Pco pco.dimax, 1300 User Manual

pco.dimax

User’s Manual

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

In this manual you find instructions for the pco.dimax CMOS high-speed camera

Target Audience: This camera is designed for use by

technicians, engineers, and scientists.

In case of any questions or comments, please contact us at PCO.

telephone

+49 (0) 9441 2005 50

fax +49 (0) 9441 2005 20

info@pco.de

postal address

PCO AG Donaupark 11 93309 Kelheim, Germany

The cover photo shows an exemplary PCO camera system. The lens is sold separately.

Copyright © 2010 PCO AG (called PCO in the following text), Kelheim, Germany. All rights reserved. PCO assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in these materials. These materials are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. PCO further does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these materials. PCO shall not be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including without limitation, lost revenues or lost profits, which may result from the use of these materials. The information is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of PCO in the future. PCO hereby authorizes you to copy documents for noncommercial use within your organization only. In consideration of this authorization, you agree that any copy of these documents, which you make, shall retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained herein. Each individual document published by PCO may contain other proprietary notices and copyright information relating to that individual document. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring by implication or otherwise any license or right under any patent or trademark of PCO or any third party. Except as expressly provided, above nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring any license or right under any PCO copyright. Note that any product, process, or technology in this document may be the subject of other intellectual property rights reserved by PCO, and may not be licensed hereunder.

Updated February 2010 © PCO AG

Table of Contents

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

Table of Contents

1 Introduction .....................................................................4

High Speed meets High Resolution.

2 Safety Instructions ..........................................................5

Save money, reduce stress, stay healthy

3 System Components.......................................................6

What’s in the Box?

4 Installation .......................................................................7

Get your camera and computer ready for start.

5 Quick Start .......................................................................8

How to get an image fast and easy

6 Camera Control for the pco.dimax ................................9

The main interface for all camera settings

6.1 The “Camera Control” window ...............................................................9

6.2 The Timing sheet .................................................................................. 10

6.3 The Sensor (Size) sheet ........................................................................ 15

6.4 The Sensor (Misc.) sheet ......................................................................16

6.5 The CamRam sheet ..............................................................................17

6.6 The Recording sheet ............................................................................18

6.7 The In/Out Signals sheet ......................................................................20

7 Camware Features ........................................................21

Software for image acquisition and archiving

7.1 If no camera is connected ....................................................................21

7.2 Overview .............................................................................................. 22

7.3 The File Menu.......................................................................................23

7.4 The Camera Menu ................................................................................27

7.5 The Acquisition Menu...........................................................................28

7.6 The View Menu.....................................................................................29

7.7 The Window Menu................................................................................32

7.8 The Help Menu .....................................................................................32

7.9 The Local Menu....................................................................................33

7.10 Additional Features...............................................................................34

Appendix

A1 Technical Data ................................................................36

A2 Mechanical Dimensions ..................................................37

A3 GigE Installation and System Requirements ...................38

A4 Image File Formats..........................................................44

A5 Service and Maintenance................................................46

A6 Customer Service and Trouble Shooting ........................47

A7 Firmware Update.............................................................47

A8 Digital Camera Tools CD-ROM .......................................48

A9 FAQ .................................................................................49

About PCO..............................................................................51

1 Introduction

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

1 Introduction

High Speed meets High Resolution.

Features

This high speed 12 bit CMOS camera system comprises advanced CMOS and electronics technology. It is perfectly suited for high speed camera applications such as material testing, off-board crash or impact tests or super slow motion movie clips. The system features also a variety of trigger options to cover all off-board applications that have been required by the automotive industry.

The camera’s main features are:

• 1279 fps @ full resolution 2016 x 2016 pixel

• 2410 fps @ HD resolution

• 4502 fps @ 1008 x 1000 pixel

• 12 bit dynamic range

• color & monochrome image sensor versions available

• exposure time range 2 µs - 40 ms

• image memory in camera (camRAM up to 36 GB)

• double shutter operation

• GigE & USB2.0 & Cameralink data interfaces

• multiple trigger interface optimized for automotive applications

• smart battery control (1h full operation or 6h data backup)

Areas of Application

• high speed particle image

velocimetry (PIV)

• short time physics

• spray analysis

• hyper velocity impact studies

• automobile crash tests

• material testing

• tensile tests

• airbag inflation

• fast flow visualization

• hydrodynamics

• fuel injection

• sparks in electronical switches

• combustions imaging

• semiconductor quality control

• fast events in nature and machine

• super slow motion movie clips

• ballistics

2 Safety Instructions

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

2 Safety Instructions

Never operate the camera in humid or dusty environments or in places with high amounts of X-ray radiation. Humidity, dust or X-rays could damage

the camera.

To avoid the risk of water condensation, protect the camera against extreme changes of ambient temperature. If condensation enters the

camera, there is the risk of electric shock.

To prevent damage to the camera, the system must be kept stable and

protected against strong jolts or vibrations. The socket at the bottom of

the camera is to be used for mounting purposes only.

The slits in the camera case (side & back planes) are designed for heat dissipation by the camera fan. To prevent overheating of the camera, do

not block these slits. Do not leave the camera system in direct sunlight to

avoid the risk of overheating.

Electric shock warning – Never slide any items through the slits into the

camera because of the risk of electric shock if the voltage parts inside are

touched.

Each time the camera is used, check the power cable for any damage.

Never position the cable in a way that it could become a tripping hazard.

Do not force the lens onto the camera. To protect the lens connector thread

from damage, use minimal force when attaching a lens to the camera.

If any of the following conditions apply, immediately switch off the camera, separate it from the power line and contact our customer support:

If the power cable or the power plug seems to be worn or

damaged.

If liquids have penetrated the device. If, after thoroughly reviewing the instruction manual, the device is

still not operating properly.

If the camera has been dropped or the casing is damaged.

3 System Components

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

3 System Components

The camera system includes the following parts.

Camera Head

F-mount optical connection:

The distance between the front edge of the F-mount and the sensor is 46.5 mm. For standard F-mount/SLR lenses and adapters.

LEDs indicate camera status

Recording – Status – Error

Dust Filter (exchangeable)

Input/Output BNC connectors

Trigger – Acquire – IRIG-B – Status – Sync in/out

Lemosa connectors

Automotive applications - www.lemo.com

Interface

GigE Vision – USB 2.0 – Cameralink

1/4-20 UNC and 3/8-16 UNC and M8 threads

5.2 mm pinholes

Serial Number tag

Power Supply

24V AC Desktop Power Supply with IEC14 chassis plug and XLR connector

Power Cord

Standard IEC13 connector (for Germany only)

Battery Pack (optional)

NiMH (standard), Li-Ion (upon request)

Cable

10m Patch cable RJ45 Cat6.0

Digital Camera Tools (CD-ROM)

The accompanying CD contains (see appendix A8):

• Camware: software for camera control & image acquisition

• camera driver & tools

• software development kit (SDK) and demo programs in C and C++

4 Installation

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

4 Installation

You will find all necessary files on the accompanying CD. You may also download the newest versions of our software, camera drivers, and third party software drivers from our website (support section).

In this chapter you find the quick installation utilizing USB interface. For the more advanced GigE Vision installation and system requirements please see appendix A3.

Minimum computer system requirements:

• Clock speed > 1.6GHz

• RAM > 512MB

• Windows XP/ Service Pack 2 or Win2000/ Service Pack 4

• 1280 x 1024 pixel resolution display

• 32-bit-graphics card (16.7 million colors)

recommended: CUDA-enabled GPU (see chapter 7.6)

• USB 2.0

recommended: 1000Mbps NIC with PCI-Express (see A3-5)

4.1 USB

Please have the USB drivers and files downloaded on your computer. Connect camera with PC and start camera. The camera is ready after one beep.

4.2 Camera Driver

The first time the camera is connected via USB to the computer, Windows will notify the user that a new device has been detected. Afterwards, the typical Windows hardware drivers’ installation process will begin. At this point, you are asked for the location of the corresponding file.

Please click on the drive where the CD with the drivers has been inserted or to the directory where the installation software has been downloaded. Windows will perform any further installation and system registration automatically.

4.3 Camware

The Camware 32-bit Windows application software enables you to control every camera parameter or setting. Images can be displayed on a monitor and may be downloaded and stored.

The CD runs automatically (if not: please begin the installation manually by double clicking on the setup.exe file). The installation software copies all necessary DLL files into the corresponding Windows directories. While doing this, older versions of these files will be replaced, if present. All required Windows registration entries will be made automatically. After a successful installation, you will find the program file ’Digital Camera Toolbox’ in your program directory. Other helpful tools are also installed in the same file (see appendix A8).

5 Quick Start

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

5 Quick Start

Note: In order to get familiar with your new camera & software it might be helpful, if you first aim at an object that is easy to focus and that can be seen at standard light conditions.

5.1 Preparation

 installation is finished (see chapter 4)  an appropriate lens is attached (remove cap!)

or the camera is attached properly to the microscope, spectrograph or other scientific device

 camera is connected to the power supply  camera is connected to the PC

 computer is on  camera is on (the camera is ready after one beep)

5.2 Start

 start Camware

 open view window

- if not already open -

 start “live preview”  apply “auto range peak”  you may adjust aperture and focus

You should now clearly see the object in the window.

 If you need to change exposure time (e.g. the image is still either

too dark or too bright), please go to chapter 6!

 If you want to record and save images, please see chapter 6 and

chapter 7 for detailed information!

6 Camera Control for the pco.dimax

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

6 Camera Control for the pco.dimax

The 'Camera Control' window in Camware is the main interface for all camera settings.

For further Camware features please see chapter 7!

6.1 The “Camera Control” window

The camera control window can be opened by selecting the proper command in the "Camera"-Menu or by the corresponding button in the toolbar:

The camera control dialog always adapts to the camera type connected. For the pco.dimax the camera control settings are spread over six property

sheets 1, which will be explained below.

Changes to the camera control sheets must be completed by pressing the

“Accept” button 2.

If the "Accept" button is not pressed, these changes will be ignored and lost. If the changes are within the allowed condition limits of the camera, a message is sent to the computer, the button disappears and the green lamp will be highlighted. If an illegal change was attempted, the camera will not accept the change and the red lamp will be highlighted.

In the information field 3 you can view some information about the camera. Click into the info field in order to scroll through the values.

Estimated Recording Time (est. rec. time) due to selected fps, ROI, camRAM size.

2 3

6 Camera Control for the pco.dimax

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

6.2 The “Timing” sheet

General Information

In this context trigger means exposure trigger, i.e. the trigger signal controls the exposure of a single image.

Exposure and readout are done simultaneously, i.e. while image “n” is being readout from the sensor, image “n+1” is already integrated within the sensor’s pixel elements.

In case of short exposure times, the readout is the limiting factor:

Q: What is the max possible exposure time for max speed? A: see table

ROI max fps 1/fps

max exp time

tsys

2016x2016 1103 907 µs

828 µs

79 µs

55MHz

480x480 12435 80 µs

71 µs

9 µs

2016x2016 1279 782 µs

713 µs

69 µs

62.5MHz 480x480 14849 67 µs

59 µs

8 µs

For long exposure times, the exposure time is the limiting factor:

Q: What is the achievable frame rate for a given long exposure time? A: see table

ROI exp time 1/exp time

max fps

tsys

2016x2016

99.22 fps

79 µs

55MHz

480x480

10 ms 100 fps

99.90 fps

10 µs

2016x2016

99.32 fps

68 µs

62.5MHz

480x480

10 ms 100 fps

99.91 fps

9 µs

Due to overhead and system times (t

sys

) the actual max exposure time or

frame rate will be shorter than expected.

For precise timing, use [External Exp. Start] or [External Exp. Ctrl] mode.

exposure

readout

n + 1

n n + 1 n - 1

exp

sys

exposure

readout

n + 1 n + 2

n n + 1 n + 2

exp

readout

6 Camera Control for the pco.dimax

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

Trigger Mode

[Auto Sequence] The camera will optimize the image recording to achieve

the best possible frame rate (“free running”).

In the [auto sequence] exposure control mode, the camera determines the fastest possible image uptake rate depending on the adjusted exposure time and the required readout time. After a start command is given, the sequential recording is started until a stop command is given.

[Soft Trigger] Single images can be recorded with Camware control. The single image can be acquired by pressing the "Single Trigger" button. This button appears after pressing the “Start Record” button (see chapter 7.2). Other signals cannot influence this operating mode. For test purposes only.

[External Exp. Start] The image acquisition is triggered by an external signal. It is also possible to force a software trigger for a test image with the "Single Trigger" button.

In the [External Exp. Start] exposure control mode, single image recording is started by the falling or rising edge of the voltage signal at the BNC input (see chapter 6.7). The frame-rate cannot be set, as the frame-rate is defined by the frequency of the external signal. However the exposure time and ROI settings affect the maximum possible framerate.

A new trigger is possible after t

readout

or (texp + tsys) (whichever is

longer) after the preceding trigger. The Busy Status signal (see chapter

6.7) indicates if a new trigger will be accepted.

The maximum achievable frame rate in external trigger mode is negligibly less (about 0.1%) than when operating the camera in [Auto Sequence] mode.

Note: If the trigger rate of the external signal is quite near the maximum possible frame-rate (difference < 1/1000), then it will be random, whether or not a trigger is accepted!

If the trigger rate of the external signal is higher than the maximum possible frame-rate, then every second trigger pulse is ignored. Therefore the actual frame-rate drops to ½ of the external trigger rate. If the trigger rate is increased further, then only every 3rd, every 4th etc. trigger edge will be accepted.

In order to avoid trade-offs at maximum frame-rate use either the Busy

Status signal (see chapter 6.7) or make sure that the external trigger rate follows this condition:

External Trigger Rate ≤ fmax / 1.001

Busy Stat (out)

acc. not acc.

exp trig (in)

Exp Stat (out)

acc. not acc.

acc. not acc. acc. not acc.

Busy Stat (out)

acc. not acc. accepted accepted

exp trig (in)

Exp Stat (out)

6 Camera Control for the pco.dimax

pco.dimax User’s Manual V1.01 © PCO AG, Germany

[External Exp. Ctrl] An external signal, which is applied to the trigger input, controls the start and the duration of the exposure (see chapter 6.7).

In trigger mode [External Exp. Ctrl] a new exposure is started by the falling or rising edge of the voltage signal at the BNC input (see chapter

6.7). The exposure is finished when the opposite edge is detected. Thus in this mode, the start as well as the length of the exposure time can be controlled.

No further settings can be made, as the image timing is completely controlled by the exp trig signal.

There is a maximum exposure time. If the trigger pulse is longer than 20 ms, the integration will be stopped at 20 ms.

A new trigger is possible after t

readout

or (texp + tsys) (whichever is

longer) after the preceding trigger. The Busy Status signal (see chapter

6.7) indicates if a new trigger will be accepted.

The detailed timing for external trigger includes system delay times, an adjustable additional delay time, and the jitter.

55 MHz 62.5 MHz t

rsys

(rising edge)

MHz

100

+•

 



 



2.7 µs @ full resolution

1.3 µs @ 100x100

MHz

100

5.62

+•

 



 



2.4 µs @ full resolution

1.1 µs @ 100x100

fsys

(falling edge)

MHz

100

+•

 



 



3.1 µs @ full resolution

1.7 µs @ 100x100

MHz

100

5.62

+•

 



 



2.7 µs @ full resolution

1.5 µs @ 100x100

jit (

jitter)

-0 / +20 ns (max.) -0 / +20 ns (max.)

delay (

delay)

0 … 1 ms 0 … 1ms

W: width of selected ROI

Trigger edges occurring within (t

delay

+ 200 ns) after a preceding trigger

will be ignored!

There is no specified timing for the software trigger. The software trigger is not recommended for applications where an exact timing is required!

Delay time is not recommended for high speed applications.

fsys

exposure

exp trig (in)

rsys

jit

delay

readout

Busy Stat (out)

acc. not acc. accepted accepted

exp trig (in)

Exp Stat (out)

6 Camera Control for the pco.dimax

Timing

Please see notes to the external trigger modes for respective timing issues.

The exposure and delay time can be adjusted in steps of 1µs.

exposure time delay time pco.dimax 2µs … 40ms 2µs … 1s

The slider and the up/down control refer to the blue highlighted unit

Delay time is not recommended for high speed applications.

[FPS based] The camera will optimize the image recording to achieve the selected frame rate with chosen exposure time as close as possible. Only for [Auto Sequence] trigger mode.

First the frame-rate is set. If the time required for readout of the image is longer than 1 / frame-rate, then the frame-rate will be reduced to 1 / t

readout

If the selected exposure time requires a lower frame-rate, the exposure time is cut to the maximum possible time at that frame-rate.

Frame rate exposure time

FPS mode

0.465 …1279 Hz @ 62.5MHz

0.465 …1103 Hz @ 55MHz

2µs … 40ms

6 Camera Control for the pco.dimax

Camera Synchronisation

The Sync Mode feature eliminates the need for an external synchronization source and facilitates the operation.

Using defined settings for all cameras the master camera takes into account the

maximum frequency deviation between the cameras and calculates the maximum frame rate such that it is ensured that no camera drops images

[off] Set this camera as ‘stand-alone’, i.e. not participating in the chain. [Master] Set this camera as ‘master’ in a daisy chain. [Slave] Set this camera as ‘slave’ in a daisy chain.

Wiring Scheme

The camera must be wired from the Sync Out to the Sync In of the following camera in the chain. The master camera must be at the beginning of the chain.

Cameras which are configured as slave or standalone, do electrically repeat the synchronisation signal.

A master camera ignores the signal at its Sync In port and generates a synchronisation signal at the Sync Out port. Thus a master camera interrupts a wired chain.

The cameras can also be wired as a ring structure. In this case any one of the cameras can act as a master camera.

A camera configured as a standalone camera does not participate and can be operated individually, but does not interrupt the chain.

All cameras should have the same sensor frequency. If not, please define the camera with the lowest sensor operating frequency as master!

Specifications

• up to 50 m cable (RG174 or RG58) from camera to camera

• up to 5 cameras

• synchronization delay less than 1 us (5 cameras, 100 m cable in all)

• synchronization jitter less than 50 ns (for any camera in the chain)

• the maximum achievable frame rate in camera sync mode is only

about 0,5% less than when operating the camera individually

Camera Setup

• Set all cameras to same ROI and same size of the RAM segment.

• Define the master and slave cameras.

• Exposure/delay time and frame rate can only be set for the master camera.

• Start all slave cameras first (record button in Camware).

The slave cameras do not record images but wait for the master camera to start.

• Start the master camera.

Now all cameras are recording images

• Stop the master camera first (Stop button in Camware).

The slave cameras are still in record state, but do not record. They must be stopped

as well. All cameras have now recorded the same number of images.

• Images can now be read from all of the cameras.

This is done by using an index, where #1 is the first/earliest image. Images with the

same index requested from different cameras are taken at the same time.

The sequence trigger can also be used in camera sync mode.

However, only the master camera must be configured for the sequence trigger and

trigger delay. The sequence trigger mode setting for all slave cameras must be “off”!

Acquire Enable mode is not possible in camera sync mode.

6 Camera Control for the pco.dimax

6.3 The “Sensor (Size)” sheet

Binning

Feature not applicable for pco.dimax

Sensor Format

The implemented sensor has the option to readout a standard size (effective pixels recommended by the sensor manufacturer) or an extended size, which adds optical black pixels, which can be helpful for calibration or control purposes. In extended mode, you will not increase image size!

Region of Interest

The ROI (region of interest) selects only a part of the sensor to be read out, in order to speed up the frame rate and to save memory. Due to the sensor structure and readout electronics the selectable region is always symmetric about the center.

increments horizontal: 48 pixel steps increments vertical: 4 pixel steps

Selection of possible ROI with corresponding storage/recording values:

resolution horizontal

[pixel]

resolution

vertical

[pixel]

frame rate

[fps]

# of images

camRAM 36 GB

recording time

[s]

2016 2016 1 279 6 324 4.9 1920 1080 2 470 12 395 5.0 1008 1000 4 502 25 499 5.7

720 480 11 576 74 374 6.4 240 120 63 841 892 496 14.0 240 32 126 263 3 346 862 26.5 240 16 153 563 6 693 725 43.6

2016 16 73 443 796 872 10.9

Values are for estimation purposes only.

The Camware will show the actual frame rate and estimated recording time due to selected ROI and timing values in the information box:

6 Camera Control for the pco.dimax

6.4 The “Sensor (Misc.)” sheet

Pixelclock

The pixel clock sets the clock frequency and therefore the image sensor readout speed. In general, at higher readout speed the image quality will suffer due to higher readout noise.

55 MHz 62.5 MHz pco.dimax Quality Mode Speed Mode

AD Converter

Feature not applicable for pco.dimax

Double Image

This feature is widely used for particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements, but not yet released for the pco.dimax.

IR Sensitivity

Feature not applicable for pco.dimax

Offset Control

Offset control is done automatically for optimal results. User control is disabled.

B/W Noise Filter

In the pco.dimax an optimal hot pixel correction is already integrated.

Conversion Factor

The conversion factor defines how many charges (electrons), which have been generated by light in the image sensor in each pixel, are necessary to generate one count (one intensity level) in the digital image. Therefore, the conversion factor describes the gain that is applied to the signal before it is converted into a digital value. The conversion is optimized for the pco.dimax @ 10 e-/count.

Electronics Temperature

Display of electronics and sensor temperature. Active cooling by fan is implemented in the pco.dimax. There is no need for Peltier cooling. Due to digital temperature compensation and sophisticated electronic design the pco.dimax comes with ultra stable offset, where there is no need for extra black or current session references.

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Pco pco.dimax, 1300 User Manual

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Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual