Hurricane CameraLink Series
Contents
1.2. EG Ban lu 1 L u average i 1121010 109 1 110 of gray EK 21 gt 121208 1 reference bd picture 110 2 0 9 1 1 TE e gray reference offset correction gain correction picture matrix matrix Figure 4 22 Gain Correction OD Gain correction needs always an offset correction matrix so the offset correction has to be performed before the gain correction 4 4 Image Correction 27 4 Functionality How to Obtain a Gray Reference Image In order to improve the image quality the gray reference image must meet certain demands e The gray reference image must be obtained at uniform illumination Use a high quality light source that delivers uniform illumination Standard illu mination will not be appropriate e When looking at the histogram of the gray reference image ideally there are no gray levels at full scale 4095 DN amp 12 bit All pixels that are saturated white will not be properly corrected see Fig e Camera settings such as exposure time LinLog skimming and digital gain may influence the gray level Therefore the camera settings of the gray reference image must be identical with the camera settings of the corrected image Histogram of the uncorrected gray reference image 1 T T T T T T TX T gray reference image ok i VI 208 L gray reference image too bright 1 m J i 3 06 0 5 0 4r 4
3. 250 200 F 150 F 100 F y gray level output value 8 bit DN 50F 0 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 x gray level input value 10 bit DN Figure 4 14 Applying gamma correction to the image Gray level transformation Gamma y 255 1023 x y lt 1 300 T T T T T N a o 200 150 100 y gray level output value 8 bit DN 50 0 1 l 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 x gray level input value 10 bit DN Figure 4 15 Applying gamma correction to the image User defined Look up Table In the User mode the mapping of input to output gray levels can be configured arbitrarily by the user See Section 6 4 4 for more information User LUT y f x 10 bit 8 bit Figure 4 16 Applying gamma correction to the image 4 3 Pixel Response 23 4 Functionality 4 3 5 Test Images Test images are generated in the camera FPGA independent of the image sensor They can be used to check the transmission path from the camera to the frame grabber Independent from the configured gray level resolution every possible gray level appears the same number of times in a test image Therefore the histogram of the received image must be flat A test image is a useful tool to find data transmission errors that are caused most often by a defective cable between camera and frame grabber lt gt Test images give the correct result at full
4. 200 Vi 17 Vi 18 Vi 19 150 EE EEE EEE EEE EE way ae eile ey ge gene a 100 Output gray level 8 bit DN 50 0 l Illumination Intensity Figure 4 6 Response curve for different LinLog settings in LinLog1 mode 18 LinLog2 To get more gray resolution in the LinLog mode the LinLog2 procedure was developed In LinLog2 mode a switching between two different logarithmic compressions occurs during the exposure time see Fig 4 7 The exposure starts with strong compression with a high LinLog voltage Valuel At Timel the LinLog voltage is switched to a lower voltage resulting in a weaker compression This procedure gives a LinLog response curve with more gray resolution Fig 4 8 and Fig 4 9 show how the response curve is controlled by the three parameters Valuel Value2 and the LinLog time Tinel V LinLog Value1 0 Time1 Time2 max t 1000 Figure 4 7 Voltage switching in the Linlog2 mode Typical LinLog2 Response Curve Varying Parameter T1 Time2 1000 Value1 19 Value2 14 300 T T T T T1 840 Ti 920 4 T1 960 2507 200 F T1 980 T1 999 150 100 F ED HERE NE EE EE eka eee eee ae Sa eee aw oe Output gray level 8 bit DN 0 Illumination Intensity Figure 4 8 Response curve for different LinLog settings in LinLog2 mode 4 3 Pixel Response 19 4 Functionality Typical LinLog2 Response Curve Varying Parameter Time1 Time2 1000 Va
5. 5 2 This resistor should be located directly at the signal receiver Vtrigger 5 15 V DC TRIGGER Vstrobe 5 15V DC STROBE_VDD 1k STROBE SIGNAL_GROUND Figure 5 2 Circuit for the trigger input and strobe output signals The maximum sink current of the STROBE pin is 8 mA Do not connect inductive or capacitive loads such loads may result in damage of the optocoupler STROBE_VDD Pull up Resistor 15V gt 3 9 kOhm 10V gt 2 7 kOhm 8V gt 2 2 kOhm 7V gt 1 8 kOhm 5V gt 1 0 kOhm Table 5 1 Pull up resistor for strobe output 36 5 1 4 Status Indicator A dual color LED on the back of the camera gives information about the current status LED Green Green when an image is output At slow frame rates the LED blinks with the FVAL signal At high frame rates the LED changes to an apparently continuous green light with intensity proportional to the ratio of readout time over frame time LED Red Red indicates an active serial communication with the camera Table 5 2 Meaning of the status indicator 5 2 CameraLink Data Interface The CameraLink standard contains signals for transferring the image data control information and the serial communication Data signals CameraLink data signals contain the image data In addition handshaking signals such as FVAL LVAL and DVAL are transmitted over the same physical channel Camera control information Camera control signals CC sign
6. oO 2 02 4 o fr 0 2400 2600 2800 3000 3200 3400 3600 3800 4000 4200 Gray level 12 Bit DN Figure 4 23 Proper gray reference image for gain correction 4 4 4 Corrected Image Offset gain and hot pixel correction can be switched on seperately The following configuration is possible No correction e Offset correction only e Offset and hot pixel correction e _ Hot pixel correction only e Offset and gain correction e Offset gain and hot pixel correction In addition the black reference image and gray reference image that are currently stored in the camera RAM can be output Table 4 1 shows the maximum values of the correction matrices i e the error range that the offset and gain algorithm can correct 28 1 al v 1 l uv 112 1010 09 1 1 0 2 1 1 e 1212081 110 2 l 09 1 Pt le nm current image offset correction gain correction corrected image matrix matrix Figure 4 24 Corrected image minimum maximum Offset correction 508 DN 12 bit 508 DN 12 bit Gain correction 0 42 2 67 Table 4 1 Offset and gain correction ranges 4 5 Reduction of Image Size With Photonfocus cameras there are several possibilities to focus on the interesting parts of an image thus reducing the data rate and increasing the frame rate The most commonly used feature is Region of Interest 4 5 1 Region of Interest So
7. processing time CS When the result of the above equation is negative set RAM refresh time to 0 tint exposure time 10 us 0 41 s tnormal 1125 ns latency trur 50 ns only when LUT enabled tren 425 ns only when correction enabled tskim 2048 clock cycles 51 2 us only when Skim enabled hspace 0 32cm ty pixel clock in ns refer to Table 3 3 Px number of pixels in x direction 9 1024 columns Py number of pixels in y direction 1 1024 rows LP constant line pause 8 cycles for all models CPRE clocks between completed integration and begin of data transfer constant CPRE 57 clock cycles A calculator for calculating the maximum frame rate is available in the support area of the Photonfocus website 30 4 5 2 Multiple Regions of Interest The HURRICANE and THUNDER cameras can handle up to 16 different regions of interest This feature can be used to reduce the image data and increase the frame rate An application example for using multiple regions of interest MROI is a laser triangulation system with several laser lines The multiple ROIs are joined together and form a single image which is transferred to the frame grabber An ROI is defined by its starting value in y direction and its height Every ROI within a MROI must be of the same width The maximum frame rate in MROI mode depends on the number of rows and columns being read out Overlapping ROls are allowed See Section 4 5 1 for information
8. that e the product will substantially conform to the specifications set forth in the applicable documentation published by the manufacturer and accompanying said product and e the product shall be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use The distributor shall not make or pass on to any party any warranty or representation on behalf of the manufacturer other than or inconsistent with the above limited warranty set 8 2 Warranty Claim The above warranty does not apply to any product that has been opened mod A ified or altered by any party other than manufacturer or for any defects caused by any use of the product in a manner for which it was not designed or by the negligence of any party other than manufacturer 63 8 Warranty 64 9 References All referenced documents can be downloaded from our website at www photonfocus com CL CameraLink Specification October 2000 SW002 PFLib Documentation Photonfocus August 2005 AN001 Application Note LinLog Photonfocus December 2002 AN024 Application Note LinLog Principle and Practical Example Photonfocus March 2005 AN007 Application Note Camera Acquisition Modes Photonfocus March 2004 ANO010 Application Note Camera Clock Concepts Photonfocus July 2004 AN021 Application Note CameraLink Photonfocus July 2004 ANO026 Application Note LFSR Test Images Photonfocus September 2005 65 9 References 66 A Pinouts
9. 1 For US and Canada Ensure a UL listed power supply is used A suitable UL listed power supply is available from Photonfocus 7 Connect the power supply to the camera see Fig 2 2 Q The status LED on the rear of the camera will light red for a short moment and then flash green For more information see Section 8 Download the camera software PFRemote to your computer You can find the latest version of PFRemote on the support page at www photonfocus com 9 Install the camera software PFRemote Please follow the instructions of the PFRemote setup wizard N Setup PFRemote_beta 3 Ef xd Welcome to the PFRemote beta Setup Wizard This will install PFRemote 1 0 beta on your computer It is recommended that you close all other applications before continuing Click Next to continue or Cancel to exit Setup Figure 2 3 Screen shot PFremote setup wizard 10 Start the camera software PFRemote and choose the communication port amp PFRemote v1 0 Revision 0 4 beta 10 x File Help El Ports HURRICANE 40 sisol oe Exposure window Trigger Data Output Characteristics Ca SISO r Exposure Exposure time ms _ 10 000 22 15 11 Opening device on po pr 22 15 12 Device opened on pot I Constant Frame Rate Frame time ms 3 421 Information Image Counter 3092 Update R Figure 2 4 PFRemote start windows 11 Check the status LED on the rear of the came
10. A 1 Power Supply The power supply plugs are available from Binder connectors at www binder connector de It is extremely important that you apply the appropriate voltages to your camera Incorrect voltages will damage or destroy the camera SD For US and Canada Ensure a UL listed power supply is used A suitable UL listed power supply is available from Photonfocus Figure A 1 Power connector assembly A 1 1 Power Supply Connector Connector Type Order Nr 7 pole plastic 99 0421 00 07 7 pole metal 99 0421 10 07 Table A 1 Power supply connectors Binder subminiature series 712 67 A Pinouts Figure A 2 Power supply plug 7 pole rear view of plug solder side Pin I O Type Name Description 12 V DC 10 Ground 3 O RESERVED Do not connect STROBE Strobe control opto isolated TRIGGER External trigger opto isolated 5 15V DC GROUND Signal ground for opto isolated strobe signal Table A 2 Power supply plug pin assignment A 2 CameraLink The pinout for the CameraLink 26 pin 0 5 Mini D Ribbon MDR connector is according to the CameraLink standard CL and is listed here for reference only 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Figure A 3 CameraLink cable 3M MDR 26 plug both ends 68 PIN IO Name Description 1 PW SHIELD Shield 2 O N_XDO Nega
11. Figure 6 10 Characteristics panel LinLog Please read Section 4 3 2 for more information about LinLog There are 3 predefined LinLog settings available Alternatively custom settings can be defined in the User defined Mode LinLog Mode Off LinLog is disabled Low Normal High compression Three LinLog presettings User defined Valuel Timel Value2 and Time2 user defined please read the User Manual for amore detailled explanation Skimming For more information see Section Skimming Skimming value If 0 Skimming is disabled Black Level Offset Black Level Offset Black level offset value Use this to adjust the black level of the image at no illumination see Section 4 3 1 54 6 4 6 Correction HURRICANE 40 clO Exposure Window Trigger Data Output Characteristics Correction Info r Correction Mode C Off Offset c c D C Offset Gain c c c Offset Hotpixel Offset Gain Hotpixel Black Reference Image Grey Reference Image m Calibration Offset FPN Hotpixel Gain Correction Correction Produce a black image with Produce a grey image with 160DN lt average lt 400DN 2200DN lt average lt 3600DN 12Bit 12Bit Validation Validation Set Black Ref Set Grey Ref Calculate Correction 3 sec Calculate Save to Flash 55 sec WARNING The factory presets will be deleted Please refer to the manual for more details about the correction
12. Interest 4 6 1 Trigger Source 4 6 2 TriggerMode 2 2 22 22 nun 4 7 Strobe Output 4 2 4 4 CONTENTS CONTENTS re E SL Ger A Sy ee eae ot 34 35 AMAT 35 5 1 1 CameraLink Connector o 35 5 1 2 PowerSupply 35 5 1 3 Trigger and Strobe Signals anoa 36 5 1 4 Status Indicator om 37 EA E A AO AA AI E 37 5 3 Read outTiming ee 38 5 3 1 Standard Read outTiming 222 o nn 38 5 3 2 Constant Frame Rate CFR a 40 AAA AA O Bt sm sk er See Pee ee ee KG 41 5 4 1 Trigger ModesS rv nrk kan 41 5 4 2 Trigger Delayl 42 6 The PFRemote Control Tool 45 ee ee ee eee ee 45 LTE de Spee he r Se SE ace fare Ge deg Se ike 45 6 2 Installation Notes a a 45 6 2 1 DLLDependencies 2 2 run nn 46 6 3 Graphical User Interface GUl non 46 631 Menu pose be ek heel Et EL ni 46 EEE ENE 47 6 3 3 Main Buttons 2 2 mom 47 Ke bek Wo edge be EE eta Stace Benin GE 48 6 4 1 EXP SUrE vara hana eR eR FEE a ne 48 ALE ee NN ee BE 49 AE ae Tara a ann a ee Sense a aaa She ae ere 51 6 44 Data Output s 44 34 ra a eR aa aha 52 6 4 5 Characteristics 220 54 EE EEE EN ds ee ace ce DE ee A 55 6AT IMO nn nn aa aa 57 7 Mechanical and
13. between 160 and 400DN Click again on the Validation button and then on the Set Black Ref Button If only offset and hotpixel Correction is needed it is not necessary to calibrate a gray image In this case leave out the next step Gain Correction and continue with the step Calculate Gain Correction The gain correction is based on a gray reference image which is taken at uniform illumination to give an image with a mid gray level SD Gain correction is not a trivial feature The quality of the gray reference image is crucial for proper gain correction Produce a gray image with an average between 2200 and 3600DN Click on the Validation button to check the average If the average is in range the Set Gray Ref button is active Calculate Calculate the correction values into the camera RAM To make the correction values permanent use the Save to Flash button Save to Flash Save the caculated values to the internal flash memory This will overwrite the 56 factory presets 6 4 7 Info This panel shows camera specific information such as type code serial number and firmware revision of the FPGA and microcontroller HURRICANE 40 clO Figure 6 12 Info panel Typecode Type code of the connected camera Serial Serial number of the connected camera FPGA Revision Firmware revision of built in FPGA of the connected camera uC Revision Firmware revision of built in microcontroller of the connected camera amp g
14. frame grabber configuration CameraLink Port and Bit assignments are compliant to the CameraLink standard see CL Bit Tap 0 8 Bit Tap 0 10 Bit Tap 0 12 Bit 0 LSB AO 1 Al 2 A2 3 A3 4 A4 5 A5 6 A6 7 MSB for 8 Bit Mode A7 8 9 MSB for 10 Bit Mode 10 11 MSB for 12 Bit Mode Table 3 6 CameraLink port and bit assignments for Hurricane series 14 4 Functionality This chapter serves as an overview of the camera configuration modes and explains camera features The goal is to describe what can be done with the camera the setup is explained in later chapters 4 1 Image Acquisition 4 1 1 Free running and Trigger Mode By default the camera continuously delivers images Free running mode exposure read out exposure read out Figure 4 1 Timing in free running mode When the acquisition of an image needs to be synchronised to an external event an external trigger can be used refer to Section 4 6 and Section 5 4 In this mode the camera is idle until it gets a signal to capture an image exposure read out idle exposure external trigger Figure 4 2 Timing in any triggered mode 4 1 2 Exposure Control The exposure time defines the period during which the image sensor integrates the incoming light Refer to Table 3 3 for the allowed exposure time range and see Section 4 1 3 Maximum Frame Rate The maximum frame rate depends on the exposure tim
15. is operated in a dusty environment we recommend the use of a constant stream of clean air at the front of the objective 7 2 2 Cleaning the Sensor The sensor is part of the optical path and should be handled like other optical components with extreme care Dust can obscure pixels producing dark patches in the images captured Dust is most visible when the illumination is collimated Dark patches caused by dust or dirt shift position as the angle of illumination changes Dust is normally not visible when the sensor is positioned at the exit port of an integrating sphere where the illumination is diffuse 1 The camera should only be cleaned in ESD safe areas by ESD trained personnel using wrist straps Ideally the sensor should be cleaned in a clean environment Otherwise in dusty environments the sensor will immediately become dirty again after cleaning 2 Use a high quality low pressure air duster e g Electrolube EAD400D compressed air spray to blow off loose particles This step alone is usually sufficient to clean the sensor of the most common contaminants Workshop air supply is not appropriate and may cause permanent damage to the sensor 3 If further cleaning is required use a suitable lens wiper or Q Tip moistened with an appropriate cleaning fluid to wipe the sensor surface as described below Examples of suitable lens cleaning materials are given in Table 7 1 Cleaning materials must be ESD safe lint free and free fro
16. last row of the image The status line is also available when using an ROI For an ROI with a width lt 24 pixels the status line will be clipped 16 4 3 Pixel Response 4 3 1 Linear Response Normally the camera offers a substantially linear response between input light signal and output gray level This can be modified by the use of LinLog or Skimming as described in the following sections In addition a linear digital gain may be applied as follows Please see Table B 2 for more model dependent information Gain x1 x2 x4 Gain x1 x2 and x4 are digital amplifications which means that the digital image data are multiplied by a factor 1 2 or 4 respectively in the camera Black Level Adjustment The black level is the average image value at no intensity It can be adjusted by the software by changing the black level offset Thus the overall image gets brighter or darker 4 3 2 LinLog Overview The LinLog technology from Photonfocus allows a logarithmic compression of high light intensities In contrast to the classical non integrating logarithmic pixel the LinLog pixel is an integrating pixel with global shutter and the possibility to control the transition between linear and logarithmic mode In situations involving high intrascene contrast a compression of the upper gray level region can be achieved with the LinLog technology At low intensities each pixel shows a linear response At high intensities the response cha
17. resolution only Ramp Depending on the configured gray level resolution the ramp test image outputs a constant pattern with increasing gray level from the left to the right side see Fig Figure 4 17 Ramp test images 8 bit output left 10 bit output middle 12 bit output right LFSR The LFSR linear feedback shift register test image outputs a constant pattern with a pseudo random gray level sequence containing every possible gray level that is repeated for every row In 12 bit mode only a fourth of all possible gray values appear Figure 4 18 LFSR test image In the histogram you can see that the number of pixels of all gray values are the same Please refer to application note AN026 for the calculation and the values of the LFSR test image 24 4 4 Image Correction 4 4 1 Overview The HURRICANE and THUNDER camera series possess image pre processing features that compensate for non uniformities caused by the sensor the lens or the illumination This method of improving the image quality is generally known as Shading Correction or Flat Field Correction and consists of a combination of offset correction gain correction and pixel interpolation SD Since the correction is performed in hardware there is no performance limita tion for high frame rates The offset correction subtracts a configurable positive or negative value from the live image and thus reduces the fixed pattern noise of the CMOS
18. sensor In addition hot pixels can be removed by interpolation The gain correction can be used to flatten uneven illumination or to compensate shading effects of a lens Both offset and gain correction work on a pixel per pixel basis i e every pixel is corrected separately For the correction a black reference and a gray reference image are required Then the correction values are determined automatically in the camera SD Do not set any reference images when gain or LUT is enabled Correction values of both reference images can be saved into the internal flash memory but this overwrites the factory presets The reference images that are delivered by factory cannot be restored with the factory reset 4 4 2 Offset Correction FPN Hot Pixels The offset correction is based on a black reference image which is taken at no illumination e g lens aperture completely closed The black reference image contains the fixed pattern noise of the sensor which can be subtracted from the live images in order to minimise the static noise Offset correction algorithm After configuring the camera with a black reference image the camera is ready to apply the offset correction 1 Determine the average value of the black reference image Subtract the black reference image from the average value Mark pixels that have a gray level bigger than 1008 DN 12 bit as hot pixels Store the result in the camera as the offset correction matrix KE e
19. 00 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 Gray level 12 Bit DN Figure 4 20 Histogram of a proper black reference image for offset correction Hot pixel correction Every pixel that exceeds a certain threshold in the black reference image is marked as a hot pixel If the hot pixel correction is switched on the camera replaces the value of a hot pixel by an average of its neighbour pixels see Fig 4 21 26 vy hot Ph 1 Pr Pn 1 Figure 4 21 Hot pixel interpolation 4 4 3 Gain Correction Prt Par The gain correction is based on a gray reference image which is taken at uniform illumination to give an image with a mid gray level Gain correction is not a trivial feature The quality of the gray reference image is crucial for proper gain correction Gain correction algorithm After configuring the camera with a black and gray reference image the camera is ready to apply the gain correction OY Oo wyp A Determine the average value of the gray reference image Subtract the offset correction matrix from the gray reference image Divide the average value by the offset corrected gray reference image Pixels that have a gray level bigger than a certain threshold are marked as hot pixels Store the result in the camera as the gain correction matrix During image acquisition multiply the gain correction matrix from the offset corrected acquired image and interpolate the hot pixels see Section 4 4 2
20. Counter width 8 bit no wrap around Average image value The average image value gives the average of an image in 12 bit format 0 4095 DN regardless of the currently used gray level resolution 4 2 2 Status Line If enabled the status line replaces the last row of the image with image information It contains the properties described above and additional information Preamble The first parameter contains a constant value of 0x55AA00FF as a preamble in order to recognise the status line easily by the image processing system Image counter See Section 4 2 1 Time counter The time counter starts at 0 after camera start and counts real time in units of 1 micro second The time counter can be reset by the software in the SDK Counter width 32 bit Missed trigger counter See Section 4 2 1 Average image value See Section 4 2 1 Exposure cycles The exposure cycles parameter outputs the current exposure time in units of clock cycles see Table 3 3 Every parameter is coded into 4 pixels LSB first and uses the lower 8 bits of the pixel value so that the total size of a parameter is 32 bit The remaining pixels 24 1024 are set to 0 LSB MSB Pixel 00 1 12 18 4 15 16 17 8 G 90 014 11720138 094 115 116 17 178119 2021 122 123 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I j j I Parameter Preamble Missed Trigger Image Average Name 0x55AA00FF Image Counter Time Counter Counter Value Exposure Cycles Figure 4 3 Status line parameters replace the
21. Optical Considerations 59 7 1 Mechanical Interface a 59 rdp Ge ek Ge rare eee Gees Se Ge ES 60 7 2 1 Mounting the Lens nun 60 7 2 2 Cleaning the Sensor 2 2 rv vr 60 7 3 Compliance a 62 8 Warranty 63 8 1 Warranty Terms sau 2 0 2 00200 i aE e s A a ae eek 63 ES AN 63 9 References 65 67 67 67 68 B Revision History 71 Preface 1 1 About Photonfocus The Swiss company Photonfocus is one of the leading specialists in the development of CMOS image sensors and corresponding industrial cameras for machine vision security amp surveillance and automotive markets Photonfocus is dedicated to making the latest generation of CMOS technology commercially available Active Pixel Sensor APS and global shutter technologies enable high speed and high dynamic range 120 dB applications while avoiding disadvantages like image lag blooming and smear Photonfocus has proven that the image quality of modern CMOS sensors is now appropriate for demanding applications Photonfocus product range is complemented by custom design solutions in the area of camera electronics and CMOS image sensors Photonfocus is ISO 9001 certified All products are produced with the latest techniques in order to ensure the highest degree of quality 1 2 Contact Photonfocus AG Bahnhofplatz 10 CH 8853 Lachen SZ Switzerland Phone 41 55 451 01 31 Email sales photonfocus com Support Pho
22. The PFRemote setup wizard will ask you to choose your frame grabber You will then have to copy the necessary files from your frame grabber installation to the PFRemote directory If your CameraLink compatible frame grabber is not listed in the setup wizard please do the following e During PFRemote installation choose Other CameraLink compliant Grabber when asked about the frame grabber e After the installation locate a CLSER DLL in your frame grabber s software distribution matches any vendor specific extension This file is usually located in your windows system32 directory or in the installation directory of the frame grabber software e Copy the CLSER DLL into the PFRemote installation directory usually C Program Files PFRemote and rename it to CLSER DLL e Start PFRemote The port names c10 and c11 are displayed 45 6 The PFRemote Control Tool 6 2 1 DLL Dependencies Several DLLs are necessary in order to be able to communicate with the cameras e MVXXXXE DLL Specific camera DLL e g HURRICANE DLL e PFCAM DLL DLL handling camera detection and switching to specific camera DLL CLSER DLL DLL for serial communication This is a DLL which is delivered with your frame grabber software e COMDLL DLL Communication DLL This COMDLL is not necessarily CameraLink specific but may depend on a CameraLink API compatible DLL which should also be provided by your frame grabber manufacturer as described
23. above More information about these DLLs is available in the SDK documentation SW002 6 3 Graphical User Interface GUI PFRemote consists of a main window Fig and a configuration dialog In the main window the camera port can be opened or closed and log messages are displayed The configuration dialog appears as soon as a camera port was opened successfully and can be used to configure the camera properties The following sections describe the general structure of PFRemote 6 3 1 Menu 10 x PFRemote v1 0 Revision 0 2_beta File Help El Ports cl cll Figure 6 2 PFRemote main window In the PFRemote main window there are two menus with the following entries available File Menu Clear Log Clears the log file buffer see more below Quit Leave the program Help Menu About Copyright notice and version information Help F1 Invoke the online help 46 6 3 2 Ports Device initialization After starting PFRemote the main window as shown in Fig 6 2 will appear In the PortBrowser in the upper left corner you will see a list of supported ports amp gt Depending on the configuration your port names may differ and not every port may be functional After connecting the camera the device can be opened with a double click on the port name or by right clicking on the port name and choosing Open amp Configure If the initialisation of the camera was successful the configuration dialog will open T
24. adout Min Region of Interest ROI Grayscale Resolution 1 row x 9 columns 12 bit 10 bit 8 bit Digital Gain X1 x2 x4 Exposure Time 10 us 0 41 s Table 3 2 General specification of the HURRICANE series HURRICANE 40 Exposure Time Increment 25 ns Frame Rate Tin 10 us 37 fps Pixel Clock Frequency 40 MHz Pixel Clock Cycle 25 ns Camera Taps 1 Table 3 3 Model specific parameters 12 HURRICANE 40 Table 3 4 Physical characteristics and operating ranges Operating temperature 0 C 60 C Camera power supply 12V DC 10 Trigger signal input range 5 15V DC Strobe signal power supply 5 15V DC Strobe signal sink current average max 8mA Max power consumption 1 6 W Lens mount C or CS Mount Dimensions 55 x 55 x 39 mm Mass 200 9 Conformity CE UL Quantum Efficiency 80 70 60 H 50 F QE Electrons Photon QE Pixel incl Fill factor QE Diode 300 400 500 600 700 Wavelength nm Figure 3 1 Spectral response 3 3 Technical Specification 800 900 1000 1100 13 3 Product Specification 3 4 Frame Grabber relevant Configuration Pixel Clock per Tap Number of Taps HURRICANE 40 40 MHz 1 Grayscale resolution 12 bit 10 bit 8 bit CC1 EXSYNC CC2 not used cc3 not used CC4 not used Table 3 5 Summary of parameters needed for
25. al gt Note To enable set Dutput Mode to LUT Settings file Resolution e Bit y Mode Gan Gamma Digital Gain 1x Gain Function Gamma Function Factory Reset y 255 1023 value x y 255 1023 value x value Frame Rate fps value 1 4 value 0 4 4 27 45 value fi 000000 Load LUT from File Load File Save LUT into File Save File Figure 6 8 Data output panel Output Mode Output Mode Normal Normal mode LFSR Test image Linear feedback shift register pseudo random image The pattern depends on the gray level resolution see Section 4 3 5 Ramp Test image Values of pixel are incremented by 1 starting at each row The pattern depends on the gray level resolution see Section 4 3 5 52 LUT Look Up Table a 10 to 8 bit mapping of gray levels Resolution 8 Bit Gray level resolution of 8 bit 10 Bit Gray level resolution of 10 bit 12 Bit Gray level resolution of 12 bit Digital Gain 1x No digital gain normal mode 2x Digital gain 2 4x Digital gain 4 Look Up Table Gray level transformation is remapping of the gray level values of an input image to new values which transform the image in some way The look up table LUT is used to convert the grayscale value of each pixel in an image into another gray value It is typically used to implement a transfer curve for contrast expansion The HURRICANE camera perform a 10 t
26. als can be defined by the camera manufacturer to provide certain signals to the camera There are 4 CC signals available and all are unidirectional with data flowing from the frame grabber to the camera For example the external trigger is provided by a CC signal see Table 5 3 for the CC assignment CC1 EXSYNC External Trigger May be generated either by the frame grabber itself software trigger or by en external event hardware trigger CC2 CTRLO CC3 CTRLI CC4 CTRL2 Control0 This signal is reserved for future purposes and is not used Control1 This signal is reserved for future purposes and is not used Control2 This signal is reserved for future purposes and is not used Table 5 3 Summary of the Camera Control CC signals as used by Photonfocus Pixel clock The pixel clock is generated on the camera and is provided to the frame grabber for synchronisation Serial communication A CameraLink camera can be controlled by the user via an RS232 compatible asynchronous serial interface This interface is contained within the CameraLink interface and is physically not directly accessible Refer to Section 4 8 for more information The frame grabber needs to be configured with the proper tap and resolution settings otherwise the image will be distorted or not displayed with the correct aspect ratio Refer to Section 3 4 for a summarised table of frame grabber relevant specifications Fig 5 3 sh
27. atures in PFRemote of the camera The sections are grouped according to the panel tabs in the configuration dialog Update Average Value Update Frame Rate fps Figure 6 4 HURRICANE 40 frame rate and average value Frame Rate fps Show the actual frame rate of the camera in frames per second Update To update the value of the frame rate click on this button Average Value Grayscale average of the actual images This value is in 12bit 0 4095 Update To update the value of the average click on this button 6 4 1 Exposure HURRICANE 40 clO xj Reset Store as defaults Settings file ul Factory Reset m Frame Rate fps Exposure window Trigger Data Output Characteristics Correction Info r Exposure Exposure time ms 10 000 I Constant Frame Rate Frame time ms m Information Image Counter fo Update Reset Missed Trigger Counter jo Update i I Status Line r Average Value fi 356 Update Figure 6 5 Exposure panel This panel contains exposure and information settings Exposure time Configure the exposure time in milliseconds Constant Frame Rate When the Constant Frame Rate is switched on the frame rate number of frames per second can be varied from almost 0 up to the maximum frame rate Thus 48 fewer images can be acquired than would otherwise be possible When Constant Frame Rate i
28. ctive high or active low One of the following trigger sources can be used Interface Trigger In the interface trigger mode the trigger signal is applied to the camera by the CameraLink frame grabber or the USB interface if available respectively I O Trigger In the I O trigger mode the trigger signal is applied directly to the camera by the power supply connector 32 Interface Trigger DATA gt Any Trigger Source Any Trigger y HO Trigger Source Figure 4 28 Trigger Inputs 4 6 2 Trigger Mode Depending on the trigger mode the exposure time can be determined either by the camera or by the trigger signal itself Camera controlled Exposure In this trigger mode the exposure time is defined by the camera For an active high trigger signal the camera starts the exposure with a positive trigger edge and stops it when the preprogrammed exposure time has elapsed The exposure time is defined by the software Level controlled Exposure In this trigger mode the exposure time is defined by the pulse width of the trigger pulse For an active high trigger signal the camera starts the exposure with the positive edge of the trigger signal and stops it with the negative edge Figure gives an overview over the available trigger modes The signal ExSync stands for the trigger signal which is provided either through the interface or the I O trigger For more Polarity Active High Polarity Active Low Exposure S
29. date r Average Value fi 356 Update Figure 6 6 Window panel Region of Interest Region of interest The region of interest ROI see Section is defined as a rectangle X Y W H where X X coordinate starting from 0 in the upper left corner 6 4 Usage 49 6 The PFRemote Control Tool Y Y coordinate starting from 0 in the upper left corner W Window width H Window height Set to max ROI Set Window to maximal ROI X 0 Y 0 W 1024 H 1024 Decimation Decimation Decimation reduces the number of pixels in x or y direction or both Decimation can also be used together with a ROI or MROI Decimation in y direction transfers every n th row only and directly results in reduced read out time and higher frame rate respectively Decimation in x direction transfers every pixel of a row but uses the CameraLink DVAL data valid signal to indicate which pixels to mask see Section 4 5 3 Therefore it can not be used to increase the frame rate Please consult the documentation of your frame grabber on how to configure the frame grabber such that it interpretes the DVAL signal Enable X Enable decimation in x direction Enable Y Enable decimation in y direction Value Decimation factor Example Value 4 reads every fourth row and fourth column respectively only Multi ROI MROI The camera can handle up to 16 different regions of interest see Section 4 5 2 The multiple ROls are joined together and fo
30. e respectively I O Trigger The trigger signal is applied directly at the camera on the power supply connector Exposure time defined by Camera The exposure time is defined by the value of the exposure time camera register Exposure time defined by Trigger Pulse Width The exposure time is defined by the pulse width of the trigger signal Level controlled exposure se This property disables LinLog Trigger Delay Programmable delay in milliseconds between the incoming trigger edge and the start of the exposure Trigger signal active low Define the trigger signal to be active high default or active low For more information about the trigger refer to Section 4 6 6 4 Usage 51 6 The PFRemote Control Tool Strobe The camera generates a strobe output signal that can be used to trigger a strobe see Section The delay pulse width and polarity can be defined by software Strobe Delay Delay in milliseconds from the input trigger edge to the rising edge of the strobe output signal Strobe Pulse Width The pulse width of the strobe trigger in milliseconds Strobe signal active low Define the strobe output to be active high default or active low CS To turn off strobe output set strobe pulse width to 0 6 4 4 Data Output HURRICANE 40 clO xi Exposure window Trigger Data Output Characteristics Correction Info Reset Output Mode r Look Up T able LUT mapping 10 to 8 Bit Store as defaults Output Mode Norm
31. e and the size of the image see Region of Interest Section 4 5 1 4 1 4 Constant Frame Rate CFR When the CFR mode is switched on the frame rate number of frames per second can be varied from almost 0 up to the maximum frame rate Thus fewer images can be acquired than would otherwise be possible When Constant Frame Rate is switched off the camera delivers images as fast as possible depending on the exposure time and the read out time See Section 5 3 2 for more information Constant Frame Rate mode CFR mode is not available together with external trigger mode 15 4 Functionality 4 2 Image Information There are camera properties available that give information about the acquired images such as an image counter average image value and the number of missed trigger signals These properties can be queried by software Alternatively a status line within the image data can be switched on that contains all the available image information properties 4 2 1 Counters and Average Value Image counter The image counter provides a sequential number of every image that is output After camera startup the counter counts up from 0 counter width 24 bit The counter can be reset by the software Missed trigger counter The missed trigger counter counts trigger pulses that were ignored by the camera because they occurred within the exposure or read out time of an image In free running mode it counts all incoming external triggers
32. e as During image acquisition subtract the correction matrix from the acquired image and interpolate the hot pixels see Section 4 4 2 4 4 Image Correction 25 4 Functionality ER ea Hat me nd 2 4 ala Zar picture alol gr ie black reference offset correction image matrix Figure 4 19 Offset correction How to Obtain a Black Reference Image In order to improve the image quality the black reference image must meet certain demands e The black reference image must be obtained at no illumination e g with lens aperture closed or closed lens opening e It may be necessary to adjust the black level offset of the camera In histogram of the black reference image ideally there are no gray levels at value 0 DN after adjustment of the black level offset All pixels that are saturated black 0 DN will not be properly corrected see Fig 4 20 The peak in the histogram should be well below the hotpixel threshold of 1008 DN 12 bit e Camera settings such as exposure time LinLog skimming and digital gain may influence the gray level Therefore for best results the camera settings of the black reference image must be identical with the camera settings of the corrected image Histogram of the uncorrected black reference image 1 x T T kro black level offset ok Pra o black level offset too low I Relative number of pixels 0 2
33. es the active integration phase of the sensor and is shown for clarity only PCLK EXSYNC Frame Time SHUTTER Exposure Time FVAL u l CPRE Linepause Linepause Linepause LVAL hp Da RER ES qa re Alle A L First Line Last Line DVAL Figure 5 8 Trigger timing diagramm for level controlled exposure 5 4 2 Trigger Delay The total delay between the trigger edge and the camera exposure consists of the delay in the frame grabber and the camera Fig 5 9 Usually the delay in the frame grabber is relatively large to avoid accidental triggers caused by voltage spikes see Fig 5 10 The trigger can also be delayed by the Trigger Delay Register in the camera For further information refer to Section 6 4 3 For the delay in the frame grabber please ask your frame grabber manufacturer The camera delay consists of a constant trigger delay and a variable delay jitter Refer to Table 5 5 for the model specific values Camera Model Camera Trigger Delay constant Max Camera Trigger Jitter HURRICANE 40 THUNDER 90 150 ns 25 ns Table 5 5 Maximum camera trigger delay 42 Camera CameraLink Frame Grabber Interface Trigger Trigger Source I O Trigger Trigger Source O Trigger I O Control I O Board Figure 5 9 Trigger Delay visualisation from the trigger source to the camera ta FG TRIGGER Trigger source EXSYNC Frame grabber
34. figurable by software For an active high trigger signal the image acquisition begins with the rising edge of the trigger signal The image is read out after the pre configured exposure time After the readout the sensor returns to the reset state and the camera waits for a new trigger pulse see Fig 5 7 The data is output on the rising edge of the pixel clock the handshaking signals FRAME_VALID FVAL and LINE_VALID LVAL mask valid image information The signal SHUTTER in Fig 5 7 indicates the active integration phase of the sensor and is shown for clarity only EXSYNC Frame Time SHUTTER l Exposure Time FVAL 1 7 A HH m CPRE Linepause Linepause Linepause LVAL FR ALI ITJ TITT First Line Last Line DVAL Figure 5 7 Trigger timing diagram for camera controlled exposure 5 4 Trigger 41 5 Hardware Interface Level controlled Exposure In the level controlled trigger mode the exposure is defined by the pulse width of the trigger signal For an active high trigger signal the image acquisition begins with the rising edge and stops with the falling edge of the trigger signal Then the image is read out After that the sensor returns to the reset state and the camera waits for a new trigger pulse see Fig 5 8 The data is output on the rising edge of the pixel clock the handshaking signals FRAME_VALID FVAL and LINE_VALID LVAL mask valid image information The signal SHUTTER in Fig 5 8 indicat
35. he device is closed when PFRemote is closed Alternatively e g when connecting another camera or evaluation kit the device can also be closed explicitely by right clicking on the port name and choosing Close make sure that the configuration dialog is closed prior to closing the port Errors warnings or other important activities are logged in a log window on the bottom of the main window If the device does not open check the following Is the power LED active Do you get an image in the display software e Verify all cable connections Check the communication LED do you see some activity when you try to access the camera 6 3 3 Main Buttons The buttons on the right side of the configuration dialog store and reset the camera configuration BE xl Reset Store as defaults Settings file 5 ul Factory Reset Figure 6 3 Main buttons Reset Reset the camera and load the default configuration Store as defaults Store the current configuration in the camera flash memory as default configuration After a reset the camera will load this configuration by default Settings file File Load Load a stored configuration from a file Settings file File Save Save current configuration to a file Factory Reset Reset camera and reset the configuration to the factory defaults 6 3 Graphical User Interface GUI 47 6 The PFRemote Control Tool 6 4 Usage The following sections describe the available fe
36. he frame time has elapsed see VBlank in Fig 5 5 a b c Exposure time Read out time Exposure time Read out time Frame time Frame time Exposure Read out time Exposure Read out time time time VBlank VBlank L i Frame time 1 Frame time Exposure Read out time Exposure Read out time ti ti Frame time Frame time Figure 5 5 Constant Frame Rate ON On the other hand if constant frame rate is switched off the camera outputs images with maximum speed depending on the exposure time and the read out time The frame rate depends directly on the exposure time b c Exposure time Read out time Exposure time Read out time HE O I 7 Frame time y Frame time Exposure Read out time Exposure Read out time time time gt gt gt Frame time Frame time Exposure Read out time Exposure Read out time time time L Frame time i Frame time 1 Figure 5 6 Constant Frame Rate OFF Constant Frame Rate mode CFR mode is not available together with external trigger mode 40 5 4 Trigger 5 4 1 Trigger Modes The following sections show the timing diagram for the trigger modes The signal ExSync denotes the trigger signal that is provided either by the interface trigger or the I O trigger see Section 4 6 The other signals are explained in Table b 4 Camera controlled Exposure In the camera controlled trigger mode the exposure is defined by the camera and is con
37. k on CameraLink interface SHUTTER Internal signal shown only for clarity Is high during the exposure time during which the pixels integrate the incoming light and the image is acquired FVAL Frame Valid LVAL Line Valid Is high while the data of one whole frame are transferred Is high while the data of one line are transferred Example To transfer an image with 640x480 pixels there are 480 LVAL within one FVAL active high period One LVAL lasts 640 pixel clock cycles DVAL Data Valid DATA Is high while data are valid Transferred pixel values Example For a 100x100 pixel image there are 100 values transferred within one LVAL active high period or 100 100 values within one FVAL period Line pause Delay before the first line and after every following line when reading out the image data Table 5 4 Explanation of control and data signals used in the timing diagram These terms will be used also in the timing diagrams of Section 5 4 5 3 Read out Timing 39 5 Hardware Interface 5 3 2 Constant Frame Rate CFR When the camera is in constant frame rate mode not possible together with external trigger the frame rate can be varied from almost 0 up to the maximum frame rate Thus fewer images can be acquired than determined by the frame time If the exposure and read out time are smaller than the configured frame time the camera waits in an idle mode until t
38. lue1 19 Value2 18 200 T T T T 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 Output gray level 8 bit DN 40 20 0 i Illumination Intensity Figure 4 9 Response curve for different LinLog settings in LinLog2 mode LinLog3 To enable more flexibility the LinLog3 mode with 4 parameters was introduced Fig 4 10 shows the timing diagram for the LinLog3 mode and the control parameters V LinLog Value1 Value2 Y Value3 Constant 0 Time1 Time2 tap Figure 4 10 Voltage switching in the Linlog3 mode 20 Typical LinLog3 Response Curve Varying Parameter Time2 Time1 850 Value1 19 Value2 18 300 T T T 250 J 200 150 F 100 F Output gray level 8 bit DN 50 Illumination Intensity Figure 4 11 Response curve for different LinLog settings in LinLog3 mode 4 3 3 Skimming Skimming is a Photonfocus proprietary technology to enhance detail in dark areas of an image Skimming provides an adjustable level of in pixel gain for low signal levels It can be used together with LinLog to give a smooth monotonic transfer function from high gain at low levels through normal linear operation to logarithmic compression for high signal levels see Fig 4 12 The resulting response is similar to a gamma correction Gray Value 100 0 Skimming Light Intensity Figure 4 12 Response Curve for different skim settings 4 3 Pixel Re
39. m particles that may scratch the sensor surface Do not use ordinary cotton buds These do not fulfil the above requirements and permanent damage to the sensor may result 4 Wipe the sensor carefully and slowly First remove coarse particles and dirt from the sensor using Q Tips soaked in 2 propanol applying as little pressure as possible Using a method similar to that used for cleaning optical surfaces clean the sensor by starting at any corner of the sensor and working towards the opposite corner Finally repeat the procedure with methanol to remove streaks It is imperative that no pressure be applied to the surface of the sensor or to the black globe top material if present surrounding the optically active surface during the cleaning process 60 Product Supplier Remark Anticon Gold 9 x 9 Milliken ESD safe and suitable for class 100 environments TX4025 Texwipe Transplex Texwipe Small Q Tips SWABS Q tips Hans J Michael GmbH BB 003 Germany Large Q Tips SWABS Q tips Hans J Michael GmbH CA 003 Germany Point Slim HUBY 340 Q tips Sharp Methanol Fluid Johnson Matthey GmbH Semiconductor Grade Germany 99 9 min Assay Merk 12 6024 UN1230 slightly flammable and poisonous 2 Propanol Iso Propanol Fluid Johnson Matthey GmbH Semiconductor Grade Germany 99 5 min Assay Merk 12 5227 UN1219 slightly flammable Table 7 1 Recommended materials for sensor cleaning Fo
40. me applications do not need full image resolution e g 1024x1024 pixels By reducing the image size to a certain region of interest ROI the frame rate can be drastically increased A region of interest can be almost any rectangular window and is specified by its position within the full frame and its width and height Fig 4 25 gives some possible configurations for a region of interest and Table 4 2 shows some numerical examples of how the frame rate can be increased by reducing the ROI amp Both reductions in x and y direction result in a higher frame rate a b c d Figure 4 25 ROI configuration examples 4 5 Reduction of Image Size 29 4 Functionality ROI Dimension HURRICANE 40 1024 x 1024 37 fps 512 x 512 149 fps 256 x 256 586 fps 128 x 128 2230 fps 128 x 16 14 789 fps 1024 x 1 25 940 fps Table 4 2 Example Frame rate increase for the HURRICANE when using a reduced region of interest exposure time 10 us correction LUT and skimming off Calculation of the maximum frame rate The frame rate depends on the exposure time frame pause ROI and image correction Frame time 1 frame rate Frame time exposure time read out time processing time RAM refresh time Read out time ty P P LP LP CPRE Processing time tnormal tLUT tren tskim RAM refresh time TE read out time 1375 ps exposure time
41. meras to different frame grabbers the CameraLink standard defines a software API It defines how the functions to initialise read from write to and close the serial interface should look The code behind these functions is frame grabber specific and is written by the frame grabber manufacturer The functions are then compiled into a DLL called clserXXX d11 where XXX is a unique identifier for the frame grabber manufacturer The PFRemote camera configuration tool as well as the PFLib API use the serial interface to communicate with the camera and to control its functions The serial interface is accessed via the clserXXX d11 Therefore the appropriate clserXXX d11 for the frame grabber manufacturer needs to be in the same directory as the PFRemote executable e g C Program Files Photonfocus PFRemote This DLL is usually located in the windows system32 directory after installing the frame grabber driver The serial configuration parameters are defined in the CameraLink standard and are as follows 9600 baud 1 start bit 1 stop bit no parity no handshaking 34 Hardware Interface 5 1 Connectors 5 1 1 CameraLink Connector The CameraLink cameras are interfaced to external components via e aCameraLink connector which is defined by the CameraLink standard as a 26 pin 0 5 Mini D Ribbon MDR connector to transmit configuration image data and trigger e _ asubminiature connector for the power supply 7 pin Binder series 712 The co
42. modes Figure 6 11 Correction panel Correction Mode For more information about the image correction see Section 4 4 Off No correction Offset Activate offset correction Offset Hotpixel Activate offset and hot pixel correction Hotpixel Activate hot pixel correction Offset Gain Activate offset and gain correction Offset Gain Hotpixel Activate offset gain and hot pixel correction Reset Store as defaults Settings file Factory Reset m Frame Rate fps 27 45 Update r Average Value Update xl Black Reference Image Output the black refernece image that is currently stored in the camera RAM for debug purpose Gray Reference Image Output the gray reference image that is currently stored in the camera RAM for debug purpose 6 4 Usage 55 6 The PFRemote Control Tool Calibration Offset FPN Hotpixel Correction The offset correction is based on a black reference image which is taken at no illumination e g lens aperture completely closed The black reference image contains the fixed pattern noise of the sensor which can be subtracted from the live images in order to minimize the static noise Close the lens of the camera Click on the Validation button If the Set Black Ref button is still inactive the average of the image is out of range Change to panel Characteristics and change the Property BlackLevel0ffset until the average of the image is
43. ne 41 55 451 01 37 Email support photonfocus com Table 1 1 Photonfocus Contact 1 3 Sales Offices Photonfocus products are available through an extensive international distribution network details of the distributor nearest you can be found at 1 4 Further information For further information on the products documentation and software updates please see our web site www photonfocus com or contact our distributors Photonfocus reserves the right to make changes to its products and documenta Ce tion without notice Photonfocus products are neither intended nor certified for use in life support systems or in other critical systems The use of Photonfocus products in such applications is prohibited Photonfocus and LinLog are trademarks of Photonfocus AG CameraLink is a CE registered mark of the Automated Imaging Association Product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective com panies 1 Preface amp gt Reproduction of this manual in whole or in part by any means is prohibited without prior permission having been obtained from Photonfocus AG amp gt Photonfocus can not be held responsible for any technical or typographical er rors 2 How to get started 1 Install a suitable frame grabber in your PC To find a compliant frame grabber please see the frame grabber compatibility list at www photonfocus com For US and Canada Ensure the device downstream of
44. nges to logarithmic compression see Fig 4 4 The transition region between linear and logarithmic response can be smoothly adjusted by software and is continuously differentiable and monotonic Gray Value 100 Linear Weak compression Response Resulting Linlog Response 0 Value2 Light Intensity Figure 4 4 Resulting LinLog2 response curve 4 3 Pixel Response 17 4 Functionality LinLog is controlled by up to 4 parameters Timel Time2 Valuel and Value2 Valuel and Value2 correspond to the LinLog voltage that is applied to the sensor The higher the parameters Valuel and Value2 respectively the stronger the compression for the high light intensities Timel and Time2 are normalised to the exposure time They can be set to a maximum value of 1000 which corresponds to the exposure time Examples in the following sections illustrate the LinLog feature LinLog1 In the simplest way the pixels are operated with a constant LinLog voltage which defines the knee point of the transition This procedure has the drawback that the linear response curve goes directly to a logarithmic curve leading to a poor gray resolution in the logarithmic region see Fig 4 6 V LinLog i JE Value1 Value2 0 Time1 Time2 max t 1000 Figure 4 5 Constant LinLog voltage in the Linlog1 mode Typical LinLogi Response Curve Varying Parameter Value1 Time1 1000 Time2 1000 Value2 Value1 300 T T 250 Vi 15 J Vi 16
45. nnectors are located on the back of the camera Fig 5 1 shows the plugs and the status LED which indicates camera operation Power Supply Connector Status LED Figure 5 1 Rear view of the CameraLink camera The CameraLink interface and connector are specified in CL For further details including the pinout please refer to Appendix A This connector is used to transmit configuration image data and trigger signals 5 1 2 Power Supply The camera requires a single voltage input see Table 3 4 The camera meets all performance specifications using standard switching power supplies although well regulated linear power supplies provide optimum performance It is extremely important that you apply the appropriate voltages to your camera Incorrect voltages will damage the camera For US and Canada Ensure a UL listed power supply is used A suitable UL listed power supply is available from Photonfocus For further details including the pinout please refer to Appendix A 35 5 Hardware Interface 5 1 3 Trigger and Strobe Signals The power connector contains an external trigger input and a strobe output The input voltage to the TRIGGER pin must not exceed 15V DC to avoid damage to the optocoupler In order to use the strobe the optocoupler must be powered with 5 15 V DC The STROBE signal is an open collector output therefore the user must connect a pull up resistor see Table to STROBE_VDD 5 15 V DC as shown in Fig
46. o 8 bit mapping so that 1024 input gray levels can be mapped to 256 output gray levels 0 to 1023 and 0 to 255 The default LUT is a gain function with value 1 LUT Mode Gain Linear function Y 255 1023 value X Valid range for value 1 4 Gamma Gamma function Y 255 10234value X X value Valid range for value 0 4 4 value Enter a value the LUT will be calculated and downloaded to the camera User LUT Load File Load a user defined LUT file txt tab delimited There is an example in the PFRemote directory hurricane40_lut txt It is also possible to load a user LUT file with missing input values LUT addresses Then only pixel values corresponding to listed LUT entries will be overwritten Example of a user defined LUT file 9 hurricane40_lut tat Notepad A ed File Edit Format View Help 0 0 0 1 1 1 t 2 2 2 2 30 3 Figure 6 9 Example of a user defined LUT file 6 4 Usage 53 6 The PFRemote Control Tool 6 4 5 Characteristics HURRICANE 40 clO xj Reset Exposure Window Trigger Data Output Characteristics Correction Info LinLog Store as defaults LinLog mode Off y 19 Low compression a Yael Normal compression gt E A ul Value2 17 User defined z Factory Reset r Skimming m Frame Rate fps jo E 27 45 Black Level Offset Sic 3256 and Average Value fi 356 Update
47. on the calculation of the maximum frame rate x Ww Figure 4 26 Example Multiple Regions of Interest with 5 ROIs 4 5 Reduction of Image Size 31 4 Functionality 4 5 3 Decimation Decimation reduces the number of pixels in x and y direction Decimation can also be used together with ROI or MROI Decimation in y direction transfers every n row only and directly results in reduced read out time and higher frame rate respectively Decimation in x direction transfers every pixel of a row but uses the CameraLink DVAL data valid signal to indicate which pixels to mask see 4 27 Therefore it cannot be used to increase the frame rate PCLK FVAL LVAL DATA v Data is valid Decimation x direction nv Data is not valid Figure 4 27 Decimation in x direction uses the CameraLink DVAL signal Please consult the documentation of your frame grabber on how to configure the frame grabber such that it interprets the DVAL signal 4 6 External Trigger An external trigger is an event that starts an exposure The trigger signal is either generated on the frame grabber soft trigger or comes from an external device such as a light barrier If a trigger signal is applied to the camera during the exposure or read out time the trigger will be ignored The camera property missed trigger counter stores the number of trigger events which where ignored 4 6 1 Trigger Source The trigger signal can be configured to be a
48. ows symbolically a 1 tap system For more information about taps refer to AN021 on the photonfocus website 5 2 CameraLink Data Interface 37 5 Hardware Interface Image data FVAL LVAL DVAL Pixel Clock CameraLink CC Signals CameraLink Serial Interface Figure 5 3 1 tap CameraLink system 5 3 Read out Timing 5 3 1 Standard Read out Timing By default the camera is in free running mode and delivers images without any external control signals The sensor is always operated in non interleaved mode which means that the sensor is read out after the preset exposure time Then the sensor is reset a new exposure starts and the readout of the image information begins again The data is output on the rising edge of the pixel clock The signals FRAME VALID FVAL and LINE VALID LVAL mask valid image information The signal SHUTTER indicates the active integration phase of the sensor and is shown for clarity only Fig 5 4 visualises the timing behaviour of the control and data signals Frame Time SHUTTER l Exposure Time FVAL u u l _ CPRE Linepause Linepause Linepause L First Line Last Line DVAL Figure 5 4 Timing diagram frame read out 38 Frame time Exposure time Maximum frame time is defined as exposure time plus data read out time Period during which the pixels are integrating the incoming light PCLK Pixel cloc
49. photon focus User Manual HURRICANE CameraLink Series CMOS Area Scan Cameras ay oem re if MANO21 10 2005 V1 1 All information provided in this manual is believed to be accurate and reliable No responsibility is assumed by Photonfocus AG for its use Photonfocus AG reserves the right to make changes to this information without notice Reproduction of this manual in whole or in part by any means is prohibited without prior permission having been obtained from Photonfocus AG Contents 1 1 About Photonfocusl aoaaa ea 12 Contacte n tee bale Dee Oh Ke ee do 13 Sales Offices oa Sak b s a BG Fa dae Bea slede Fuad se HEGE kt Gt LE GE ee Goi Fre krona weal Alok test 2 How to get started 3 Product Specification 3 1 Introductionl 222 222mm re DE ee Functionality 4 1 Image Acquisition 4 1 1 Free running and Trigger Mode 4 1 2 Exposure Control o ee a EEE EE ENG Image Information 4 2 1 Counters and Average Value 42 2 Status LING 2 04 44 sa ee P GE GA G aka AEG GA bk GE EG 4 3 Pixel Response l n nn 4 3 1 Linear Response svake ser as d akse een ae 4 3 2 LinLog 4 3 3 Skimming 4 3 4 Gray Level Transformation LUT 4 3 5 Test Images Image Correction 4 4 2 Offset Correction FPN Hot Pixels lt lt A ek Sod Soe is a a AAA 4 4 4 Corrected Image 4 5 1 Region of Interest 4 5 2 Multiple Regions of
50. r cleaning the sensor Photonfocus recommends the products available from the suppliers as listed in Table 7 1 7 2 Optical Interface 61 7 Mechanical and Optical Considerations 7 3 Compliance CE Compliance Statement We Photonfocus AG 8853 Lachen Switzerland declare under our sole responsibility that the following products MV D1024 28 CL 10 MV D1024 80 CL 8 MV D1024 160 CL 8 MV D1024x128 28 CL 10 MV D1024x128 80 CL 8 MV D1024x128 160 CL 8 MV D752 28 CL 10 MV D752 80 CL 8 MV D752 160 CL 8 MV D640 33 CL 10 MV D640 66 CL 10 MV D640 48 U2 10 MV D640C 33 CL 10 MV D640C 66 CL 10 MV D640C 48 U2 10 HURRICANE 40 THUNDER 90 BLIZZARD 60 CameraLink Models HURRICANE 40 THUNDER 90 USB2 0 Models Digipeater CLB26 are in compliance with the below mentioned standards according to the provisions of European Standards Directives EN 61 000 6 3 2001 EN 61 000 6 2 2001 EN 61 000 4 6 1996 EN 61 000 4 4 1996 EN 61 000 4 3 1996 EN 61 000 4 2 1995 EN 55 022 1994 Ren Mangold Dr Peter Mario Schwider Marketing amp Sales CTO October 2005 Figure 7 2 CE Compliance Statement 62 Warranty The manufacturer alone reserves the right to recognize warranty claims 8 1 Warranty Terms The manufacturer warrants to distributor and end customer that for a period of two years from the date of the shipment from manufacturer or distributor to end customer the Warranty Period
51. r programming library Windows Configuration Interface CLSERIAL 9 600 baud Trigger Modes Interface Trigger I O Trigger Exposure Time Defined by camera or trigger pulse width Features Linear Mode LinLog Mode Skimming Shading Correction Offset and Gain Gray level resolution 12 bit 10 bit 8 bit Region of Interest ROI Multiple Regions of Interest MROI Look up table 10 to 8 bit Decimation Trigger input Strobe output with programmable delay Test pattern Image information Status line Table 3 1 Feature overview see Chapter 4 for more information 11 3 Product Specification 3 3 Technical Specification Technology Scanning system HURRICANE Series CMOS active pixel progressive scan Optical format diagonal 1 15 42mm Resolution Pixel size 1024 x 1024 pixels 10 6 1m x 10 6um Active optical area Random noise 10 9mm x 10 9mm lt 0 5 DN RMS 8 bit gain 1 Fixed pattern noise FPN lt 1 DN RMS 8 bit gain 1 offset correction on Dark current Full well capacity 2fA pixel 30 C 200ke Spectral range 400nm 900nm Responsivity 120x108 DN J m 610nm 8 bit gain 1 Optical fill factor 35 Dynamic range gt 120dB with LinLog Color format monochrome Characteristic curve linear or LinLog skimming Shutter mode Readout mode global shutter sequential integration and re
52. ra Q The status LED lights green when an image is being produced and it is red when serial communication is active For more information see Section 12 You may display images using the software that is provided by the frame grabber manufacturer 2 How to get started 10 Product Specification 3 1 Introduction The HURRICANE CMOS camera from Photonfocus is aimed at demanding applications in industrial image processing It provides an exceptionally high dynamic range of up to 120dB at a resolution of 1024 x 1024 pixels The cameras are built around a monochrome CMOS image sensor developed by Photonfocus The principal advantages are Low power consumption at high speeds Resistance to blooming Extremely high image contrast achieved by LinLog technology Ideal for high speed applications global shutter in combination with several simultaneously selectable read out windows Multiple ROI Gray level resolution up to 12 bit Software is provided to set camera parameters and store them within the camera The cameras have a digital CameraLink interface The compact size of only 55 x 55 x 39 mm makes the HURRICANE series the perfect solution for applications in which space is at a premium The general specification and features of the camera are listed in the following sections 3 2 Feature Overview HURRICANE CameraLink Series Interfaces CameraLink base configuration Camera Control PFRemote Windows GUI o
53. rm a single image which is transferred to the frame grabber An ROI is defined by its starting value in y direction and its height Width and horizontal offset are specified by X and W settings The maximum frame rate in MROI mode depends on the number of rows and columns being read out Overlapping ROls are allowed and the total height may exceed 1024 rows Enable MROI If MROI is enabled the ROI and MROI settings cannot be changed MROI X Select one of the MROI settings Y Y coordinate of the selected MROI If Y is set to 1023 this and all further MROI settings will be ignored H Height of the selected MROI H tot Shows the sum of all MROIs as the total image height ES After changing a property always press Enter in order to make the change active 50 6 4 3 Trigger HURRICANE 40 clo x Exposure Window Trigger Data Output Characteristics Correction Info Reset r Trigger Store as defaults Settings file 5 aj Factory Reset m Frame Rate fps Update Strobe Delay ms jo 000000 Strobe Pulse Width ms i 000000 r Average Value 1356 m Strobe I Strobe signal active low Update Figure 6 7 Trigger panel Trigger Free running The camera continuously delivers images with a certain configurable frame rate Interface Trigger The Trigger signal is applied to the camera by the CameraLink frame grabber or the USB interface if availabl
54. s switched off the camera delivers images as fast as possible depending on the exposure time and the read out time See Section Frame time Configure the frame time in millisecond Only availble if Constant Frame Rate is enabled The minimal frame time depends on the exposure and readout time The Information properties provide information about the acquired images see Section 4 2 Image Counter 24 bit real time counter Incremented by 1 for every new image Missed Trigger Counter Counter for trigger pulses that were ignored because the trigger pulse was received during image exposure or readout In free running mode it counts all pulses received from interface trigger and I O trigger Status Line The status line replaces the last line of an image with image information Refer to the User Manual To update the value of the information properties click on the Update Button to reset the properties click on the Reset Button 6 4 2 Window HURRICANE 40 clo i xj Exposure Window Trigger Data Output Characteristics Correction Info Be Region of interest Multi ROI Note When MROI is enabled Store as defaults x 10 m w 11024 El ROI settings can not be changed Settings file Leal Leal ir fo re al 1024 r Enable MRO MROI_O 5 Set to max ROI A 1024 ad Y jo m H pl E Factory Reset r Decimation H total foa r Frame Rate fps 1 I Enable x y ZJ 35 I Enable Y a Up
55. sponse 21 4 Functionality 4 3 4 Gray Level Transformation LUT Gray level transformation is remapping of the gray level values of an input image to new values The look up table LUT is used to convert the grayscale value of each pixel in an image into another gray value It is typically used to implement a transfer curve for contrast expansion The camera performs a 10 to 8 bit mapping so that 1024 input gray levels can be mapped to 256 output gray levels The use of the three available modes is explained in the next sections amp gt The output gray level resolution of the look up table independent of gain gamma or user definded mode is always 8 bit Gain The Gain mode performs a digital linear amplification see Fig 4 13 It is configurable in the range from 1 0 to 4 0 e g 1 234 Gray level transformation Gain y 255 1023 a x 300 T T T T N a 200 wi o o y gray level output value 8 bit DN a o a o 0 N N N 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 x gray level input value 10 bit DN Figure 4 13 Applying a linear gain to the image Gamma The Gamma mode performs an exponential amplification configurable in the range from 0 4 to 4 0 gamma gt 1 0 results in an attenuation of the image see Fig gamma lt 1 0 results in an amplification see Fig 4 15 22 Gray level transformation Gamma y 255 1023 x y gt 1 300 T T T T T
56. t When contacting the Photonfocus support please enclose the information pro vided on this panel 6 The PFRemote Control Tool 58 Mechanical and Optical Considerations 7 1 Mechanical Interface The general mechanical data of the cameras are listed in section 3 Table 3 4 During storage and transport the camera should be protected against vibration shock moisture and dust The original packaging protects the camera adequately from vibration and shock during storage and transport Please either retain this packaging for possible later use or dispose of it according to local regulations 45 45 S a O NI 8 8 C A MU un ep AUNE Snm dep y HO 8 xM5 Am dep 5 31 72 45 u me 3xM2 Figure 7 1 Mechanical dimensions of the CameraLink model with or without C Mount adapter All values are in mm 59 7 Mechanical and Optical Considerations 7 2 Optical Interface 7 2 1 Mounting the Lens Remove the protective cap from the C CS mount thread of the camera and install the lens When removing the protective cap or changing the lens the camera should always be held with the opening facing downwards to prevent dust from the environment falling onto the CMOS sensor If the lens is removed the protective cap should be refitted If the camera
57. tart Exposure Stop Exposure Start Exposure Stop Camera controlled ExSync Camera F ExSync Camera exposure Level controlled ExSync Y ExSync Y_ ExSyne ExSync exposure Rising Edge Y Falling Edge Figure 4 29 Trigger Inputs information and the respective timing diagrams see Section 5 4 4 7 Strobe Output The strobe output is an opto isolated output located on the power supply connector that can be used to trigger a strobe The strobe output can be used both in free running and in trigger mode There is a programmable delay available to adjust the strobe pulse to your application gt The strobe output needs a separate power supply Please see Section for more information 4 7 Strobe Output 33 4 Functionality 4 8 Configuration Interface A CameraLink camera can be controlled by the user via an RS232 compatible asynchronous serial interface This interface is contained within the CameraLink interface as shown in Fig 4 30 and is physically not directly accessible Instead the serial communication is usually routed through the frame grabber For some frame grabbers it might be necessary to connect a serial cable from the frame grabber to the serial interface of the PC MIT Image data o FVAL LVAL DVAL Pixel Clock CameraLink CC Signals CameraLink Serial Interface Figure 4 30 CameraLink serial interface for camera communication To interface different ca
58. the camera data path e g frame grabber PC is UL listed 2 Install the frame grabber software Without installed frame grabber software the camera configuration tool PFRe Q mote will not be able to communicate with the camera Please follow the in structions of the frame grabber supplier 3 Remove the camera from its packaging Please make sure the following items are included with your camera e Power supply connector 7 pole power plug e Camera body cap If any items are missing or damaged please contact your dealership 4 Remove the camera body cap from the camera and mount a suitable lens Figure 2 1 Camera with protective cap and lens Do not touch the sensor surface Protect the image sensor from particles and dirt amp gt To choose a lens see the Lens Finder in the Support area at www photonfocus com 2 How to get started 5 Connect the camera to the frame grabber with a suitable CameraLink cable see Fig 2 2 Figure 2 2 Camera with frame grabber power supply and cable Do not connect or disconnect the CameraLink cable while camera power is on For more information about CameraLink see Section 4 8 6 Connect a suitable power supply to the provided 7 pole power plug For the connector assembly see Fig Check the correct supply voltage and polarity Do not exceed the maximum operating voltage of 12V DC 10 Ce The pinout of the connector is shown in Section A
59. tiitter OS Int EXSYNC Camera SHUTTER Camera td camera O t opto vo Camera opto I O Camera f camera lt lt Figure 5 10 Timing Diagram for Trigger Delay 5 4 Trigger 5 Hardware Interface 44 6 The PFRemote Control Tool 6 1 Overview PFRemote is a graphical configuration tool for Photonfocus cameras The latest release can be downloaded from the support area of www photonfocus com All Photonfocus cameras can be either configured by PFRemote or they can be programmed with custom software using the PFLib SDK PFRemote is available for Windows only For a Linux or QNX system we provide the necessary source code to control the camera on request but there is no graphical user interface available As shown in Fig PFRemote and PFLib respectively control parameters of the camera such as exposure time and ROI However to grab an image and to process it use the software or SDK that was delivered with your frame grabber ER Frame Grabber Frame Grabber SDK Frame Grabber Figure 6 1 PFRemote and PFLib in context with the CameraLink frame grabber software 6 1 1 Operating System PFRemote is available for Windows only For a Linux or QNX system please contact us 6 2 Installation Notes Before installing PFRemote make sure that your frame grabber software is installed correctly
60. tive LVDS Output CameraLink Data DO 3 O N_XD1 Negative LVDS Output CameraLink Data D1 4 O N_XD2 Negative LVDS Output CameraLink Data D2 5 O N_XCLK Negative LVDS Output CameraLink Clock 6 O N_XD3 Negative LVDS Output CameraLink Data D3 7 I_SERTOCAM Positive LVDS Input Serial Communication to the camera 8 O N_SERTOFG Negative LVDS Output Serial Communication from the camera 9 l N_CC1 Negative LVDS Input CC1 10 I N_CC2 Positive LVDS Input CC2 11 N_CC3 Negative LVDS Input CC3 12 P_CC4 Positive LVDS Input CC4 13 PW SHIELD Shield 14 PW SHIELD Shield 15 O P_XDO Positive LVDS Output CameraLink Data DO 16 O P_XD1 Positive LVDS Output CameraLink Data D1 17 O P_XD2 Positive LVDS Output CameraLink Data D2 18 O P_XCLK Positive LVDS Output CameraLink Clock 19 O P_XD3 Positive LVDS Output CameraLink Data D3 20 N_SERTOCAM Negative LVDS Input Serial Communication to the camera 21 O P_SERTOFG Positive LVDS Output Serial Communication from the camera 22 P_CC1 Positive LVDS Input CC1 23 N_CC2 Negative LVDS Input CC2 24 I P_CC3 Positive LVDS Input CC3 25 I N CC4 Negative LVDS Input CC4 26 PW SHIELD Shield S PW SHIELD Shield Table A 3 Pinout CameraLink connector A 2 CameraLink 69 A Pinouts 70 Revision History Revision 1 0 1 1 Date August 2005 Oktober 2005 Changes First release Removed USB model separated into new manual 71
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