Radar Image Server (RIS) SoftwareSPx Radar Image Server (RIS) is a scan conversion server that receives radar video and scan converts into one or more radar images that may be delivered to a client application or web browser. Interfacing to a hardware or network source of radar video, SPx-RIS accepts polar format video and scan converts into a bitmap image that may be distributed to any number of client applications. The client software receives the bitmap image, which can then be displayed in a custom application, or in a standard web browser.
Where it is required to display a radar image with fixed views, RIS offers an extremely cost-effective solution, since no client licenses are needed. The radar data can be displayed in a standard web browser using the supplied Java applet. Any number of client computers can connect to a single RIS server and display the radar image. Since bitmaps are distributed with UDP networking, the network bandwidth is unaffected by the number of connected clients. The distribution rate of the image from the RIS server may be configured so that bitmaps are distributed either once per scan, in quadrants or at more frequent intervals. The client display will not show a smoothly rotating radar sweep (unlike other SPx scan conversion solutions), but for many applications where a simple radar image is required this will not be a limitation. In the screen shot below, a single RIS is distributing 4 streams of video to a client computer which is using Internet Explorer to view the radar. The 4 streams show different views and are being updated once per scan of the radar. SPx RIS is a Windows application. A user interface allows for full configuration of the server in terms of the number of streams, radar views, update rate, radar colour and optional metadata that can accompany the video picture. When configured, the RIS runs without operator assistance and the software may be configured to start automatically for unattended server operation. RIS allows 1, 2 or 4 radar views to be distributed (license options) as streams. Each stream has a window size, radar offset and radar scale factor. In a typical application, one stream will be programmed for the full coverage of the radar and then one or more additional stream will provide zooms of selected areas. Each stream can be given a name and accompanied by metadata in the form of name + value strings. The streams of images and metadata are distributed using UDP to a programmed IP address and port. The frequency of distribution of the bitmap may be configured, allowing for once-per-scan, quadrant or time-based updates. On the client side, an application may subscribe to one or more streams of data from RIS. It receives the bitmap data and accompanying metadata which it can display in a graphical application. RIS is provided with a Java applet that allows radar images to be displayed in a standard web browser. A multi-view radar display can easily be configured using a standard web browser.
Multiple RIS instances can be used for multi-radar installations. For two radars, for example, two instances of RIS can each provide multiple streams for each radar. Different clients could then select videos from any stream of either server.
RIS Application
The RIS application runs under Windows and provides a user-interface for configuration
of the server. This can be used to define the details of the radar capture, the
views to be scan converted and delivered, the update rate of the bitmaps and the
delivery address (single client or multiple clients through a multicast distribution).
Controls include:
Client Support SoftwareNo client licenses are needed for the RIS. Library software is supplied to allow a custom application to receive the radar images and display them in a Windows application. Alternatively, a standard web browser may be used to display the updating radar images.
|
|
|
|
Unlike other SPx scan conversion solutions, the RIS does not permit the client application to change the view contained in the distributed bitmap. The view is preset in the RIS, although a single RIS server can distribute multiple views. In a typical application, a RIS server can be configured to distribute scan converted video for several different views, perhaps representing full radar coverage and then several zoom views or selected areas. The client software then receives these images and may display them in a custom-written application with optional graphics, or else in a standard browser window with the supplied Java applet.
