Hardware requirements
Recommended system features:
- CPU
Eccet utilizes - depending on the size of the volume dataset - rather high processing power. For larger datasets (about 512x512x512 voxels) we recommend processors of 2GHz and higher. Optimal performance for smooth animation speeds will typically require about 3GHz of total processor speed.
Smaller volumes (like 256x256x256) are typically viewable with processors of around 1GHz.
Eccet supports symmetric multiprocessing and multi-core CPUs. Most functions reach the speed that results from the sum of all processor speeds.
: 2GHz or above for dual-CPU-systems or CoreDuo®-processors.
Thus a 2x2GHz machine should be about equivalent to a hypothetical 4GHz machine.
3GHz or above for single CPU systems. - Main memory
Eccet requires (depending on the mode used) 2-4 Byte memory per voxel.
This means, that for the typical 512x512 pixel slices, you will need 1MB per slice. You have to add around 200MB for the operating system and Eccet itself.
For the windows platform, an additional 200-400MB are required for the host OS and the virtualization environment.Thus we recommend to have at least 1GB of memory.
: 1-2GB RAM
Unused memory does normally not significantly speed up the system, but may e.g. be used to view multiple datasets in parallel.
On 32-bit architectures, as they are common for nowadays PCs, pushing the amount of memory beyond 2GB usually makes no sense, as single processes cannot get more than 4GB and much of this space is already reserved for other purposes. - 3-button-mouse
Use 3 button mice only. Eccet uses the third button for many important
navigation functions.
"Wheel mice" do have 3 buttons (the wheel can be pressed), but usually deliver bad usability as the wheel thends to slip when pressing. , keyboard - Suitably large harddisk Due to the high volume of the datasets (typ. 0.5 to 1GB per 3D patient dataset) we recommend fast disk subsystems. RAID and/or SCSI is recommanded, but not strictly necessary. (typ. >80GB)
- Display
Choose a resolution of at least 1280x1024.
LCD flat panels have advantages regarding the sharpness, but disatvantages regarding displayable number of grey levels and are dependent on viewing angle. subsystem featuring a minimum resolution of 1280x1024 pixel - fast network adapter
If you are transferring data over the net, make sure to have at least
100MBit (transmitting a typical stack of 512x512x600 voxels
will take about 1 minute at 100MBit).
Avoid using shared media that are already highly loaded. , if required - common graphics card
Never use onboard graphics controllers that use the so called "shared
memory" (AKA unified memory, UMA or similar) paradigm.
These controllers usually deliver inferior picture quality
and cause extra load on the memory bus, which Eccet already uses
extensively. This may result in a massive slowdown of Eccet.
Use simple, highend office graphics controllers.
The 3D acceleration features of the card are NOT relevant. (no high 3D-performance required) - a suitable external storage solution for archiving For archival purposes, we recommend fast CD or DVD recorders. A typical dataset for a virtual coloscopy will require about 600MB of storage (already compressed). I.e. you need about 1 CD per patient. We thus recommend using DVD recorders.
Reliability
Eccet requires a reliable hardware platform. We thus strongly recommend to do a thorough burn in test on the hardware before using Eccet on it.It is especially recommended to use memtest86 to check for memory problems.
Where to buy
Appropriate hardware should be available through your local hardware dealer.We offer complete packages including software installation.