Getting Started with
Your IMAQ PCI-1408 and
the NI-IMAQ Software
for Mac OS
High-Quality Monochrome Image Acquisition Board
for PCI
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
June 1997 Edition
Part Number 321557A-01
© Copyright 1997 National Instruments Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
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Important Information
Warranty
The IMAQ PCI-1408 is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date
of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace
equipment that proves to be defective during the warranty per iod. This warrant y includes par ts and labor .
The media on which you receive National Instru ments software ar e warranted not to fail to execute pro grammi ng
instructions, due to defects in materials and workmanship, for a period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced
by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace software media that do
not execute programming instructions if National Instruments receives notice of such defects during the warranty
period. National Instruments does not warr ant that t he operatio n of the softwar e shall be uni nte rrupt ed or erro r free.
A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and clearly marked on the outside
of the package before any equipment will be accepted for warranty work. Natio nal Instrum ents wil l pay the shippin g
costs of returning to the owner par ts whi ch are cov ered by w arranty .
National Instruments believes that the information in this manual is accurate. The document has been carefully
reviewed for technical accuracy. In the event that technical or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves
the right to make changes to subsequent editi ons of this document without prior notice to hol ders of this edition. The
reader should consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National Instruments be liable for
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pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are d esigned to pro vide reasonable pro tection against
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About This Manual
Organization of This Manual.................................................................................. ......ix
Conventions Used in This Manual................................................................................x
National Instruments Documentation. ...... ...... ................................. ...... ...... .................xi
Related Documentation.................................................................................................xi
Customer Communication. .................................. ...... ...... .............................................xi
Chapter 1
Introduction
About the PCI-1408......................................................................................................1-1
What You Need to Get Started.....................................................................................1-2
Software Programming Choices...................................................................................1-3
National Instruments Application Software...................................................1-3
NI-IMAQ Driver Software.............................................................................1-4
Optional Equipment......................................................................................................1-5
Unpacking.....................................................................................................................1-6
How to Set up Your IMAQ System..............................................................................1-6
Table
of
Contents
Chapter 2
Configuration and Installation
Board Configuration..................................................................................................... 2-1
VIDEO0 Input Mode......................................................................................2-2
External CLK and Synchronization Input Mode............................................2-3
Switch S1........................................................................................................2-4
Installation ....................................................................................................................2-4
Chapter 3
Hardware Overview
Functional Overview.....................................................................................................3-1
Video Mux......................................................................................................3-2
Antichrominance Filter...................................................................................3-2
Programmable Gain and Offset......................................................................3-2
8-Bit ADC and LUT.......................................................................................3-3
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Table of Contents
CSYNC Mux.................................................................................................. 3-3
Genlock and Synchronization Circuitry.........................................................3-3
VCO and PLL Circuitry............................................................................... ..3-3
Pixel Aspect Ratio Circuitry.......................................................................... 3-3
PCLK, HSYNC, VSYNC Mux...................................................................... 3-4
RTSI Bus........................................................................................................ 3-4
Trigger Control and Mapping Circuitry .........................................................3-4
Acquisition and Region-of-Interest Control .......................................... ...... ..3-4
FIFO Buffer.................................................................................................... 3-4
Scatter-Gather DMA Controllers...................................................................3-5
SRAM ............................................................................................................ 3-5
PCI Interface..................................................................................................3-5
Board Configuration NVRAM....................................................................... 3-5
Video Acquisition.........................................................................................................3-6
Start/Stop Conditions.....................................................................................3-6
Acquisition Window Control.........................................................................3-6
Programming Video Parameters.................................................................... 3-8
Acquisition Modes........................................................................................................ 3-10
Chapter 4
Signal Connections
BNC Connector............................................................................................................ 4-1
I/O Connector............................................................................................................... 4-1
I/O Connector Signal Connection Descriptions............................................. 4-2
Chapter 5
Configuration Utility
Introduction..................................................................................................................5-1
Using IMAQconf........................................................... .................................. ..... ...... ..5-1
Menu Bar........................................................................................................ 5-2
File Menu......................................................................................... 5-2
Edit Menu .......................................................... ..... ...... ................... 5-2
Scaling Menu..................................................... ..............................5-3
AutoSnap Menu............................................................................... 5-4
Display Menu ..................................................................................5-4
Interface Panel...................................... ................................. ...... ...... ............. 5-5
Camera Type Panel........................................................................................5-6
Basic Settings Panel....................................................................................... 5-7
Camera Acquisition Panel..............................................................................5-9
Advanced Panel (1)........................................................................................5-10
Advanced Panel (2)........................................................................................5-12
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS vi
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National Instruments Corporation
Advanced Panel (3)........................................................................................5-13
Operating Mode Panel....................................................................................5-15
Hardware Lookup Table Panel.......................................................................5-17
Video Sequence Recording Panel ..................................................................5-22
Saving Your Configuration...........................................................................................5-24
Testing Your Configuration..........................................................................................5-24
Image Storage...............................................................................................................5-25
Appendix A
Specifications
Appendix B
Custom Cables
Appendix C
Customer Communication
Glossary
Table of Contents
Index
Figures
Figure 1-1. The Relationship between the Programming Environment,
NI-IMAQ, and Your Hardware .............................................................1-5
Figure 1-2. How to Set up Your IMAQ System.......................................................1-7
Figure 2-1. Parts Locator Diagram...........................................................................2-2
Figure 2-2. Configuring VIDEO0 with Jumper W1.................................................2-3
Figure 2-3. Configuring PCLK, VSYNC, HSYNC, and CSYNC
with Jumper W3.....................................................................................2-3
Figure 2-4. Switch S1...............................................................................................2-4
Figure 3-1. PCI-1408 Block Diagram......................................................................3-2
Figure 3-2. Video Line .............................................................................................3-7
Figure 3-3. Video Field ............................................................................................3-8
Figure 4-1. BNC Connector Pin Assignment...........................................................4-1
Figure 4-2. I/O Connector Pin Assignments ............................................................4-2
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Table of Contents
Figure 5-1. File Menu .............................................................................................. 5-2
Figure 5-2. Edit Menu..............................................................................................5-3
Figure 5-3. Scaling Menu......................................................................................... 5-3
Figure 5-4. Autosnap Menu ..................................................................................... 5-4
Figure 5-5. Display Menu ........................................................................................5-4
Figure 5-6. Interface Panel Settings........................................... ..... ...... ................... 5-5
Figure 5-7. Camera Type Panel Settings..................................................................5-6
Figure 5-8. Basic Settings Panel .............................................................................. 5-8
Figure 5-9. Camera Acquisition Panel Settings...................................................... 5-10
Figure 5-10. Advanced Panel (1)............................................................................... 5-11
Figure 5-11. Advanced Panel (2)............................................................................... 5-12
Figure 5-12. Advanced Panel (3)............................................................................... 5-14
Figure 5-13. Operating Mode Panel Settings.............................................................5-15
Figure 5-14. Hardware Lookup Table Panel.............................................................. 5-18
Figure 5-15. Normal LUT..........................................................................................5-19
Figure 5-16. Inverse LUT .......................................................................................... 5-19
Figure 5-17. Log LUT................................................................................................ 5-20
Figure 5-18. Exponential LUT................................................................................... 5-20
Figure 5-19. Binary LUT ...........................................................................................5-21
Figure 5-20. Inverse Binary LUT...............................................................................5-22
Figure 5-21. Video Sequence Recording Panel......................................................... 5-23
Figure B-1. 25-Pin DSUB Receptacle ...................................................................... B-1
Tables
Table 4-1. I/O Connector Signals...........................................................................4-2
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS viii
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National Instruments Corporation
Getting Started with Your IMAQ PCI-1408 and the NI-IMAQ Software
for Mac OS describes the f eature s, fu nc tions, a nd oper ation of the
PCI-1408. The PCI -14 08 is a h igh-a ccu ra cy, mon ochro me PCI imag e
acquisition (IMAQ) board th at supports RS-170, CCIR, NTSC, an d
PAL video standards from any of four inputs. Getting Started with Your
IMAQ PCI-1408 and the NI-IMAQ Software for Mac OS is intended for
users with a basic knowled ge of im age acqu isition.
Organization of This Manual
Getting Started with Your IMAQ PCI-1408 and the NI-IMAQ Software
for Mac OS is organized as follows:
• Chapter 1, Introduction, describes the PCI-14 08; lists what you
need to get started; de scribe s s oftwar e pr ogr amming c hoic es,
optional equipment, and custom cables; and explains how to
unpack and set up the PCI-1408.
• Chapter 2, Configuration and Installation , explains ho w to
configure and install your PCI-140 8 board.
• Chapter 3, Hardware Overview, presents an overview of the
hardware functions on your PCI-140 8 board and ex plains the
operation of each functional unit making up the PCI-1408.
• Chapter 4, Signal Connections, describes cable connec tions for the
PCI-1408.
• Chapter 5, Configuration Utility, describes the b asic f unctions of
IMAQconf, the configuration and diagnostic utility included with
the PCI-1408.
• Appendix A, Specifications, lists the specifications of the
PCI-1408.
• Appendix B, Custom Cables, lists specifications for building
custom cabling for your PCI-1408.
• Appendix C, Customer Communication, contains f orm s you ca n
use to request help from National Instruments or to comment on our
products and manuals.
About
This
Manual
©
National Instruments Corporation ix PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
About This Manual
•The Glossary contains an alphabetical list and description of terms
used in this manual, including abbreviations, acronym s, metric
prefixes, mnemonics, and symbols.
•The Index cont ains a n al phabe tical list o f key te rms a nd topic s in
this manual, including the page whe re you can fin d ea ch on e.
Conventions Used in This Manual
The following conventions are used in this manual:
<> Angle brackets containing numbers separated by an ellipses represent a
range of values associated with a bit or signal name (for exam ple,
ACH<0..7>).
– A hyphen between tw o or mo re key name s en clos ed in an gle brac kets
denotes that you should s imultan eously press the na med keys— for
example, <Control–Alt–Delete>.
» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box
options to a final action. The sequence
File»Page Setup»Options»Substitute Fonts
directs you to pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item,
select Options, and finally select the Substitute Fonts options from the
last dialog box.
bold Bold text denotes menus, menu items, or dialog box bu ttons or options.
italic Italic text denotes emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction to a
key concept. This font also deno tes text for w hich you supply the
appropriate word or v alue, such a s in Windo ws 3.x.
bold italic Bold italic text denotes a note, caution, or warning.
monospace Lowercase text in this font denotes text or characters that are to be
literally input from the keyboard, sections of code, programming
examples, and syntax examples. This font is also used for the proper
names of disk drives, paths, directories, programs, sub progra ms,
subroutines, device names, functions, variable s, filenames and
extensions, and for stat emen ts a nd comm en ts take n from p rogra ms.
Abbreviations, acronyms, me tric prefixes, mnemonics, symbols, an d
terms are listed in the Glossary.
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS x
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National Instruments Corporation
National Instruments Documentation
Getting Started with Your IMAQ PCI-1408 and the NI-IMAQ Software
for Mac OS is one piece of the docum entation set fo r your image
acquisition system. You could have any of several types of manuals,
depending on the ha rdwa re a nd sof twa re in your syste m. U se th e
different types of manuals you have as follows:
• Software documentation—You may have both application software
and NI-IMAQ software documentation . National Instru ments
application software include s La bVIE W. A fter you set u p your
hardware system, use either the application software (LabVIEW)
documentation or the NI -IMA Q d ocume ntatio n to he lp you w rite
your application. If you have a large and complicated system, it is
worthwhile to look through the software documentation before you
configure your har dwar e.
• Accessory installation guides or manuals—I f you are using
accessory products, read the terminal block and cable assembly
installation guides or accessory board user manuals. They explain
how to physically co nnec t the releva nt p ieces of the s ystem .
Consult these guides when you are mak ing your c onne ctions.
About This Manual
Related Documentation
The following document contains information that you may find helpful
as you read this manual:
• Your computer technic al re fere nce ma nual
Customer Communication
National Instruments wants to rece ive you r com ments o n ou r prod ucts
and manuals. We are interested in the applications you develop with our
products, and we want to help if you have problems with them. To make
it easy for you to contact us, this manual contains comment and
configuration forms for you to complete. These for ms are in
Appendix C, Customer Communication, at the end of this manual.
©
National Instruments Corporation xi PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
Chapter
Introduction
This chapter describes the PCI-1408; lists what you need to get started;
describes software programming choic es, optional equipment, a nd
custom cables; and expla ins h ow to un pack and set up the PCI -1408.
About the PCI-1408
The PCI-1408 is a high -a ccur ac y, m ono ch rom e , PC I- bas ed IMA Q
board that supports RS -170, CCI R, N TSC, a nd PA L vide o stan da rds
from any of four input sources. The board features an 8-bit flash analogto-digital converter (ADC) that converts video signals to digital
formats. The PCI-1408 acquires frames in real time and transfers them
directly to system memory.
The PCI-1408 is simple to conf igur e an d is fac tory calibrate d so tha t
you can easily install the board and begin your image acquisition. Th e
PCI-1408 ships with NI-IMAQ, the National Instruments complete
IMAQ driver software you can use to dire ctly contro l the PCI-1408.
Using NI-IMAQ, you ca n quick l y and easily star t your a pplication
without having to program the board at the register level.
1
Featuring low cost and high accur acy, th e PCI- 1408 is ide al for both
industrial and scientific enviro nments. As a stan dalone boar d, the
PCI-1408 supports fou r v ideo so urc es and fo ur e xter nal I/O lines that
you can use as triggers or digital I/O lines. If you require more advanced
triggering or additional I/O lines (either digital or analog), you can use
the PCI-1408 and NI-IMAQ with the National Instrume nts data
acquisition (DAQ) product line.
A common problem with image a cquisition boa rds is that you can not
easily synchronize severa l fu nction s to a comm on trigg er o r timing
event. The PCI-1408 uses its Real-Time System Integration (RTSI) bus
to solve this problem. The RTSI bus consists of the National
Instruments RTSI bus interface and ribbon cable to route additional
timing and trigger signals between the PCI-1408 and up to four National
Instruments DAQ boards in your compu ter. The RTSI bus can even
synchronize multiple PCI- 1408 im age ca ptures.
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National Instruments Corporation 1-1 PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
Chapter 1 Introduction
Detailed specifications of the PCI-1408 ar e in Appe ndix A,
Specifications.
What You Need to Get Started
To set up and use y our PCI-1 408 , you w ill need the follow ing:
❑ PCI-1408
NI-IMAQ for Mac OS Release Notes
❑
Getting Started with Your IMAQ PCI-1408 and the NI-IMAQ
❑
Software for Mac OS
❑ NI-IMAQ for Mac OS and online documentation
❑ Optional software packages and documentation:
–LabVIEW
– IMAQ Vision for G
❑ IMAQ BNC-1 shielded, 75 Ω BNC cable for VIDEO0 (included with
the PCI-1408)
❑ IMAQ A2504-1 video cable (optional—for trigger and additional
camera support)
❑ IMAQ A2514-1 video cable (optional—for complete trigger,
additional camera, and external synchronization support)
❑ BNC-to-RCA adapter (included with the PCI-1408)
❑ Your PowerPC-based PCI computer running Mac OS version 7.0 or
later
❑ A video camera or other video source
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS 1-2
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National Instruments Corporation
Software Programming Choices
You have several options to choose from w hen progra mming you r
National Instruments IMAQ hardwa re. You can use National
Instruments application software such as LabVIEW, National
Instruments image analysis software such as IMAQ Vision, or the
NI-IMAQ driver sof tware .
National Instruments Application Software
LabVIEW features interactive graphics, a state-of-the-art user
interface, and a po werf ul g raphic al progr am ming langua ge. The
LabVIEW IMAQ V I Libr ar y, a se rie s o f virt ual inst ru ment s (V Is) f or
using LabVIEW with the PCI-1408, is included with the NI-IMAQ
software kit. The LabVIEW IMAQ VI Library is functionally
equivalent to the N I-IMAQ softwa re.
IMAQ Vision for G is an image acquisition, processing, and analysis
library that consists of more than 4 00 VI s for using the PCI-140 8 w ith
LabVIEW. You can use IMAQ Vision for G functions directly or in
combination for unique image proc essing. There are two version s of
IMAQ Vision for G. The Base version gives you the ability to acquire,
display, manipulate, and store images. The Advanced version is a
complete set of functions for image analysis, proce ssing, and
interpretation. Using IMA Q Vision for G, an imag ing novice or exper t
can perform graphical progra mming of the most bas ic or complicate d
image applications without knowledge of any algorithm
implementations.
Chapter 1 Introduction
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National Instruments Corporation 1-3 PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
Chapter 1 Introduction
NI-IMAQ Driver Software
The NI-IMAQ driver software is included at no charge with the
PCI-1408. NI-IMAQ has an extensive library of functions that you can
call from your application progr amming environment. These functions
include routines for video configuration, image acquisition (continuous
and single-shot), memo ry buffer alloc ation, trigg er control, an d board
configuration. The NI- IMA Q driv er so ftw are perf orms all f unctio ns
required for acquiring and saving images. The NI-IMAQ software does
not perform any im age an alysis. Fo r image an alysis f unct ional ity, r efer
to the National Instruments Application Software section earlier in this
chapter.
NI-IMAQ has bo th h igh-le vel and low-le vel fu nc tions f or max imum
flexibility and performance. Exa mples o f high-leve l func tions inc lude
the functions to acquire images in single-shot or continuous mode. An
example of a low- lev el func tion, w hich requir es adva nc ed
understanding of the PCI-1408 and image acquisition, is configuring an
image sequence.
NI-IMAQ also internally resolves many of the complex issues between
the computer and the PC I-1408 , suc h as pro gram ming interru pts a nd
DMA controllers. NI-IMAQ is the interface path between LabVIEW or
a conventional programming e nvironment an d the PCI-140 8.
Any platform that supports NI-IMAQ also supports NI-DAQ and a
variety of National Instruments DAQ boards, so your PCI-1408 and
NI-IMAQ development can integrate with National Instruments DAQ
products.
Whether you are u sing co nventiona l p rogra mm ing lang uage s or
National Instruments software , you r a pplica tion u ses the NI- IMAQ
driver software, as illustrated in Figure 1-1.
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS 1-4
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National Instruments Corporation
Chapter 1 Introduction
IMAQ Hardware
DAQ Hardware
LabVIEW
(Mac OS)
Figure 1-1. The Relationship between the Programming Environment,
Optional Equipment
Personal
Computer or
Workstation
NI-IMAQ
Driver Software
Conventional Programming
Environment (Mac OS)
NI-IMAQ, and Your Hardware
National Instruments offers a var iety of pr odu cts for u se with yo ur
PCI-1408 board, includin g ca bles a nd other Nation al Instr uments
products:
• A four-pod BNC cable, which routes video and trigger signals to a
BNC connector block (IMAQ A2504-1)
• A 14-pod BNC cab le, whic h rou tes all v ide o, trigger , and
synchronization signals to a BNC con nector blo ck
(IMAQ A2514-1)
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National Instruments Corporation 1-5 PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
Chapter 1 Introduction
Unpacking
• RTSI bus cables, for connecting the PCI-1408 to other DAQ
hardware
• Other National Instruments DAQ device s for en hance d trigger ing,
timing, or input/output
For more specific information about these products, refer to your
National Instruments catalogue or c all the of fice near est you .
Your PCI-1408 board is shipped in an antistatic packag e to prevent
electrostatic damage to the board. Electrostatic discharge can damage
several com ponents on the board. To avoid such damage in handling the
board, take the following pre cautions:
• Ground yourself via a ground ing strap or by holdin g a grounded
object.
• Touch the antistatic package to a metal part of your computer
chassis before removing the board from the package.
• Remove the board fr om the package an d inspect the boar d for loose
components or any o t her sig ns o f dama ge. No tify Nationa l
Instruments if the board appears da maged in any way. Do
install a damaged board in your computer.
• Never touch the exposed pins of connectors.
NOT
How to Set up Your IMAQ System
Use Figure 1-2 to install you r har dwa re a nd softwa re, c onfig ure you r
hardware, and begin using NI-IM AQ in your applic ation program s.
If you will be accessing the NI-IMAQ device drivers through LabVI EW,
you should read the NI-IMAQ release notes and NI-IMAQ VIs for G
Reference Manual to help you get started.
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS 1-6
©
National Instruments Corporation
Read the NI-IMAQ release notes and follow the
instructions to install your NI-IMAQ software and
documentation.
Chapter 1 Introduction
Follow the hardware installation instructions in
Chapter 2,
Configure your hardware using the NI-IMAQ
configuration utility, IMAQconf, as described
No
Read Chapter 2,
Fundamentals of
Building Applications with NI-IMAQ
NI-IMAQ User Manual for Mac OS
Read the sections in Chapter 3,
and Chapter 4,
NI-IMAQ User Manual for Mac OS
in the
to the NI-IMAQ function groups you will use
Programming with NI-IMAQ,
in your application.
Software Overview
Configuration and Installation
in this document.
in Chapter 5,
this document.
Are you using
application software?
, in the
.
that apply
Configuration Utility
Continue by reading:
NI-IMAQ VIs for G Reference Manual
•
you are using LabVIEW
• Your IMAQ Vision for G documentation
if you are using IMAQ Vision for G
You no longer need the NI-IMAQ manual set.
,
,
, in
Yes
, if
Look at the self-documented example source
code on your distribution diskettes for your
application language and environment.
Use the
for Mac OS
NI-IMAQ Function Reference Manual
when you need specific information
about individual NI-IMAQ functions.
Figure 1-2. How to Set up Your IMAQ System
©
National Instruments Corporation 1-7 PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
Configuration and
Chapter
Installation
This chapter explains how to configur e and install your PCI-1408
board.
Board Configuration
This section describes h ow to conf igure the fo llowin g options on the
PCI-1408 board:
• VIDEO0 input mode
• External CLK and synchronization input mode
All other configuration options are software config urable.
Figure 2-1 shows the location of user-configurable jumpers an d
switches as well as factory-default settings on the PCI-1408.
2
©
National Instruments Corporation 2-1 PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
Chapter 2 Configuration and Installation
4 65 7 8
3
2
1
9
1W3
2 25-Pin DSUB
Connector
3 BNC Connector
4W1
5 Assembly Number
Figure 2-1. Parts Locator Diagram
VIDEO0 Input Mode
VIDEO0 has two differen t inp ut so urces via a BNC conn ec tor or a
25-pin DSUB port and two different input mo des—refe renced singleended (RSE) and differential (DIFF) input. When you use the BNC
input for VIDEO0, set the inp ut mode to RSE ( W1 popula ted) . Whe n
you use the 25 -pin D SUB po rt f or V IDE O0, set the input m ode for
either RSE or DIFF.
When in RSE mode, the video input uses one analog input line, which
connects to the video multiplexer circuitry . The nega tive input to the
video multiplexer is tied internally to ana log gro und. W hen in DIFF
mode, the video input uses tw o analog inp ut signals. One signal
connects to the positive input of the video multiplexer circu itry while
the other input signal connects to the negative input of the video
multiplexer circuitry. Jumper W1 controls the input mode selection, as
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS 2-2
6 Product Name
7 Serial Number
8 RTSI Bus Connector
9 Logical Address
Switch (S1)
©
National Instruments Corporation
shown in Figure 2-2. Unpopulating W1 con figures VIDE O0 for DIFF
mode. Populating W1 configures VIDEO0 for RSE mode.
a. RSE Mode (Default) b. DIFF Mode
Figure 2-2. Configuring VIDEO0 with Jumper W1
External CLK and Synchronization Input Mode
The external PCLK, VSYNC, HSYNC, and CSYNC signals have two
different input modes—RSE (T TL) and DIFF ( RS-422) inp ut. With
RSE, the input uses one analog input line, which connects to the
synchronization selection circuitry. The negative input to this circuitry
is tied internally to analog ground. For RSE mode, populate all five sets
of jumpers on W3, as shown in Figure 2-3. With DIFF mode, the input
uses two analog input signals. One signal connects to the positive input
of the synchronization selection circuitry whil e the other input connects
to the negative input of the synchronization selection circ uitry.
Chapter 2 Configuration and Installation
a. RSE Mode (Default) b. DIFF Mode
Figure 2-3. Configuring PCLK, VSYNC, HSYNC, and CSYNC with Jumper W3
©
National Instruments Corporation 2-3 PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
Chapter 2 Configuration and Installation
Switch S1
Switch S1 is unused and should always be in the ON position, as shown
in Figure 2-4.
Installation
Warning: To protect both yourself and the computer from electrical hazards, the
Figure 2-4.
You can install the PCI-1408 board in any available PCI expansion slot
in your computer. However, to achieve the best noise performance, you
should leave as much room as possible between the PCI-1408 board and
other boards and ha rd wa re.
The following are general instructions, but consult yo ur computer user
manual or technical reference manual for specific instructions and
warnings.
1. Plug in but do not turn on your computer befo re insta llin g the
PCI-1408. The power c ord grounds th e comp uter and protects it
from electrical damage while you are installing the module.
computer should remain off until you finish installing the PCI-14 08
module.
2. Remove the top cover or access port to the PC I bus.
3. Select any available PCI expansi on slot .
4. Touch the metal part of the power supply case inside the computer
to discharge any static e lectric ity tha t m ight b e on you r cloth es or
body.
Switch S1
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS 2-4
©
National Instruments Corporation
Chapter 2 Configuration and Installation
5. Line up the PCI-1408 with the 25-pin DSUB and BNC connectors
near the cut-out on the back panel. Slowly push down on the top of
the PCI-1408 until its card-edge connector is resting on the
expansion slot receptacle. Using slow, evenly distributed pressure,
press the PCI-1408 straight down until it seats in the expansion slot.
6. Check the installation.
7. Replace the computer cover.
Your PCI-1408 is now insta lled.
©
National Instruments Corporation 2-5 PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
Chapter
Hardware Overview
This chapter pres ents an o ve rview of th e hardw are f unctions on yo ur
PCI-1408 board and ex plain s the o pe ration o f eac h func tional u nit
making up the PCI-1408 .
Functional Overview
The PCI-1408 features an 8-bit flash ADC that conve rts video signa ls
to digital formats, four v ideo sign al mu ltiplexers, and pr ogram ma ble
gain and offset. It also uses a PCI in terface for high -speed da ta transf er,
scatter-gather DMA controllers that control the transfer of data betwe en
the first-in, fi rs t-ou t (FI F O) m em or y b uff er s an d t he PC I bus,
nonvolatile and static RAM for con figuring register s o n pow er-u p and
programming the DMA controllers, and acquisition an d
region-of-interest control circ uitry that mo nitors video signa ls. Th e
board also includes po werf ul tr igge r cir cuitry inc lud ing f our exte rn al
triggers and RTSI bus trigge rs. Othe r featu res include inter nally
generated or externa lly in put CS YNC, HS YNC , V SYNC , and PC LK
synchronization and clock sign als.
3
The block diagram in Figure 3-1 illustrates the key functional
components of the PCI-14 08.
©
National Instruments Corporation 3-1 PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
Chapter 3 Hardware Overview
RTSI Bus
External PCLK,
VSYNC, and HSYNC
External CSYNC
25-Pin DSUB Connector
Video 0, 1, 2, 3
Video 0
BNC
Video Mux
VSYNC
PCLK
Video
In
Trigger Control
and Mapping
Circuitry
Acquisition and
Region-of-Interest
Control
8-Bit A/D
and LUT
FIFOs
PCI Interface
and
Scatter-Gather
DMA Controllers
SRAM for DMA
Control
CSYNC
Video Mux
Mux
Genlock and
Synchronization
Circuitry
VCO and
PLL
Circuitry
Antichrominance
Filter
4 External Triggers
PCLK,
HSYNC,
VSYNC
Mux
Generated
PCLK,
HSYNC,
VSYNC
Pixel
Aspect
Ratio
Circuitry
Programmable
Gain and
Offset
and HSYNC
Figure 3-1. PCI-1408 Block Diagram
You can select a ny of the fo ur A C-cou pled v ideo inputs thr oug h the
video multiplexer circuitry.
PCI Bus
Antichrominance Filter
The PCI-1408 includes an antichrominance filter that removes
chrominance from a comp osite color vide o signal. You ca n use two
software-selectable antichrominance filters: a 3.58 MHz notch filter to
remove color inform ation from an NT SC signal and a 4.43 MHz notch
filter to remove color information from a PAL signal.
Programmable Gain and Offset
The PCI-1408 uses programmable gain and offset circuitry to optimize
the input signal range.
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS 3-2
©
National Instruments Corporation
8-Bit ADC and LUT
An 8-bit flash ADC digitizes the image, which is passed to a
256-by-8 bit lookup table (LUT) RAM. You can co nfigure the input
LUT to implement simple imaging operations such as contrast
enhancement, data inver sion, g amma man ipula tion, or oth er no nlinear
transfer functions.
CSYNC Mux
The composite synchronization ( CSYNC ) mu ltiplexer lets the genloc k
and synchronization circuitry select the internally generated composite
synchronization signal or the composite synchronization signal
received from the I/ O con nector .
Genlock and Synchronization Circuitry
The genloc k a nd s ync hro ni zati on ci rcu itr y recei ve s t he i nco ming vid eo
signal and generates a PCL K, HSY NC, and VS YNC sign al f or use by
the acquisition and control circuitry. The synchronization circuitry
interacts with the voltage-controlled osc illator (VCO) and phase-locked
loop (PLL) circuitry, which genera tes and controls the PCLK.
Chapter 3 Hardware Overview
VCO and PLL Circuitry
The VCO and PLL circuitry controls the internally generated PCLK
signal frequency. The PCI-1408 can digitize an incoming video signal
at rates of up to 16.4 MHz.
Pixel Aspect Ratio Circuitry
The pixel aspect ratio circuitry adjusts the ratio between the physical
horizontal size and the vertical size of the r egion c overe d by the pixel.
This value is used to figure the picture aspect ratio. For more
information, see the Acquisition Window Control section later in this
chapter.
©
National Instruments Corporation 3-3 PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS
Chapter 3 Hardware Overview
PCLK, HSYNC, VSYNC Mux
The acquisition control circ uitry se lects the clo ck and sync hroniz ation
signals through the pixel c lock ( PCL K), hor izontal sync hroniz ation
(HSYNC), and vertic al s ynchr oniz ation (V SYN C) multiplexe r. The
onboard genlock and synchro nization circu itry can gene rate clock a nd
synchronization signals or the sign als can be r ece ived f rom the I/O
connector.
RTSI Bus
The seven trigger lines on the RTSI bus provide a flexible
interconnection scheme between multiple PCI-1408 boards as well as
between any National Instrum ents DAQ devic es and the PCI- 1408.
Trigger Control and Mapping Circuitry
The trigger control a nd mapp ing c irc uitry route s, mon itors, and dr ives
the external and RTSI bus trigg er lines. You can configur e each of these
lines to start or stop acquisition on a rising or falling edge. In addition,
you can drive each line asserted or unasserted, similar to a digital I/O
line. You can also map onbo ar d status va lues ( HSYN C, V SY NC,
ACQUISITION_IN_PROGRESS, and ACQUISITION_DONE) to the
lines.
Acquisition and Region-of-Interest Control
The acquisition and region-of-interest control circuitry monitors the
incoming video signal and routes the active pixe ls to th e FIFO buffers.
The PCI-1408 can digitize an entire fr ame and pe rform pixel and line
scaling and region-of-interest acquisition. Pixe l and line scaling lets
certain multiples (2, 4, or 8 ) of pixe ls and lines to b e transf erre d to the
PCI bus. In region-of-interest acquisition, you select an are a in the
acquisition window to transfer to the PCI bus.
FIFO Buffer
The PCI-1408 uses a 4 KB FIFO bu ff er fo r tem por ar y s tora ge o f th e
image being transferred to the PCI system memor y or display m emory.
The buffer stores s ix f ull video lines during ima ge ac quisition.
PCI-1408/NI-IMAQ for Mac OS 3-4
©
National Instruments Corporation
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