IDS uEye, uEye SE, uEye RE, uEye LE, uEye HE User Manual

Download

User Manual

uEye

Cameras

Driver Version 3.32

Status: March 2009

Dimbacher Str. 6-8

D-74182 Obersulm

Fax: +49-(0)7134-96196-99

E-Mail: sales@ids-imaging.com

Content

Introduction 6

Content

1.1 Copyright

1.2 Preface

1.3 Safety Information

1.4 Operating Environment

1.5 Installation and Maintenance

1.6 EMC Directives

1.7 Trademarks

1.8 Contacting Us

Welcome 9

2.1 About this Manual

2.2 What is New in this Version?

General 14

6 6 6 6 7 7 8 8

11 12

3.1 System Requirements

3.2 USB uEye SE Driver Compatibility

USB Basics 16

4.1 History and Development

4.2 Structure and Topology

4.3 Cabling and Connection

4.4 Data Transmission and Bandwidth

GigE Basics 19

5.1 General

5.2 Glossary

Camera Basics 22

6.1 Operating Modes

14 15

16 16 17 17

19 20

Content

Freerun Mode 6.1.1 Trigger Mode 6.1.2 Standby 6.1.3 Applying New Parameters 6.1.4 Image Display Modes 6.1.5

6.2 Sensor

Sensor Sizes 6.2.1 Fill Factors 6.2.2 Color Filter (Bayer Filter) 6.2.3 Shutter Methods 6.2.4

6.3 Camera Parameters

Pixel Clock, Frame Rate, Exposure Time 6.3.1 Gain and Offset 6.3.2 Automatic Image Control 6.3.3

6.4 Reading out Partial Images

Area of Interest (AOI) 6.4.1 Binning 6.4.2 Subsampling 6.4.3

6.5 Digital Input/Output

Digital Input (Trigger) 6.5.1 Digital Output (Flash Strobe) 6.5.2

General Purpose I/O 6.5.3 Serial Interface (RS232) 6.5.4

Installation 40

7.1 Downloading the Software

7.2 Installing the uEye Drivers

7.3 Uninstalling the uEye Drivers

7.4 Connecting a USB uEye Camera

7.5 Connecting a GigE uEye Camera

Important Notes 7.5.1 Serial Interface (RS232) 7.5.2 Camera Start-up 7.5.3 Camera Initialization 7.5.4 Camera Recognition 7.5.5

40 41 42 43 45

Applications 52

Content

8.1 uEye Camera Manager

Camera List 8.1.1 Control Center 8.1.2 General Information 8.1.3 Camera Information 8.1.4 Creating a Support File 8.1.5 ETH Network Service 8.1.6 Additional Functions (COM Port) 8.1.7 Automatic ETH Configuration 8.1.8 Starter Firmware Upload 8.1.9 Manual ETH Configuration 8.1.10 Parameters 8.1.11

8.2 uEye Demo

Opening a Camera 8.2.1 Toolbars 8.2.2 Menus 8.2.3

Dialog Boxes 8.2.4 Properties 8.2.5

8.3 uEye Player

Functionality 8.3.1 Loading an AVI File 8.3.2 Operation Controls 8.3.3 Loop Mode 8.3.4 Video Window and Full Screen Mode 8.3.5

Specifications 116

9.1 Sensor Data

CMOS Cameras 9.1.1 CCD Cameras 9.1.2

9.2 Mechanical Specifications

USB uEye SE 9.2.1 USB uEye RE 9.2.2

110

116

156

USB uEye LE 9.2.3 GigE uEye SE 9.2.4 GigE uEye HE 9.2.5

Content

Flange Back Distance 9.2.6 Filter Glasses 9.2.7 Ambient Conditions 9.2.8

9.3 Electrical Specifications

USB uEye SE 9.3.1 USB uEye RE 9.3.2 USB uEye LE 9.3.3 GigE uEye SE 9.3.4 GigE uEye HE 9.3.5

9.4 Status LED

USB uEye 9.4.1 GigE uEye 9.4.2

Accessories 215

10.1USB uEye SE

10.2USB uEye RE

10.3USB uEye LE

10.4GigE uEye SE

189

212

216 219 222 223

10.5GigE uEye HE

225

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

1 Introduction

1.1 Copyright

software.

1.2 Preface

IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH has taken every possible care in preparing this User Manual. We however assume no liability for the content, completeness or quality of the information contained therein. The content of this manual is regularly updated and adapted to reflect the current status of the software. We furthermore do not guarantee that this product will function without errors, even if the stated specifications are adhered to.

Under no circumstances can we guarantee that a particular objective can be achieved with the purchase of this product.

Insofar as permitted under statutory regulations, we assume no liability for direct damage, indirect damage or damages suffered by third parties resulting from the purchase of this product. In no event shall any liability exceed the purchase price of the product.

Please note that the content of this User Manual is neither part of any previous or existing agreement, promise, representation or legal relationship, nor an alteration or amendment thereof. All obligations of IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH result from the respective contract of sale, which also includes the complete and exclusively applicable warranty regulations. These contractual warranty regulations are neither extended nor limited by the information contained in this User Manual. Should you require further information on this product, or encounter specific problems that are not discussed in sufficient detail in the User Manual, please contact your local uEye dealer or system installer.

All rights reserved. This manual may not be reproduced, transmitted or translated to another language, either as a whole or in parts, without the prior written permission of IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH.

Status: March 2009

1.3 Safety Information

The product must be connected, taken into operation and maintained only by appropriately qualified personnel.

The error-free and safe operation of this product can only be ensured if it is properly transported, stored, set up and assembled, and operated and maintained with due care.

1.4 Operating Environment

Please comply with the requirements for the proper use of this product. Failure to do so will render the warranty void.

Do not subject this product to direct sunlight, moisture or shock. The environmental conditions specified in chapter Specifications are required.

1.5 Installation and Maintenance

Product type

EMC immunity

EMC emission

USB uEye SE (CMOS sensors)

*2)

EN 61000-6-2:2005

EN 61000-6-3:2001 + A11:2004

USB uEye SE (CCD sensors)

*1)

EN 61000-6-2:2001

EN 61000-6-4:2001

USB uEye RE (CMOS sensors)

*2)

EN 61000-6-2:2001

EN 61000-6-3:2001 + A11:2004

USB uEye RE (CCD sensors)

*2)

EN 61000-6-2:2001

EN 61000-6-3:2001 + A11:2004

USB uEye LE (CMOS sensors)

*2)

EN 61000-6-2:2005

EN 61000-6-3:2001 + A11:2004

GigE uEye SE (CMOS sensors)

*1)

EN 61000-6-2:2005

EN 61000-6-4:2001

GigE uEye SE (CCD sensors)

*1)

EN 61000-6-2:2005

EN 61000-6-4:2001

GigE uEye HE (CMOS sensors)

*2)

EN 61000-6-2:2005

EN 61000-6-3:2001 + A11:2004

GigE uEye HE (CCD sensors)

*2)

EN 61000-6-2:2005

EN 61000-6-3:2001 + A11:2004

The installation, testing, maintenance and extension of, and any necessary repairs to the system may be performed only by authorized personnel.

1.6 EMC Directives

IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH hereby confirms that this product has been developed, designed and manufactured in compliance with the EC Directive 89/336/EEC (Electromagnetic Compatibility). Compliance with the directives is demonstrated by meeting the following standards:

1 Introduction

*1)

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense. Modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user's authority to operated the equipment under FCC rules.

*2)

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

· Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

· Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

· Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is

connected.

· Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user's authority to operated the equipment under FCC rules.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Address:

IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH

Dimbacher Str. 6-8 D-74182 Obersulm

Fax:

+49-(0)7134-96196-99

Email:

Sales: sales@ids-imaging.com Support: support@ids-imaging.com

Internet

http://www.ids-imaging.com

1.7 Trademarks

IDS Imaging Development Systems and uEye are registered trademarks of IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH. IBM PC is a registered trademark of International Business Machines

Corporation. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other products or company names mentioned in this manual are used solely for purposes of identification or description and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective owners.

1.8 Contacting Us

Visit our web site http://www.ids-imaging.com where you will find all the latest drivers and information about our software and hardware products. The latest uEye driver is available on our website http:// www.ids-imaging.com.

Please contact your local IDS distributors for first level support in your language. For a list of IDS distributors worldwide please go to our website and follow the Support link.

2 Welcome

The USB uEye SE series features a robust metal housing with a standard mini-B USB 2.0 connector. Connection is additionally possible via a screw-mounted micro D-sub connector which also carries the opto-isolated I/O signals. A USB uEye SE variant with C-mount front flange has been developed for OEMs. The camera can also be supplied as PCB stack for special applications.

The USB 2.0 interface is meanwhile available in every standard PC and notebook/laptop and provides a gross bandwidth of 480 Mbps. The camera is connected and powered through the USB port by just a single cable.

Figure 1: USB uEye SE

CMOS camera

Figure 2: USB uEye RE

The RE variants of the USB uEye cameras are extremely rugged and thus offer an extended area of application. In conjunction with the optional lens tubes, these models meet the requirements of protection classes IP 65 and IP 67. The USB 2.0 and the I/O signals are connected via two ports of the same protection class. The USB uEye RE is therefore particularly suited for harsh environments.

The USB uEye LE series features extremely compact cameras with high-speed CMOS sensors. The LE models are designed for professional use in non-industrial applications. Through the use of the widespread USB 2.0 technology, the cameras can easily be interfaced with a vast variety of systems. USB uEye LE cameras are available with a plastic housing with CS-mount lens adapter, as a board-level version with M12 or M14 lens holder or without a lens holder.

Figure 3: USB uEye LE variants

Thank you for purchasing a uEye camera from IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH. This manual describes the functions and features of the different uEye camera series. uEye stands for a range of compact and cost-effective cameras for professional use in industrial,

security and non-industrial applications. Equipped with the widely used USB 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet ports, they can easily be interfaced with a vast variety of systems. The images are digitized

in the camera and transmitted digitally to the PC. An additional frame grabber is not required. uEye cameras have state-of-the-art CMOS and CCD sensors. The CMOS models use either the

global or the rolling shutter method; the CCD models use only the global shutter method. uEye camera resolutions range from 640 x 480 pixels (VGA) to 2560 x 1920 pixels (QSXGA), depending

on the sensor. Further sensor modules will continuously expand the product portfolio. Depending on the individual model, the uEye cameras are available either as monochrome and color versions, or as color versions only.

USB uEye SE

2 Welcome

USB uEye RE

USB Eye LE

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 4: GigE uEye HE

(standard and 90° variant)

The GigE uEye HE offers a rich set of additional features and functions compared to the other uEye models. Images can be output at 12 bits per channel. The integrated FPGA allows calculating color images in the camera, and various LUT curves can be applied to the images. An integrated 64 MB image memory and two independent processor cores ensure fast and reliable data transfer. Many of the GigE uEye HE's sensors can be operated at increased frame rates. Additional programmable I/Os and a serial RS232 interface in the camera open up new possibilities for camera integration.

The Gigabit Ethernet interface provides further advantages: More than twice the bandwidth of USB 2.0, cable lengths up to 100 m, and widespread use of this interface. The Gigabit Ethernet interface is meanwhile available in every standard PC and notebook/laptop and provides a gross bandwidth of 1000 Mbps.

Die GigE uEye SE is a highly compact Gigabit Ethernet camera. With a housing barely larger than that of the USB uEye models, the GigE uEye SE offers all the benefits of the Gigabit Ethernet technology: High bandwidth, cable lengths up to 100 m, and

widespread use of this interface. Besides the screw-mounted Gigabit Ethernet port, the camera

provides a 6-pin Hirose connector that carries the power supply as well as the trigger and flash signals.

Figure 5: GigE uEye SE

For every uEye camera, a comprehensive software package is available as a free download. In addition to the drivers, this software package features the uEye Camera Manager, the uEye Demo application and a Software Development Kit (SDK) for creating your own uEye programs under Windows 2000, XP and Vista (32-Bit) as well as Linux. Numerous demo applications make it easy for you to get started with uEye programming. For

detailed information on programming uEye cameras with the uEye SDK, please refer to the uEye Programming Manual (PDF file).

The latest uEye software is available for download from our website at http://www.ueyesetup.com.

Figure 6: uEye Camera Manager

GigE uEye HE

GigE uEye SE

uEye Software

Enjoy your new uEye camera!

2.1 About this Manual

In these boxes, you will find helpful user information.

In these boxes, you will find important notes and warnings.

This symbol indicates interactive graphics. When you click on an active area in a graphic, a chapter containing additional information on that area opens automatically.

The uEye User Manual contains all the information you need for operating your uEye camera. The manual comprises three main parts. The first part provides basic information on USB, Gigabit Ethernet and camera technology. Please read this chapter to become familiar with the general functionality of the uEye cameras. The second part of the manual shows you how to install and use the uEye software. In the third part, you will find the Specifications: Sensors, which you can use as a reference guide when integrating the cameras.

Please make sure to read the file named WhatsNew.txt which you will find in the C:\Program Files\IDS\uEye\Help directory when the installation is completed. This file contains late-breaking information on new functions and fixed issues.

2 Welcome

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

New feature

Described in chapter

Extended trigger mode

The continuous trigger mode allows triggering the uEye

repeatedly. The camera no longer has to be made ready for the next trigger before each image capture.

Operating Modes: Trigger Mode

New information in the manual

Described in chapter

Detailed presentation of all uEye operating modes

Operating Modes

Updated connected load data on every camera model

Specifications: Sensor Data

Wiring diagrams for the inputs/outputs of the USB uEye LE

USB uEye LE: Wiring

New feature

Described in chapter

Support of GigE uEye SE

The uEye driver version 3.31 introduces the new camera series GigE uEye SE. This manual provides all the information you need to integrate and use the new camera.

Welcome: GigE uEye SE GigE uEye SE Specifications GigE uEye SE Camera

Dimensions

Improved uEye Camera Manager features

uEye Camera Manager

New feature

Described in chapter

Serial interface of the GigE uEye HE

The serial interface (RS232) on the GigE uEye HE allows the control of peripherals.

Serial Interface (RS232)

Test image function

The camera transmits a selectable test image that you can use for testing the data transmission.

Camera properties: Test image

Color calculation in the camera (GigE uEye HE only).

The GigE uEye HE can optionally calculate the color data from raw Bayer format directly in the camera. This reduces the load on the host computer's CPU. Color correction and color saturation are continuously adjustable.

Camera properties: Color LUT/gamma curves in the camera (GigE uEye HE only).

In addition, the GigE uEye HE can apply LUT and gamma curves to the image directly in the camera in order to adjust brightness, contrast and color distribution.

Camera properties: LUT/Gamma

Support of 10 and 12 bit sensor data

Some sensors can output images with a color depth of 10 to 12 bits. This data can now be processed by the uEye software.

Specifications: Sensors

New color formats

Camera properties: Color

2.2 What is New in this Version?

Version 3.32 of the uEye software package includes many new features and enhancements. The following table gives you an overview of the major new functions. (For more information, please see the "What is New in this Version" chapter in the uEye Programming Manual V3.32.)

New in Version 3.32

New in Version 3.31

New in Version 3.30

2 Welcome

uEye driver version 3.30 supports a wide range of new color formats for all uEye cameras. These include:

RGB/BGR 30

RGBY

Y12

YCbCr

Enhanced YUV

Subsampling for GigE uEye HE cameras with CCD sensors

The GigE uEye HE can also perform binning and subsampling for CCD sensors. Binning and subsampling are supported both in the horizontal and vertical direction, and allow higher frame rates. For CMOS sensors, subsampling takes place directly in the sensor and is supported by all uEye models.

Specifications: Sensors

Full support of Windows Vista (32 Bit)

From driver version 3.30 onwards, all uEye cameras will run under Windows Vista 32.

System Requirements

Localization of the uEye Camera Manager

The uEye Camera Manager offers new features and now also supports over 10 languages that can be switched anytime.

Camera Manager

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Minimum

Recommended

CPU speed

600 MHz

2.8 GHz

Memory (RAM)

256 MB

512 MB

USB host controller

USB 2.0 high speed (480 Mbps)

Intel® or NVIDIA® nForce mainboard

chipset

Graphics card

Onboard graphics chip

PCI/PCIe graphics card with

DirectDraw support

DirectX 9.0 or higher

Operating system

Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4)

Windows XP 32 bit (Service Pack 2)

Windows Vista 32 bit

Linux (Kernel 2.6)

Windows XP 32 bit (Service Pack 3)

Windows Vista 32 bit (Service Pack 1)

Linux (Kernel 2.6)

Onboard USB 2.0 ports usually provide significantly better performance than PCI and PCMCIA USB adapters.

Minimum

Recommended

CPU speed

600 MHz

2.8 GHz

Memory (RAM)

256 MB

512 MB

Network bandwidth

100 Mbps

1000 Mbps

Network card type

---

Intel Pro/1000 GT (PCI)

Intel Pro/1000 PT (PCIe)

Graphics card

Onboard graphics chip

PCI/PCIe graphics card with

DirectDraw support

DirectX 9.0 or higher

Operating system

Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4)

Windows XP 32 bit (Service Pack 2)

Windows Vista 32 bit

Windows XP 32 bit (Service Pack 3)

Windows Vista 32 bit (Service Pack 1)

To ensure optimum performance of the network connection, you need to install the latest drivers for your network card. We recommend using the drivers of the following versions:

· Intel® chipsets: version 8.8 or higher

· Realtek chipsets: version 5.7 or higher

3 General

3.1 System Requirements

For operating the uEye cameras, the following system requirements must be met:

USB uEye cameras

GigE uEye cameras

3.2 USB uEye SE Driver Compatibility

From driver version 3.10 on, only cameras with USB board revision 2.0 or higher are supported.

Figure 7: USB revision 1.2

(green LED)

Figure 8: USB revision 2.0

(red/green LED)

The optional memory board of the USB uEye SE and USB uEye RE camera series has been discontinued.

From version 3.30, the functions required to operate the memory board will no longer be supported in the uEye driver. The uEye driver version 3.24 that still supports these functions will continue to be available in the download area of our website at http://www.ids-imaging.com.

Only the following CMOS camera models of the USB uEye SE series are affected:

· UI-121x

· UI-141x

· UI-144x

· UI-154x

· UI-145x

· UI-146x

You can use the USB Hardware Check (see Software Installation) before installing the driver version

3.10 to check whether your camera is supported. In addition, the uEye Camera Manager version 3.10 or above provides information about the compatibility (see Camera Manager ). An incompatible camera will be displayed as free and not available. The LED(s) on the back of the camera housing also indicate the USB board version:

3 General

Note on the uEye memory board

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 9: USB Topology

The maximum bandwidth of 480 Mbps per USB 2.0 host cannot be exceeded. Therefore, the maximum possible frame rate will be reduced if image data from multiple USB cameras is transferred simultaneously. The available bandwidth might also be decreased when you use hubs or repeaters. You can reduce the bandwidth required for each camera by lowering the frame rate or the image size.

4 USB Basics

4.1 History and Development

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an interface which enables you to easily connect various devices to a PC. As all data exchange is controlled by the PC, no additional interface controller is needed. Further advantages of USB are:

· the PC does not have to be shut down when connecting USB devices (hot plugging)

· USB devices can be supplied with power from the PC

· High bandwidth for data transmission

The USB standard was developed by a group of companies including Compaq, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft. Version 1.0 was presented in 1995. The slightly faster USB 1.1 standard followed in 1998. At first, the USB interface was designed to connect peripheral devices such as printers, mice, or keyboards. With the introduction of USB 2.0 in 2000, the transfer rate increased to 480 Mbps, making USB 2.0 suitable for connecting devices with higher data volumes (such as mass storage devices, scanners, or cameras).

4.2 Structure and Topology

USB uses a tree topology and is host-controlled. That means that a PC with host functionality is mandatory for using USB. Therefore, it is not possible to directly connect two USB devices (with the exception of USB On-the-go compliant devices). Neither is it possible to connect a camera to a PDA device. Theoretically, 127 devices can be connected to a host controller. Using external hubs or repeaters, even more devices can be connected, and from a greater distance. Provided that a maximum of 5 hubs/repeaters may be daisy-chained, USB devices can be connected in up to seven levels.

4.3 Cabling and Connection

Figure 10: Basic design of a USB cable

Figure 11: USB

standard-A socket

(four pins)

Figure 12:

USB

standard-B

socket (four

pins)

Figure 13:

USB mini-B

socket (five

pins)

Figure 14: Micro D-Sub

(nine pins)

In order to comply with the specifications, the maximum length of USB 2.0 cables is limited to 5 m. Longer cables may be connected if you use high-quality material. For cameras of the USB uEye RE series, IDS offers cables with a length of up to 10 m (see also USB uEye RE Accessories). The USB bus provides power supply with 5 V and 500 mA max. Many USB devices use the bus power and do not need external power supply (bus-powered devices).

Cable design

The following illustration shows the basic design of a shielded USB cable:

· D+/D-: data transfer

· +5 V/GND: power supply

4 USB Basics

Connector types

On the PC side, USB 2.0 cables are equipped with a standard A type plug (four pins) and on the device side either with a standard B plug (four pins) or a mini-B plug (five pins). In addition, cameras of the USB uEye SE series can be connected to IDS camera cables that use a nine-pin micro D-Sub screw connector. Besides the USB 2.0 signals, these connectors can also carry the camera’s digital input/output signals.

4.4 Data Transmission and Bandwidth

The USB 2.0 standard specifies an overall bandwidth of 480 Mbps shared between different transmission modes. uEye cameras use the USB 2.0 bulk mode for transmitting images. This mode uses error correction to ensure correct delivery of the image data, but does not guarantee a fixed bandwidth. To ensure error-free communication with all connected devices at all times, the maximum bandwidth for payload data is limited to 416 Mbps.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

To achieve optimum USB bandwidth, it is important to use a powerful mainboard chipset. The mainboard chipsets from e.g. Intel® or NVIDIA® provide very good results.

If you need recommendations on the most appropriate hardware to use, please contact uEye Support.

Theoretically, up to 50 MB/s of data can be transmitted in this mode, but in practice, this value is hardly ever reached. A high-performance desktop PC can transmit about 40 MB/s, most notebooks or embedded PC systems even less than that. The overall bandwidth can be increased by the use of USB 2.0 expansion cards. These cards are available for the PCI and PCIe buses and have their own host controller chip.

5 GigE Basics

Figure 15: Structure of a Cat 5e cable

Figure 16: RJ45 socket

(EU type acc. to

EIA/TIA-568B)

Figure 17: RJ45

socket (US type acc. to

EIA/TIA-568A)

Figure 18:

RJ45 plug

The GigE uEye camera automatically recognizes whether an Ethernet cable with crossed wiring or straight wiring is connected. The camera adjusts accordingly.

5.1 General

Gigabit Ethernet was developed on the basis of the Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) standard. In June 1999, the IEEE 802.3ab 1000 Mbps standard was defined by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and E lectronics Engineers). Using at least Cat 5e copper cables, transmission rates of 1 Gbps can be obtained. This makes Gigabit Ethernet 10 times faster than Fast Ethernet. The main advantages of Gigabit Ethernet include:

· Higher bandwidth, allowing for better network performance and the elimination of bottlenecks

· Full-duplex capability virtually doubles the effective bandwidth

· Low purchasing and operating costs through the use of common hardware

· Full compatibility with the large number of installed Ethernet and Fast Ethernet nodes

· Fast transfer of large amounts of data over the network

5 GigE Basics

For connecting Gigabit Ethernet cables, RJ45 connectors are used. The following illustrations show schematic views of an RJ45 socket (with cable configuration) and of an RJ45 plug.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

5.2 Glossary

UDP

UDP stands for User Datagram Protocol and contains mechanisms that allow applications to easily send messages to each other. UDP is session-oriented and has no protective measures to guard against message loss or duplication. The header contains the sender port, the recipient port, the length of the datagram and a checksum.

Port

Ports are address components used in network protocols to assign data segments to the correct services (protocols).

Firewall

A firewall is a software or hardware shield that protects a local network or a computer from Internetbased attacks. Among a firewall's main uses are protection from hacker attacks, computer viruses, trojans, worms and spyware.

ARP

The Address Resolution Protocol uses network messages, called broadcasts, to determine on which logical segment of the network the recipient of a packet is located.

The responses to the broadcast contain all the IP addresses of the available subnet and the associated MAC addresses. Every IP address is stored in an ARP table together with the associated MAC address. These tables are necessary because the two addresses are independent of each other and therefore cannot be calculated by means of an algorithm.

Subnet

Subnets are small units of a network. Using subnets makes it easier to manage networks and increases performance, as connecting devices such as routers or switches can be used to limit data traffic to specific subnets. The address is made up of the IP address of the network, the subnet address and the host address.

Switch

The term switch refers to the connecting units in a LAN (Local Area Network). They are used to connect subnets of the same topology. Contrary to hubs, switches dispatch incoming data packets only to the specific recipients.

Router

Routers are connection units that connect different networks or LANs.

Hub

A hub is a coupling unit that connects several network units on one line (star topology). Contrary to a switch, the message of a network member is dispatched to all other network members.

DHCP

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol controls the dynamic configuration of IP addresses. When a workstation which is configured for the use of DHCP is started up on a LAN, it registers with a server running this service. The server then assigns an available IP address, which is stored locally so that reassignment is not necessarily required on the next start-up.

5 GigE Basics

Broadcast

A broadcast is a data packet that is transmitted to all stations on a network. This is done by sending a data packet to the reserved IP address .255 of a network or subnet (broadcast address).

Heartbeat

Network devices send a heartbeat to signal that they are operational and fully functional. If this heartbeat signal is not detected, the recipient system assumes that the remote device is no longer available.

Paired

Paired describes the logical connection of a network camera and a host PC. When a camera and a host PC are paired, they are exclusively connected. Simultaneous pairing with several host PCs is not possible. A request for image data is only possible in paired state.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 19: Block diagram of the CMOS USB uEye SE

6 Camera Basics

Components of the USB uEye SE/RE cameras

The USB uEye SE and RE cameras have a modular structure consisting of the following components:

· USB board, including:

§ a USB 2.0 interface which controls data traffic between the camera and the host PC

§ a micro-controller which controls the digital inputs and outputs, the pixel clock and the image

size

§ an EEPROM where the camera manufacturer, type, and serial number are stored a 64-byte memory area can be used freely by the user

· Sensor board. This board includes:

§ the sensor

§ an EEPROM where the camera type is stored

· Timing board (CCD cameras only)

§ The timing board digitizes the analog output signals of the CCD sensor.

Components of the USB uEye LE camera

USB uEye LE cameras are equipped with a PCB containing the following components:

· CMOS sensor

· Sensor EEPROM where the camera type is stored.

· USB 2.0 interface which controls data traffic between the camera and the host PC.

· Micro-controller which controls the digital inputs and outputs, the pixel clock and the image size.

· EEPROM where the camera manufacturer, type, and serial number are stored.

A 64-byte memory area can be used freely by the user.

6 Camera Basics

Figure 20: Block diagram of the GigE uEye HE

Components of the GigE uEye HE camera

The GigE uEye HE cameras have a modular structure consisting of the following components:

· Gigabit Ethernet board, including:

§ a Gigabit Ethernet interface which controls data traffic between the camera and the host PC

§ an FPGA which controls the camera functions and performs basic image preprocessing

§ a 64-Mbyte memory used for processing image data

· Sensor board. This board includes:

§ the sensor

§ an EEPROM where the camera type is stored

· Timing board (CCD cameras only)

§ The timing board digitizes the analog output signals of the CCD sensor.

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The following illustrations show a schematic view of the image capture sequence. The sensor exposure and readout times and the transmission times depend on the camera settings. The pre-processing time depends on the API functions you are using (e.g. color conversion, edge enhancement).

Figure 21: Freerun mode (live mode)

Figure 22: Freerun mode (snap mode)

6.1 Operating Modes

6.1.1 Freerun Mode

In freerun mode, the camera sensor captures one image after another at the set frame rate. Exposure and readout/transfer of the image data are performed in parallel. This allows the maximum camera frame rate to be achieved. The frame rate and the exposure time can be set separately. The captured images can be transferred one by one or continuously to the PC.

If trigger mode is active, you need to disable it before activating freerun mode.

· Single frame mode (snap mode)

The next image exposed by the sensor will be transferred. You cannot use the uEye flash outputs in this mode.

· Continuous mode (live mode)

Images are captured and transferred continuously. You can use the uEye flash outputs.

)

Optional function. The start time and duration of the flash signal are defined by the Flash delay and

Duration parameters (see also Camera Settings: I/O).

6.1.2 Trigger Mode

In trigger mode, the maximum frame rate is lower than in freerun mode because the sensors expose and transfer sequentially. The possible frame rate in trigger mode depends on the exposure time. Example: At the maximum exposure time, the frame rate is about half as high as in freerun mode; at the minimum exposure time, the frame rate is about the same.

Figure 23: Hardware trigger mode with continuous image capture

In trigger mode, the sensor is on standby and starts exposing on receipt of a trigger signal. A trigger event can be initiated by a software command (software trigger) or by an electrical signal via the camera’s digital input (hardware trigger). For the specifications of the electrical trigger signals, see the Electrical Specifications chapter.

In the camera properties, choose which trigger mode you want to use:

· Software trigger mode

When this mode is enabled, calling the Snap function triggers the capture of an image, which is then transferred to the PC. If you call the Live function in this mode, the image capture is triggered continuously and images are transferred continuously.

· Hardware trigger mode

When this mode is enabled, calling the Snap function makes the camera ready for triggering just once. When the camera receives an electrical trigger signal, one image is captured and transferred. If you call the Live function, the camera is made ready for triggering continuously. An image is captured and transferred each time an electrical trigger signal is received; the camera is then ready for triggering again (recommended procedure).

· Freerun synchronization

In this mode, cameras running in freerun mode (live mode, see above) can be synchronized with an external trigger signal. The cameras still remain in freerun mode. The trigger signal stops and restarts the current image capture process. You can use this mode to synchronize multiple cameras that you are operating in the fast live mode. Not all camera models support this mode.

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Figure 24: Software trigger mode with continuous image capture

Figure 25: Freerun synchronization with hardware trigger

In standby mode, you can continue to use the camera's digital inputs or outputs.

)

Optional function. The start time and duration of the flash signal are defined by the Flash delay and

Duration parameters (see also Camera Settings: I/O).

6.1.3 Standby

uEye cameras can be set to a power-saving standby mode. Standby mode switches off the sensor of CMOS cameras and the timing board of CCD cameras. The camera remains open in the software. In standby mode, the camera cools down and the number of hot pixels visible when longer exposure times are used is reduced.

Standby is the default state when the camera is not open in the software. When you open the camera or switch to a different mode (freerun or trigger mode), the camera wakes up from standby mode.

6.1.4 Applying New Parameters

New capture parameters (such as exposure time or gain settings) can be transferred to the camera via software at any time. Depending on the operating mode, these settings will not always be

immediately effective for next image, however.

· Freerun mode In freerun mode, the camera is internally busy with capturing the next image while new parameters are transmitted to the camera. Depending on the exact time of transmission, new parameters might only come into effect two or even three images later.

· Trigger mode In this mode, the camera reverts to idle state between two images. When you change the camera parameters, the new settings will be applied immediately to the next image (delayed by one additional image for the UI-122x-C/M or UI-522x-C/M cameras due to the sensor).

6.1.5 Image Display Modes

The uEye driver provides three different modes for the display of captured images: The device independent Bitmap mode (DIB), DirectDraw BackBuffer mode and DirectDraw Overlay mode.

· Device Independent Bitmap mode (DIB) In Bitmap mode, images captured by the uEye are written to the random access memory of the PC. The application software initiates the image display by the graphics card. This may result in a slightly higher CPU load as compared to the DirectDraw display. The advantage of Bitmap mode is that it is compatible with all graphics cards and that image data in the memory is directly accessible. Since Windows controls the image display, the image may be completely or partly overlapped by any other windows and dialog boxes.

· DirectDraw BackBuffer mode In this mode, the uEye driver writes the image data to the invisible memory area (back buffer) of the graphics card. This process runs automatically and does not have to be controlled by the application software. It requires an installed DirectDraw driver, sufficient memory on the graphics card and back buffer function support by the graphics card. For this purpose, graphics cards generally provide better performance than graphics chips integrated on the mainboard. In DirectDraw mode, the CPU load may be lower than in Bitmap mode.

· DirectDraw Overlay Surface mode This mode enables simultaneous display of a live image and overlay data. The video image is digitized and stored in an invisible memory area (back buffer) of the graphics card. Defining a key color and drawing that color to the image output window results in the video image being displayed in all areas of the output window that have this key color. If the key color fills the entire window, the video image is displayed full-screen. Accordingly, graphics/text data is preserved in all areas not filled with the key color. This produces a non-destructive overlay. The display is controlled by the graphics card chip and therefore hardly requires any CPU time. This mode is not supported by all graphics cards, and often, it can only be used in conjunction with the YUV color mode.

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Figure 26: Comparison of different sensor sizes

Figure 27: Using micro lenses to increase the effective fill

factor

6.2 Sensor

6.2.1 Sensor Sizes

The size of a digital camera sensor is usually specified in inches. However, the specified value does not indicate the actual size of the active sensor area. The sensor size specifications date back to the formerly used tube systems: The curvature of the imaging surface of the camera tube caused distortions to the display, reducing the usable capture area of a 1” tube to a rectangle with a diagonal of 16 mm.

With the introduction of the semiconductor sensor technology, the dimensional specifications were taken over from tube systems. For this reason, a sensor whose active area diagonal measures 16 mm is specified as a 1-inch sensor. The following illustrations show the most common sensor sizes.

The size of each single sensor cell (pixel) depends on the size of the active sensor area and the resolution. In general, less pixels over the same sensor area (or a larger sensor area with the same resolution) will result in greater photosensitivity of the sensor.

6.2.2 Fill Factors

The fill factor is the percentage of the pixel area that is exposed to light during exposure. Ideally this would be 100%. Since other elements are located on the sensor surface besides the light-sensitive photodiodes, this value may be reduced to approx. 30 - 50%, depending on the sensor technology. The use of micro lenses compensates for this and increases the fill factor to 90% or more. Micro lenses collect the light that falls onto a photocell, thus increasing the useable sensor area.

Some CMOS sensors have micro lenses offset to the sensor edge. They compensate for shadows created by obliquely incident light. The use of parallel light causes slight color variations. These may occur if telecentric stops or lenses with large apertures whose last optical element is located at a great distance are used. The following uEye models are equipped with CMOS sensors with offset micro lenses:

· 164x-C and 564x-C

· 155x-C and 555x-C

· 148x-M/C and 548x-M/C

6.2.3 Color Filter (Bayer Filter)

Figure 28: Bayer filter and micro lenses

For technical reasons, digital image sensors can only detect brightness information, but no color information. To produce color sensors, a color filter is applied to each photocell (pixel). The arrangement of the color filters is illustrated in the following figure. Two out of every four pixels have a green filter, one pixel has a red filter and one has a blue filter. This color distribution corresponds to the color sensitivity of the human eye, and is called the Bayer filter pattern. With the help of the Bayer pattern the correct brightness and color information can be calculated for each pixel. Full sensor resolution is retained.

6 Camera Basics

Bayer conversion

A Bayer conversion, also referred to as de-Bayering, is carried out to determine the color information from the raw sensor data (raw Bayer). By default all uEye cameras transmit the image data to the

PC in raw Bayer format. The PC then uses the functions of the uEye API to convert the image data to the color format you need for displaying or further processing the data.

GigE uEye cameras additionally allow de-Bayering in the camera. In this case, the color images are already finished when they are transmitted to the PC. This reduces the load on the computer's CPU and increases the transmission bandwidth required by the camera.

To convert the colors, a filter mask moves over the image and calculates a color value for each pixel from the surrounding pixels. The uEye API provides two filter masks that differ in image quality and CPU load:

· 3x3 filter: A filter mask of 3x3 pixels is used for conversion. This algorithm has a low load on the CPU. The filter's averaging function may cause a slight blur. Noise is reduced. This filter is recommended for image processing tasks.

· 5x5 filter: A filter mask of 5x5 pixels is used for conversion. This algorithm offers very accurate color

positioning and an increased level of detail. The CPU load is higher than with the 3x3 filter. This filter is recommended for visualization applications.

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Figure 29: Global shutter sensor in live mode

Figure 30: Global shutter sensor in trigger mode

6.2.4 Shutter Methods

The image is recorded in the sensor in four phases:

· Reset pixels of the rows to be exposed

· Exposure of pixel rows

· Charge transfer to sensor

· Data readout

The sensor cells must not be exposed during the readout process. The sensors of the uEye cameras have no mechanical shutters, but work with electronic shutter methods instead. Depending on the sensor type, either the rolling shutter method or the global shutter method is used.

Global Shutter

On a global shutter sensor, all pixel rows are reset and then exposed simultaneously. At the end of the exposure, all rows are simultaneously moved to a darkened area of the sensor. The pixels are then read out row by row.

Exposing all pixels simultaneously has the advantage that fast-moving objects can be captured without geometric distortions. Sensors that use the global shutter system are more complex in design than rolling shutter sensors.

All uEye CCD sensors as well as some CMOS sensors use the global shutter method.

)

Optional flash function. The start time and duration are defined by the Flash delay and Duration

parameters (see also Camera Settings: I/O).

6 Camera Basics

Figure 31: Rolling shutter sensor in live mode

Figure 32: Rolling shutter sensor in live mode with global flash window

Rolling Shutter

With the rolling shutter method, the pixel rows are reset and exposed one row after another. At the end of the exposure, the lines are read out sequentially. As this results in a time delay between the exposure of the first and the last sensor rows, captured images of moving objects are distorted.

To counteract this effect, the uEye software provides a Global Flash window where you set the time by which flash activation is delayed. You can also specify the flash duration. This allows implementing a global flash functionality which exposes all rows of a rolling shutter sensor simultaneously.

Rolling shutter sensors offer a higher pixel density compared to global shutter CMOS sensors. The rolling shutter system is used in uEye cameras with high-resolution CMOS sensors.

)

Optional flash function. The start time and duration are defined by the Flash delay and Duration

parameters (see also Camera Settings: I/O).

Rolling Shutter with Global Start

Some rolling shutter sensors also provide a global start mode, which starts exposure of all rows simultaneously (see illustration). For best results, use a flash for this mode. No light is allowed to fall on the sensor outside the flash period because otherwise the image brightness will be distributed unevenly.

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Figure 33: Rolling shutter sensor in trigger mode with Global Start function

)

Optional flash function. The start time and duration are defined by the Flash delay and Duration

parameters (see also Camera Settings: I/O).

6.3 Camera Parameters

We recommend not setting the pixel clock any higher than necessary to achieve the desired frame rate.

An excessive pixel clock can cause transmission errors or delays. If the data is read from the sensor at a higher speed (high pixel clock), you will also need a faster transmission over the data connection. Thus, by controlling the pixel clock, you can also influence the bandwidth required for a camera.

The pixel clock influences the connected load and consequently the temperature inside the camera.

A signal gain will also result in a noise gain. High gain settings are therefore not recommended. We suggest the following gain settings:

Enable the Gain boost function.

If required, adjust the gain setting with the master gain control.

6.3.1 Pixel Clock, Frame Rate, Exposure Time

Pixel clock

The basic parameter for camera timing is the pixel clock. It determines the speed at which the sensor cells can be read out.

Frame rate

The possible range of settings for the frame rate depends on the currently selected pixel clock. You can select a lower frame rate without changing the pixel clock. To set a higher frame rate, however, you need to increase the pixel clock.

6 Camera Basics

Exposure time

The exposure time depends on the currently selected frame rate and is preset to its reciprocal value. You can select a shorter exposure time without changing the frame rate. To set a longer exposure time, however, you need to reduce the frame rate.

6.3.2 Gain and Offset

Gain

In digital imaging, a voltage proportional to the amount of incident light is output by the sensor. To increase image brightness and contrast, this signal can be amplified by an analog gain and offset before the digitizing process. The results of analog signal processing are usually better than the results of digital post-processing.

Analog amplification of the read-out pixel values increases overall image brightness and contrast. Depending on the sensor type, a global gain value for all pixels (master gain) or a separate gain value for each color (RGB gain) can be set.

Offset

Every digital image sensor has light-insensitive cells next to the active image area. These dark pixels are used to measure a reference voltage (black level) which is subtracted from the image signal.

This compensates thermally generated voltages on the sensor which would otherwise falsify the

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signals. Normally, the sensor adjusts the black level automatically. If the environment is very bright or if exposure times are very long, it may be necessary to adjust the black level manually.

6.3.3 Automatic Image Control

The uEye driver provides various options to automatically adjust the image capture parameters to the lighting situation. These include:

· Auto Exposure Shutter (AES)

· Auto Gain Control (AGC)

· Auto White Balance (AWB)

· Auto Frame Rate (AFR)

The auto functions are used to adjust the average brightness and color rendering of the camera image to their setpoint values, while trying to keep the frame rate at the highest possible value.

Auto Exposure Shutter (AES)

The control of the average brightness is preferably achieved by adjusting the exposure, i.e. you set the highest possible exposure time before gain is controlled. Auto Exposure always uses the current exposure range which results from the selected pixel clock frequency and the frame rate. You can set separate control range limits for exposure and gain.

Auto Gain Control (AGC)

The auto gain feature controls the camera master gain in a range from 0-100%. You can set separate control range limits for exposure and gain.

Auto Frame Rate (AFR)

With the exposure control function enabled, you can still change the frame rate manually or automatically to maintain a dynamic exposure control range. A lower frame rate allows for longer exposure times, but then the live image display may exhibit jitter. The objective of the automatic frame rate control is to set the frame rate to an optimum value. This way, in all situations, the automatic exposure control can use the required control range at the highest possible frame rate.

Auto White Balance (AWB)

Depending on the lighting source, light can have different color temperatures so that the images may have a color cast. At low color temperatures (e.g. light from incandescent lamps), the white content is offset towards a red hue. At high color temperatures (e.g. light from fluorescent lamps), the white content is offset towards a blue hue.

The white balance control feature uses the RGB gain settings of the camera to correct the white level. This is achieved by adjusting the gain controls within the 0-100% range until the red or blue channel matches the average brightness of the green channel. In order to manually influence the color rendering, you can adjust the setpoint values for the red and blue channels relative to the green channel by using an offset value.

Automatically Disabling the Control Function

You can disable the control functionality automatically once the target value has been reached. Alternatively, you can keep the control feature enabled so that it responds to deviations from the target value.

6 Camera Basics

Control Speed

You can set the auto function speeds in a 0-100% range. This influences the control response times. High speed (100%) causes a little attenuation of a fast-responding control and vice versa. The control functions for average brightness and for color rendering use separate speeds. In freerun mode, maximum every fifth image is evaluated for adjusting. In trigger mode, every image is evaluated.

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Figure 34: Camera AOI (Area of Interest)

Please note that, after defining an AOI, the resulting image may be darker if the camera cannot maintain the originally set exposure time due to the increased frame rate.

6.4 Reading out Partial Images

The camera sensors have defined resolutions which are given as the number of pixels (width x height). However, for some applications it may be necessary to read out only a selected part of the sensor area or to reduce the local resolution. For this purpose, the uEye cameras provide various functions:

· Area of Interest (AOI)

· Binning (combining) pixels

· Subsampling (skipping) pixels

These functions reduce the amount of data to be transferred and thus allow you to increase the frame rate considerably, depending on the camera model.

6.4.1 Area of Interest (AOI)

Using this function, you can set the size and position of an area of interest (AOI) within an image. In this case, only data included in this AOI will be read out and transferred to the computer. The smaller partial image enables the camera to use a higher frame rate.

For the maximum frame rates that can be obtained with a specific camera model using AOI, please refer to the Specifications: Sensors chapter.

6.4.2 Binning

Binning is a function that averages or adds multiple sensor pixels to obtain a single value. This reduces the amount of data to be transferred and enables higher camera frame rates. The captured image has a lower resolution but still the same field of view compared to the full-resolution image. This mode can be used as a fast preview mode for high-resolution cameras.

Color binning, as performed by most color sensors, combines only pixels of the same color (see also the Color Filter (Bayer Filter) chapter). For some monochrome sensors, the camera also performs color binning, resulting in slight artifacts. Most monochrome sensors and some color sensors combine neighboring Bayer pattern pixels; in this case, the color information gets lost (mono binning).

With CCD sensors, binning makes the images brighter because the pixel values are added up. With

CMOS sensors, pixel values are usually averaged; this reduces image noise.

Figure 35: Color binning (2x)

Figure 36: Mono binning (2x)

Figure 37: Color subsampling

(2x)

Figure 38: Mono subsampling

(2x)

Depending on the model, uEye cameras support different binning factors. Binning of horizontal and vertical pixels can be enabled independently.

The Specifications: Sensors chapter lists the binning methods and factors the individual camera models support.

6.4.3 Subsampling

6 Camera Basics

Subsampling is a technique that skips multiple sensor pixels when reading out image data. This reduces the amount of data to be transferred and enables higher camera frame rates. The captured image has a lower resolution but still the same field of view compared to the full-resolution image. This mode can be used as a fast preview mode for high-resolution cameras.

Color subsampling as performed by most color sensors skips pixels while maintaining colors (see illustration). For some monochrome sensors, the camera also performs color subsampling, resulting in slight artifacts. Monochrome sensors and some color sensors ignore the Bayer pattern and the color information gets lost (mono subsampling).

Depending on the model, uEye cameras support different subsampling factors. Subsampling of horizontal and vertical pixels can be enabled independently.

The Specifications: Sensors chapter lists the subsampling methods and factors supported by each camera model.

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Camera model

Digital inputs

Digital outputs

General purpose I/Os

(GPIOs), Other

USB uEye SE

1 (opto coupler)

USB uEye RE

1 (opto coupler)

USB uEye LE housing version

---

USB uEye LE board level version

1 (TTL)

2 (TTL)

GigE uEye SE

1 (opto coupler)

GigE uEye HE

1 (opto coupler)

2 (TTL)

1 RS-232

The delay is due to internal camera switching times and depends on the sensor type and the parameters that have been set. It is always below 100 µs. You can find the exact values for each camera in the Specifications: Sensors chapter.

You can optionally set an additional delay (trigger delay).

6.5 Digital Input/Output

Depending on the model, uEye cameras have one or more digital inputs and outputs designed for different purposes.

6.5.1 Digital Input (Trigger)

In trigger mode, image capture by the uEye cameras can be controlled through external events. For this purpose, a digital signal must be applied to the camera input.

You can determine whether the camera will respond to the rising or falling edge of the digital signal. After an internal delay, the sensor is exposed for the defined exposure time. The captured image is then transferred to the PC.

In case of a triggered image capture, the camera is only ready to process the next trigger signal after completion of the data transfer to the PC. Trigger events that occur during image exposure or data transfer are ignored. An internal counter records the number of ignored trigger events and can be read out from the PC.

You can query the status of the digital input using the software. This enables you to use the input for other purposes as well.

6.5.2 Digital Output (Flash Strobe)

The digital output can be set statically by software or depending on the exposure time. In uEye models equipped with an opto-coupler output, it is possible to control a DC voltage which is

applied to the output. This allows controlling a flash, either directly or via a separate flash controller unit depending on the sensor exposure. In exposure-dependent mode, you can set the delay and the duration of the flash. By selecting suitable delay and duration settings, you can minimize the rolling shutter effect (see also Shutter Methods).

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Figure 39: Triggered image capture and flash with delay and duration

The settings specified for the digital output will be reset in the following situations:

· a GigE uEye camera loses its pairing (i.e. it is closed in the software)

· a USB uEye camera is disconnected from the PC or the PC is powered down

The GPIO settings will be reset when the camera is closed in the software.

6.5.3 General Purpose I/O

Some uEye models have freely programmable General Purpose Inputs/Outputs (GPIO) which can be programmed as inputs or outputs using the uEye SDK (see also GPIO Specifications).

6.5.4 Serial Interface (RS232) of the GigE uEye HE

Cameras of the GigE uEye HE series are equipped with a serial interface (RS232). It provides functionality for communication with peripheral devices (e.g. lighting controller, lens controller) or the serial port of a PC. Before you can send data through the camera's serial interface, one or more virtual COM ports have to be defined on the PC. Once defined, they can be used for data communication with appropriate software just like any physical COM port.

To set up and use the serial interface, the Additional functions dialog box is provided in the uEye Camera Manager. For the serial interface specifications, please refer to the Serial Interface (RS232) chapter.

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Figure 40: uEye Setup - Language selection

Figure 41: uEye setup menu

7 Installation

7.1 Downloading the Software

The latest camera drivers are available for download at www.ueyesetup.com.

Choose your language on the setup start page and follow the download links.

The following options are available:

· Windows Setup (V 3.30)

This download contains the complete setup with drivers for all cameras, the uEye Software Development Kit (SDK) and the manuals.

· "Driver only" Windows Setup

7 Installation

To operate a camera with USB board revision 2.0 or earlier, you will need the uEye driver version 2.40. You can download this driver version from our website at http://www.idsimaging.com.

For further information, see also USB uEye SE Driver Compatibility.

You need administrator privileges to install the software.

This download contains only the drivers for USB and Gigabit Ethernet cameras. The SDK and manuals are not included.

· USB Bus Checker

The USB bus checker provides information on the USB interfaces available on your system (Windows only).

· Camera Hardware Check

The USB hardware check displays information on whether a connected camera is compatible with the new driver versions (Windows only). To use this feature, a uEye driver has to be installed on your system.

· LINUX (USB uEye) This download contains the drivers for the USB uEye cameras for Linux (kernel version 2.6)

· Imaging Software Interfaces

Click this link to download individual software interfaces for using the uEye in conjunction with image processing libraries, such as MVTec HALCON. Please note that all these files are also included in the Windows Setup (V 3.30) download (see above).

· Manuals

Click this link to access the camera manuals, the uEye Programming Manual and other manuals for components and tools online as PDF files.

· RMA Form

This link displays a form for returning goods to IDS.

· Support

Click this link to display IDS support information and additional contact data.

7.2 Installing the uEye Drivers

The files are downloaded in ZIP format. They have to be extracted after the download before you can start installing. Double-click the executable (uEye_3320.exe) to start the installation. The uEye driver installation is menu-driven. Please follow the instructions of the setup program.

The setup will prompt you to select a setup type. Please choose one of the following options:

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Figure 42: Selecting a setup type

Once the software has been installed, the GigE uEye network service is automatically bound to all local network adapters.

We recommend disabling the network service for all network adapters that will not be used with the GigE uEye cameras. To disable the network service, open the ETH network service dialog box in the uEye Camera Manager.

After uninstalling the GigE uEye driver, you will have to restart your computer. You can only reinstall the driver after restarting the computer.

Complete

Installs all components (recommended).

USB and Gigabit Ethernet

Installs all USB and GigE components except source code and third-party drivers (e.g. DirectShow or imaging libraries)

USB

Installs all USB components except source code and third-party drivers

Custom

When you choose custom installation, you have to individually select the components you want to install. Custom installation is recommended only for advanced users. If you need to make changes to an existing installation, you can do this with the custom installation.

7.3 Uninstalling the uEye Drivers

To uninstall the uEye drivers, you also use the menu-driven uEye setup program.

Uninstalling the GigE uEye network service

The GigE uEye network service is uninstalled automatically when you uninstall the uEye driver.

7.4 Connecting a USB uEye Camera

max. 5m

USB2.0-Hub

Figure 43: Connecting the uEye cameras to a PC

To use maximum bandwidth, we recommend connecting the cameras directly to the USB

2.0 ports on the mainboard. Many USB 2.0 ports on PCI/PCIe cards and the USB 2.0 ports on the front of the PC mostly supply lower bandwidths.

Please install the software first as described in the Installing the uEye Drivers section. Connect the USBuEye to the PC, using the USB 2.0 cable. The Windows Plug and Play Manager

recognizes the new hardware.

7 Installation

The uEye cameras can be connected to a USB port either directly or via hubs and repeaters. A wide range of different hubs and repeaters are available at computer stores or from IDS. The USB 2.0 hubs being used must be full powered hubs that are able to provide 500 mA per USB port. Low Powered hubs, in comparison, only supply 100 mA per port, which is not sufficient for uEye cameras.

When the camera has been correctly installed, the LED on the back of the camera lights up green. The camera is added to the camera list in the uEye Camera Manager.

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Figure 44: Connected uEye cameras are listed in the uEye

Camera Manage

If the camera is not listed in the uEye Camera Manager, open the Windows Device Manager to check whether the camera has been correctly recognized. If recognition was successful, you will find an entry in the format “uEye UI-xxxx-xx Series” under “Universal Serial Bus Controllers.” A question mark or exclamation mark before the entry indicates that camera was not correctly recognized. Disconnect and reconnect the camera. The camera should now be correctly recognized.

7.5 Connecting a GigE uEye Camera

Figure 45: Connecting two cameras directly to a PC

Using the GigE uEye camera through a router is not supported.

Figure 46: Connecting a camera to a PC, using switches to extend the

line length

Figure 47: Operating multiple cameras via switch

Please install the software first as described in the Installing the uEye Drivers section. Check the power supply to the camera. Suitable AC adapters are available as accessories (see

also GigE uEye HE Accessories and GigE uEye SE Accessories). Connect the camera to the PC either directly or using switches.

Connecting the camera directly to the PC

Using a suitable network cable (e.g. Cat 5e), connect the uEye camera directly to a Gigabit Ethernet port on your PC. With this connection type, you need a network card for each camera.

Connecting the camera to a PC via switches

7 Installation

The use of switches allows you to extend the line length, as each switch adds a segment. The maximum cable length for each segment is 100 m.

Connecting multiple cameras to multiple PCs using switches

As soon as one of the cameras is used by a PC, it is visible to other PCs, but no longer available. It can only be used by a different PC when the existing connection to the first PC has been closed.

If the two PCs are on different subnets, each PC can only work with the cameras that have been

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Figure 48: Multiple cameras and PCs networked using a switch

configured for the relevant subnet.

Connecting the camera to a PC behind a firewall

The use of external firewalls between the camera and the host PC is not recommended on image data networks. If you nonetheless want to use a firewall, please ensure that ports 50000, 50001, 50002 and 50003 are open for the UDP protocol.

The built-in Windows Firewall or personal firewalls installed as software in the host PC usually do not cause any problems.

7.5.1 Notes on connecting Gigabit Ethernet cameras

Please read the following notes before setting up GigE uEye cameras:

Network interface card

· To ensure optimum performance of the network connection, you need to install the latest drivers for your network card.

Cabling

· The cable length of the individual segments must not exceed 100 m.

· The network must be cabled throughout at either 100 Mbps or 1000 Mbps. The use of 1000 Mbps

networks is recommended.

· The data network and the camera network should be cabled separately. We therefore recommend connecting the GigE uEye cameras by a separate network card.

· Gigabit Ethernet network adapters for PCI slots do not achieve the maximum transfer rate of 114 MB/sec. In real life conditions, the transfer rate on a PCI bus is approx. 80-90 MB/sec.

IP configuration und DHCP

· Before you can use the GigE uEye camera on the network, you need to assign an IP address to the camera. The IP address is assigned in the uEye Camera Manager (see also uEye Camera Manager).

· The cameras and the computer must be on the same subnet.

· The network card on the host PC responsible for data transfer to and from the GigE uEye cameras

requires a persistent (fixed) IP address. It cannot obtain an IP address from a DHCP server.

· If a DHCP server is running on the network, you need to ensure when configuring the network card that the manually assigned address range of the uEye driver is outside the DHCP range.

7 Installation

Advanced settings

· For operating GigE uEye cameras, we recommend setting the value for the receive descriptors of the network connection to the maximum value. Please note that not all network cards provide this option. To set the receive descriptors, select Start ® Settings ® Network Connections. Right-click on the network connection and choose Properties. Switch to the Advanced tab in the dialog box and click the Configure... button. You can now set the receive descriptors (Rx/Tx).

· The UDP protocol is required for communication between the GigE uEye cameras and the computer. Ports 50000 ... 50003 must be open.

7.5.2 Serial Interface (RS232) of the GigE uEye HE

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

7.5.3 Camera Start-up

When the GigE uEye camera has been connected to the power supply and the network, it loads the starter firmware stored in the camera's EEPROM. The starter firmware enables the camera to register on the network and establish a connection to a host PC. As soon as the starter firmware is loaded, the camera sends a heartbeat broadcast to the network once every second.

In the next step, the camera checks whether a persistent IP address is stored. If it is, the camera uses the persistent IP address. Otherwise the camera is assigned the IP address 0.0.0.0.

7.5.4 Camera Initialization

As soon as a computer wants to use a camera, it sends a connection request to that camera. When the camera has signaled that it is available, the system first checks whether the camera has a valid IP address. If it does not, the computer sends a range of valid IP addresses to the camera. The camera picks a free IP address, i.e. one that is not yet in use on the network, from these IP

7 Installation

addresses and notifies the computer that the IP address has been assigned. Then the host PC transfers the runtime firmware to the camera and the camera is restarted. Transferring the runtime firmware and restarting the camera may take up to five seconds.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 49: Flowchart of establishing a connection to the GigE uEye HE

Only GigE uEye HE

7.5.5 Camera Recognition

As soon as the camera is connected to a host PC, it cannot connect to any other computer on the network. When a connection has been successfully established, the host PC also transmits a heartbeat, which is received and evaluated by the camera. If the heartbeat of the host PC cuts out, the camera is restarted and the starter firmware loaded. This allows the camera to connect to another computer on the network. If the heartbeat of the camera cuts out, the host PC closes the connection and removes the camera from its camera list. Once this has taken place, the camera is no longer displayed in the Camera Manager. This process may take up to three heartbeat periods (see above).

7 Installation

Figure 50: Flowchart of camera recognition for the GigE uEye HE

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

The uEye Camera Manager is currently only available for Windows operating systems. You can configure the cameras in Linux by using the uEye SDK.

Figure 51: uEye Camera Manager (basic view)

8 Applications

8.1 uEye Camera Manager

The uEye Camera Manager is the central tool for managing all uEye cameras. It displays information on the connected uEye USB and GigE uEye cameras and provides options for configuring them.

The uEye Camera Manager can be accessed as follows:

· Start ® All Programs ® IDS ® uEye ® uEye Camera Manager

· Program icon on the desktop or Quick Launch toolbar

· Start ® Control Panel ® uEye Camera Manager

· Camera list

The camera list displays information on the connected uEye cameras.

· Control center

In the control center, you can access the configuration and display detailed information on the connected uEye cameras.

· In the drop down box, you can choose the language for the uEye Camera Manager. This setting is saved and remains effective even after you close and reopen the program.

For proper display of Asian languages, the Windows support for East Asian languages has to be

installed on your system (in Control Panel ® Regional and Language Options).

Figure 52: uEye Camera Manager - Camera list

· Click to close the application; any settings you have made are saved.

· The status box at the bottom of the Camera Manager window indicates the current status of the

selected camera. If it is available, the status message is shown in black. Otherwise, the status message is shown in red.

If an error has occurred in a camera, a black exclamation mark on a yellow background is shown next the camera. The status box then indicates the cause of the error and suggests remedies.

8.1.1 Camera List

When a camera is activated (switched on or connected to the PC), it appears in the camera list of the uEye Camera Manager after a few seconds. A Gigabit Ethernet camera requires a little more time to start up and be detected by the network than a USB camera. After deactivating a GigE uEye camera (switching it off or disconnecting it from the network) it takes approximately three seconds before the camera is removed from the camera list. During this time the computer waits to see whether it receives another heartbeat signal from the camera.

8 Applications

The data shown in the camera list can be sorted in ascending or descending order by left-clicking on the respective column header.

· Free/Avail. Free indicates whether a camera is currently in use. Avail. (Available) indicates whether a camera can be opened by this computer with the current

setup (computer and camera). Cameras shown with a red x are currently in use (Free = No) and are not available (Avail. = No). Cameras shown with an exclamation mark are not in use, but are currently unavailable for various reasons, such as:

§ The camera is not compatible with the driver. Please update the uEye driver.

§ The IP configuration of the network card is not configured for use of the GigE uEye camera. Please

enter a valid configuration in the Manual ETH Configuration.

§ DHCP (automatic assignment of an IP address) is activated in the IP configuration of the network card. Please enter a valid configuration in the Manual ETH Configuration.

§ The driver has not properly detected (initialized) the camera. Please disconnect the camera from the PC and then reconnect it.

§ The camera is currently being removed from the Manager.

§ The camera reports that it is Not operational.

· Type

This column indicates whether the camera is a Gigabit Ethernet (ETH) or a USB camera (USB).

· Cam.ID

The camera ID assigned by the user.

· Dev.ID

Unique device identifier sequentially assigned by the system. Different device IDs are assigned for USB and Gigabit Ethernet cameras. USB cameras are assigned device IDs from 1 upwards, Gigabit Ethernet cameras from 1001. After deactivating a uEye camera (switching it off or disconnecting it from the network), the device ID is no longer valid and can be assigned again by the system.

· Model

Model name of the camera

· SerNo.

Serial number of the camera.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 53: uEye Camera Manager in Expert mode

8.1.2 Control Center

· Expert mode

When you select the check box, the uEye Camera Manager additionally displays the Parameters box on the right. There you will find detailed information on the uEye

camera selected in the camera list. The and

buttons are only available in Expert mode and are hidden otherwise

· Automatic parameter refresh

If you select the check box, the data shown in the tree structure is updated periodically. If the option is disabled, the data in the tree structure is only updated when a different camera is selected.

All other Control Center buttons are described in detail in the following sections.

8.1.3 General Information

This dialog box provides information on the installed uEye drivers and the available USB controllers and network adapters.

8 Applications

Figure 54: uEye Camera Manager - General information

Red: A new driver version is available. It is recommended that you update the software.

Green: The installed version is up-to-date.

Yellow: The installed version is more recent than the version on the website.

Gray: A file available on the website has not been installed.

Click this button to check whether new drivers are available on the IDS website. You need a connection to the Internet to use this function. After the version check, the individual files are highlighted by different background colors in the uEye drivers and 3rd party drivers lists:

Click this button to go to the http://www.ueyesetup.com website and download the uEye software and drivers.

· uEye drivers

This list shows the location and version of the uEye driver files installed on your system.

· 3rd party drivers

This list shows the location and version of the uEye interface files that have been installed on your system for third-party software.

· USB controller and network adapters

All USB controllers and network adapters that are available in your system are shown in a tree structure.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 55: uEye Camera Manager –

Camera information

You can only set the camera ID and write to the EEPROM if the camera is marked Free and Available in the Camera Manager (see also Camera list).

If software accesses the camera through the uEye DirectShow interface, the camera ID must be in a range from 1 to 8.

A uEye support file is a binary file with the extension .bin. The file contains camera and driver details that are required for diagnostics by the uEye support team. No personal computer data or user data is stored in this file.

8.1.4 Camera Information

In the Camera information dialog box, you can assign a unique ID to the selected camera and write to the user area of the EEPROM. The data you enter is retained in the camera memory even when the camera is disconnected from the PC or power supply.

· Camera ID

The camera ID identifies a camera in multi-camera operation. You can assign IDs in a range from 1 to 254. The default value for the camera ID is 1. The same ID can be assigned to multiple cameras. You do not have to assign sequential ID numbers to all connected cameras.

· User EEPROM (max. 64 characters)

Every uEye has a 64-byte user area in its EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) to which you can write text of your choice.

The Camera information dialog box displays two additional boxes that are for your information only and cannot be edited:

§ Manufacturer (e.g. IDS GmbH)

§ Date of QC (date of final camera quality test)

8.1.5 Creating a Support File

The button opens the "Save as" dialog box, where you can save the displayed camera information and additional driver information to a file.

8.1.6 ETH Network Service

Figure 56: uEye Camera Manager - ETH network service

In this dialog box, you can enable and disable the network service of the GigE uEye camera for specific network adapters. In addition, network adapters can be assigned a fixed IP address, which is required for operating the GigE uEye camera.

8 Applications

· Status

Displays information on the status of the GigE uEye network service and the connected network adapters.

· Network adapter

§ Click the button to disable the GigE uEye network service for a

network adapter. To enable the network service, click the button. Before you can enable or disable a network adapter, you need to select it in the tree structure of the dialog box. We recommend disabling the GigE uEye network service for all network adapters that are not being used for uEye cameras.

§ In the IP Address and IP Subnetmask input boxes, you can assign a static IP address and a

static IP subnet mask to the selected network adapter. DHCP will be disabled automatically.

8.1.7 Additional Functions (COM Port)

The Additional functions dialog box allows installing virtual COM ports for communication through the serial interface of the GigE uEye HE camera. The following sections show you how to set up and use the serial interface.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

This feature is only available for GigE uEye HE cameras. You need administrator privileges to install a virtual COM port. The GigE uEye HE camera you select in the Camera Manager has to be marked Free and

Available.

Figure 57: uEye Camera Manager - Additional functions

If you want to control more than one GigE uEye HE camera from a PC, each camera should be assigned a unique port number. If multiple cameras are assigned the same port number, only the port of the first camera that is opened will be used.

Setting up the serial interface on the GigE uEye HE

Before using the serial interface on the camera, one or more virtual COM ports have to be installed on the PC. Most systems support up to 255 COM ports; COM1 to COM8 are often assigned operating system functions by default. You can check the current port assignment in the Device Manager on your computer. Some older systems may not have more than eight ports; in that case you will need to assign the GigE uEye HE camera to one of these ports.

· COM port

In the drop down box, select the number of the port you want to install (default: 100). COM ports in use are marked (used) in the list.

Click this button to install the selected virtual COM port. During the first installation of a virtual COM port, an additional broadcast port with number 255 is installed. Data sent to this port will be forwarded to all paired cameras. You can install any number of virtual COM ports on a single system.

With this button, you can release a COM port that is marked "used." If the port number has been saved in that camera, it will be deleted in the camera, too. To release a COM port, select it in the drop down box and then click this button.

Click this button to assign the selected port number to the camera. The port number is saved in the camera's non-volatile memory and retained even when the camera is switched off. You can look up the assigned port number in the Camera Manager's expert mode. A COM port number can

also be saved in a camera without a virtual COM port installed on the PC.

8 Applications

To send data via the serial interfaces of multiple cameras, you can use the broadcast port with number 255. Before connecting to the broadcast port, ensure that all the cameras that are to receive the broadcast have been opened.

Before a camera can exchange data with a PC through the virtual COM port, the camera has to be paired with that PC (see Paired).

To avoid transmission errors, please ensure that both the camera and the receiving end use the same communication parameters (baud rate, data bits, stop bits, parity). Further information on the communication parameters is provided in the Specifications: Serial Interface chapter.

Figure 58: Data transfer through a virtual COM port

Testing the serial interface on the GigE uEye HE

Clicking this button opens a dialog box for transferring data through the COM port. The dialog box is provided as the uEyeComportDemo.exe sample program together with the C++ source code and is included in the uEye SDK. This program allows sending ASCII characters to the COM port assigned to a camera. The characters are output unchanged on the camera's serial port. To check the proper functionality, you can connect a PC to the camera's serial port and read the transmitted characters on the PC's COM port.

· Baud

In this drop down box, you can change the data transfer rate of the serial interface.

· Append

This drop down box allows appending the special characters CR (Carriage Return) and LF (Line Feed) to the ASCII text you want to transmit. Some devices with serial interface require ASCII

strings to be terminated with CR/LF.

· Send file

Using these functions, you can send a file in either direction (output on the camera's virtual COM port or output on the PC's COM port).

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Since the sample program has to open the camera, please make sure the selected camera is not used by other applications at the same time.

This function is only available for GigE uEye cameras.

The starter firmware determines the start-up behavior of the GigE uEye camera. We recommend that you do not update the starter firmware unless an older firmware version causes start-up problems. If you have questions on the current starter firmware, please contact our technical support (see Contacting Us).

This function is only available for GigE uEye cameras.

8.1.8 Automatic ETH Configuration

The button allows configuring a connected GigE uEye camera for automatic IP address assignment. The function defines a suitable IP address range, which you can change in the Manual ETH configuration dialog box, if required.At the same time, it deletes the camera's persistent IP address (i.e. sets it to 0.0.0.0). When the GigE uEye camera is opened by an application, the function automatically assigns a free IP address to the camera.

8.1.9 Starter Firmware Upload

The button uploads a new version of the starter firmware to the selected camera. This button is only available in Expert mode and is hidden otherwise.

8.1.10 Manual ETH Configuration

This dialog box allows you to manually set the IP address and subnet mask of a GigE uEye camera. The button is only available in Expert mode and is hidden otherwise.

8 Applications

Figure 59: uEye Camera Manager - Manual ETH

configuration

If a DHCP server is running on the network, you need to ensure when configuring the network adapter that the manually assigned address range of the uEye driver is outside the DHCP range.

· Adapter settings

Here, you can change the IP configuration of the network adapter to which the selected GigE uEye camera is connected.

§ IP range begin/end

Defines the IP range from which the uEye driver chooses an address during automatic ETH configuration. The IP range is not effective if the camera is assigned a persistent IP address.

§ Suggest

Same as the Automatic ETH configuration function.

§ Selected device ID

Here, you can change the IP configuration of the GigE uEye camera.

§ Persistent IP

The entered IP address is permanently saved in the camera when you close the dialog box. The persistent IP address is retained in the camera memory even when the camera is disconnected from the power supply. If you connect the camera to a different PC, make sure the persistent IP address is valid on that computer, as well.

§ Subnet mask

Enter a valid subnet mask for the persistent IP address.

§ Suggest

Selects the first free IP address from the network adapter's range of valid IP addresses. The function then enters that address in the Persistent IP box and sets the appropriate subnet mask. The settings made for IP range begin/end in the Adapter Settings box have no influence on the suggested address.

· Status

This box displays information on the defined IP configuration.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 60: uEye Camera Manager - Parameter list

8.1.11 Parameters

This box displays the parameters of the camera you have selected in the camera list. The

Parameters box is only shown when Expert mode is active.

The parameters are organized in a tree structure. Only the information that applies to the selected camera is shown. The data displayed in the camera list is not repeated in the Parameters box. The data shown in the tree structure cannot be changed.

8 Applications

· USB *)

§ Hub

Indicates which hub and port a USB camera is connected to. In addition, the full path through all hubs to the USB controller on the computer is displayed.

§ Controller

Indicates the USB controller to which the camera is connected.

· Device

§ Sensor ID *

)

§ General

Runtime firmware version **

Starter firmware version **

User EEPROM

)

The first 8 characters of the user area in the EEPROM are displayed (see Camera Information).

COM port number **

)

Number of the virtual COM port stored in the camera's memory (see Serial Interface (RS232)).

Camera temperature **

)

Indicates the camera temperature in degrees Celsius.

Device statusflags **

)

Internal camera status flags

Control status **

)

Internal camera status flags

§ Hardware **

Sensor ID **

Image memory size **

§ Network **

MAC address

)

Unique MAC network address of the camera

Current IP address/Current IP subnetmask

Current IP configuration

Persistent IP address/Persistent IP subnetmask

IP configuration stored in the camera's memory

IP range begin/IP range end

IP range assigned by the computer. If the IP address is automatically assigned, the camera accesses this IP range and attempts to find an available IP address within this range.

Paired host MAC/Paired host IP

Network data of the paired computer

Link

Bandwidth of the camera's network connection

· Local network adapter **

§ General **

Designation

)

Name of the network adapter

DHCP disabled/enabled

Number of known devices Number of devices connected to the computer

Number of paired devices

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Number of cameras that have been opened by this computer

§ Network **

MAC address

Unique network address of the computer

IP address/IP subnetmask

Network configuration of the computer

IP range begin/IP range end

Address range stored on the computer for automatic assignment of the camera IP address (see Automatic ETH Configuration)

IP range valid

Checks that the IP range stored on the computer is valid. The addresses of the IP range are valid if they are on the same subnet as the computer.

§ Settings

Packet filter ** Determines how incoming uEye data traffic is filtered by the network card. Block UEGET is preset and cannot be changed.

§ Local driver

Min. compatible starter FW **

Minimum required version of the starter firmware

Max. compatible starter FW **

Last supported version of the starter firmware

)

*) This information is only displayed for USB uEye cameras

**) This information is only displayed for GigE uEye cameras

8.2 uEye Demo

uEye Demo is currently only available for Windows operating systems. A version with reduced functionality is available for Linux.

Please note that uEye Demo does not guarantee completeness and operational

reliability in all modes and all computing environments. uEye Demo is supplied with source code and is intended solely for demonstrating the uEye software library and camera functionality.

Figure 61: uEye Demo application

The uEye Demo application demonstrates the functionality and performance of the uEye cameras. The application is part of the free uEye software package that is available for download from our website.

In uEye Demo, you can access all important camera settings and functions of the uEye programming library. Apart from controlling and configuring the camera, you can record images as AVI files and save them as BMP or JPEG files.

8 Applications

uEye Demo can be accessed as follows:

· Start ® All Programs ® IDS ® uEye ® uEye Demo

· Program icon on the desktop or Quick Launch toolbar

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 62: Select Camera dialog box

Figure 63: Select camera (cameras in use)

8.2.1 Camera Selection

Select uEye menu ® Open or click the corresponding icon on the General toolbar to select (open) a connected camera. If only one camera is available, this camera is selected automatically. If more than one camera is connected, the Select Camera dialog box is displayed.

You can use multiple cameras simultaneously by opening multiple instances of uEye Demo. GigE

uEye cameras that have already been opened or that have not been correctly configured are marked No in the Available column.

8.2.2 Toolbars

Open camera and start in live mode

Open camera

Close camera

Camera changes to standby mode

Save image as bitmap

Open the dialog box for AVI Recording

Copy image to the Clipboard (only in DIB mode)

Test the range of camera functions

Select AOI (Area Of Interest)

Delete selected AOI

Open/close Histogram window

Open/close Horizontal Line View window Displays the color values of a pixel row

Open/close Vertical Line View window Displays the color values of a pixel column

Open/close Zoom window

Open/close Pixel Peek window

Deactivate display

Full screen window in overlay or back buffer mode

Scale display to window size

Display at original size

Scale display down to half size

Scale display down to quarter size

Scale display up to double size

Limit max. display frame rate to 30 fps. The image capture frame rate remains unchanged.

uEye

8 Applications

Display

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Start/stop live video (freerun mode)

Snapshot in freerun mode

Snapshot in trigger mode

Start/stop continuous triggered capture

Automatic brightness control (AES/AGC) on/off

Set reference area for automatic brightness control

Delete reference area for automatic brightness control

Automatic white balance (AWB) on/off

Set reference area for automatic white balance

Delete reference area for automatic white balance

Draw freehand overlay in image

Draw overlay line in image

Draw overlay circle in image

Draw overlay rectangle in image

Measure distance

Write overlay text in image

Clear all drawn elements

Timestamp on/off

Capture

Auto Features

Draw

Status Bar

Figure 64: uEye Demo – Status bar

Current cursor position in the Zoom/Pixel Peek window and color values at the cursor position

Defined color mode and image resolution

Counters Frames: Transferred images Display: Displayed images Missed: Hardware trigger events missed. This counter increments each time a

hardware trigger is received in trigger mode, but the camera is not ready for

image capture Failed: Transmission errors Recon.: This counter increments each time the open camera is removed and

reconnected during operation.

Status of the current image data transfer (OK/Error)

Current frame rate (fps) of the camera

8 Applications

8.2.3 Menus File

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Load image ...

Load bitmap

Save image ...

Save image as bitmap

Record video sequence ...

Opens the Record Dialog box

Load parameters

Load parameters from an ini file or from one of the camera's parameter sets

Save parameters

Save parameters to an .ini file or to one of the camera's internal parameter sets

Language

Select a language for the program. When you change the language, you need to restart uEye Demo to apply the new setting.

Customize

Opens a dialog box where you can make various settings for the startup behavior of uEye Demo

Exit

Exit the demo program

Copy Ctrl+C

Copy the displayed image content to the Clipboard. Overlay data created using the Draw/Measure function is also copied automatically.

Edit

View

Render mode

Image display

Disable

Deactivate display

Normal

Display at original size

Fit to window

Scale display to window size

Quarter size

Scale display down to quarter size

Half size

Scale display down to half size

Double size

Scale display up to double size

Mirror up/down

Mirror display on horizontal axis

Show only AOI

AOI is displayed without black border

Line view (horizontal)

Opens the Line view window (row view)

Line view (vertical)

Opens the Line view window (column view)

Histogram

Opens the Histogram window

Zoom window

Opens the Zoom window

Pixel peek window

Opens the Pixel peek window

Waterfall window

Opens the Waterfall window

Log window

Opens the Log window

Capture errors

Opens the Capture errors window

Toolbars

Show/hide toolbars uEye, View, Capture, Auto Features and Draw/Measure

8 Applications

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Initialize

Open camera and show live image

Initialize and stop

Open camera

Standby

The camera changes to standby mode

Close camera

Reset to defaults

Resets all values set in the demo program to the defaults

Live

Live video on/off

Snap

Snapshot from live video

Sync Trigger (Rising Edge)

Triggered snapshot (hardware trigger, rising edge)

Sync Trigger (Falling Edge)

Triggered snapshot (hardware trigger, falling edge)

Trigger snap

Triggered snapshot (software trigger)

Trigger mode ...

Trigger mode on/off; continuous triggered capture

Properties

See Camera Properties

Auto contrast

Activate automatic brightness control

Set new AES/AGC AOI

Define active area for automatic brightness control

Clear AES/AGC AOI

Clear active area defined for automatic brightness control

Auto whitebalance

Activate automatic white balance

Set new AWB AOI

Define active area for automatic white balance

Clear AWB AOI

Clear active area defined for automatic white balance

Set new AOI

After calling Set new AOI, you can select the area to be used as

uEye

8 Applications

AOI with the mouse

Clear AOI

Resets the area set with Set new AOI

User allocated image

The memory is allocated not via the SDK function is_SetAllocateImageMem(), but by the application

Sound on transfer failed

Output an acoustic signal if a transmission error occurs

Error report

Errors are displayed in a dialog box

Clear counters

Reset the counters (see uEye Demo Status Bar)

Copy

Copy the displayed image content to the Clipboard. Overlay data created using the Draw/Measure function is also copied automatically.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Select Color

Select color for drawings and text

Geometry

Select line width

Set line width

Circle

Show circles

Show/hide circles

New circle

Draw new circles

Delete circles

Freehand

Show freehand

Show/hide freehand drawings

New freehand

Draw new freehand

Delete freehand

Delete freehand drawing

Line

Show lines

Show/hide lines

New lines

Draw new lines

Delete lines

Rectangle

Show rectangles

Show/hide rectangles

New rectangles

Draw new rectangles

Delete rectangles

Measure

Set measuring unit

Set scale

Show measures

Show/hide dimension lines

New measure

New dimension line

Delete measures

Delete all dimension lines

Text

Select font

Show texts

Show/hide texts

New text

Write new text

Delete text

Time stamp

Set timestamp position

Timestamp position (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)

Show timestamp

Show/hide timestamp

Save window

Opens the Save As dialog box. The image is stored with all drawings, texts, measures and dimension lines

Delete all

Delete all drawings, texts, measures and dimension lines

Draw/Measure

Help

Hotkeys

Display hotkeys

Figure 65: Hotkeys

About uEye Demo

Display program information

Figure 66: About uEye Demo

8 Applications

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 67: File menu – Record video sequence

AVI recording is only possible in the Device Independent Bitmap (DIB) display mode.

8.2.4 Dialog Boxes Record Dialog

Select File menu ® Record video sequence ... to open the uEye Record Dialog box. This dialog box provides all the functions you need to create a video file (.avi) from a sequence of images captured with the uEye. To reduce the file size, the single frames are stored in the AVI container using an adjustable JPEG compression. It is possible to extract single frames from the AVI file.

AVI capture workflow

Once the AVI file has been created, images transferred from the uEye are placed in a buffer. Then, the images are compressed and added to the AVI file which is stored on the hard disk. These operations are not performed in the same thread as the capturing process. If you capture more images while a compression or write operation is in progress, the new images will be discarded.

Supported color formats

The supported input color formats are RGB32, RGB24, Y8 and raw Bayer. The output file will always be in RGB24 format, regardless of the input data format. Once the AVI file has been created, the

following parameters of the input image can no longer be changed:

· Color format

· AOI, binning and subsampling

· Show only AOI

Record dialog box

· File

Name of the AVI file opened for recording.

· Max. Frames

If you select this check box, you can set the number of frames after which recording should stop.

· Maximal [MB]

Sets the maximum size for the AVI file. Recording stops when the AVI file reaches the size limit.

8 Applications

You can edit the entry in this box (default: 1998).

· Current [MB]

Indicates the current size of the AVI file.

· Received

Indicates the number of images transferred by the camera.

· Dropped

Indicates the number of images discarded during compression. A image is dropped if it arrives while compression is in progress.

· Saved

Indicates the number of images saved to the AVI file.

· Calc. Framerate

If you select this check box, the frame rate of the AVI file is determined automatically during recording. It can also be set manually. The frame rate value is stored in the AVI file and evaluated by the movie player. The usual value is 25 or 30 frames per second.

The recording speed of the video depends on the selected color format, the image size and the compression level of the AVI file as well as the PC performance.

· JPEG Quality

This slider sets the JPEG compression level (1 = lowest quality/highest compression, 100 = highest quality/lowest compression, default = 75).

· Create.../Close

Click this button to create a new AVI file for recording, and to close the file again when you are done. If you select an existing AVI file, the file contents will be overwritten during recording.

· Record/Stop

Starts/stops AVI recording.

· Exit

Closes the Record dialog box. A recording in progress is stopped.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 68: View menu - Line view

Horizontal/Vertical Line View

Select View menu ® Line view (horizontal / vertical) to open the Line View windows, which show the color values of a pixel row or pixel column. The line view always displays 256 values per channel. For color modes with a bit depth of more than 8 bits, the function evaluates the 8 most significant bits (MSBs).

8 Applications

Figure 69: View menu – Histogram window

Histogram

Select View menu ® Histogram to open the Histogram window. This window graphically displays the frequency distribution of the color values in the image captured by the camera. The histogram

always displays 256 values per channel. For color modes with a bit depth of more than 8 bits, the function evaluates the 8 most significant bits (MSBs).

The following options are available:

· Channel

With the Red, Green, and Blue check boxes, you can enable or disable the display for each color channel. Avg. displays the average of each color value. For monochrome images, the average grayscale value is displayed.

· Outlined

The Outlined check box enables you to toggle the color value display between an area diagram and a line diagram.

· Logarithmic

If you select this check box, the values are displayed with logarithmic scaling.

· Show Bayer RGB

This function is only available when a color camera is running in Direct raw Bayer mode. If you select this check box, the histogram represents the individual Bayer color components as red, green and blue channels.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 70: View menu – Zoom window

Zoom Window

Select View menu ® Zoom window to open the Zoomwindow. This window shows an enlarged view of the image area at the selected cursor position. Using the slider at the top of the window, you can set the zoom factor in the range between 0.25 and 20.00. The size of the image area depends on the selected size of the Zoom window.

If you enable the Pixel Peek check box at the top of the zoom window, the color values at the cursor position are displayed (see Pixel Peek Window).

To set the cursor position you want to display in the window, place the cursor at that position in the image, hold the b key and right-click. Alternatively, you can set the image position using the context menu.

8 Applications

Figure 71: View menu – Pixel Peek window

Pixel Peek Window

Select View menu ® Pixel peek window to open the Pixel peek window. This window displays the color values at the selected cursor position and those of the neighboring pixels. The color values at the cursor position are surrounded by a yellow rectangle. For monochrome images, the grayscale value is displayed. The window always displays 256 values per channel. For color modes with a bit depth of more than 8 bits, the function evaluates the 8 most significant bits (MSBs).

If you disable the Pixel Peek check box at the top of the window, the Zoom window is displayed (see Zoom Window).

To set the cursor position you want to display in the window, place the cursor at that position in the image, hold the Ctrl key and right-click. Alternatively, you can set the image position using the context menu.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 72: View menu – Waterfall window

Waterfall Window

Select View menu ® Waterfall window to display the Waterfall window. This window shows how a selected image line changes over time. For this purpose, the line at the selected cursor position is

copied to the new window. With each new frame, all lines in the Waterfall window are moved one pixel down, and the new line is added at the top. This results in an image that flows from top to bottom and is useful for observing short-term image changes.

To set the cursor position you want to monitor in the Waterfall window, place the cursor at that position in the image, hold the Ctrl key and right-click. Alternatively, you can set the image position using the context menu.

8 Applications

Figure 73: View menu – Log window

Log Window

Select View menu ® Log window to display the logged data. The uEye logs events and messages in this window.

The following options are available:

· Level

With these radio buttons, you choose the logging level (Off, Low, Medium, High). The last level used is saved when you close the window. The next time you open the log window, logging is performed at that level.

· Auto Scroll

When you select the Auto Scroll check box, the display automatically scrolls up when new entries arrive so that the new entries can be read.

· Log Transfer Failed

Select the Log Transfer Failed check box if you want to log transfer errors.

· Clear Window

The Clear Window button deletes the current messages.

· Save

The Save button opens the Windows Save as dialog box, allowing you to save the messages displayed in the log window in ASCII format (.txt file).

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 74: View menu - Capture errors

Error type

Description

API no destination memory

There is no destination memory for copying the finished image.

API conversion failed

The current image could not be processed correctly.

API image locked

The destination buffers are locked and could not be written to.

DRV out of buffers

No free internal image memory is available to the driver. The image was discarded.

DRV device not ready

The camera is no longer available. It is not possible to access images that have already been transferred.

USB transfer failed

The image was not transferred over the USB bus.

DEV timeout

The maximum allowable time for image capturing in the camera was exceeded.

ETH buffer overrun

The sensor transfers more data than the internal camera memory of the GigE uEye can accommodate.

ETH missed images

The GigE uEye camera could neither process nor output an image captured by the sensor.

Capture Errors

Select View menu ® Capture errors on the main menu to display the Capture Errors dialog box.

8 Applications

Possible cause

Remedy

Not enough destination memory allocated or all destination buffers locked by the application

· Reduce the frame rate so that there is more time to process the filled destination buffers

Internal error during internal processing of the image

All destination buffers locked by the application

· Reduce the frame rate so that there is more time to process the filled destination buffers

The computer takes too long to process the images in the uEye API (e.g. colour conversion)

· Reduce the frame rate so that there is more time to process the filled image memory of the driver

· Disable resource-intensive API image pre-processing functions (e.g. edge enhancement, colour correction, choose smaller filter mask for software colour conversion)

The camera was disconnected or closed

Not enough free bandwidth for image transfer available on the USB bus

· Reduce the pixel clock frequency

· Operate fewer cameras simultaneously on a USB

bus

· Check the quality of the USB cabling and components

The selected timeout value is too low for image captre

· Reduce the exposure time

· Increase the timeout

The data rate of the sensor is too high

· Reduce the pixel clock frequency

· Reduce the frame rate

· Reduce the AOI

The camera's frame rate is too high or the bandwidth on the network is insufficient to transfer the image

· Reduce the frame rate

· Increase the value for the receive descriptors in the

network card settings

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 75: uEye properties - Camera

8.2.5 Properties

When you select uEye ® Properties from the main menu, a dialog box opens where you can set the uEye camera parameters. Changes made to camera and image settings here will take effect immediately.

When you close a camera in uEye Demo, the current settings are written to the Windows Registry. They will be loaded the next time you open a camera of the same type. To save the settings to the camera or to an ini file, select File ® Save parameters from the main menu. To load settings, select

the Load parameters option.

Camera

This tab provides parameters for settings the pixel clock frequency, frame rate and exposure time for your uEye camera (see also Pixel Clock, Frame Rate and Exposure Time).

· Camera peak bandwidth

Maximum required bandwidth in MB/sec (peak load). This value is displayed in red if the available Gigabit Ethernet bandwidth is exceeded.

· Camera average bandwidth

Required average bandwidth in MB/sec. This value is displayed in red if the available Gigabit Ethernet bandwidth is exceeded. The average bandwidth is calculated from the following data: Image size, image format, frame rate, and interface-related protocol overhead.

· Sensor (max. bandwidth)

Maximum data volume in Mpixels/sec created by the sensor.

8 Applications

The upper bandwidth limit of a Gigabit Ethernet camera depends on the chipset of the network card and on the network structure. If transfer errors occur, you need to reduce the frame rate.

With USB cameras, the upper limit depends on the USB chipset on the mainboard/USB card and on the number of USB devices connected. If transfer errors occur, reduce the pixel clock frequency.

· Pixel

Sets the clock rate at which the image data is read from the sensor. Changes to this parameter affect the frame rate and the exposure time. Many CMOS sensors allow higher pixel clock frequencies in binning/subsampling mode.

§ Optimum

When you select this check box, the highest possible pixel clock is determined and set automatically. The optimum pixel clock is the clock rate at which no transfer errors occur during the time (in seconds) set in the Auto pixel clock test period box. The longer you set the test period, the more reliable the determined pixel clock becomes. The total time it takes to automatically set the pixel clock is a bit longer than the test period setting.

· Frame rate (Freerun)

Sets the frame rate in freerun mode. The available frame rate range depends on the pixel clock setting.

§ Hold

When you select this check box, the frame rate will remain constant if the pixel clock changes. If the frame rate cannot be maintained, it is set to the nearest possible value.

§ Max

The camera is operated at the maximum frame rate that is possible at the current pixel clock setting.

§ Auto

Select this check box to activate the Auto Frame Rate function. This function is only available when Auto Exposure Shutter is enabled.

· Exposure time

Sets the exposure time. The available exposure time range depends on the pixel clock setting and the frame rate. A low frame rate setting allows long exposure times. A high frame rate setting reduces the maximum possible exposure time.

§ Hold

When you select this check box, the exposure time will remain constant if the frame rate changes. If the exposure time cannot be maintained, it is set to the nearest possible value.

§ Max

The camera is operated at the maximum exposure time that is possible at the current frame rate.

§ Auto

Select this check box to activate the Auto Exposure Shutter function. If the Auto check box is selected, the exposure time and pixel clock can no longer be adjusted manually. Selecting the Hold or Max check box deselects the Auto check box.

· Long-term

If you select this check box, you can set an exposure time of up to 10 minutes on many uEye CCD cameras. This function is only available in trigger mode.

· Default

Click this button to reset all parameters to the model-specific defaults.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 76: uEye properties - Image

Image

On this tab you can set the sensor gain parameters for your uEye camera (see also Gain and Offset ).

· Hardware settings

The following functions control the analog image signal gain and the black level. The analog adjustments are made directly in the sensor, which achieves better results than image adjustments via software.

§ Master gain [0 ... 100] Gain for overall image brightness. Some camera models have no master gain. Master gain = 100 means maximum gain; the actual factor is displayed. A gain factor of 1x disables master gain. The maximum possible gain factor depends on the model you are using.

Auto

Select this check box to activate the automatic gain control function. Manually changing the master gain setting disables the Auto function.

Gain boost

Additional analog camera hardware gain. The gain factor ranges between 1.5x and 2x, depending on the camera model.

§ Black level (offset) [0 ... 255] Offset for the black level of the sensor signal. The sensor adjusts the black level of the pixels automatically by default. If the environment is very bright, it can be necessary to adjust the black level manually. High gain may offset the black level. Only an additive offset is possible (increase of the black level).

Auto

The black level is automatically corrected by the sensor (recommended).

§ Red gain [0 ... 100]

8 Applications

With cameras featuring both master gain and RGB gain, the two gain factors are multiplied. Very high gain values can be achieved in this way.

If you want to use the RGB sliders for color adjustment, we recommend setting green gain to 0 and using only red and blue gain.

Amplifies the red color values

§ Green gain [0 ... 100] Amplifies the green color values

§ Blue gain [0 ... 100] Amplifies the blue color values

The RGB gain sliders are only enabled for color cameras.

· Edge enhancement

This function activates a software filter that emphasises the edges in the image. Enabling the Edge enhancement function increases the CPU load during image capture.

· Gamma

This function activates the gamma function and sets the factor for the gamma curve. The gamma function emphasises dark image areas according to a non-linear curve. When you are using a GigE uEye HE camera and have activated hardware color calculation, the gamma curve is calculated in the camera. In all other cases, the gamma curve is calculated in the PC.

§ Hardware sensor gamma

Select this check box to enable gamma correction by the hardware, using a fixed factor. This function is currently only available for the UI-122X-X/UI-522X-X.

· Default

Click this button to reset all parameters to the model-specific defaults.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 77: uEye properties - Size

Size

On this tab, you can set the image size parameters for your uEye camera (see also Reading out Partial Images).

· AOI

These parameters allow selecting the size and position of the area of interest.

· Show only AOI

The AOI is displayed without a black border. Internally, the image is managed at the AOI resolution and not the full sensor resolution. This function saves memory and computing time when rendering the image.

§ Width

Sets the AOI width.

§ Height

Sets the AOI height.

§ Left

Sets the left-hand position of the AOI.

§ Center

Select this check box to center the AOI horizontally.

§ Top Sets the top position of the AOI.

§ Center

Select this check box to center the AOI vertically.

· Horizontal format / Vertical format With these check boxes and radio buttons, you can select the binning and subsampling settings for the image.

8 Applications

The Specifications: Sensors chapter shows you which binning and subsampling factors the individual camera models support.

Some color cameras perform only mono binning/subsampling due to the sensors they use. If mono binning or subsampling is used in a color camera, the color information will be lost.

Some monochrome cameras perform only color binning/subsampling due to the sensors they use. If color binning or subsampling is used in a monochrome camera, image artefacts might become visible.

§ Normal

Disables binning and subsampling.

§ Mirror left/right / Mirror up/down

Select this check box to flip the image horizontally/vertically. On CMOS camera models, vertical mirroring is performed directly in the sensor.

§ 2x/3x/4x/5x/6x/8x Binning

These radio buttons allow setting the binning factor. The image resolution is then reduced by the selected factor. You can use binning to increase the frame rate.

§ 2x/3x/4x/5x/6x/8x/16x Subsampling

These radio buttons allow setting the subsampling factor. The image resolution is then reduced by the selected factor. You can use subsampling to increase the frame rate.

· Default

Click this button to reset all parameters to the model-specific defaults.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 78: uEye properties - Format

Format

On this tab you can set parameters for the color format and display mode of your uEye camera (see also Color Filter (Bayer Filter)).

· Pixel format

With these settings you define the target format to which you want to convert the sensor's raw data (raw Bayer). The Color Formats and Memory Formats chapter in the uEye Programming Manual provides a detailed list of all uEye color formats and their representation in the memory.

§ Debayering method

With this setting you select the conversion algorithm.

Software 3x3

The conversion is performed by software in the PC. A filter mask of 3x3 pixels is used for the conversion.

Software 5x5

The conversion is performed by software in the PC. A filter mask of 5x5 pixels is used for the conversion.

Hardware 3x3

The conversion is performed in the camera. A filter mask of 3x3 pixels is used for the conversion. This radio button is only available for GigE uEye HE cameras. When you select hardware de-Bayering, you can also perform the LUT, Gamma and Hotpixel correction functions directly in the camera.

§ With the format radio buttons you specify the format in which the image data are written to the memory. The following formats are available:

Direct raw bayer (8)

Direct output of the sensor's raw data (8 bits per pixel). If you are using a color camera, the pattern of the Bayer color filter is visible. With monochrome cameras, raw Bayer corresponds to the

8 Applications

We recommend 32-bit RGB mode for TrueColor applications. Y8 mode is usually used for monochrome applications.

The General: Color Formats and Memory Formats chapter in the uEye Programming Manual shows you in detail how the color formats are represented in the image memory.

grayscale format with the exception of the LUT/gamma curves.

Direct raw bayer (12)

Direct output of the sensor's raw data (12 bits per pixel, starting from the least significant bit (LSB)).

Direct raw bayer (16)

Direct output of the sensor's raw data (12 bits per pixel, starting from the most significant bit (MSB)).

Grayscale (8)

Output of a grayscale image to which the LUT/gamma curve has been applied (8 bits per pixel).

Grayscale (12)

Output of a grayscale image to which the LUT/gamma curve has been applied (12 bits per pixel, starting from least significant bit (LSB)).

Grayscale (16)

Output of a grayscale image to which the LUT/gamma curve has been applied (12 bits per pixel, starting from most significant bit (MSB)).

RGB15 (5 5 5)

Output of an image converted according to RGB 15 (5 bits per pixel for R, G and B)

RGB16 (5 6 5)

Output of an image converted according to RGB 16 (5 bits per pixel for R and G, 6 bits per pixel for B)

RGB24 (8 8 8)

Output of an image converted according to RGB 24 (8 bits per pixel for R, G and B)

RGB32 (8 8 8)

Output of an image converted according to RGB 32 (8 bits per pixel for R, G and B, 8 bit padding)

RGBY (8 8 8 8)

Output of an image converted according to RGB 24 (8 bits per pixel for R, G and B) and an additional gray channel (8 bits per pixel)

RGB30 (10 10 10)

Output of an image converted according to RGB 30 (10 bits per pixel for R, G and B, 2 bit padding (MSB = 0))

YUV422

Output of an image converted according to YUV (8 bits per pixel for U, Y, V and Y)

YCbCr (8 8 8 8)

Output of an image converted according to YUV (8 bits per pixel for Cb, Y, Cr and Y)

· Display mode

With these radio buttons you select the display mode for the image.

§ Device independent (DIB)

The processor actively renders the image. This color format is supported by all graphics hardware and is recommended for applications that will be used on different PCs.

§ Overlay

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

The display modes Overlay and Backbuffer are only supported by graphics cards with DirectDraw functionality.

In this mode the images are written directly to an invisible area of the graphics card, mixed with overlay image data and displayed by the card without load on the CPU. The mode also allows

rendering in YUV format and scaling the images in real time.

§ Backbuffer (Desktop color)

In this mode the images are written directly to an invisible area (BackBuffer) of the graphics card and displayed by the card without load on the CPU.

· Default

Click this button to reset all parameters to the model-specific defaults.

8 Applications

Figure 79: uEye properties - Color

Color

This tab provides color rendering settings for your uEye camera (see also Color Filter (Bayer Filter)).

· Color saturation

This function enables and configures color saturation control. In the YUV format, color information (i.e. the color difference signals) is provided by the U and V channels. In the U channel they result from the difference between the proportion of blue and Y (luminance), in the V channel from the difference between the proportion of red and Y. For the use in other color formats than YUV, U and V are converted using a driver matrix.

§ Combine

Selecting this check box synchronizes the two Saturation U and Saturation V sliders.

· IR color filter correction matrix

When using color cameras with IR filter glass, you need to set the appropriate color correction matrix to ensure correct color rendering. The driver detects the IR filter type and sets this value automatically (Auto button). You can also select the correction matrix manually.

· Sensor color correction

This function corrects the color values of a pixel. The colors are rendered more accurately after the color crosstalk of the individual Bayer pattern filters has been eliminated by the color correction. The color correction factor is steplessly adjustable between 0 (no correction) and 1 (full correction). Activating the sensor color correction may increase CPU load.

· Default

Click this button to reset all parameters to the model-specific defaults.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

This feature is only available for GigE uEye HE cameras.

Figure 80: uEye properties - Hardware LUT

Hardware LUT

This tab provides settings for the hardware LUT curve of the GigE uEye HE camera. Each look-up table (LUT) for the uEye contains modification values for the image brightness and contrast parameters. When a LUT is used, each brightness value in the image will be replaced by a value from the table. LUTs are typically used to enhance the image contrast or the gamma curve.

· Channel

In this drop down box, you can choose whether you want to display the LUT for all channels or just for red, green or blue.

· Split points

The LUT has 32 knee points by default. Knee points are used for defining the individual sections of the curve. When you select the Split points check box, each knee point is split into two separate points. Only the start and end points of each curve section can be defined independently of the adjacent sections.

· Presets

In this drop down box, you can select and load predefined LUT curves. The following LUT curves are available:

8 Applications

Linear

Linear LUT curve without effect

Negative

Predefined LUT, inverts the image

Glow1

Predefined LUT, false-color representation of the image

Glow2

Predefined LUT, false-color representation of the image

Astro1

Predefined LUT, false-color representation of the image

Rainbow1

Predefined LUT, false-color representation of the image

Map1

Predefined LUT, false-color representation of the image

Cold/Hot

Predefined LUT, false-color representation of the image

Sepic

Predefined LUT, uses sepia toning for coloring the image

Only red

Predefined LUT, shows only the red channel of the image

Only green

Predefined LUT, shows only the green channel of the image

Only blue

Predefined LUT, shows only the blue channel of the image

· Convert color to gray

When you are using a GigE uEye HE color camera, you can convert the color images to monochrome in the camera before applying the LUT curve. This setting is recommended if you want to use a LUT for false-color representation. The images are transferred in RGB format.

· Output

The diagram shows that part of the LUT curve that is selected in the Channel box. You can drag and drop each knee point of the curve. To draw a smooth curve for the selected channel, left-click on a blank space next to the curve.

· Mirror X/Y

These buttons allow mirroring the curve about the X and Y axes.

· Load/Save

Click Save to save the current LUT curve to a text file. With Load, you can load a saved LUT curve from a file.

· Default

Click this button to reset all parameters to the model-specific defaults.

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 81: uEye properties - Trigger

Trigger

This tab provides the settings for triggered image capture with your uEye camera (see also Digital Input (Trigger)).

· Input

§ Status

If you select this check box, the signal level applied at the camera's trigger input is polled and displayed.

§ Trigger delay

Select this check box to set a delay between the arrival of a software or hardware trigger signal and the start of exposure.

· Mode

With these radio buttons, you choose which trigger mode you want to activate in the camera:

§ Software

The camera is running in software trigger mode without a signal applied. The images are captured continuously.

§ Falling edge

The camera captures an image on the falling edge of the signal applied to the trigger input.

§ Rising edge

The camera captures an image on the rising edge of the signal applied to the trigger input.

§ Delay between frames [ms]

In software trigger mode, you can set a time delay between two triggered image captures.

§ Timeout [ms]

Specifies a timeout for the trigger mode. If the camera does not receive a trigger signal within this time, a timeout message is transmitted and the transmission error counter is incremented.

· Camera

Please note that the frame rate in trigger mode is always lower than in freerun mode. This is due to the sequential transmission. First the exposure takes place, then the transfer. A new exposure can only be performed after the transmission is completed. Therefore, the freerun mode is faster.

High trigger rates are achieved only with short exposure times and a high pixel clock setting.

§ Global Start (Trigger Mode)

If you select this check box, all rows of a rolling shutter sensor are exposed simultaneously. Activating Global Start only makes sense when using a flash. This function is currently supported by the UI-1480/UI-5480 models.

· Default

Click this button to reset all parameters to the model-specific defaults.

8 Applications

User Manual uEye Cameras V3.32

Figure 82: uEye properties - Input/Output

When you are using the uEye's flash function, you need to re-enable the flash (i.e. disable and then activate it again) whenever you change the pixel clock setting or horizontal image geometry. This is necessary to newly synchronize the internal timing settings of the flash output with the start of sensor exposure.

Input/Output

On this tab, you can set the parameters for the flash output and the GPIOs on your uEye camera (see also Digital Output (Flash Strobe) and General Purpose I/O).

· Flash output

With these radio buttons, you choose which digital output function you want to activate on the camera:

§ Off

The digital output is disabled.

§ Constant high

The digital output is set to High regardless of the exposure.

§ Constant low

The digital output is set to Low regardless of the exposure.

§ Flash high active (only in trigger mode)

The digital output is set to High during the exposure.

§ Flash low active (only in trigger mode)

The digital output is set to Low during the exposure.

§ Busy

The digital output signalizes whether the camera is ready for the next trigger. This function is not

IDS uEye, uEye SE, uEye RE, uEye LE, uEye HE User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

1 Introduction

1.1 Copyright

1.2 Preface

1.3 Safety Information

1.4 Operating Environment

1.5 Installation and Maintenance

1.6 EMC Directives

1.7 Trademarks

1.8 Contacting Us

2 Welcome

2.1 About this Manual

2.2 What is New in this Version?

3 General

3.1 System Requirements

3.2 USB uEye SE Driver Compatibility

4 USB Basics

4.1 History and Development

4.2 Structure and Topology

4.3 Cabling and Connection

4.4 Data Transmission and Bandwidth

5 GigE Basics

5.1 General

5.2 Glossary

6 Camera Basics

6.1 Operating Modes

6.1.1 Freerun Mode

6.1.2 Trigger Mode

6.1.3 Standby

6.1.4 Applying New Parameters

6.1.5 Image Display Modes

6.2 Sensor

6.2.1 Sensor Sizes

6.2.2 Fill Factors

6.2.3 Color Filter (Bayer Filter)

6.2.4 Shutter Methods

6.3 Camera Parameters

6.3.1 Pixel Clock, Frame Rate, Exposure Time

6.3.2 Gain and Offset

6.3.3 Automatic Image Control

6.4 Reading out Partial Images

· Area of Interest (AOI)

6.4.2 Binning

6.4.3 Subsampling

6.5 Digital Input/Output

6.5.1 Digital Input (Trigger)

6.5.2 Digital Output (Flash Strobe)

6.5.3 General Purpose I/O

7 Installation

7.1 Downloading the Software

7.2 Installing the uEye Drivers

7.3 Uninstalling the uEye Drivers

7.4 Connecting a USB uEye Camera

7.5 Connecting a GigE uEye Camera

7.5.3 Camera Start-up

7.5.4 Camera Initialization

7.5.5 Camera Recognition

8 Applications

8.1 uEye Camera Manager

8.1.1 Camera List

8.1.2 Control Center

8.1.3 General Information

Camera information

8.1.5 Creating a Support File

8.1.6 ETH Network Service

8.1.7 Additional Functions (COM Port)

8.1.8 Automatic ETH Configuration

8.1.9 Starter Firmware Upload

8.1.10 Manual ETH Configuration

8.1.11 Parameters

uEye Demo is currently only available for Windows operating systems. A version with reduced functionality is available for Linux.

8.2.2 Toolbars

uEye

Display

Capture

Auto Features

Draw