National Instruments NI 1410 User Manual

NI Vision

NI PCI-1410 User Manual

High-Quality Monochrome Image Acquisition Device
NI PCI-1410 User Manual
February 2007 373793C-01

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Important Information

Warranty

The NI PCI-1410 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 period. This warranty includes parts and labor.
The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming 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 instruc tions if National Instruments receives notice of such defects during the warranty period. National Instruments does not warrant that the operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error 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. National Instruments will pay the shipping costs of returning to the owner parts which are covered by warranty.
National Instruments believes that the information in this document 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 editions of this document without prior notice to holders of this edition. The reader should consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National Instruments be liable for any damages arising out of or related to this document or the information contained in it.
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Patents

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Compliance

Compliance with FCC/Canada Radio Frequency Interference Regulations
Determining FCC Class
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules to protect wireless communications from interference. The FCC places digital electronics into two classes. These classes are known as Class A (for use in industrial-commercial locations only) or Class B (for use in residential or commercial locations). All National Instruments (NI) products are FCC Class A products.
Depending on where it is operated, this Class A product could be subject to restrictions in the FCC rules. (In Canada, the Department of Communications (DOC), of Industry Canada, regulates wireless interference in much the same way.) Digital electronics emit weak signals during normal operation that can affect radio, television, or other wireless products.
All Class A products display a simple warning statement of one paragraph in length regarding interference and undesired operation. The FCC rules have restrictions regarding the locations where FCC Class A products can be operated.
Consult the FCC Web site at
FCC/DOC Warnings
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in strict accordance with the instructions in this manual and the CE marking Declaration of Conformity*, may cause interference to radio and television reception. Classification requirements are the same for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Canadian Department of Communications (DOC).
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by NI could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment under the FCC Rules.
Class A
Federal Communications Commission
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 is required to correct the interference at their own expense.
www.fcc.gov for more information.
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This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations. Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.
Compliance with EU Directives
Users in the European Union (EU) should refer to the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for information* pertaining to the CE marking. Refer to the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for this product for any additional regulatory compliance information. To obtain the DoC for this product, visit and click the appropriate link in the Certification column.
* The CE marking Declaration of Conformity contains important supplementary information and instructions for the user or
installer.
ni.com/certification, search by model number or product line,

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this manual:
<> Angle brackets that contain numbers separated by an ellipsis represent
a range of values associated with a bit or signal name—for example, AO <3. .0>.
» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options
to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options from the last dialog box.
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.
bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such
as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes parameter names.
italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross-reference, or an introduction
to a key concept. Italic text also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word or value that you must supply.
monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter 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, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations, variables, filenames, and extensions.

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
About the NI 1410 Device .............................................................................................1-1
Software Overview ........................................................................................................1-2
NI-IMAQ Driver Software ..............................................................................1-3
National Instruments Application Software ....................................................1-3
Integration with DAQ and Motion Control .....................................................1-5
Chapter 2 Hardware Overview
Functional Overview......................................................................................................2-1
Video Multiplexer ...........................................................................................2-2
Programmable Gain and Offset.......................................................................2-2
Analog Bandwidth Control Circuitry ..............................................................2-2
10-Bit ADC .....................................................................................................2-2
Digital Filter and LUT.....................................................................................2-3
Onboard Memory ............................................................................................2-3
Scatter-Gather DMA Controllers ....................................................................2-3
PCI Interface....................................................................................................2-3
Genlock Circuit and SYNC Mux ....................................................................2-3
Acquisition and Region-of-Interest Control....................................................2-4
RTSI Bus .........................................................................................................2-4
Digital Input/Output Circuitry.........................................................................2-4
Acquisition Modes.........................................................................................................2-4
Analog Front End Considerations..................................................................................2-5
10-Bit/8-Bit Mode ...........................................................................................2-5
Clamping .........................................................................................................2-5
Vision Builder for Automated Inspection.........................................1-3
Vision Development Module ............................................................1-4
Chapter 3 Signal Connections
Video Input Channels ....................................................................................................3-1
BNC Connector..............................................................................................................3-1
Digital I/O Connector ....................................................................................................3-2
Digital I/O Connector Signal Connection Descriptions..................................3-4
© National Instruments Corporation vii NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Contents
Appendix A Custom Cables
Appendix B Technical Support and Professional Services
Glossary
Index
NI PCI-1410 User Manual viii ni.com
Introduction
This chapter describes the NI PCI-1410 (NI 1410) device and its software programming options.

About the NI 1410 Device

The NI 1410 is a high-accuracy, monochrome image acquisition device for PCI that supports RS-170, CCIR, NTSC, and PAL video standards, as well as nonstandard cameras from any of four input sources. The NI 1410 features a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts video signals to digital formats. The NI 1410 acquires images in real time and stores them in onboard frame memory or transfers them directly to system memory.
The NI 1410 is easy to install and configure. The NI 1410 ships with NI Vision Acquisition Software, which includes NI-IMAQ, the National Instruments driver software you can use to directly control the NI 1410 and other National Instruments image acquisition devices. With NI-IMAQ, you can quickly and easily start the applications without having to program the device at the register level.
1
As a stand-alone device, the NI 1410 supports four general-purpose control lines that are configurable to generate precise timing signals for controlling camera acquisition. The NI 1410 also supports four video sources and four external I/O lines to use as triggers or digital I/O lines.
Easily synchronizing several functions to a common trigger or timing event is a common challenge with image acquisition devices. The NI 1410 uses its Real-Time System Integration (RTSI) bus to solve this problem. The RTSI bus uses the National Instruments RTSI bus interface and ribbon cable to route additional timing and trigger signals between the NI 1410 and National Instruments DAQ, Motion Control, or other image acquisition devices. The RTSI bus can even synchronize multiple image acquisition hardware captures.
For detailed specifications of the NI 1410, refer to the Specifications section of Getting Started with the NI PCI-1410.
© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Chapter 1 Introduction
3
2
1
Refer to Figure 1-1 for the location of the NI 1410 W1 jumper and the connectors discussed in this manual.
4
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
COPYRIGHT 2004
©
NI PCI-1410
1 68-Pin VHDCI Connector 2 BNC Connector
3 W1 Jumper 4 RTSI Bus Connector

Figure 1-1. NI PCI-1410 Parts Locator Diagram

Software Overview

Programming the NI 1410 requires the NI-IMAQ driver software for controlling the hardware. National Instruments also offers the following application software packages for analyzing and processing your acquired images.
Vision Builder for Automated Inspection (AI)—Allows you to
configure solutions to common inspection tasks.
National Instruments Vision Development Module—Provides
customized control over hardware and algorithms.
The following sections provide an overview of the driver software and the application software. For detailed information about individual software packages, refer to the documentation specific to each package.
NI PCI-1410 User Manual 1-2 ni.com

NI-IMAQ Driver Software

The NI 1410 ships with NI Vision Acquisition Software, which includes the NI-IMAQ driver software. NI-IMAQ has an extensive library of functions—such as routines for video configuration, continuous and single shot image acquisition, memory buffer allocation, trigger control, and device configuration—you can call from the application development environment (ADE). NI-IMAQ handles many of the complex issues between the computer and the image acquisition device, such as programming interrupts and camera control.
NI-IMAQ performs all functions required for acquiring and saving images but does not perform image analysis. For image analysis functionality, refer to the National Instruments Application Software section of this chapter.
Chapter 1 Introduction
NI-IMAQ also provides the interface path between the NI 1410 and LabVIEW, LabWindows environment. The NI-IMAQ software kit includes a series of libraries for image acquisition for LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, and Measurement Studio, which contains libraries for Microsoft Visual Basic.
NI-IMAQ features both high-level and low-level functions. Examples of high-level functions include the sequences to acquire images in multi-buffer, single-shot, or continuous mode. An example of a low-level function is configuring an image sequence, since it requires advanced understanding of the image acquisition device and image acquisition principles.
/CVI™, or a text-based programming

National Instruments Application Software

This section describes the National Instruments application software packages you can use to analyze and process the images you acquire with the NI 1410.
Vision Builder for Automated Inspection
NI Vision Builder for Automated Inspection (AI) is configurable machine vision software that you can use to prototype, benchmark, and deploy applications. Vision Builder AI does not require programming, but is scalable to powerful programming environments.
Vision Builder AI allows you to easily configure and benchmark a sequence of visual inspection steps, as well as deploy the visual inspection system for automated inspection. With Vision Builder AI, you can perform powerful visual inspection tasks and make decisions based on the results of
© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Chapter 1 Introduction
individual tasks. You also can migrate the configured inspection to LabVIEW, extending the capabilities of the applications if necessary.
Vision Development Module
The Vision Development Module is an image acquisition, processing, and analysis library of more than 270 functions for the following common machine vision tasks:
Pattern matching
Particle analysis
•Gauging
Taking measurements
Grayscale, color, and binary image display
You can use the Vision Development Module functions individually or in combination. With the Vision Development Module, you can acquire, display, and store images, as well as perform image analysis, and processing. Using the Vision Development Module, imaging novices and experts can program the most basic or complicated image applications without knowledge of particular algorithm implementations.
As a part of the Vision Development Module, NI Vision Assistant is an interactive prototyping tool for machine vision and scientific imaging developers. With Vision Assistant, you can prototype vision applications quickly and test how various vision image processing functions work.
Vision Assistant generates a Builder file, which is a text description containing a recipe of the machine vision and image processing functions. This Builder file provides a guide you can use for developing applications in any ADE, such as LabWindows/CVI or Visual Basic, using the Vision Assistant machine vision and image processing libraries. Using the LabVIEW VI creation wizard, Vision Assistant can create LabVIEW VI block diagrams that perform the prototype you created in Vision Assistant. You then can use LabVIEW to add functionality to the generated VI.
NI PCI-1410 User Manual 1-4 ni.com

Integration with DAQ and Motion Control

Platforms that support NI-IMAQ also support NI-DAQ and a variety of National Instruments DAQ devices. This allows integration between image acquisition devices and National Instruments DAQ products.
Use National Instruments high-performance stepper and servo motion control products with pattern matching software in inspection and guidance applications, such as locating alignment markers on semiconductor wafers, guiding robotic arms, inspecting the quality of manufactured parts, and locating cells.
Chapter 1 Introduction
© National Instruments Corporation 1-5 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Hardware Overview
This chapter describes the features of the NI PCI-1410 device and includes information about acquisition modes, analog front-end considerations, and clamping.

Functional Overview

The NI 1410 features a flexible, high-speed data path optimized for the acquisition and formatting of video data from analog cameras. The NI 1410 can acquire from RS-170/NTSC, CCIR/PAL, VGA, and progressive scan cameras, as well as from non-standard cameras such as line scan cameras. The NI 1410 digitizes analog video signals to 8 or 10 bits of resolution at sampling frequencies up to 40 MHz.
The NI 1410 has a factory-calibrated gain circuit to improve measurement accuracy and board-to-board consistency. It uses a PCI interface for high-speed data transfer, 16 MB of SDRAM for data buffering, and region-of-interest control circuitry for optimizing the data transfer. The 16 MB of SDRAM also allows you to acquire entire images into onboard memory when necessary. The NI 1410 includes four external triggers, four camera control signals, seven RTSI bus triggers, and four video synchronization signals.
2
© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Chapter 2 Hardware Overview
The block diagram in Figure 2-1 illustrates the key functional units of the NI 1410.
RTSI Bus
4 Camera Control Lines
4 External Triggers
External PCLK,
HSYNC, VSYNC
External CSYNC
68-pin VHDCI Connector
Video
0,1,2,3
Video 0
BNC
Video
Mux
Genlock Circuit and SYNC Mux
Programmable
Gain and Offset
Aspect Ratio Correction
HSYNC, VSYNC
Analog
Bandwidth
Control
Circuitry

Video Multiplexer

The video multiplexer routes one of the four AC-coupled video inputs to the 10-bit ADC circuitry. The input impedance is 75 Ω.

Programmable Gain and Offset

The NI 1410 uses programmable gain and offset circuitry to optimize the input signal range.
Digital
Input/Output
Circuitry
Acquisition and
PCLK
10-Bit
ADC
Region-of-Interest
Control
Digital
Filter
and LUT
Memory and
Control Circuitry

Figure 2-1. NI 1410 Block Diagram

Onboard
PCI Interface and
Scatter-Gather
DMA Controller
PCI Bus

Analog Bandwidth Control Circuitry

You can select either the full bandwidth of 30 MHz or a reduced bandwidth of 9 MHz. The 9 MHz bandwidth setting is available using a 5th order Butterworth lowpass filter.

10-Bit ADC

The 10-bit ADC digitizes the conditioned video signal.
NI PCI-1410 User Manual 2-2 ni.com

Digital Filter and LUT

The digital filter removes chrominance from a composite color video signal that conforms to either PAL or NTSC. The output of the digital filter passes through the 1,024 × 10-bit lookup table (LUT). You can configure the LUT to implement simple imaging operations such as contrast enhancement, data inversion, gamma correction, or other user-defined transfer functions.

Onboard Memory

The NI 1410 has 16 MB of SDRAM for temporarily storing image data being transferred to the system memory through the PCI bus. The memory can store multiple image buffers.

Scatter-Gather DMA Controllers

The NI 1410 uses three independent onboard direct memory access (DMA) controllers. The DMA controllers transfer data between the onboard SDRAM memory buffer and the PCI bus. Each of these controllers supports scatter-gather DMA, which allows the controllers to reconfigure on-the-fly. This functionality enables the NI 1410 to perform continuous image transfers directly to either contiguous or fragmented memory buffers.
Chapter 2 Hardware Overview

PCI Interface

The NI 1410 implements the PCI interface with a National Instruments custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the PCI MITE. The PCI interface can transfer data at a maximum rate of 132 MB/s in bus master mode.

Genlock Circuit and SYNC Mux

The genlock circuit receives the incoming video signal and generates PCLK, HSYNC, and VSYNC signals for use by the acquisition and control circuitry. The NI 1410 can lock to the standard RS-170/NTSC and CCIR/PAL video signals as well as progressive scan and VGA (640 × 480 resolution) signals. The genlock circuit on the NI 1410 also can lock to external HSYNC and VSYNC or CSYNC signals, as well as additional nonstandard formats.
© National Instruments Corporation 2-3 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Chapter 2 Hardware Overview

Acquisition and Region-of-Interest Control

The acquisition and region-of-interest (ROI) control circuitry routes the active pixels from the 10-bit ADC to the onboard memory. The NI 1410 can perform ROI and scaling on all video lines. Pixel and line scaling transfers certain multiples (two, four, or eight) of pixels and lines to onboard memory.

RTSI Bus

The seven trigger lines on the RTSI bus provide a flexible interconnection scheme between multiple image acquisition devices, as well as between National Instruments DAQ or Motion Control devices.

Digital Input/Output Circuitry

The digital input/output (I/O) circuitry routes, monitors, and drives the external trigger lines, RTSI bus lines, and camera control lines. You can use the trigger lines to start or stop an acquisition on a rising or falling edge. You also can map onboard signals such as HSYNC, VSYNC, ACQUISTION_IN_PROGRESS, and ACQUISITION_DONE to these lines. The camera control lines provide a means to generate deterministic signals for triggering cameras, strobe lights, or other timing-critical applications.
Note The NI 1410 does not support pixel clock output on the trigger lines.

Acquisition Modes

The NI 1410 supports the following four video acquisition modes:
Standard Mode—In standard mode, the NI 1410 receives an
incoming composite video signal from the external BNC or 68-pin VHDCI connector and generates CSYNC, HSYNC, VSYNC, and PCLK signals. The VHDCI connector outputs the generated CSYNC signal to synchronize other image acquisition devices or cameras.
CSYNC External Mode—In CYSNC external mode, the NI 1410
receives an incoming video signal (composite or luminance) and an external CSYNC signal from the external connector and generates HSYNC, VSYNC, and PCLK signals.
External Lock Mode—In external lock mode, the NI 1410 receives
HSYNC, VSYNC, and PCLK signals from the camera and uses these signals to acquire the video signals directly. You can use this mode to acquire from a line scan camera.
NI PCI-1410 User Manual 2-4 ni.com
External HSYNC/VSYNC (HLOCK only) Mode—In external
HSYNC/VSYNC (HLOCK only) mode, the NI 1410 receives the external HSYNC and VSYNC signals and internally generates the PCLK signal. In this mode, the NI 1410 genlock circuitry uses only the HSYNC signal for locking. You can use this mode to acquire from asynchronously reset cameras that output a continuous HSYNC.

Analog Front End Considerations

The analog front end of the NI 1410 features a calibrated gain circuit, programmable DC-restore circuit, and 10-bit ADC as shown in Figure 2-2.
Chapter 2 Hardware Overview
Analog
Video
1 of 4 Gain

10-Bit/8-Bit Mode

Clamping

10- or 8-bit
DC-restore
10-bit
ADC

Figure 2-2. NI 1410 Analog Front End

Digital Gain
Correction,
Filtering, and LUT
The NI 1410 always digitizes the incoming video signal to 10 bits of resolution. In 10-bit mode, the NI 1410 has four fixed, full-scale ranges for calibrating the gain for each range. Because the nominal full-scale ranges are 0.20, 0.35, 0.70, and 1.40 V, the gain is not continuously variable in this mode. To maintain compatibility with existing acquisition code and processing algorithms used with other analog image acquisition devices, the NI 1410 has an 8-bit mode that converts the 10-bit data from the ADC to 8-bit data in the LUT after gain correction and any digital filtering has occurred.
The NTSC camera file sets the default values of Clamp Start and Clamp Stop to 106 and 116, respectively. These settings place the clamp pulse, which restores the DC level of the video signal, between the color burst signal and the beginning of active video. Because some cameras deviate from the exact timing required by the NTSC standard, the clamping pulse may intersect either the color burst or the active video portions of the signal. If this occurs, an acquired image may appear to have dark and light bands, as in the following image.
© National Instruments Corporation 2-5 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Chapter 2 Hardware Overview
To prevent this problem, open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) and navigate to the Advanced tab of the camera file property page. Use the following guidelines to adjust the Clamp Start and Clamp Stop values until the image is corrected:
Minimum Clamp Start is 100
Maximum Clamp Stop is 120
Difference between Clamp Start and Clamp Stop is at least 10
NI PCI-1410 User Manual 2-6 ni.com
Signal Connections
This chapter describes cable connections for the NI PCI-1410 device.

Video Input Channels

The video input channels for the NI 1410 support two input modes—referenced single-ended (RSE) and differential (DIFF). A channel configured in DIFF mode uses two inputs. One input connects to the positive terminal, and the other connects to the negative terminal. A channel configured in RSE mode uses one input, which connects to the positive terminal. The negative input is internally tied to ground.

BNC Connector

The BNC external connector supplies an immediate connection (RSE mode only) to the NI 1410 VIDEO0 input. To connect a camera to VIDEO0, first verify that the W1 jumper is in place. Next, use the 2 m BNC cable shipped with the NI 1410, or another 75 Ω BNC cable, to connect to the BNC connector. If you are using a BNC connection, the VIDEO0 connection on the 68-pin VHDCI I/O connector must be left open.
3
Refer to Figure 3-1 for the location of the NI 1410 W1 jumper and the connectors discussed in this chapter.
© National Instruments Corporation 3-1 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Chapter 3 Signal Connections
3
2
1
1 68-Pin VHDCI Connector 3 W1 Jumper
2 BNC Connector 4 RTSI Bus Connector
4
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
COPYRIGHT 2004
©
NI PCI-1410

Figure 3-1. NI PCI-1410 Parts Locator Diagram

Figure 3-2 shows the BNC connector pin assignments.
GND
VIDEO0+

Figure 3-2. BNC Connector Pin Assignment

Digital I/O Connector

The 68-pin VHDCI connector connects to all video signals (VIDEO0, VIDEO1, VIDEO2, and VIDEO3), the external digital I/O lines, triggers, and external signals. To access these connections, you can build your own custom cable or use one of the optional National Instruments cables.
Note If you are using the VIDEO0 connection on the 68-pin VHDCI connector, you must
unplug the BNC cable.
NI PCI-1410 User Manual 3-2 ni.com
Chapter 3 Signal Connections
Figure 3-3 shows the pinout of the 68-pin VHDCI connector.
34
VIDEO(0)+ VIDEO(0)– VIDEO(1)+
VIDEO(1)– RESERVED RESERVED RESERVED RESERVED
DGND RESERVED RESERVED RESERVED RESERVED RESERVED RESERVED RESERVED RESERVED RESERVED
HSYNCIN– VSYNCIN– CSYNCIN–
CSYNCOUT–
CTRL(0)– CTRL(1)– CTRL(2)– CTRL(3)–
DGND
DGND
DGND
DGND
CHASSISGND
PCLKIN–
DGND RESERVED
68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35
VIDEO(2)+
33
VIDEO(2)–
32
VIDEO(3)+
31
VIDEO(3)–
30
RESERVED
29
RESERVED
28
RESERVED
27
RESERVED
26
DGND
25
RESERVED
24
RESERVED
23
RESERVED
22
RESERVED
21
RESERVED
20
RESERVED
19
RESERVED
18
RESERVED
17
RESERVED
16
HSYNCIN+
15
VSYNCIN+
14
CSYNCIN+
13
CSYNCOUT+
12
CTRL(0)+
11
CTRL(1)+
10
CTRL(2)+
9
CTRL(3)+
8
TRIG(0)
7
TRIG(1)
6
TRIG(2)
5
TRIG(3)
4
CHASSISGND
3
PCLKIN+
2
DGND RESERVED
1

Figure 3-3. I/O Connector Pin Assignments

© National Instruments Corporation 3-3 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Chapter 3 Signal Connections

Digital I/O Connector Signal Connection Descriptions

Table 3-1 describes each signal connection on the 68-pin VHDCI connector.
Table 3-1. I/O Connector Signals
Signal Name Description
VIDEO0± VIDEO0± allows for a DIFF or RSE connection. To operate in RSE mode,
you must connect VIDEO0– to DGND. When you use VIDEO0+ or VIDEO0–, you must disconnect the video signal from the BNC connector. To operate in DIFF mode, remove attached W1 jumper.
VIDEO<3..1>± VIDEO<3..1>± allows for a DIFF or RSE connection to video channels
1, 2, and 3. To operate in RSE mode, connect VIDEO<3..1>– to DGND.
PCLKIN± Use PCLKIN± when the NI 1410 is in external lock mode. In this mode,
PCLKIN represents the A/D sampling clock. You can select PCLKIN to be either TTL or RS-422 mode and program its polarity through software. In RS-422 mode, both PCLKIN+ and PCLKIN– receive the PCLK signal.
HSYNCIN± Use HSYNCIN± when the NI 1410 is in external lock mode or external
HSYNC/VSYNC (HLOCK only) mode. HSYNC is a synchronization pulse produced at the beginning of each video scan line that keeps the video monitor horizontal scan rate in step with the transmission of each new line. You can set HSYNCIN for either TTL or RS-422 mode and program its polarity through software. In RS-422 mode, both HSYNCIN+ and HSYNCIN– receive the HSYNC signal.
VSYNCIN± Use VSYNCIN± when the NI 1410 is in external lock mode or external
HSYNC/VSYNC (HLOCK only) mode. VSYNC is a synchronization pulse generated at the beginning of each video frame that tells the video monitor when to start a new field. You can set VSYNCIN to be either TTL or RS-422 mode and program its polarity through software. In RS-422 mode, both VSYNCIN+ and VSYNCIN– receive the VSYNC signal.
CSYNCIN± Use CSYNCIN± when the NI 1410 is in CSYNC external mode. CSYNC is a
signal consisting of horizontal sync pulses, vertical sync pulses, and equalizing pulses only. You can set CSYNCIN to be either TTL or RS-422 mode and program its polarity through software. In RS-422 mode, both CSYNCIN+ and CSYNCIN– receive the CSYNC signal.
CSYNCOUT CSYNCOUT is a TTL output of the internal CSYNC signal. In CSYNC
external mode, CSYNCOUT maps directly to CSYNCIN. In standard mode, the synchronization circuitry of the NI 1410 generates CSYNCOUT.
NI PCI-1410 User Manual 3-4 ni.com
Chapter 3 Signal Connections
Table 3-1. I/O Connector Signals (Continued)
Signal Name Description
TRIG<3..0> Triggers<3..0> are TTL I/O lines used to start or stop an acquisition or output
an acquisition status. You can program the triggers to be rising- or falling-edge sensitive. You also can program the triggers to be programmatically asserted or unasserted, which is similar in function to a digital I/O line, or to contain specific pulse widths or internal status signals by using the onboard events.
CTRL<3..0>± Use the control lines on the NI 1410 to control camera features and timing
information, such as generating integration or shutter pulses. You can generate either static or dynamic signals and either TTL or differential signals on these lines.
DGND DGND is a direct connection to digital GND on the NI 1410.
CHASSIS_GND CHASSIS_GND is a direct connection to the computer’s chassis, which is
grounded through the power cord.
© National Instruments Corporation 3-5 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Custom Cables
This appendix lists specifications for building custom cables to use with the NI PCI-1410 device.
Cable Specification
National Instruments offers cables and accessories for you to connect to video sources, trigger sources, or synchronization sources. Use the following guidelines when developing your own cables:
For the video inputs, use a 75 Ω shielded coaxial cable.
For the digital triggers and synchronization signals, use twisted pairs for each signal.
For information about connector pin assignments, refer to the Digital I/O
Connector section of Chapter 3, Signal Connections.
Connector Specifications
A
Video and sync signals—75 Ω impedance
Trigger signals—TTL
Type —75 Ω BNC or 68-pin VHDCI receptacle
© National Instruments Corporation A-1 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Technical Support and Professional Services
Visit the following sections of the National Instruments Web site at
ni.com for technical support and professional services:
Support—Online technical support resources at include the following:
Self-Help Resources—For answers and solutions, visit the
award-winning National Instruments Web site for software drivers and updates, a searchable KnowledgeBase, product manuals, step-by-step troubleshooting wizards, thousands of example programs, tutorials, application notes, instrument drivers, and so on.
Free Technical Support—All registered users receive free Basic
Service, which includes access to hundreds of Application Engineers worldwide in the NI Discussion Forums at
ni.com/forums. National Instruments Application Engineers
make sure every question receives an answer.
For information about other technical support options in your area, visit
ni.com/contact.
Training and Certification—Visit self-paced training, eLearning virtual classrooms, interactive CDs, and Certification program information. You also can register for instructor-led, hands-on courses at locations around the world.
System Integration—If you have time constraints, limited in-house technical resources, or other project challenges, National Instruments Alliance Partner members can help. To learn more, call your local NI office or visit
Declaration of Conformity (DoC)—A DoC is our claim of compliance with the Council of the European Communities using the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity. This system affords the user protection for electronic compatibility (EMC) and product safety. You can obtain the DoC for your product by visiting
ni.com/certification.
ni.com/services or contact your local office at
ni.com/alliance.
B
ni.com/support
ni.com/training for
© National Instruments Corporation B-1 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Appendix B Technical Support and Professional Services
Calibration Certificate—If your product supports calibration,
you can obtain the calibration certificate for your product at
ni.com/calibration.
If you searched
ni.com and could not find the answers you need, contact
your local office or NI corporate headquarters. Phone numbers for our worldwide offices are listed at the front of this manual. You also can visit the Worldwide Offices section of
ni.com/niglobal to access the branch
office Web sites, which provide up-to-date contact information, support phone numbers, email addresses, and current events.
NI PCI-1410 User Manual B-2 ni.com

Glossary

A
A/D Analog-to-digital.
ADC Analog-to-digital converter. An electronic device, often an integrated
circuit, that converts an analog voltage to a digital value.
address Value that identifies a specific location (or series of locations) in memory.
antichrominance filter Removes the color information from the video signal.
ASIC Application-Specific Integrated Circuit. A proprietary semiconductor
component designed and manufactured to perform a set of specific functions for specific customer needs.
aspect ratio The ratio of a picture or image’s width to its height.
B
buffer Temporary storage for acquired data.
bus A group of conductors that interconnect individual circuitry in a computer,
such as the PCI bus; typically the expansion vehicle to which I/O or other devices are connected.
C
CCIR Comite Consultatif International des Radiocommunications. A committee
that developed standards for video signals. Also used to describe signals, boards, and cameras that adhere to the CCIR standards.
chroma The color information in a video signal.
chrominance See chroma.
CSYNC Composite synchronization signal. Signals in a color video system that
multiplex all picture information into a single signal, such as NTSC, PAL, or SECAM.
© National Instruments Corporation G-1 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Glossary
D
DAQ Data acquisition. (1) Collecting and measuring electrical signals from
sensors, transducers, and test probes or fixtures and inputting them to a computer for processing. (2) Collecting and measuring the same kinds of electrical signals with A/D or DIO boards plugged into a computer, and possibly generating control signals with D/A and/or DIO boards in the same computer.
DMA Direct memory access. A method by which data can be transferred between
computer memory and a device or memory on the bus while the processor does something else. DMA is the fastest method of transferring data to/from computer memory.
driver Software that controls a specific hardware device, such as an image
acquisition or DAQ device.
E
external trigger A voltage pulse from an external source that triggers an event such as
A/D conversion.
F
field For an interlaced video signal, a field is half the number of horizontal lines
needed to represent a frame of video. The first field of a frame contains all the odd-numbered lines, the second field contains all of the even-numbered lines.
frame A complete image. In interlaced formats, a frame is composed of two fields.
G
gamma The nonlinear change in the difference between the video signal’s
brightness level and the voltage level needed to produce that brightness.
genlock The process of synchronizing a video source to the signal from a separate
video source. The circuitry aligns the video timing signals by locking together the horizontal, vertical, and color subcarrier frequencies and phases and generates a pixel clock that clocks pixel data into memory for display or into another circuit for processing.
NI PCI-1410 User Manual G-2 ni.com
Glossary
H
HSYNC Horizontal synchronization signal. The synchronization pulse signal
produced at the beginning of each video scan line that keeps a video monitor’s horizontal scan rate in step with the transmission of each new line.
I
instrument driver A set of high-level software functions, such as NI-IMAQ, that control
specific plug-in computer boards. Instrument drivers are available in several forms, ranging from a function callable from a programming language to a virtual instrument (VI) in LabVIEW.
interlaced A video frame composed of two interleaved fields. The number of lines
in a field are half the number of lines in an interlaced frame.
interrupt A computer signal indicating that the CPU should suspend its current task
to service a designated activity.
interrupt level The relative priority at which a device can interrupt.
L
LSB Least significant bit.
LUT Lookup table. Table containing values used to transform the gray-level
values of an image. For each gray-level value in the image, the corresponding new value is obtained from the lookup table.
M
memory buffer See buffer.
mux Multiplexer. A switching device with multiple inputs that selectively
connects one of its inputs to its output.
© National Instruments Corporation G-3 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Glossary
N
NI-IMAQ Driver software for National Instruments image acquisition hardware.
NTSC National Television Standards Committee. The committee that developed
the color video standard used primarily in North America, which uses 525 lines per frame. See also PAL.
P
PAL Phase Alternation Line. One of the European video color standards.
PAL uses 625 lines per frame. See also NTSC.
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect. A high-performance expansion bus
architecture originally developed by Intel to replace ISA and EISA. PCI offers a theoretical maximum transfer rate of 132 Mbytes/s.
PCLK Pixel clock signal. Times the sampling of pixels on a video line.
pixel aspect ratio The ratio between the physical horizontal size and the vertical size of the
region covered by the pixel. An acquired pixel should optimally be square, thus the optimal value is 1.0, but typically it falls between 0.95 and 1.05, depending on camera quality.
pixel clock Divides the incoming horizontal video line into pixels.
R
resolution (1) The number of rows and columns of pixels. An image composed of
m rows and n columns has a resolution of m × n. This image has n pixels along its horizontal axis and m pixels along its vertical axis. (2) The smallest signal increment that can be detected by a measurement system. Resolution can be expressed in bits, proportions, or a percentage of full scale. For example, a system has 12-bit resolution, one part in 4,096 resolution, and 0.0244 percent of full scale.
ROI Region of interest. (1) An area of the image that is graphically selected
from a window displaying the image. This area can be used to focus further processing. (2) A hardware-programmable rectangular portion of the acquisition window.
NI PCI-1410 User Manual G-4 ni.com
Glossary
RSE Referenced single-ended. All measurements are made with respect to a
common reference measurement system or a ground. Also called a grounded measurement system.
RTSI bus Real-Time System Integration Bus. The National Instruments timing bus
that connects image acquisition and DAQ boards directly by means of connectors on top of the boards for precise synchronization of functions.
S
scatter-gather DMA A type of DMA that allows the DMA controller to reconfigure on-the-fly.
SDRAM
sync Tells the display where to put a video picture. The horizontal sync indicates
Synchronous DRAM is a form of dynamic RAM memory that is about 20% faster than EDO RAM. SDRAM interleaves two or more internal memory arrays so that while one array is being accessed, the next one is being prepared for access.
the picture’s left-to-right placement and the vertical sync indicates top-to-bottom placement.
T
trigger Any event that causes or starts some form of data capture.
TTL Transistor-transistor logic.
V
value The grayscale intensity of a color pixel computed as the average of the
maximum and minimum red, green, and blue values of that pixel.
VI Virtual Instrument. (1) A combination of hardware and/or software
elements, typically used with a PC, that has the functionality of a classic stand-alone instrument. (2) A LabVIEW software module (VI), which consists of a front panel user interface and a block diagram program.
VSYNC Vertical synchronization signal. The synchronization pulse generated at the
beginning of each video field that tells the video monitor when to start a new field.
© National Instruments Corporation G-5 NI PCI-1410 User Manual

Index

Numerics

10-bit ADC, 2-2 10-bit LUT, 2-3
A
acquisition and region-of-interest control, 2-4 ADC, 10-bit, 2-2 analog bandwidth control circuitry, 2-2 analog front end considerations, 2-5 antichrominance filter, 2-3 application software
Vision Development Module, 1-4
B
BNC connector
avoiding VIDEO0 connection with 68-pin
VHDCI connector (note), 3-2 pin assignments (figure), 3-2 signal connections, 3-1
C
cables
custom cable specifications, A-1
calibration certificate (NI resources), B-2 CHASSIS_GND signal (table), 3-5 composite synchronization. See CSYNC configuration, parts locator diagram, 1-2, 3-2 conventions used in the manual, v CSYNC
CSYNC mux, 2-3 external acquisition mode, 2-4 genlock and synchronization circuitry, 2-3
CSYNCIN± signal (table), 3-4 CSYNCOUT signal (table), 3-4
CTRL<3..0>± signal (table), 3-5 custom cable specifications, A-1
D
Declaration of Conformity (NI resources), B-1 DGND signal (table), 3-5 diagnostic tools (NI resources), B-1 DMA controllers, 2-3 documentation
conventions used in the manual, v NI resources, B-1
drivers (NI resources), B-1
E
examples (NI resources), B-1 external lock mode description, 2-4
F
front end considerations, 2-5 functional overview, 2-1
G
gain and offset circuitry, programmable, 2-2
H
hardware overview
10-bit LUT, 2-3 acquisition and region-of-interest
control, 2-4 acquisition modes, 2-4 block diagram, 2-2 CSYNC mux, 2-3 digital antichrominance filter, 2-3
© National Instruments Corporation I-1 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
Index
functional overview, 2-1 genlock and synchronization
circuitry, 2-3 PCI Interface, 2-3 PCLK, HSYNC, VSYNC mux, 2-3 programmable gain and offset, 2-2 RTSI bus, 2-4 scatter-gather DMA controllers, 2-3 video mux, 2-2
help, technical support, B-1 HSYNC
genlock and synchronization
circuitry, 2-3 PCLK, HSYNC, VSYNC mux, 2-3
HSYNCIN± signal (table), 3-4
I
instrument drivers (NI resources), B-1 integration with DAQ and motion control, 1-5 I/O connector
avoiding VIDEO0 connection with BNC
connector, 3-2 custom cable specifications, A-1 pin assignments (figure), 3-3 signal descriptions (table), 3-4
N
National Instruments support and
services, B-1 NI support and services, B-1 NI-IMAQ driver software, 1-3
P
parts locator diagram, 1-2, 3-2 PCI interface, 2-3 PCI-1410 device
features and overview, 1-1 software programming choices, 1-2
NI Vision, 1-3 NI-IMAQ driver software, 1-3
PCLK
genlock and synchronization
circuitry, 2-3
PCLK, HSYNC, VSYNC mux, 2-3 PCLKIN± signal (table), 3-4 pin assignments
BNC connector (figure), 3-2
I/O connector (figure), 3-3 pixel clock. See PCLK programmable gain and offset circuitry, 2-2 programming examples (NI resources), B-1
K
KnowledgeBase, B-1
R
region of interest control circuitry, 2-4 RTSI bus, 2-4
L
LabVIEW
Vision Builder AI, 1-4 lock mode, external, 2-4 lookup table, 10-bit LUT, 2-3
M
motion control, integrating with, 1-5
NI PCI-1410 User Manual I-2 ni.com
Index
S
scatter-gather DMA controllers, 2-3 signal connections
BNC connector, 3-1 I/O connector, 3-2
pin assignments (figure), 3-3 signal descriptions (table), 3-4
software
NI resources, B-1 Vision Development Module, 1-4
software programming choices
NI Vision, 1-3
NI-IMAQ driver software, 1-3 standard acquisition mode, 2-4 support, technical, B-1 SYNC mux, 2-3 synchronization circuitry, 2-3
T
technical support, B-1 training and certification (NI resources), B-1 TRIG<3..0> signal (table), 3-5 troubleshooting (NI resources), B-1
V
vertical synchronization. See VSYNC VHDCI connector. See I/O connector video mux, 2-2 VIDEO<3..1>± signal (table), 3-4 VIDEO0 signal, avoiding 68-pin VHDCI
connector with BNC connection (note), 3-2 VIDEO0± signal (table), 3-4 VSYNC
genlock and synchronization circuitry,
2-3
PCLK, HSYNC, VSYNC mux, 2-3
VSYNCIN± signal (table), 3-4
W
Web resources, B-1
© National Instruments Corporation I-3 NI PCI-1410 User Manual
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