Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition Software

Transcription

1 Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition Revised Applicable Products 2 Application Note Description 2 Preparing for Use 2 Understanding USB3 Vision 3 Installation and Configuration 4 System Requirements 4 Step 1 Install FlyCapture 2.5 (or later) 4 Step 2 Install Third-Party USB3 Vision 4 Step 3 Connect the Camera 4 Step 4 Verify Firmware and Update if Necessary 5 Step 5 Verify the USB 3.1 Host Controller Driver 6 Step 6 Install Third-Party Driver on the Camera 8 Running Third-Party 10 Camera Information Tab 11 Acquisition Attributes Tab 11 Camera Attributes Tab 12 Bayer Color Tab 15 Capturing Images 17 Capturing in Free Running Mode 17 Capturing Images using Triggers 19 USB 3.1 Chunk Data 20 USB3 Vision Troubleshooting Tips 21 XML Cache 21 Common USB 3.1 Issues 21 Known FlyCapture Issues with USB3 Vision Firmware 22 What to do if 22 Downloads and Support 22 Finding Information 22 Contacting Technical Support 23 Names and marks appearing on the products herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of FLIR Systems, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries FLIR

2 Applicable Products All FLIR machine vision USB3 Vision cameras Application Note Description This application note provides information on how to configure and use FLIR machine vision USB3 Vision cameras. This document helps users understand the basics of USB3 Vision, and how to use USB3 Vision cameras with third-party USB3 Vision software. Note: This document provides examples using National Instruments Vision Acquisition (version ). Preparing for Use Before you use your camera, we recommend that you are aware of the following resources available from our downloads page: Getting Started Manual for the camera provides information on installing components and software needed to run the camera. Technical Reference for the camera provides information on the camera s specifications, features and operations, as well as imaging and acquisition controls. Firmware updates ensure you are using the most up-to-date firmware for the camera to take advantage of improvements and fixes. Tech Insights Subscribe to our monthly updates containing information on new knowledge base articles, new firmware and software releases, and Product Change Notices (PCN). Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 2

3 Understanding USB3 Vision USB3 Vision is a communication interface for vision applications based on the USB 3.1 technology. All cameras supporting USB3 Vision interact the same way with software also supporting USB3 Vision. The USB3 Vision standard defines required elements for camera identification, control, and output. Like GigE Vision, it uses GenICam, a programming interface for camera attribute control. GenICam allows camera vendors to define features and attributes in an XML file stored inside the camera. The file is parsed by the host application when the camera is initially discovered. One of the key benefits of GenICam is the ability for camera vendors to introduce new camera-specific features without needing to update the host application. Each camera attribute, such as exposure time, is controlled by a specific GenICam feature. Most USB3 Vision applications provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to control these attributes. For more information on the USB3 Vision standard, visit visiononline.org. For more information on GenICam, visit emva.org. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 3

4 Installation and Configuration System Requirements USB 3.1 interface card (for supported USB 3.1 configurations see TAN ) FLIR machine vision USB 3.1 camera with USB3 Vision firmware (firmware available from our Downloads page) FlyCapture 2.5 or later available from our Downloads page USB3 Vision compliant software the example used in this document is National Instruments Vision Acquisition (version ) Before using a FLIR machine vision USB3 Vision camera with a third-party application, complete the following steps: 1. Install FlyCapture 2.5 (or later). 2. Install the third-party USB3 Vision software. 3. Plug in the camera to the USB 3.1 host controller. 4. Verify the camera s firmware and update it if necessary. 5. Verify the USB 3.1 host controller is using the manufacturer s driver. 6. Install the third-party USB 3.1 camera driver. The following sections provide more detail. Step 1 Install FlyCapture 2.5 (or later) The FlyCapture 2.5 SDK contains tools that allow you to verify and update the camera firmware, install and configure camera drivers, and test camera operation. FlyCapture is available from our Downloads page. If you already have FlyCapture 2.5 installed, proceed to Step 2. Step 2 Install Third-Party USB3 Vision The example used in this document is National Instruments Vision Acquisition (version ). NI-MAX contains the required USB3 Vision camera driver and the user interface for controlling camera attributes. Step 3 Connect the Camera Using a USB 3.1 cable, connect the camera to the USB 3.1 host controller on the PC. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 4

5 Step 4 Verify Firmware and Update if Necessary The USB3 Vision standard was established after the launch of FLIR's machine vision USB 3.1 cameras. USB3 Vision support for our USB 3.1 cameras started from the following firmware version: Camera Firmware Flea 3 USB and newer Grasshopper 3 USB and newer Blackfly USB 3.1 Blackfly S USB 3.1 From release From release To determine your camera s firmware version: 1. Ensure the camera has powered up. 2. Open the FlyCap2 program, installed with the FlyCapture2 SDK. Start menuàall ProgramsàPoint Grey FlyCapture2 SDKàPoint Grey FlyCap2 The firmware version is displayed in the Camera Selection window, as well as on the Camera Information tab of the Camera Control dialog. If the firmware of the camera supports USB3 Vision, proceed to Step 5. If the firmware of the camera does not support USB3 Vision, you can update the firmware to the latest version. To update your camera s firmware version: 1. Download the firmware file from our Downloads page. 2. Ensure the camera has powered up. 3. Open the UpdatorGUI utility, installed with FlyCapture2 SDK. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 5

6 Start menuàall ProgramsàPoint Grey FlyCapture2 SDKàUtilitiesàUpdatorGUI3 4. Select the camera from the Camera List 5. Click Open to select the firmware file. 6. Click Update to begin the update process. Do NOT disconnect the camera until the update is complete. Step 5 Verify the USB 3.1 Host Controller Driver Third-party USB3 Vision applications come with their own device driver, which needs to be installed for the USB3 Vision camera. To install the third-party device driver for the camera, the USB 3.1 host controller must be configured to use the manufacturer s driver, and not the USBPro driver (pgrxhci). If using Windows 8, the Windows driver can also be used. Note: If the USB 3.1 host controller is configured to use the USBPro driver you are not able to install the third-party camera driver. To determine which driver the USB 3.1 host controller is using, open DriverControlGUI and click on the USB tab. Start menuàall ProgramsàPoint Grey FlyCapture2 SDKàUtilitiesàDriverControlGUI If the host controller is configured for the USBPro driver, the camera does not appear as a separate device. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 6

7 In the figures to the right: A. Shows a Renesas USB 3 Extensible Host Controller with the USBPro driver installed. The camera is not shown. B. Shows a Flea3 camera as a separate device listing running with a Renesas USB 3.1 Host Controller with the manufacturer s driver installed. The camera and card are listed as two separate devices. If your USB 3.1 host controller is using the manufacturer s driver (or the Windows 8 driver), then proceed to Step 6. If your USB 3.1 host controller is using the USBPro driver, you can change this using the DriverControlGUI. To change the driver of the USB 3.1 host controller: 1. Ensure the camera has powered up. 2. Open the DriverControlGUI utility, installed with the FlyCapture2 SDK. Start menuàall ProgramsàPoint Grey FlyCapture2 SDKàUtilitiesàDriverControlGUI 3. Click on the USB tab. 4. From the PC tree, select the host controller. 5. Under Driver Selection, select Third-Party Drivers, and select the driver from the drop-down. If there is more than one listed, select the latest version for the manufacturer. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 7

8 6. If no driver is listed, select Manual Selection and click Browse to find the driver on your computer. 7. Click Install Driver. Step 6 Install Third-Party Driver on the Camera In order to have the third-party driver, you must have installed the third-party software in Step 2. To install the third-party USB3 Vision driver on the camera: 1. Ensure the camera has powered up. 2. Open the DriverControlGUI utility, installed with the FlyCapture2 SDK. Start menuàall ProgramsàPoint Grey FlyCapture2 SDKàUtilitiesàDriverControlGUI 3. Click on the USB tab. 4. From the PC tree, under the host controller, select the camera. 5. Under Driver Selection, select Third-Party Drivers, and select the driver from the drop-down. If there is more than one listed, select the latest version for the manufacturer. 6. If no driver is listed, select Manual Selection and click Browse to find the driver on your computer. For National Instruments, the driver is found under: C:\Program Files\National Instruments\NI-IMAQdx\Staging\NI USB3 Vision 7. Click Install Driver. Once you have installed the third-party USB3 Vision camera driver, the DriverControlGUI lists the camera under the third-party software listing. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 8

9 Note: You can also use Windows Device Manager or NI-MAX to install drivers on host controllers and cameras. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 9

10 Running Third-Party Our USB3 Vision cameras work with the FlyCapture2 SDK or with third-party USB3 Vision applications. Note: This document provides examples using National Instruments Vision Acquisition (version ). To access the camera in NI-MAX: 1. Open NI-MAX. Start menuàall ProgramsàNational InstrumentsàNI MAX 2. Expand the Devices and Interface list. 3. Expand the NI-IMAQdx Device list and select the camera. After a camera has been selected, you can navigate through four different tabs to view and configure the camera settings: Camera Information Acquisition Attributes Camera Attributes Bayer Color Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 10

11 Each of these tabs is explained in more detail below. Camera Information Tab The camera Information tab is where the basic camera information, such as the vendor name and camera model, can be found. Acquisition Attributes Tab The Acquisition Attributes tab is an NI-specific tab which manages most common camera attributes including Video Mode, Pixel Format, Output Image Type, Region of Interest, and the grab Timeout. The attributes available in the Acquisition Attributes tab can also be managed from the Camera Attributes tab. The following table lists the attribute names for Acquisition Attributes with the equivalent parameter in the Camera Attributes tab. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 11

12 Camera Attributes Tab Acquisition Attributes Pixel Format Output Image Type Timeout Region of Interest: Left Region of Interest: Top Region of Interest: Width Camera Attributes Image Format Control: Pixel Format Image Format Control: Output Image Type Acquisition Control: Timeout Image Format Control: Offset X Image Format Control: Offset Y Image Format Control: Width Region of Interest: Height Image Format Control: Height The Camera Attributes tab controls the camera-specific functions, such as integration time, frame rate and trigger mode. Functions are grouped into four trees: Acquisition Attributes Camera Attributes Camera Information Status Information Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 12

13 You can access more of camera control options by selecting Advaced settings from the View Options menu. Acquisition Attributes tree Controls various acquisition attributes of the camera such as bits per pixel, timestamp, and grab time out. Camera Attributes tree Controls camera attributes including shutter time, gain, trigger mode, and image size. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 13

14 Camera Information tree Displays camera information like model name, bus type, serial number, and vendor name. Status Information tree Displays status infromation of stream capture such as acquisition in progress status, buffer count, buffer number, and lost event count. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 14

15 Bayer Color Tab This tab allows you to set the Bayer pattern, color processing algorithm, the Red/Green/Blue gain and the White level for a Raw Bayer output from the camera. These controls are active for color cameras when the pixel format of the camera is set to Bayer option. The control is unavailable for monochrome cameras. Note: This control allows you to manage how the application interpolates and displays the images; it does not control the color processing of the camera. Similar to features on the Acquisition Attributes tab, these settings also can be managed from the Camera Attributes tab. Bayer Color Tab Camera Attributes Tab Pattern Algorithm Acquisition Attributes: Bayer: Pattern Acquisition Attributes: Bayer: Algorithm Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 15

16 Bayer Color Tab Camera Attributes Tab Red Gain Acquisition Attributes: Bayer: Gain R Green Gain Acquisition Attributes: Bayer: Gain G Blue Gain Acquisition Attributes: Bayer: Gain B Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 16

17 Capturing Images Capturing in Free Running Mode To capture images in free running mode: 1. From the Camera Attributes tab, under the Acquisition Control tree, set the Trigger Mode to Off. 2. Set the Acquisition Mode to Continuous. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 17

18 3. From the toolbar, click Grab to enable image display. Frame rate can be controlled manually or by shutter (exposure) time. To change the frame rate of the free running mode: 1. From the Camera Attributes tab, under the Acquisition Control tree, set the Frame Rate Auto to Off. 2. In Acquisition Frame Rate, enter or use the slider to the desired frame rate. To control frame rate with shutter time: 1. From the Camera Attributes tab, under the Acquisition Control tree, deselect Acquisition Frame Rate Control Enabled. 2. Set Exposure Auto to Off. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 18

19 3. In Exposure Time, enter or use the slider to the desired value. Capturing Images using Triggers To capture images using triggers: 1. From the Camera Attributes tab, under the Acquisition Control tree, select a trigger from the Trigger Selector. Our cameras support: Frame Start the camera starts integration from the trigger defined by the Trigger Source and Trigger Activation and the integration time is defined by the Exposure Time value. Exposure Active the camera starts integration from the Trigger Activation and the integration time is equal to the state time of the trigger input. 2. Set the Trigger Mode to On. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 19

20 USB 3.1 Chunk Data 3. Set other trigger settings, such as the Trigger Source and Trigger Delay. 4. From the toolbar, click Grab to enable image display. Support for Chunk Data Stream is part of the USB3 Vision standard. Chunk Data Stream allows images to have chunks of additional data such as time stamp or frame counter. To enable Chunk Data Stream: 1. From the Camera Attributes tab, under the Acquisition Attributes tree, expand Chunk Data Decoding. 2. Select Chunk Data Decoding Enabled. 3. From the Camera Attributes tree, expand Chunk Data Control. 4. Select a Chunk Selector to see the properties included on the chunk data. 5. Select Chunk Mode Active and Chunk Enable to include the selected data with the image. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 20

21 USB3 Vision Troubleshooting Tips XML Cache When the camera firmware is updated, the XML file may also be updated. The new file is detected automatically; however, in some cases, you may need to manually clear the XML cache. Once the old XML file is deleted, the third-party software downloads a new XML file from the camera. To clear the XML cache: 1. Find the XML file in Windows. For NI-MAX the file is located at: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments\NI-IMAQdx\Data\XML 2. Delete the camera s XML file. Common USB 3.1 Issues The following is a list of useful USB 3.1 knowledge base articles to help you troubleshoot common USB 3.1 issues. KB USB 3.1 Frequently Asked Questions TAN Recommended USB 3.1 system components KB How does my USB 3.1 camera appear in Device Manager? KB My USB 3.1 camera does not achieve full frame rate TAN Diagnosing USB 3.1 camera and bus errors TAN Setting up multiple USB 3.1 cameras Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 21

22 TAN Using USB 3.1 and Linux TAN Extending the working distance of USB 3.1 cameras Known FlyCapture Issues with USB3 Vision Firmware What to do if To use FLIR machine vision USB3 Vision cameras, we recommend FlyCapture 2.5 SDK or later. FlyCapture 2.4 SDK may work with USB3 Vision cameras, but we have not done extensive testing with this pairing and cannot guarantee results. FlyCapture 2.3 SDK and earlier versions do not work with USB3 Vision cameras. My camera appears in FlyCapture2 but not in NI-MAX? Ensure the camera has the correct firmware installed. Ensure the USB 3.1 host controller is using the manufacturer s driver (or Windows 8 driver). Ensure the camera is configured to use the NI device driver. Downloads and Support FLIR endeavors to provide the highest level of technical support possible to our customers. Most support resources can be accessed through the Support section of our website. The first step in accessing our technical support resources is to obtain a Customer Login Account. This requires a valid name and address. To apply for a Customer Login Account go to our Downloads page. Customers with a Customer Login Account can access the latest software and firmware for their cameras from our website. We encourage our customers to keep their software and firmware up-to-date by downloading and installing the latest versions. Finding Information FlyCapture SDK The FlyCapture SDK provides API examples and the FlyCap camera evaluation application. Available from our Downloads page. API Documentation The installation of the FlyCapture SDK comes with API references for C++, C#, and C code. Available from Start Menu All Programs Point Grey FlyCapture2 SDK Documentation Product Documentation The camera's Getting Started Manual provides information on installing components and software needed to run the camera. The Technical Reference provides information on the camera s specifications, features and operations, as well as imaging and acquisition controls. They are available from the Downloads page. Knowledge Base A database of articles and application notes with answers to common questions as well as articles and tutorials about hardware and software systems. Available from our Knowledge Base. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 22

23 Learning Center Our Learning Center contains links to many resources including videos, case studies, popular topics, other application notes, and information on sensor technology. Contacting Technical Support Before contacting Technical Support, have you: 1. Read the product documentation? 2. Searched the Knowledge Base? 3. Downloaded and installed the latest version of software and/or firmware? If you have done all the above and still can t find an answer to your question, contact our Technical Support team. Using USB3 Vision Cameras with National Instruments' Vision Acquisition 23