computers must have a Thunderbolt port available in order to use one of the
Thunderbolt-10GBase-T converters on the market. At the time of writing, there are two
recommended converters: Promise Sanlink3-N1 Part # SL3N1CL and the adapter by
StarTech Part # TB310G
STEP 2: INSTALL DEVICE DRIVER
The camera and network adapter, if applicable, should be powered on and connected during
the driver installation.
Install the latest device driver from the manufacturer’s website, then reboot the PC.
A new, unidentified network should now be available, visible in the NetConfig utility or in the
Windows ‘Network and Sharing Center.’
STEP 3: INSTALL PCC WITH 10Gb PHANTOM DRIVER
The latest version of PCC software should be installed from the disk that came with the
camera or by running setup.exe within the package downloaded from the website.
Click through the prompts, and be careful to click ‘YES’ when the program prompts you to
install the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Driver. The PCC installer also allows for the Phantom 10G
driver to be installed without re-installing PCC.
STEP 4: ASSIGNING A 10Gb CAMERA NETWORK
The camera should be powered on and physically connected to the 10Gb network card or
Thunderbolt adapter. The 10Gb Ethernet network needs to be assigned to the 172.16 IP range.
Use the Phantom NetConfig Utility as described in the previous section to detect the new
network and assign the 10Gb IP address automatically.
Alternatively, In the Windows ‘Network and Sharing Center,’ select the camera network.
Change the Ethernet IP settings by selecting ‘Properties,’ then ‘TCP/IPv4’ ‘Properties,’ then
select ‘Use the following IP address.’
Enter IP address: 172.16.0 and Subnet 255.255.0.0. Other settings should be blank.
Important: Ensure no Windows firewall or virus protection are
applying to either Phantom Ethernet network connection
ASSIGNING A Gb CAMERA NETWORK
Connecting the camera using Gb Ethernet simply requires the computer to detect the IP
address range of Phantom cameras.
PCC software includes a Network Configuration Utility which will launch automatically
after the software is first installed, or it can be later launched from the PCC program
itself.
The NetConfig Ultility will show all network interfaces currently installed in the PC.
Identify the one that will be physically connected to the camera (this process can be done
with or without a camera connected at the time).
Click ‘Config Adapter’, which will then adjust the IP Address and Subnet to the first one
available within the 100.100 network that all Phantom cameras are pre-configured to
work with. Once connected, the Phantom logo will appear on the lower right with the
“Configured for PCC operation” message.
OPTIONAL: MANUALLY ASSIGN Gb CAMERA NETWORK
Alterntatively, In the Windows ‘Network and Sharing Center,’ select the camera network.
Change the Ethernet IP settings by selecting ‘Properties,’ then ‘TCP/IPv4’ ‘Properties,’
then select ‘Use the following IP address.’
Enter IP address 100.100.100.1 and Subnet 255.255.0.0. Other settings should be blank.

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 3: Network Setup & Quick Start | 11
‘ARM’ CAMERA
Click the ‘Capture’ button to start recording to the camera’s internal RAM memory buffer.
TRIGGER
At the end of the action, click the ‘Trigger’ button at the bottom of the ‘Live’ panel, the button
on the camera OCC, or provide an external trigger signal (TTL pulse) via the Trigger connector.
PLAYBACK AND EDIT CINE
Click the ‘Play’ tab to Scrub through the timeline or use the ‘Video Control’ buttons to locate
the first image to be saved.
Click the ‘Mark-in’ button.
Locate the last image of the Cine to be saved and then click the ‘Mark-Out’ button.
SAVE TO COMPUTER
Click the large ‘Save Cine...’ button on the bottom of the ‘Play’ panel.
1. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the Cine file.
2. Enter a file name and from the ‘Save as Type’, select the ‘Cine Raw, .cine’ file format.
3. Click the ‘Save’ button to begin downloading the Cine file from the camera.
CONFIRM COMPUTER SAVE
Click the ‘Open File’ button. Navigate to the folder and open the saved Cine file. Review
the playback by scrubbing through the file and viewing the playback.
SAVE TO CINEMAG V (OPTIONAL)
Click the down-arrow of the ‘Save Cine...’ button. Select ‘Save RAM Cine to Flash’ (in pop-up
window). Click the ‘Save’ button.
Confirm ‘Flash Cine Save’ before deleting from RAM by selecting and reviewing the new Flash
Cine from the top ‘Play / Cine’ pull-down list. Flash Cines are indicated with the name ‘F#’.
POWER ON CAMERA
Connect the camera’s dedicated power supply to the Primary DC input, and move the
power switch to the ON position. The camera is ready for operation when the red capture
light of the Trigger button is illuminated.
MOUNT PHANTOM CINEMAG (OPTIONAL)
Insert a Phantom CineMag V if applicable. For detailed instructions, see ‘Working with
Phantom CineMag’ section.
LAUNCH PCC SOFTWARE
Double-click the PCC icon located on the desktop. Camera will be recognized
immediately if connected and network settings are correct.
SELECT CAMERA FOR USE
In the ‘Manager’ tab, select the Phantom camera to be used from the ‘Cameras’ group
folder. Click the ‘Live’ tab.
DEFINE RECORDING PARAMETERS
Click ‘Cine Settings’ and define the following parameters by either selecting the value
from the pull-down selection list or typing a value into the respective data entry field.
1. Set ‘Resolution’ to the required Width x Height.
2. Choose the required ‘Sample Rate,’ and ‘Exposure Time’
3. Set ‘Post Trigger’ to zero (0) by moving the ‘T’ (Trigger Position) slider to the right,
or enter zero (0) into the ‘Last’ data entry field.
Click the ‘CSR‘ button to perform a Current Session Reference. A CSR is a black
reference for that session. It is required before capturing the first cine and after
changing any recording parameters.
With color cameras, perform a White Balance by right-clicking an area of the image that
is neutral gray or white, as long as it is not 100 percent saturated.
FINE-TUNE SETTINGS
After CSR and White Balance are performed, adjust settings, aperture and/or lighting to
get a good exposure. A CSR must be performed after any camera settings are adjusted.

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 4: On-Camera Controls | 13
ON-CAMERA CONTROLS & ON-SCREEN DISPLAYS
When camera is in capture mode (writing to internal RAM), button glows red. A single tap will
trigger the camera. When a Cine is captured, the button glows green. When in video playback
mode, tap the trigger button to exit the menu. When the menu is active, tap the trigger button
to go live. To clear the RAM recording and re-enter capture mode, hold down trigger button
for four seconds.
Tap the menu button to activate the camera’s menu system as described on the following
pages. Turn the knob to navigate through the menu, and tap to select. Exit the menu by
waiting 10 seconds or tapping the Trigger button
Tap to enter playback mode when a cine is stored in RAM. Playback buttons will glow green
when camera is in playback mode.
In Live mode, a tap of the Tools button will cycle through video zoom levels (for focus assist)
and threshold (exposure assist). When in playback mode, the play-backward symbol is
illuminated and this button is used to play reverse. A long press will do a fast-reverse.
Tap to pause.
In live mode, a long press of the B-Ref button will perform a Current Session Reference
(CSR). When in playback mode, the play-forward symbol is illuminated and this button is
used to play forward. A long press will do a fast-forward. Tap to pause.
ATRIGGER
BMENU
CPLAYBACK
DTOOLS
EB-REF
ON-CAMERA CONTROLS
Requires a video monitor or viewfinder
to be connected to the camera.

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 4: On-Camera Controls | 15
Indicates the IRIG timecode stamped to each frame.
This ‘timeline’ represents all frames available in camera RAM (‘Loop’ mode). The ‘T’
indicator represents the user-defined trigger point.
Displays the frame count and recording time based on the current camera settings.
Indicates the memory size of the Phantom CineMag (if present) and the total recording time
available.
Displays the f-stop (aperture) the lens. Valid for Canon EF mounts only.
Indicates user-defined camera name. If not defined, the camera serial number is displayed.
Shows frame rate, exposure time and resolution.
Indicates the Cine number selected for playback.
A visual representation of the Cine timeline with the trigger (T) point, mark-in and mark-out
(|) points, and play head indicated.
Shows the timestamp of each frame in IRIG format and the current frame number.
Frame count and playback duration based on current video settings, within the mark-in and
mark-out points.
CBUFFER BAR WITH TRIGGER POINT
DFRAME COUNT & DURATION
EFLASH MEMORY STATUS
FEF LENS APERTURE DATA
HCAPTURE SETTINGS
KPLAYBACK BAR
LPLAYBACK
GCAMERA NAME
ICINE INDICATOR
BTIMECODE
ON-SCREEN DISPLAY (OSD) OVERVIEW
The On-Screen Display (OSD) provides valuable information about the camera’s
current status over the video outputs along with the live or playback images.
VIDEO DISPLAY, ‘LIVE’ MODE
VIDEO DISPLAY, ‘PLAYBACK’ MODE
The symbol changes based on the camera’s state:
Live: The camera is not recording and a live image is displayed from all SDI
ports.
Capture: The camera is recording to internal memory (RAM) and awaiting a
trigger signal.
Triggered: The camera has been triggered and is filling RAM memory
(‘Post-Trigger’ frames).
Cine Stored: Recording has ended and a Cine is stored in RAM memory.
The Cine must be erased from the RAM to begin recording again.
Playback: The camera is in ‘Playback’ mode. RAM Cines can be reviewed,
edited and saved to flash.
A
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ACAMERA STATE
J
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Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 4: On-Camera Controls | 17
1/6 CAMERA
The CAMERA menu page includes controls for the fundamental settings.
SPEED
Sets the acquisition frame
rate in frames-per-second.
SHUTTER
Sets the exposure time.
EI
Sets the Exposure Index (EI).
AUTOEXPOSURE
Enables autoexposure for changing lighting conditions.
WHITE BALANCE
For color cameras, place a white or neutral gray object in front of the camera. Ensure
that the white subject is not fully saturated. Select the phrase ‘White Balance’ and rotate to
select ‘OK.’
RESOLUTION
Sets the acquisition resolution of the sensor.
TRIGGER
Sets the trigger point. The timeline represents all frames available in RAM.
SYNC
Changes the frame sync (F-Sync) from internal to an external source.
AUTO B-REF
When enabled, a black reference will be automatically performed when the camera enters
‘Capture’ mode.
MENU OVERVIEW
The On-Camera Control menu provides access to major camera settings for operation
and playback. The menu is activated with a press of the menu knob and displayed as an
overlay to the camera’s video outputs (HD-SDI.)
NAVIGATION
Activate the menu by pressing the ‘Menu’ knob on the back of the camera. Turn the knob
to scroll through each menu item and press to select. The six menu pages can be quickly
jumped between by selecting the page title (‘1/6 CAMERA’ in this example) and scrolling
through them.
To exit the menu, tap the ‘Trigger’ button. The menu will also turn itself off after a period
of inactivity.
The menu is subject to change as functionality may be added with future
firmware updates.
MENU SYSTEM
SIX MENU PAGES
1/6 CAMERA
2/6 IMAGE
3/6 SETTINGS
4/6 INFO
5/6 AUTO
6/6 ADVANCED

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 4: On-Camera Controls | 19
3/6 SETTINGS
The SETTINGS page allows
for user setups to be saved
and recalled.
0–5
There are six available entries.
By selecting one of the slots,
users can save or recall that
particular setup to quickly change all
parameters of the camera at a later date. The values in parentheses are meant as a quick
reminder of camera settings.
Please note that all camera settings, including video mode, sync mode, image and advanced
settings are included. These settings are saved after the camera powers down.
FACTORY DEFAULTS
Recalls the factory defaults to bring the camera back to the original settings from the last time
it left the Vision Research factory. This includes all capture, calibration, image processing and
video parameters.
This is an important troubleshooting step.
4/6 INFO
The INFO page displays unique
information about the camera, including:
Model: name, memory and serial
number.
Firmware level
Current Temperature of the Sensor
and Camera, and the power of the Fan.
Factory-assigned IP address of the camera.
User-defined IP address (secondary IP) which can be set to ‘AUTO’ for DHCP compatibility
or used with a defined IP range outside of the Phantom 100.100 network. This is set using
Phantom PCC software.
10-Gigabit (10Gb) IP address of the camera as assigned by Vision Research.
2/6 IMAGE
The IMAGE page allows for control
of image processing and video
settings. These image settings are
adjustments applied to Cine Raw
files as metadata.
MASTER GAMMA
Sets the relationship between the
signal level and brightness output of the image.
MASTER GAIN
Adjusts the overall signal level of the image linearly.
MASTER BLACK
Adjusts the baseline black level. The default of 0 should produce images with black at 0
on a waveform monitor.
PA & PAO
The camera adds a Production Area (PA) with the specified frame size as an overlay on
the image. PAO is the Production Area Offset, which will move the Production Area from
the center of the image both vertically and horizontally. 0, 0 is the default.
ZOOM
Changes the zoom level of the video output.
COLOR BARS
Switches all video outputs to display SMPTE HD color bars.
VIDEO SYSTEM
Sets the video output to one of the valid video systems. The video outputs will change
immediately. However, the new video system must be confirmed to take effect.

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 4: On-Camera Controls | 21
CAPTURE A CINE USING THE OCC
Ensure camera is in ‘Capture’ mode, then Tap the ‘Trigger’ button to trigger the camera.
With the Cine in RAM, tap the ‘Playback’ button. The video output will switch to playback
view, where you must select the Cine for playback. In the case of Multi-Cine (partitioned)
RAM, there will be more than one RAM Cine present.
Once the take is selected, there are options to ‘Play,’ ‘Delete,’ ‘Delete All’ or ‘Go Back.’
Selecting ‘Play’ will close the menu and the video will begin to play forward.
Use the ‘Play Forward’, ‘Play
Backwards’ buttons and the menu
knob to scroll through the Cine.
A long press on the forward
or reverse buttons will start a
fast-forward and fast-reverse
playback.
EDIT THE CINE
Tap the menu knob to further edit
and save the Cine to an installed
CineMag V. An action menu appears with more options.
Use the play arrows or scroll knob to scroll through the Cine.
Set the in-point by selecting ‘Set In.’ This will be the first frame of
the Cine saved to the CineMag. Scroll to the last frame you want to
save and select ‘Set Out.’
SAVE THE CINE
Select ‘Save’ to save the Cine to the Phantom CineMag. The OSD will
report that the CineMag is saving and provide a countdown. Do not
interrupt this saving process.
Once the save is complete, the RAM can be cleared and the camera can go back into
‘Capture’ mode. The fastest way to do this is to hold down the ‘Trigger’ button for four
seconds.
PLAYBACK & SAVE
5/6 AUTO
The AUTO menu defines some of the
camera’s automatic functions.
AUTO TRIGGER
Enables the camera’s Image-Based Auto-
Trigger (IBAT) function. The settings for
Size and Position define the area in which
a change in motion will activate the trigger.
AUTO SAVE, FROM & TO
When enabled, the camera automatically saves the Cine, once triggered, to the CineMag.
FROM & TO define the first frame and last frame for the auto-save function.
ACQ RESTART
When enabled, the camera automatically starts recording again after the auto-save or
auto-play functions are complete.
6/6 ADVANCED
The ADVANCED page includes less-used
settings or features which should be used
with caution.
RGB GAIN, PEDESTAL AND
GAMMA
Sets the Red, Green and Blue channels
separately for the Gain, Pedestal and
Gamma to fine tune image processing settings.
ERASE CINEMAG
Erases the entire contents of an installed Phantom CineMag. A confirmation step is required.
MEMORY PARTITIONS
Sets the number of partitions to segment the RAM for Multi-Cine recording. The RAM is
divided evenly.
FRAME BURST & PERIOD
Sets the number of frames in a burst, which are frames that are captured to RAM with
every F-Sync pulse. ‘Off’ disables burst mode. Period sets the interval between the
frames in a burst.

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 5: Working with Phantom CineMags | 23
WORKING WITH PHANTOM CINEMAGS
INTRODUCTION
Phantom TMX Series cameras offer a CineMag option.
Phantom CineMag is a high-speed solid-state storage module, and differs significantly
from a traditional hard drive or solid-state disk in that there is no file system.
For high-speed recording, you must record to the camera’s RAM buffer first, review, and
then transfer to the CineMag—this is known as ‘Loop’ mode. For lower speed recording,
the camera can run in ‘Run/Stop’ mode, writing direct to the CineMag and allowing several
minutes of recording.
It is not possible to delete individual clips from a CineMag because all frames are recorded
contiguously. Once the CineMag is full, you can only re-record on it by deleting its entire
contents. For this reason, it is recommended that RAM Cines are reviewed and trimmed by
setting in and out points prior to transfer from the RAM buffer to the CineMag.
.Cine files are downloaded over Ethernet (either 1Gb or 10Gb) using Windows-based
Phantom PCC. The CineMag V can be downloaded from the camera body or CineStation IV.
INSERTING A CINEMAG
The Phantom CineMag slides into the top compartment of the camera and the door latches
shut. Ensure the CineMag slides in evenly and mounts securely. CineMag status can be
read on the upper right of the video display (OSD).
PHANTOM CINEMAG V INDICATORS
On the back of the Phantom CineMag are a number of LED indicators that show the
current Phantom CineMag status.
PHANTOM CINEMAG V
MAG CAPACITY INDICATOR
When a Phantom CineMag is empty, all lights will
be illuminated. As material is recorded to the
mag, the lights will turn off from left to right. The
last light will always stay on to indicate power.
ERASE PROTECT SWITCH
When the erase protect switch is in the
lock position, the CineMag cannot
be erased. Use an appropriate tool, such
as a micro-flathead screwdriver, to flip
the switch. ACTIVITY LED
Green for read activity
Red indicates recording
Orange indicates erasing

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 5: Working with Phantom CineMags | 25
ERASE PROTECTION
In order to protect the contents, there is a tiny erase protect switch on the front of
the CineMag. When locked, the CineMag can be recorded to but not erased.
PHANTOM CINESTATION IV
The CineStation IV is a simple device meant to quickly and efficiently download the contents
of a CineMag V. When connected to a computer running Phantom software, the CineStation
behaves almost identically to a camera, except that no capture or live functions will be
enabled.
CONNECTING A CINESTATION IV TO PHANTOM SOFTWARE
The CineStation IV comes standard with both 1Gb and 10Gb Ethernet ports. The two ports are
independent of each other, but only one can be connected to the software at a time.
The network settings are exactly the same as what is specified for a Phantom camera:
Network IP: 100.100.100.1
Subnet: 255.255.0.0
10Gb Network IP: 172.16.0.1
Subnet: 255.255.0.0
Ensure no firewalls or virus protections are enabled.
SAVING FROM A CINEMAG
Vision Research recommends to download footage from a CineMag in the Cine Raw
file format, which preserves all the metadata such as frame rate, shutter speed,
timestamps and image processing. Cine Raw is the fastest and best-quality format.
SAVING AN INDIVIDUAL CINE FROM A CINEMAG
From the ‘Play’ tab in PCC, select the Cine you want to save from the ‘Cine:’ pull-down
menu. You will see all files in RAM as well as the Flash Cines in the CineMag in this list.
Once you’ve selected a clip, mark an in and out point (if desired) by clicking the and
buttons respectively. Phantom Video Player (PVP) can be used in a similar manner
over video playback.
Then click the green ‘Save Cine…’ button, choose ‘Cine Raw’ as the file format,
navigate to the folder where you wish to save the clip and click ‘Save.’
SAVING ALL OR SELECTED CINE FILES FROM A CINEMAG
In the ‘Play’ tab, click the triangle to the right of the ‘Save Cine…’
button and, from the pop-up menu, select ‘Save All Flash Cines
To File.’ Or, save only Select Cines with the ‘Select & Save Cines
to File’ option.
In the save dialog window, navigate to the folder where you wish to save the clips and
select the ‘Cine Raw’ file format. Choose a name for the group of Cine files and click
the ‘Save’ button. Each Cine’s file name will start with the name and end with the Cine
number.
ERASING A CINEMAG
A CineMag can be erased while installed in the camera using
the on-camera control menu or in Phantom PCC and PVP
software. In PCC software, navigate to the ‘Live > Flash
Memory’ menu and click the ‘Erase’ button. Confirm that you
wish to delete all clips. In PVP software, tap the ‘Erase All’ button and confirm.
When installed in the CineStation, the CineMag can be erased in the PCC Nucleus
program using the Format Flash Memory function.
Erase progress is indicated on the video OSD and by a progress bar in the software.
Once complete, all data on the CineMag will be erased and it will be ready for
recording again immediately.

Vision Research, Inc. | Phantom TMX Series Camera Manual Chapter 6: Phantom PCC Software | 27
PHANTOM PCC SOFT WARE
PHANTOM CAMERA CONTROL (PCC) APPLICATION OVERVIEW
TOOLBAR
The ‘Toolbar’ buttons provide quick access to the most frequently used functions.
In the program, hover over a button to display a text box briefly describing its function.
The ‘Help’ options provide valuable reference information, along with
extensive documentation, relating to the software. Online tutorials can
be found at www.phantomhighspeed.com/tutorials.
CONTROL TABS
PCC provides three control tabs: ‘Live,’ ‘Play’ and ‘Manager.’
When first started, the ‘Manager’ tab is selected. Connected
cameras are selected for use and naming in this tab. It is
also used to manage saved Cine files.
All camera control and capture parameters (sample rate,
exposure time, etc.) are performed in the ‘Live’ tab.
Reviewing, editing and saving of Cine files, either from the
camera’s internal RAM memory, installed Phantom CineMag
V or external hard drive, are performed in the ‘Play’ tab.
The latest version of Phantom PCC software can
be downloaded from the Vision Research website:
www.phantomhighspeed.com/pcc
This manual covers the most commonly used
functions. See the ‘PCC Help’ file for details of
other settings.
PRE-INSTALLATION
Phantom Camera Control (PCC) software operates with Microsoft Windows 10.
The computer and cameras must be associated with the same sub-network to
communicate with one another. Typically, the IP address 100.100.100.1 and subnet
255.255.0.0 are defined to the control computer’s network card.
When multiple computers are used to control the same camera, each computer
requires a unique IP address.
For example, 100.100.100.1 (255.255.0.0), 100.100.100.2 (255.255.0.0), and so on.
PCC SOFTWARE

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SELECTING A CAMERA
Select the camera(s) to be controlled listed in the ‘Manager’ tab, or select the camera(s)
from the ‘Camera’ pull-down list in the ‘Live’ tab.
Once a camera is selected, a ‘Preview’ panel will display to the left of the control tabs
showing the current image being captured by the camera.
IMAGE PROCESSING
‘Image Tools’ provides extensive control over the look of the
image, from color and contrast settings to image orientation and
crop settings. The menu is accessed by clicking on the ‘Image
Tools’ toolbar button (the one that looks like an artist’s palette).
The top of the ‘Image Tools’ window displays a ‘Histogram.’
This is a graphic representation of the pixel brightness levels
of the displayed image. The left represents black, the right
represents white and the height represents the proportionate
number of pixels at that particular value. Unlike a waveform,
the histogram’s shape is not representative of the content—it is
simply an averaging of the brightness values.
Below the histogram are controls which change image settings
of the live images, recorded images and the video output.
Some of the variables include; brightness, gain, gamma,
saturation, toe, white balance adjustments (Temp (K) and Tint),
individual red, green and blue pedestal, gain and gamma values
and tone curves.
At the bottom of the window is a ‘Default’ button that restores
all parameters except white balance, tone and color matrix to
their default values.
The ‘Default White Balance’ button restores white balance to
the defaults on color cameras.
The Tone ‘Reset’ button restores the image tone to the default values, and the Color Matrix
‘Restore’ button returns the color matrix values to their default values.
Changes made here only affect the metadata of the Cine Raw file. They are applied in
software but not “baked in.”
Image Processing settings are no longer editable after saving to a format other than Cine
Raw, so it is important to ensure they are set to values that produce the best looking image.
PHANTOM VIDEO PLAYER (PVP) APPLICATION OVERVIEW
PVP can be launched directly from the
desktop shortcut or by the ‘Video Out’
toolbar button in PCC.
PVP controls the video outputs
connected to a video monitor or
viewfinder only.
PVP provides the ability to view,
capture, review, edit and/or save a
Cine recorded into the camera’s RAM,
to a hard drive or installed Phantom
CineMag. PVP is extremely effective
when used with high-resolution
cameras since most computers will not
play captured raw files smoothly.
The camera’s video system and display settings are also set through PVP. The best
video system for the project will vary based on the country you are in, what kind of video
monitor is used and the required video resolution.
All available video systems for the connected cameras can be found in the ‘Settings’
menu of PVP, along with production area and other video overlay controls.
CAMERA CONTROL VIA PCC
PCC provides the ability to select units for specific camera
parameters by clicking the ‘Preferences’ button at the
bottom of the ‘Manager’ tab.
Units can be set to commonly used values (‘Presets’) or can
be customized using the pull-down selection lists. First time
users should use one of the three ‘Presets.’
The ‘Exp’ unit is probably the most important unit to be set.
It specifies what unit to use when setting the exposure time.
The other units to set are EDR (Extreme Dynamic Range, not
compatible on all models) and PTF (Post Trigger Frames)
covered later in this section.

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Backup & Restore: Allows for user and factory settings to
be saved and recalled from the camera’s memory.
Resolution: Sets the camera’s acquisition resolution. There
are several options in the pull-down menu. Alternatively,
type in a value and the closest valid resolution will be set.
Sample Rate: Sets the acquisition frame rate in frames-
per-second (fps).
Exposure Time (shutter): Sets the exposure time in
degrees, microseconds or percentage (this depends on
how the PCC preferences are set).
Exposure Index: Sets the exposure index (Effective ISO) of the
image by loading preset tone curves. Adjusting gamma, gain
and other settings will contribute to the overall EI value, and this
combined value is what should be used to determine lighting.
CSR (Current Session Reference): Closes the camera’s internal
shutter and resets the black point of every pixel for optimal
image quality.
Image Range and Trigger Position: The slider represents the
memory buffer, with the ‘Duration’ indicated in seconds and the
total number of frames available.
The trigger position is indicated in the ‘Last’ pull-down menu
and as the ‘T’ slider along the timeline. The trigger position is
exactly when the trigger signal will be detected in the Cine.
KEY ADVANCED SETTINGS
The “Start/End of Recording Actions” section provides options of
actions that can automatically be performed at the start or end
of each shot, including:
• Auto save to CineMag/Built-in Flash: This feature
saves a user-specified portion of a clip to the Phantom
CineMag immediately after recording.
• Auto play Video Out: Begins playback after recording.
The range marked under ‘Auto play Video Out’ affects
both playback and saving to the Phantom CineMag.
• Restart Recording: When enabled, automatically restarts the recording process
after the ‘Auto’ actions have been performed.
IMAGE DISPLAY
The ‘Zoom Actual Size’ toolbar button resizes the images being displayed in the ‘Preview/
Playback’ panel to their actual size.
The ‘Zoom Fit’ toolbar button resizes the images to fit the panel. Images can also be
zoomed to a specific magnification ratio by selecting a number from the pull-down list to
the right of the ‘Zoom Fit’ button.
WHITE BALANCE (COLOR CAMERAS)
Performing a ‘White Balance’ should be the first step in color adjustment. White Balance
not applicable to monochrome cameras.
Right click on an area that resembles white or neutral area in the image, then click on the
‘White Balance’ pop-up window. It is not necessary to fill the frame with white—a small
target can be used.
It is recommended to perform the White Balance after a CSR and on a white or gray object
that is not fully saturated.
CAPTURE SETUP: CAMERA & CINE SETTINGS
Set Time: Synchronizes the timestamps embedded in the recorded image data to the
computer’s clock.
Bit Depth: Most Phantom cameras operate in 12-bit mode only.
Mode: Select the desired mode, binning or standard mode.
Partitions: Select the number of desired partitions (evenly divided memory segments)
from the ‘Partitions’ pull-down menu. For basic camera setups, this should be set to one.
Lens Control: Available for Canon EF lenses only, for control of aperture and focus.

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For direct recording to a CineMag, set ‘R/S’ (Run/Stop) mode by selecting
the ‘Direct Recording to CineMag’ box in the ‘Flash Memory’ section. Start
recording by clicking the red ‘Record’ button. Once the camera is recording
directly to the Phantom CineMag, the ‘Record’ button changes to a ‘Stop Recording’ button.
REVIEWING A CINE
Once the camera has completed recording a Cine in
the camera’s RAM or CineMag, it can be reviewed by
selecting it from the ‘Cine’ pull-down selection list in the
PCC ‘Play’ tab.
A previously saved Cine stored on the computer’s hard
drive can be opened using the ‘Open File’ toolbar
button. (When used, it also places the file under the
‘Cines’ group folder in the ‘Manager’ tab.)
Use the ‘Video Control’ buttons to review the Cine:
PERFORMING A QUICK SEARCH THROUGH A CINE
Quickly find the points of interest:
‘Scroll’ (scrub) through the clip using the slider or click
anywhere on the timeline to jump to that point quickly.
‘Jump’ to the trigger frame by clicking on the ‘T’ button,
or jump to specific frames by entering the frame number
into the jump ‘#’ data entry field, then hit the enter key.
‘Image Search.’ The goal is to search or find an image
change in the recording, based on the differences
between image content. Right-click on the ‘Play’ button
to begin the image search. Besides image content changes,
‘Image Search’ can also look for images that are tagged
as ‘Event’ images.
AREVERSE PLAY
BPAUSE
CPLAY
DFAST REVERSE
EREVERSE 1-FRAME
FADVANCE 1-FRAME
GFAST FORWARD
A
D
B
E
C
F G
‘External Sync’ instructs the camera to use one of the following options:
• Internal: Camera uses its internal crystal oscillator to drive the frame rate.
• External: Camera uses externally supplied frame sync clock pulse to drive the
frame rate. This can be used to synchronize two cameras together via F-Sync.
• IRIG: Camera uses an IRIG-B signal is supplied to drive the frame rate.
• Lock to Video: Frame rate is driven by the camera’s current video rate. Fps will
jump to the closest multiple of the current video rate (23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 or 30).
• Sync to Trigger: Instructs the camera to adjust its frame clock, upon detection of
a trigger signal, to ensure all post trigger frames occur at the same moment in
time from trigger when repetitive tests are required.
FLASH MEMORY
Specifies the camera’s operation mode in relation to CineMag
recording: ‘Loop’ (record to RAM first) or ‘R/S’ (bypass RAM
and record directly to CineMag). It also displays the amount of
free space and size (in Gigabytes) of the Phantom CineMag.
RECORDING A CINE
To begin recording to the camera’s RAM click the red ‘Capture’
button.
The red ‘Capture’ button changes to ‘Abort Recording’ and the
green ’Trigger’ button is enabled when the camera is recording.
The ‘Abort Recording’ button instructs the camera to stop
recording, leaving the camera’s RAM empty.
TRIGGERING THE CAMERA
Selecting the ‘Trigger’ button instructs the camera to immediately stop recording when
the ‘Trigger Position’ is set to zero. If a value greater than zero is set, the camera will
continue to record ‘post-trigger’ frames until the user-specified value is met.
Using the camera’s external trigger signal provides a more accurate trigger
to the camera. This is also referred to as a ‘hardware trigger.’
When using External Sync it is important to limit the top frame rate by ~1%
to ensure the sync period is larger than 1/max_frame_rate + 0.1% or 200ns
(whichever is larger), to account for frequency tolerance and jitter.

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like’ formats (meaning the entire clip will be saved as a single
file), while the formats below the line are image formats
(meaning each frame of Cine will be saved as a sequence of
images).
To convert a Cine to a ‘movie-like’ format, select the desired
format from the list, navigate to the destination folder, assign a
file name to the clip and save.
Some valuable parameters can be found in the ‘Advanced
Settings’ window, such as the particular codec.
Other formats, like .avi and .mp4, allow the compression ratio
to be entered. The lowest compression is the default.
CONVERTING TO A SERIES OR STACK
OF IMAGES
Beginning with PCC software version 3.5, the autoname
functionality eliminates the need to add a special character
to create a sequence of images. Use one of the presets in the
save dialogue. Vision Research also recommends setting a
project name, in the ‘Auto-name settings’ menu found in the
top bar pull-down arrow next to the snapshot functions.
BATCH CONVERT
The ‘Batch Convert Files’ toolbar button can be used to convert a single saved Cine file,
or multiple saved Cine files, into any one of the supported file formats.
Use the shift and/or control keys to select the Cine files you wish to convert in the ‘Open Cine’
dialogue window, then click the ‘Open’ button.
Navigate to the destination folder in the ‘Multifile Convert Destination’ dialogue window and
select the file format.
PCC creates a separate folder for each Cine file, assigns the original file name and appends
the appropriate image number and extension to each image.
Once the ‘Convert’ button is clicked, a progress window
appears for the duration of the conversion process.
Each converted Cine will be placed in its own folder
named after the original Cine file.
EDITING AND SAVING A CINE
Using the following ‘Video Control’ buttons, locate the first image of the Cine to be saved
and click the ‘Mark-In’ button. Locate the last image of the Cine to be saved and click
the ‘Mark-Out’ button.
Click ‘Play, Speed & Option’ and enable (check) ‘Limit to Range.’
Under the ‘Video Control’ buttons, click the play button and review the edited Cine.
Click the ‘Save Cine...’ button to save the edited Cine to
the computer’s hard drive.
If you wish to save the clip to an attached Phantom
CineMag, click the down arrow to the right of the ‘Save
Cine...’ button and select ‘Save RAM Cine to Flash.’
WORKING WITH CINE FILES
The images recorded on the camera’s RAM or Phantom CineMag are stored in a Vision
Research proprietary RAW (uncompressed) file structure called a ‘Cine’ file.
These Cine files can be converted to industry standard formats (ProRes, H264, DPX,
DNG, TIFF, JPEG and more) with PCC software provided by Vision Research.
Phantom PCC and PVP software are compatible with Windows operating systems. There
are third party solutions available for working with Phantom cameras in Mac OS X.
COMPATIBILITY WITH VIDEO EDITING PROGRAMS
Several popular video editing programs, such as DaVinci Resolve, have incorporated the
Phantom Cine Raw file format into their software. This means Cine files do not have to
be converted and no additional software is required.
Please test the footage with the program you choose before committing, as updates
to the program or Cine file format can sometimes break compatibility. For this reason,
it is important to know how to properly convert Cine Raw files using PCC.
CONVERTING CINE RAW FILES
Single Cine files can be converted by selecting the desired format from the ‘Save as
Type’ selection list in the ‘Save Cine’ dialogue window.
The file formats above the separator line in the ‘Save as Type’ selection list are ‘movie-
Re-saving a clip in the Cine Raw format can be useful for creating sub-clips
with no loss in image quality or metadata.