Sony Block Camera replacement

Sony Block Camera replacement by skoopia 21Z30L

Sony block camera compatible in size, commands with superior performance

skoopia offers the ideal replacement for Sony block cameras. Connectors are identical, size is (near) 100% identical, they all support VISCA & Pelco-D steering commands and all have native CVBS output on-board. Moreover, the skoopia block cameras are available for years to come. No more worries about replacement.  

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Discontinuation Sony Block Camera - Hitachi Block Camera 

Where leading vendors from the past have completely stopped zoom block production (e.g. Hitachi, Samsung) or have discontinued CVBS & Full HD zoom block models to promote (Sony) their expensive high-end 4K solutions skoopia provides best in class, cost-effective Full HD zoom blocks in coming years.

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Sony block camera overview replaced by skoopia block camera

skoopia offers a complete portfolio of Full-HD block cameras as a direct replacement of the Sony FCB EX and Sony FCB EV and Sony H block cameras. To ease the replacement, we have added comparison tables after the generic section on block camera characteristics to directly compare your EOL (End of Life) or rumoured EOL Sony Block Camera with skoopia's block camera on key parameter (sensor resolution, optical zoom, digital zoom, near focus limit, output resolution, pinning, dimensions, communication protocol (all VISCA), and video output standards supported).

skoopia markets two series of Full HD zoom blocks that replace the Sony block cameras that are End of Life, being the 20Z series (10x, 20x, 30x) and the 21Z series (10x, 20x, 30x).

The 20Z series is focused on being a very cost-effective solution for industrial block camera customers specifically demanding on-board CVBS, AHD, TVI and/or EX-SDI block cameras. LVDS and HD-SDI output are also available, but here the 21Z series could also be a viable alternative, particularly if interlaced video output is required.

The skoopia 21Z series is focused on providing best of class optics with best of class sensors to customers demanding superior optics with corresponding zoom and focus behavior. If fast focus, zoom specific behavior (e.g. fast adjustments to scan a weld in a pipe) and/or superior senstivity with very limited spherical aberration is mandatory).

All of skoopia's block cameras are a perfect replacement for Sony block cameras, whether the block cameras are Sony analog block cameras, such as the

• Sony FCB EX-11, Sony FCB EX-15 (10x optical zoom category),

• Sony FCB EX-45, Sony FCB EX-47 or Sony FCB-EX-2200 (20x optical zoom category) or

• Sony FCB-EX2700 or Sony FCB-EX1020 (30x optical zoom category)

or Sony (Full-)HD block cameras, such as

• Sony FCB H-11 or Sony FCB EV-7100 (10x optical zoom category),

• Sony FCB EV 7300, Sony FCB-EV 7310, Sony FCB-EV7320 or the lesser known Sony FCB-EV5300 (20x optical zoom category) or

• Sony FCB-EV5500, Sony FCB-EV7500, Sony FCB-EV7510, Sony FCB-EV7520 or the Sony FCB-EV7520A (30x optical zoom category).

All of the above Sony Block cameras are End of Life, and to be honest where very good and reliable block cameras, except for the Sony FCB-EV7520A, which Sony has recently introduced.

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Why not choose the Sony FCB-EV7520A block camera

Although the name of the Sony FCB-EV7520A is very similar to the Sony FCB-EV7520 and it is promoted as a successor of the Sony FCB-EV7520 it is a different camera. Whereas the Sony FCB-EV7520 meets the Sony quality and long term availability, the Sony FCB-EV7520A has several differences, such as

• a limited Sony VISCA command set supported

• changed Sony VISCA command set compared to the Sony FCB-EV7520

• significant longer latency.

If you can still get your hands on Sony FCB EV-7520, please do so to avoid any engineering effort. If you require a suitable replacement, skoopia is eager and willing to allow you to test* the Sony FCB EV-7520A agains its 20Z30L, or 21Z30S, so you can determine yourself which camera is a more suitable replacement.

skoopia test condition hold for any camera, so also for skoopia 30x block camera 21Z30L or 20Z30L: samples returned complete and undamaged within 1 month after delivery will not be invoiced. Note that skoopia also offers additional video output on its block cameras, in case you currently apply a converter board LVDS to e.g. HD-SDI.

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Identical connector & pinning of industrial block cameras

skoopia zoom blocks come with the known 24-pin (EV-Series) and 9-pin (EX-series) connectors. Signals on the pinning are identical to Sony. Only spare pins are used for new video signals, not impacting current designs.

• The LVDS zoom blocks connect via the well-known 30-pin KEL-cable and identical pinning. 

• The AHD/CVBS block cameras connect via the 9-pin FFC (Flat Flexible Cable), but will (if available) have AHD on the spare outputs).

• The SDI block cameras make use of the 24-pin FFC, and also match the Sony EV-block cameras.

In most cases the skoopia block cameras comprise plural connectors. See the overview and datasheets on the skoopia block camera website section.

9 Pin FFC 30 pin KEL cable

1 RxD 1 TXOUT3+

2 TxD 2 TXOUT3−

3 GND 3 TXCLKOUT+

4 DC IN 4 NC 4 TXCLKOUT-

5 GND 5 TXOUT2+

6 VBS-OUT 6 TXOUT2-

7 GND 7 TXOUT1+

8 AHD-OUT 8 TXOUT1-

9 GND 9 TXOUT0+

10 TXOUT0+

24 Pin FFC

1 GND 11 GND

2 TxD 12 RxD

3 RxD 13 TxD

4 AHD ON 14 DC IN

5 GND 15 DC IN

6 AHD-OUT 16 DC IN

7 GND 17 DC IN

8 ADKEY 18 DC IN

9 IR-ON 19 GND

10 D/N-IN 20 GND

11 EX-SDI ON 21 TXOUT7+

12 MD-OUT 22 TXOUT71

13 485-DIR 23 TXOUT6+

14 F/W_SEL 24 TXOUT6-

15 GND 25 EXSDI+

16 +5V_OUT 26 EXSDI-

17 GND 27 TXOUT5+

18 VBS-OUT 28 TXOUT5-

19 GND 29 TXOUT4+

20 DC 12V 30 TXOUT4-

21 DC 12V MMCX / U-FL

22 DC 12V 1 SDI (EX/HD/3G)

23 DC 12V 2 GND

24 DC 12V

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No break-out boards required skoopia offers zoom blocks / industrial block cameras with all relevant output signals integrated (CVBS, AHD, TVI, HD/EX-SDI and/or LVDS). No need for additional break-out boards, making it a very cost-effective solution. 

AHD/CVBS block camera 10x, 20x, and 30x zoom block drop-in replacements are readily available to replace Sony analog block cameras. Details of the industrial and to some extend medical block camera skoopia 20Z10S-NF, 20Z20A and 20Z30A can be found here. 

Advantages choosing an AHD block camera starting with a CVBS block camera replacement

• Upgrade to Full-HD without changing the wiring

• Very cost effective camera

• 100% VISCA compliant 

• Similar size

• Pin compatible with analogue Sony FCB-EX-series

HD-SDI/EX-SDI block camera 10x, 20x, 30x and 36x medical 3G/HD/ EX-SDI block camera drop-in replacements are readily available to replace Sony digital block cameras in medical block camera or industrial block camera applications.  

Details of the industrial and medical block camera skoopia 20Z10S-NF, 21Z10S, 21Z20L, 20Z30S and 21Z30S here. 

Advantages choosing an EX-SDI block camera starting with a CVBS block camera replacement

• Make use of existing coaxial cable for EX-SDI and CVBS

• Best of class image quality as EX-SDI block camera provides full resolution zoom with visually lossless compression

• Best of class image qualtity without compression (get the full data) from HD-SDI or 3G-SDI block camera

• Cost effective camera, as HD-SDI/3G-SDI or EX-SDI and CVBS does not require add-on board.

• 100% VISCA compliant 

• Similar size or smaller

• Pin compatible with digital Sony FCB-EV-series 

LVDS block camera Naturally, also LVDS versions are available, for direct integration in your FPGA board. LVDS output of cameras is fully compliant with existing USB3, HDMI and IP breakout boards from leading vendors. Also for legacy implementations using analog HD* (Y Pb Pr) LVDS output can be suitable, as converter boards exist.

* Note: (Y Pb Pr) is analog HD. This is very different from the compressed AHD signal, which contemporary industrial zoom blocks offer. AHD block cameras have major advantages, particularly in band width of the signal.

Easy block camera replacement - no fuzz integration 

skoopia zoom blocks are focused to ease integration, minimizing the impact of engineering effort and customer support implementing a replacement.  

• Optical: skoopia block cameras support the Sony block camera supported optical zoom level, but not just the zoom factor, also relevant FOV (Field of View) and near focus demands the Sony zoom blocks supported.

• Mechanical: skoopia understands that integration is cumbersome. Therefore, STEP files are available to fully support integration. skoopia block cameras have (near) identical size if compared to Sony block cameras and have identical pin outs.

• Camera control skoopia industrial block cameras support PELCO-C / PELCO-D / PELCO-P as well as VISCA to comply with your existing control systems. 

• Video output: skoopia zoom block cameras provide all relevant video outputs based on best of class ISPs (Nextchip, Eyenix, Micro).
  

All cameras also available as IP block camera

skoopia offers the skoopia SDI to IP video server with integrated Rx/Tx and power via the well known 9 pin FFC connector. 10x, 20x or 30x skoopia block cameras with SDI output can now easily be turned into IP block cameras. Click here to read more.

Long life time Block cameras | Meeting your product's life cycle

skoopia industrial block cameras as well as medical block cameras are designed to meet OEM product's life cycle.

• Block cameras are available for 5+ years

• Replacement block cameras will adhere to form, fit and function

• Block camera upgrades still meet form*, fit, but offer additional function.

Yet, skoopia will continue to engineer medical and industrial block cameras having higher resolution, while meeting existing dimensions. Good example of skoopia's next level ambition is the skoopia 85Z18H, a 4K block camera providing superior image quality while being fully VISCA compliant and meeting existing Full HD block camera dimensions.

* as far as possible, as skoopia depends on optical zoom lens suppliers

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Inventory management: All skoopia block cameras can be configured to have PAL or NTSC or any relevant output and resolution required, avoiding plural SKUs.

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Replacing 10x Sony CVBS Block Cameras by skoopia 10x zoom Block Cameras

skoopia 10x block camera replacing Sony FCB-EX11 and Sony FCB-EX15

All skoopia zoom blocks are configurable for near focus (1 cm) or any other specific focus range request. 

Replacement of the Sony FCB-EX11 block camera or Sony FCB-EX15 block camera series depends strongly on the upgrade path you want to take and/or the size and focus behavior you prefer. Sony FCB-EX11 block camera and Sony FCB-EX15 block camera are best replaced by the skoopia 20Z10S-NF (CVBS, AHD, HD-SDI or EX-SDI block camera), skoopia 20Z10L (CVBS, LVDS, EX-SDI block camera) or skoopia 21Z10S (CVBS, HD-SDI, LVDS block camera)

skoopia 21Z10S offers unique capability of full customizable firmware and firmware upgrading at customer side (only having 1 stock keeping unit, while having firmwares for different OEM integrations, even within 1 organization).

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Digital zoom in CVBS mode

All of skoopia's zoom blocks support CVBS and a high digital zoom. Moreover they have a sensor resolution of 2MP and above, factually allowing digital zoom without resolution loss to approximately 2.5 times, if a camera is used in CVBS mode. This is the reason why skoopia sometimes suggests a more affordable and smaller sized unit as a replacement for Sony lower resolution cameras. Read more, click here.

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Replacing 10x Sony HD Block Cameras by skoopia 10x zoom Block Cameras

skoopia 10x industrial block camera replacing Sony FCB- EV series and Sony FCB-H series

All skoopia zoom blocks are configurable for near focus (1 cm) or any other specific focus range request. 

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HD Analog output - (Y Pb Pr) block cameras

skoopia block cameras can provide Analog HD component output (Y Pb Pr) using add-on board via LVDS (e.g. Twiga H11 or Twiga EV series)

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Replacing 20x Sony CVBS Block Cameras by skoopia zoom Block Cameras

skoopia 20x industrial zoom block replacing Sony FCB-EX series

Replacing 20x Sony HD Block Cameras by skoopia zoom Block Cameras

skoopia industrial 20x block camera replacing Sony FCB - EV series

Replacing 30x Sony CVBS Block Cameras by skoopia zoom Block Cameras

skoopia 30x industrial block camera replacing Sony EX series

Replacing 30x Sony HD Block Cameras by skoopia zoom Block Cameras

skoopia 30x block cameras replacing Sony FCB-EV series