EXi Aqua Manual Rev 1.0
Contents
1. camera is through Pin 2 and should be a 5V TTL pulse Output signals There are two output signals provided on the EX Aqua camera SYNC A and SYNC B SYNCA This signal indicates the readout time of the camera and this signal is active high A user could monitor this signal as a means of knowing when to trigger the next frame SYNCB This signal has two modes of operation which can be selected in software Refer to the QCAM SDK API documentation for further information on setting these parameters Expose mode If this modes is selected the signal will indicate the exposure pulse of the camera This signal is active high and may be used to synchronize an external shuttering device Trigger mask If this mode is selected the signal will indicate the time at which another trigger signal will not be accepted by the camera This signal is also active high Signal timing Trigger Expose Integration Time SYNC A Readout Time Figure 9 External trigger signal timing e The integration time corresponds to the length of time that the CCD has been programmed to be exposed to the image e The readout time corresponds to the time required to readout the CCD 162. the external trigger port See Appendix A for a pin out and schematic diagram of the external trigger port In externally triggered modes of operation the user inputs a pulse on the external trigger port that controls the camera s integration in one of two ways depending on the triggering mode Triggering modes When using external triggering there are three types of triggering modes Edge High Low Pulse High Low and Strobe High Low Edge mode allows the camera to start integrating on the rising or falling edge of the trigger pulse with the integration time controlled internally by the camera Using this method allows you to externally trigger the camera as fast as possible and allows you to take advantage of the simultaneous readout and exposure function Pulse mode allows the user to control the integration period where the time is dictated by the duration of the pulse If Pulse High mode is used then the time the pulse is high is the time of the integration period Vice versa for Pulse Low mode This mode does not allow the simultaneous readout and exposure operation of the camera Strobe mode allows the user the combination of pulse mode with simultaneous readout and exposure This is a very advanced mode of operation of the camera such that the second pulse must finish after the readout of the first The time between pulses is very critical for this operation Connecting external sources to the camera Before you can be
3. User Manual Aqua Bio Imaging Microscopy Camera for Highly Versatile High Performance Imaging QImaging the Qlmaging logo EXi Aqua and the EXi Aqua logo are trademarks of Qlmaging Corporation EXi Aqua Bio Imaging Microscopy Camera User Manual Applicability This document applies to the EXi Aqua Bio Imaging Microscopy camera For the latest updates please visit www qimaging com Notice of copyright Copyright 2009 QIlmaging Corporation All rights reserved Unauthorized duplication of this document is prohibited Trademarks and proprietary names Qlmaging the Qlmaging logo EXi Aqua the EXi Aqua logo and QCapture are trademarks of Qlmaging Corporation Product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of Qimaging or other hardware software or service providers and are used herein for identification purposes only Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks in the U S and other countries of Microsoft Corporation and are used herein for identification purposes only QImaging Corporation address information 19535 56 Avenue Suite 101 Surrey BC V3S 6K3 Canada 604 530 5800 www qimaging com Qlmaging technical support Technical support is available to all registered users of Qlmaging products from 9 00 a m to 5 00 p m Pacific Standard Time 800 874 9789 support qimaging com CONTENTS EXi Aqua User NIanyual a sesa 2 Tes e eri eE Sartre tartrate tra M
4. atra Mein ata Crater SacBee nen GR i INTRODUCTION ennir aeaeaei a AE aeaa aE EA a a ETRE raba TR EET 1 P Wwer re iremMmeNtSi TTT 1 Host requirements rena a a AA E EAE A R 1 IEEE 1394B FireWire interfacan tre csnsienavsseites noiria ie a a a E ics 1 CaDIGS EA NE EA E A E AN A E AS AEEA EA 1 Imaging software for your camera esse eee eee eee eee 2 INSTALLATION seiere iaaa aaeeea aaea one on exuipnnvatededennneanidanatacnsaneees 3 Step T gt Instalithe T394 PEI Gara nnsa EE a a 3 Step 2 Install your imaging SoftWare scinni tike ina dabuke eia aiy 4 Step 3 Connect the EXi Aqua camera sese sese eee eee 4 CAMERABASICS sinian e aa a e a a a aeia 6 Turning the camera on and oft sse sese 6 Connecting the camera to your Optics sese sees ee eee eee 6 Understanding the LED indicators sss ereenn 7 Capturing images with the EXi Aqua Camera sese sees sees eee 7 ADVANCED CAMERA FEATURES sese eee 8 S eT TTT 8 External 921 aT T ssrsssrrsirrissririessinsespin ian anna e aa enan ao anaa aan ean aes iaka 8 Gain and Offset Controls saree ierra ote nswuledetacupacteedugseetaes uci aoaaa ata Tes 7 aiaa 10 Blacko t Mod essione aiae E se een ase e e ai 10 High Sensitivity oermits nni a a a aea A A a A ATE G A a aia 10 RGB color tilter suppOrt ceneo E E See ee 10 CARING FOR YOUR CAMERA sees 11 TROUBLESHOOTING ciie aa aaa aa a a a aaa aea ae aaa laaa 12 Resolving problems with the Camera sese ee eee eee seene 12 Unresolved problems contacting Ql magi
5. cts directly to widely available C mount optics which are standard on most microscopes and lenses To attach the camera to a microscope Carefully thread the camera onto the microscope s C mount adapter rotating the camera until it is mounted securely Use the microscope controls to adjust focus To attach a C mount lens to the camera Carefully thread the C mount lens onto the camera s lens ring rotating the lens in a clockwise direction until it is mounted securely Use the lens controls to adjust focus To attach F mount optics If you have a monochrome camera and you have purchased the optional color filter then carefully thread the color filter to the C mount ring on the camera The opposite end of the color filter is a female F mount connector Carefully connect your F mount optics to the open connector of the color filter until it is mounted securely Use your optics controls to adjust focus NOTE If you did not purchase a color filter then you will need to purchase a C to F mount adapter to allow the connection of F mount optics Your camera does not need to be monochrome in this situation Understanding the LED indicators The LED indicators at the back of the camera give you important information about what your camera is doing WHITE The white LED is the power indicator This LED should always be lit when the camera is connected to your computer and is turned on GREEN The green LED is the exposure integration indica
6. ed electronics and firmware features will adjust to maximize the response of the sensor above 500 nm This mode also provides for increased image uniformity by nearly eliminating transient signals generated within the camera Note The overlap capability of the camera is disabled in this mode so the camera cannot read out an image at the same time that another image is being collected As a result the rate at which you can stream images may be affected RGB color filter support for Monochrome EXi Aquas To add color to your images attach a Qimaging RGB filter to your EXi Aqua camera The length of exposure and gain for each of the red blue and green channels is adjustable in software and can be tuned to your specific environments experiments and conditions When using an RGB color filter up to three images are taken one for each color They are automatically composed together to form a full color image Since multiple exposures are required to form the image note that the frame rate for the camera will be effectively reduced when in this mode Contact Qlmaging or your Qlmaging sales representative if you wish to purchase an RGB filter 10 CHAPTER 5 CARING FOR YOUR CAMERA The EXi Aqua camera requires no regular maintenance except occasional external cleaning of the CCD window the glass window between the camera sensor and the microscope or lens To clean the CCD window CAUTION The camera s CCD sensor and ci
7. far distance Loosen the set screw of the C mount ring there are three one on the side and two on the top Adjust the C mount ring until the image is in focus Then tighten the set screw so that the C mount ring does not move e This effect may also be caused by excessive infrared IR illumination Verify that your camera or optical system is blocking the IR Contact Qimaging to order an IR filter Images do not appear sharp If the image does not seem sharp check the format of the lens or the coupler being used on the microscope An incorrect coupler on the microscope will not provide the correct field of view and will reduce the light available to the sensor If you experience an un sharp image contact your microscope dealer to assist you in finding the most appropriate coupler 12 Unresolved Problems Contacting Qlmaging Support If you are still unable to resolve your problem contact Qlmaging Support for assistance in one of four ways e Visit www qimaging com support faq for a list of all frequently asked questions Your issue may be resolved in one of these faqs e Visit www qimaging com support contact and fill out a support form online with the details of your problem e E mail support qimaging com with complete details of your problem including Error Message and Code if possible camera model computer hardware configuration and operating system e Call 800 874 9789 Try to be in front of your com
8. gin to externally trigger your camera you need to connect the necessary trigger signal source to the camera To do this you need to ensure that you have a 6 pin miniature circular DIN cable and ensure that the pin outs are set correctly from your trigger source Refer to Appendix A for further details on pin assignments and a diagram of the mini DIN connector There are several ways that you can provide an external pulse to the camera one of them being via the Qlmaging External Trigger Board which is available through Qlmaging and another common device is a function generator To trigger the camera you need to provide a 5V TTL pulse though the pin stated in Appendix A To ensure that you will use the external triggering mechanism correctly it is important to ensure that the following questions have been answered when setting up your system design e Has a system design been developed that incorporates the necessary elements such as a timing diagram a simple state diagram or flow of events necessary components including microscope flash lamp shutter etc a software solution for extracting and or processing your images and and external triggering source e g Qlmaging trigger board function generator etc e Have you determined the type of triggering mode you require for your application Are you sure the settings in the camera have been set correctly For instance are you monitoring the SYNC B output and if so have you
9. ll control of the camera and rapid image data transfer from the camera to the computer Cables A ten foot FireWire interface cable is included with the camera One end of this cable connects to either of the available FireWire ports at the back of the camera The other end of the cable plugs into your computer s FireWire port Some computers have 4 pin FireWire ports These ports may be used if they are OHCI compliant but you will need to purchase a 4 pin to 9 pin FireWire cable from your local computer store or from Qlmaging When connecting the camera to any FireWire port you will need to use an external power supply Note 4 pin FireWire ports are FireWire A 400 Mbps ports Some settings will not work unless the camera is connected to a FireWire B port Imaging software for your camera Industry standard imaging applications The EXi Aqua camera works with industry standard Windows imaging software QCapture suite software The EXi Aqua camera operates on Windows based systems QCapture Suite software for Windows is available at www qimaging com The easy to use QCapture software gives you complete control over the camera s settings and image capture functions QCapture Suite also includes a TWAIN compliant interface that allows many Windows image editing applications to acquire images using Qlmaging cameras CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION Important Follow these steps in order to complete the installation Do not connect the ca
10. mera until you have a functioning FireWire port in your computer and the camera driver is installed 1 Install the IEEE 1394 PCI or PCle card only if necessary 2 Install the software and drivers that your new QIlmaging camera needs to capture images 3 Connect your camera to your computer using the included IEEE 1394 cable Step 1 Install the 1394B PCI card Check your computer for an existing FireWire port The EXi Aqua camera connects to your Windows PC via a FireWire port If you already have a FireWire port you do not have to install the IEEE 1394 PCI or PCle card Check the connectors at the back of your PC for a port that matches the FireWire port of the connection shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2 Camera Computer Figure 1 9 pin to 9 pin FireWire IEEE 1394B port connection Camera Computer Figure 2 9 pin to 6 pin FireWire IEEE 1394a port connection Figure 2 NOTE Unless the 6 pin FireWire Socket is on a FireWire B card the maximum data rate will be 400 Mbps Due to the amount of high speed data transferred some of the high end settings may not function fully If your PC does not have a functioning FireWire port you must install the IEEE 1394 PCI card that came with your camera e Shut down your computer Open the computer s case and install the included IEEE 1394B card into an empty PCI or PCle slot See the user manual for your computer for instructions on installing new PCI or PCle cards e Re
11. ng support sees 13 APPENDICES cies cick coc Raa 0 SERONT ohare oan ETEK uel Gee 14 APPENDIX A External trigger port CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The Qimaging EXi Aqua Bio lmaging Microscopy Camera has been engineered for high speed high sensitivity applications A Peltier device provides cooling to 0 C The EXi Aqua camera features a 1 4 megapixel CCD 14 bit digital output and an IEEE 1394B interface for enhanced connectivity and noise shielding performance Power requirements The EXi Aqua camera can be powered through a single IEEE 1394B FireWire 9 pin to 9 pin cable when the cooling is off When the cooling is on the camera must be connected to the included external power supply e Power supply requirements 13 5 watts 12 volts dc Host requirements For Windows PCs e Pentium 4 CPU running at a minimum of 1 6 GHz e 512 MB RAM 1 GB RAM preferred e Video card with 8 MB video memory capable of 32 bit color output e Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3 installed or Windows Vista Business or Ultimate edition with Service Pack 1 installed operating system e If the PC is not equipped with a FireWire 800 FireWire B card the included card must be installed IEEE 1394B FireWire interface The EXi Aqua camera can be powered and controlled through an IEEE 1394B FireWire digital interface A single FireWire connection from the camera to the computer combined with the external power connection will allow fu
12. puter when you call 13 APPENDICES APPENDIX A External trigger port The external trigger port at the rear of the camera is a 6 pin miniature circular DIN receptacle AMP 749265 1 The mating connector is a Singatron Enterprises part number 62000 6P available from Digikey www digikey com Figure 7 External trigger port connector The pin out for the connector is as follows Description Source 5 VDC Power for optocoupler trigger Trigger input Active low trigger input SYNC A output Indicates CCD Read out Pin Number Signal Name Signal SYNC B output Exposure or trigger mask Table 2 Pin out of the External Trigger Port Connector a Ground reference for optocoupler a 5 VDC pin 1 and GROUND pin 4 amp pin 6 must be connected in order for SYNC A SYNC B or TRIGGER to be live 14 VL90 1d9H uzez GEN ULE BEN uzez 9C9 VL90 1d9H 0NnONS 9 9399 L jndjno GONAS S GNnNOUD r jndjno WONAS ndu YADOIYL Z SOA YISN L 37999799 Nid SND Schematic of external trigger circuit internal to camera Figure 8 15 Input signals In order to use the external trigger port correctly and ensure external triggering operation for your camera you need to supply at least 4 input signals through the mini din receptacle Pin 1 always needs to be powered at a 5V potential with Pins 4 and 6 always connected to ground The input signal to begin triggering the
13. r should you connect to a laptop computer you will still be required to connect the supplied external power supply to the camera in order to power it see Figure 5 Optional powering of the ExpressCard or PCMCIA card will not be required in this configuration Note Due to the large amounts of data the camera sends to achieve high frame rates most PCMCIA cards and some built in FireWire ports cannot process the data fast enough resulting in substandard performance and corrupted images To get the full benefits of this camera we recommend that laptop users use ExpressCards when possible CHAPTER 3 CAMERA BASICS The image capture capabilities of the EXi Aqua camera are controlled entirely by your imaging software This chapter provides basic instructions for working with the camera itself Turning the camera on and off To turn the EXi Aqua camera on press the power switch The camera s lights will flash and the white power light will remain on provided that you have the appropriate configuration of Step 3 in the Introduction section Refer to this step for all system configurations ensuring that the FireWire cable s are connected as specified If power is supplied the white LED will turn on To turn the camera off press the power switch again This will turn your camera off The white LED will turn off Figure 6 Power Switch on the EXi Aqua camera Connecting the camera to your optics The EXi Aqua camera conne
14. rcuits are sensitive to static discharge Ensure you are using a static strap or are completely grounded at all times to release any static energy before you clean the CCD window e Use clean forced air available at stores that sell cameras and computer cleaning supplies to dust the CCD window s f the image still appears dirty gently wipe the face of the CCD window with a small amount of optical grade isopropyl alcohol and lens paper NEVER use acetone to clean the CCD window Apply forced air again to remove any loose particles 11 CHAPTER 6 TROUBLESHOOTING Resolving problems with the camera The white LED is not lit e Check all the cable connections s Flip the switch at the back of the camera e f your white LED is still not lit then your camera may not be receiving the required power If you have a 1394 power supply or the included external power supply connect the camera as listed in Step 3 of the Introduction Section Image occasionally goes bright on one side or stays dark on one side Turn off the overhead lights in the room Fluorescent lights may interact with the camera to create fluctuating image brightness Hazy image or poor contrast e If you are using the camera on a microscope check the magnification of the microscope coupler Consult your microscope manufacturer to find the type of coupler that works optimally with the EXi Aqua camera s sensor Point the camera at something in the
15. set the correct output mode for your system The above list should be used as a guide and should be consulted before contacting Qlmaging Technical Support Trigger Mode Trigger Source Exposure Control Internal to Camera Internal to Camera Edge Hi Lo External Trigger Port Internal to Camera Pulse Hi Lo External Trigger Port Length of User Pulse Strobe Hi Lo External Trigger Port Length of User Pulse Table 1 Trigger Sources and Integration Modes Gain and offset controls The electrical gain and offset controls of the EXi Aqua camera allow the user to map an image s intensities of interest to the camera s digital range This mapping is performed in the analog domain and thus avoids the quantization errors incurred when the mapping is performed in the digital domain Most users wish to operate the camera in a mode that maximizes dynamic range The factory default electrical gain and offset are calibrated values that maximize the dynamic range The electrical gain and offset can be controlled in software by the CCD gain and offset controls Blackout mode If you require a dark environment for your experiment and you wish to minimize the effect of transient lights the lights on the EXi Aqua camera can be disabled by selecting the Blackout feature in the software High sensitivity To gather low light data in the Near Infrared spectrum select the High Sensitivity mode in the software When in this mode the EXi Aqua camera s advanc
16. start your computer Windows should automatically install the appropriate software drivers for the card Step 2 Install your imaging software Once the IEEE 1394B card is installed in your computer you are ready to install the FireWire drivers and imaging software See your imaging software User Guide for instructions Step 3 Connect the EXi Aqua camera Once your imaging software is installed connect your camera There are two types of connections 1 through Windows 9 pin PCI card and 2 through a Windows laptop computer In most cases the FireWire cable provides the necessary power required by the EXi Aqua camera Connecting the EXi Aqua camera Perform the following for connecting your camera e Remove the FireWire cable from the camera box and plug one end of the cable into one of the camera s FireWire sockets either socket is fine Figure 3 Camera FireWire sockets e Plug the other end of the cable into a FireWire port on your computer Pn f a Camera Computer Figure 4 Desktop computer FireWire connection e In order to obtain the cooling specification of the camera the supplied external power adapter needs to be connected to the camera as shown in Figure 5 below Camera 110 240 VAC power supply Figure 5 FireWire and external power supply connection e If you have a laptop computer you can use the built in FireWire port ExpressCard or a PCMCIA card Howeve
17. tor It will stay illuminated for the duration of the exposure of the CCD and turn off when not exposing BLUE The blue LED is the cooling indicator It will flash while cooling down to the set temperature When the temperature is locked and regulated the blue LED will stay illuminated It will turn off when cooling is turned off through software Capturing images with the EXi Aqua camera Consult your imaging application s user s manual for more details CHAPTER 4 ADVANCED CAMERA FEATURES The EXi Aqua camera offers many advanced features This section provides information on how to make the most of your Qlmaging camera Cooling The EXi Aqua camera has a fixed temperature point of 0 C The cooling is regulated so regardless of the ambient temperature of the camera the sensor on the camera will keep a constant temperature External triggering Externally triggering the camera provides a sophisticated method of imaging and synchronizing your camera to external parts of your system offering advanced capabilities To use this feature effectively it is important to understand the operation and configuration of your camera The External Trigger Port of the EXi Aqua camera is a 6 pin miniature circular DIN connector This port accepts digital logic signals that are used to control the camera s integration The external trigger port is optically isolated from the camera s electronics For this reason the user must provide power to
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