A flexible controller for a complex device

Each one of the iToBoS full-body scanners features 15 cameras that will take pictures of different regions of the patient’s body. To cover these regions with high resolution, the cameras will be distributed in 5 arches and will scan their region thanks to several motors.

Also, each one of the camera modules will be equipped with several accessories, among which, a liquid lens to allow for fast and precise focusing. All this equipment will be controlled from a centralized computer. However, some of them need powerful electrical signals that a normal computer cannot output through standard USB or Ethernet connections and, hence, many need a specialized controller. In summary, the full-body scanners will include an immense quantity of electronics to drive all the components.

ICC-4C-500, a driver designed for cases like iToBoS

A similar situation is faced by many of Optotune’s customers. In particular, it is quite common that a simple device/machine includes several lenses. To help in these cases, Optotune developed a new industrial driver, the ICC-4C-500 capable of driving 4 lenses simultaneously. This development was not part of the iToBoS project, and the initial forecasts for the full-body scanner included 15 individual controllers, one for each lens. However, the timing was perfect, and the ICC-4C-500 was released just in time to be included in the design and reduce this number to only 5 controllers, 1 per arch. It would be even possible to use only 4 controllers (max. 16 lenses), but it is simpler to organize the lenses by their position in the arches.

The ICC-4C-500 is designed for maximum flexibility and 24/7 robust operation in industrial environments. Some of the main specifications are the following:

More details at https://www.optotune.com/icc-4c

Figure 1. ICC-4C-500 liquid lens controller with 4 output Hirose connectors for the liquid lenses, an auxiliary output connector, and several status LEDs on the front side. All the input connections are on the rear side.