| Summary: | The fire control system operator’s monitor unit displays the video feed from online video cameras and fire control system-generated on-screen data overlays. The design specified in this paper and developed by the authors is a hardware implementation of GUI on-screen data overlays from various data sources to minimise the fire control system’s CPU load. The monitor unit can acquire video feeds from two cameras, with one daylight (full colour) VIS camera and one IR (monochromatic) camera and the video output generated by the fire control system computer, and overlay or mix the two video sources on-screen. Each of the video camera feeds can be processed in real time with gamma and dynamic brightness range correction. The daylight VIS camera feed processing supports video pixel change detection to substitute for a motion detection system. The fire control system monitor can also analyse the video feeds and overlay the hazy areas of the VIS camera feed output with the corresponding areas of IR camera feed output. The fire control system monitor supports IR camera feed PIP (picture-in-picture) display overlaid on the VIS camera display, mixing of both camera feeds, and panoramic view output from both video feeds. On-screen text and a moving targeting crosshair can also be displayed. The fire control system monitor communicates with its master control system via a serial bus. The monitor can also work autonomously (not connected to a master control system); commands and status output functions are implemented with a bezel control keyboard with individually backlit keys. The functionalities were developed with relatively simple hardware and software solutions.
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