Pco edge, edge GOLD, edge 4.2, edge 5.5, edge GOLD 4.2 User Manual

...

user manual

pco.edge

pco.edge GOLD

pco.edge 4.2 pco.edge 5.5

pco.edge GOLD 4.2 pco.edge GOLD 5.5

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

In this manual you find instructions for the pco.edge scientific CMOS (sCMOS) camera series.

Target Audience: The pco.edge 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 exemplary PCO camera systems.

Lenses are sold separately.

Copyright © 2014 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 April 2014 © PCO AG

Table of Contents

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

Table of Contents

1 Introduction ..................................................................... 5

2 Safety Instructions .......................................................... 7

3 System Components ....................................................... 8

Camera Head and Accessories LEDs indicating Camera Status

4 Installation ....................................................................... 9

Computer Requirements Frame Grabber (Camera Link) / USB 3.0 Installation Software Installation (pco.camware)

5 Quick Start ..................................................................... 10

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge ................................ 11

6.1 The “Camera Control” window ........................................ 11

How to open the Camera Control window Information Field (Displayed Camera Information)

6.2 The Timing tab ................................................................ 12

Trigger Modes explained

6.2.1 Rolling Shutter – Timing Details .................................. 14

6.2.2 Global Shutter – Timing Details ................................... 19

6.2.3 Global Reset – Timing Details ..................................... 22

6.3 The Sensor (Size) tab....................................................... 24

Binning Region of Interest (ROI) Sensor Format

6.4 The Sensor (Misc.) tab ..................................................... 25

Pixelclock Spurious Noise Filter (“Blinkers”) Conversion Factor Electronics and Sensor Temperature Information

6.5 The Recording tab ........................................................... 26

Recorder Modes (sequence / ring buffer) Acquire Mode (disable recording externally) Sequence Trigger Time Stamp

6.6 The In/Out Signals tab ..................................................... 29

Hardware Signal Input and Output

Table of Contents

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

7 Camware Features ........................................................ 31

7.1 If no camera is connected ............................................... 31

Demo Mode Setup

7.2 Overview ......................................................................... 32

7.3 The File Menu .................................................................. 33

Open / Save / Export Files Options: File / View Settings Options: Toolbar, Logfiles Direct Record to File (RAID operation)

7.4 The Camera Menu ........................................................... 37

Switch between Rolling Shutter, Global Shutter & Global Reset Auto Exposure

7.5 The Acquisition Menu ...................................................... 38

Predefine number of images in RAM segment Recorder Setting

7.6 The View Menu ................................................................ 39

Convert Control BW / Color White Balance, Additional Filter, GPU Processing

7.7 The Window Menu .......................................................... 42

7.8 The Help Menu ................................................................ 42

Version Information Support Links

7.9 The Local Menu ............................................................... 43

Right Mouse Button Features

7.10 Additional Features ......................................................... 45

Appendix

A1 Technical Data................................................................. 47

A2 Mechanical Dimensions .................................................. 52

A3 How to change optical input F-mount to C-mount ......... 54

A4 Image File Formats .......................................................... 55

A5 Service and Maintenance ................................................ 57

A6 Customer Service and Trouble Shooting ........................ 58

A7 Water Cooling Option (pco.aquamatic II) ........................ 59

A8 Image Data Flow (PC Recommendations)....................... 63

A9 ME4 Grabber Instructions ............................................... 65

A10 USB 3.0 Installation & Hardware Recommendations ...... 68

A11 Binning in CMOS Sensors ............................................... 71

About PCO .............................................................................. 72

1 Introduction

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

1 Introduction

The new imaging standard.

Features

The pco.edge is a breakthrough in scientific imaging cameras, due to its distinctive ability to simultaneously deliver extremely low noise, fast frame rates, wide dynamic range, high quantum efficiency, high resolution and a large field of view - all in one image.

The camera series’ main features are:

 low noise: 0.9 electrons med (pco.edge 4.2, slow scan)  high resolution: 5.5 megapixel (pco.edge 5.5)  high dynamic range: 33000:1 (pco.edge 4.2, slow scan)  high speed: 100 fps @ full resolution (pco.edge 4.2 & 5.5, Camera Link)  deep cooling: - 30 °C (pco.edge GOLD, water cooling)

 flexibility: user selectable choice of shutter mode  free of drift: stabilized Peltier cooling in order to avoid any drift

phenomena in image sequences

scientific CMOS

1 Introduction

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

Overview – Available Camera Models

This table shows an overview over all available camera models.

Type

Interface

Shutter

Read Out Frequency

Sensor

pco.edge 4.2

USB 3.0

Rolling (RS)

110 MHz

mono

pco.edge 4.2

Camera Link

Rolling (RS)

95.3 MHz (slow scan)

mono

272.3 MHz (fast scan)

mono

pco.edge GOLD 4.2

USB 3.0

Rolling (RS)

110 MHz

mono

pco.edge 5.5

USB 3.0

Rolling (RS)

86 MHz

mono & color

Global (GS)

(under development)

pco.edge 5.5

Camera Link

Rolling (RS)

95.3 MHz (slow scan)

mono & color

286 MHz (fast scan)

Global (GS)

slow scan, not available*

286 MHz (fast scan)

Global Reset

(GR)

95.3 MHz (slow scan)

286 MHz (fast scan)

pco.edge GOLD 5.5

USB 3.0

Rolling (RS)

86 MHz

mono & color

Global (GS)

(under development)

*since the image quality in Global Shutter Mode decreases with slower readout frequency, the slow scan mode is disabled.

Areas of Application

live cell microscopy single molecule detection localization microscopy lightsheet microscopy selective plane illumination microscopy SPIM structured illumination microscopy SIM TIRF microscopy / waveguides spinning disk confocal microscopy genome sequencing (2nd and 3rd gen) FRET FRAP lucky astronomy / imaging adaptive optics solar astronomy

fluorescence spectroscopy bio- & chemi-luminescence high content screening photovoltaic inspection x-ray tomography ophtalmology flow cytometry biochip reading machine vision TV / broadcasting spectral (hyperspectral) imaging laser induced breakdownspectroscopy (LIBS)

2 Safety Instructions

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © 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.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

3 System Components

A camera system includes all parts which are necessary to install and run your camera. If you purchased a water cooling system with your camera, please see Appendix 7.

Camera Head

F-mount optical connection (standard)

For standard F-mount/SLR lenses and adapters.

C-mount ring provided (see appendix A3) For standard C-mount and microscopy connectors.

LED indicates camera status

green continuos: camera is booting

green blinking: camera is ready for operation

yellow blinking: recording on

red blinking: error

Input/Output 4x SMA connectors

2x input - 2x output

Interface (user selectable)

 Dual Camera Link 'full' or  USB 3.0

1/4-20 UNC mounting thread Serial Number tag

Power Supply

Your system will be equipped with either a 24 V or a 12 V power supply, depending on the model you selected. (connector: Lemo FGG.0B)

Power Cord (optional)

Standard IEC7 connector (please refer to your local dealer)

Camera Link Grabber Card / USB 3.0 PCI Interface Card

PCI Express x4 Card (Camera Link “full”) or PCI Express x1 Card (2 x USB 3.0 connections)

Note: A PCI Card with 4 x USB 3.0 connections is also available, contact PCO for further details. A PCIe x4 slot is necessary for this card.

Cables

2x Camera Link cables (3m) or 1x USB 3.0 cable (3m)

Note: If a longer cable length is required, contact PCO for available solutions.

Digital Camera Tools (USB storage device)

The accompanying USB storage device contains:

• Camware: software for camera control & image acquisition

• camera & grabber board drivers

4 Installation

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

4 Installation

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

Minimum computer system requirements:

 Clock speed: 2.4 GHz  DDR3-RAM 4GB (1066 MHz)  Windows 7 64-bit (for full performance, see appendix A8)  1280 x 1024 pixel resolution display  nVIDIA CUDA GPU

4.1 Frame Grabber (Camera Link) / PCI Board Installation (USB 3.0)

When operating the camera with Camera Link Interface: Please run the appropriate grabber driver installation (provided with the accompanying USB stick) with default settings.

After the installation, shut down the computer and install grabber card hardware. For further information please see appendix A9 (ME4 Grabber Instruction).

When USB 3.0 is used to interface the camera, it is recommended to use the PCI Interface card which is provided by PCO. For an installation instruction or further hardware recommendations, see appendix A10.

4.2 Camware

The pco.camware 32-bit/64-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.

Please run the respective software installation provided on the USB storage device:

After a successful installation, you will find the program folder ’Digital Camera Toolbox’ in your program directory. (It may also appear in the folder: User/AppData/Roaming)

Select the required runtime libraries! “Dll MeIV” when you use Camera Link Interface.

5 Quick Start

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © 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 (connect cable “A” with

connectors “A” on PC and “A” on camera, cable “B” respectively)

 computer is on  camera is on and ready (green blinking LED)

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.edge

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

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.edge the camera control settings are spread over five property

tabs , which will be explained below.

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

“Accept” button .

If the "Accept" button is not pressed, these changes will be ignored and lost. The camera control dialog automatically adjusts settings in case they are out of limits.

When the ‘Accept’ button is pressed the settings will be transferred to and validated by

the camera. If the camera accepts the settings the green LED will be highlighted. The red LED will be highlighted in case a record is started.

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

Power Temp.: temperature hotspot close to FPGA







The camera control

dialog automatically adjusts settings in case

they are out of limits.

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

6.2 The “Timing” tab

Trigger Mode

[Auto Sequence] The camera will optimize the image recording depending

on the adjusted exposure time and the required readout time to achieve the best possible frame rate (“free running”).

[Soft Trigger] Single images can be recorded with Camware control. A single image can be acquired by pressing the "Single Trigger" button (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 #1 (6.6). The frame rate cannot be set, as the frame rate is defined by the frequency of the external signal. However the predefined exposure time and ROI settings affect the maximum possible frame rate.

The Busy Status signal at BNC #3 (6.6) will indicate if a new trigger is accepted.

The maximum achievable frame rate in external trigger mode is negligibly less (about 0.1%) than 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.

Busy Stat (out)

acc.

not acc.

accepted

exp trig (in)

Exp Stat (out)

In this context trigger

means exposure

trigger, i.e. the trigger

signal controls the exposure of a single image (light

integration time).

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

In order to avoid trade-offs at maximum frame rate use either the Busy Status signal or make sure that the external trigger rate follows this condition:

External Trigger Rate ≤ fmax / 1.001

[External Exp. Ctrl] An external signal applied at BNC #1 (6.6), controls the start and the duration of the exposure.

A new exposure is started by the falling or rising edge of the voltage signal at the BNC input. 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 external trigger signal.

Be aware, that the externally controlled exposure time is limited. The integration will be stopped automatically if the maximum exposure time is achieved.

Camera

Interface

Shutter Mode

max. exposure time

pco.edge 4.2 pco.edge GOLD 4.2

Camera Link &

USB 3.0

Rolling Shutter

10s

pco.edge 5.5 pco.edge GOLD 5.5

Camera Link &

USB 3.0

Global Shutter

Rolling Shutter

Global Reset

The Busy Status signal at BNC #3 (6.6) indicates if a new trigger will be accepted.

Busy Stat (out)

acc.

not acc.

exp trig (in)

Exp Stat (out)

acc.

not acc.

acc.

not acc.

acc.

not acc.

readout

Busy Stat (out)

acc.

not acc.

accepted

exp trig (in)

Exp Stat (out)

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

6.2.1 Rolling Shutter – Timing Details

In rolling shutter mode the pixel reset and exposure start is carried out row by row. Each row has the same exposure time, but a different start of exposure. The pco.edge image sensor consists of two discrete halves, which are exposed and read out simultaneously, i.e. from the outside to the center. Within one row, the exposure starts simultaneously for all pixels.

General Timing Diagram

Timing

The exposure and delay time can be adjusted in steps of 10µs.

Camera (RS only)

Interface

exposure time

delay time

pco.edge 4.2

Camera Link &

USB 3.0

500µs … 10s

0µs … 1s

pco.edge GOLD 4.2

USB 3.0

500µs ... 60s

0µs … 1s

pco.edge 5.5

Camera Link &

USB 3.0

500µs … 2s

0µs … 1s

pco.edge GOLD 5.5

USB 3.0

500µs ... 60s

0µs … 1s

reset

start

reset

end

readout

start

readout

end

t frame

t global

t exposure (first row)

t exposure (last row)

t all rows

The exposure time of each row

starts with the corresponding reset of the row. Then after a predefined time, exposure is stopped. The light induced accumulated charge carriers of

the pixels in a row are recorded

into memory in a low noise fashion (readout). This results in the total image appearing in memory corresponding to the

row readout.

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

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

• “FPS based” mode only available with Camera Link Interface

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 / treadout.

The frame rate can be adjusted in steps of 100 mHz (rolling shutter).

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

Camera (RS only)

Interface

Frame rate (FPS Based)

exposure time

pco.edge 4.2 (@ full resol.)

Camera Link

0.1 … 35 Hz @ 95.3 MHz

500µs … 10s

0.1 … 100 Hz @ 272.3 MHz

pco.edge 5.5 (@ full resol.)

Camera Link

0.5 … 33.3 Hz @ 95.3 MHz

500µs … 2s

0.5 … 100 Hz @ 286 MHz

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

Exposure time > Sensor frame readout time (Auto Sequence)

In case the required exposure is longer than the frame readout time, the image sensor is completely exposed to light for some time (tglobal). In case of a triggered flash illumination, this would be the best moment to illuminate the image sensor.

The hardware signal for the time tglobal is available on connector #4 (Global OUT). Setting can be made through SDK (not available in Camware).

Obviously, if during exposure and readout, parts of the viewed image are moving horizontally, this would result in image distortion. This is why the global shutter mode may be a prerequisite for some applications.

However, most dynamic events can be captured in 1 ms, which is a common integration time with SLR cameras set at 1/1000 exposure. The time shift from one row to another is only about 10 µs (fast scan). The resulting maximum readout time of 10 ms (@ full resolution) seems to be sufficient for a broad spectrum of dynamic events.

The 10ms is also faster than the image shift process of most frame transfer emCCD image sensors previously used for low light applications. If this does not influence the image recording and processing, then rolling shutter mode will not affect it either.

tframe

t all rows 2nd image

expos

global

trigger

busy (OUT)

t exposure

1st row, 1st image

t exposure

1st row, 2nd image

t all rows 1st image

Δt = t

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

pco.edge User Manual V1.03 © PCO AG, Germany

exposure stop & readout

reset & exposure start

band of simultaneous exposure

Exposure time < Sensor frame readout time (Auto Sequence)

In case the required exposure is shorter than the frame readout time, the image is composed of two exposure bands moving from the outside to the center of the sensor.

For example, the shortest exposure time in RS is 500µs. The band of simultaneous exposure is in this case (smallest possible height):

Camera (RS only)

Interface

MHz

time per row

min. number

of simult. rows

pco.edge 4.2 pco.edge GOLD 4.2

USB 3.0

110

24.10 µs

pco.edge 4.2

Camera Link

95.3

27.60 µs

272.3

9.65 µs

pco.edge 5.5 pco.edge GOLD 5.5

USB 3.0

30.50 µs

pco.edge 5.5

Camera Link

95.3

27.52 µs

286

9.17 µs

Previous comments on image distortion (also known as “Rolling Shutter Effect”) apply here as well.

expos

trigger

busy (OUT)

tframe t all rows 2nd image

t all rows 1st image

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

Details for [External Exp. Start] and [External Exp. Ctrl]

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

Camera (RS only)

Interface

internal

system clock

tsys

tjit (jitter)

≙1 row time

tdelay

(delay)

pco.edge 4.2 pco.edge GOLD 4.2

USB 3.0

100 MHz

50 ns

0 ... 24.10 µs

0 … 1s

pco.edge 4.2

Camera Link

72 MHz

70 ns 0 ... 27.60 µs

(slow scan)

0 … 1s

0 … 9.65 µs

(fast scan)

0 … 1s

pco.edge 5.5 pco.edge GOLD 5.5

USB 3.0

100 MHz

50 ns

0 … 30.50 µs

0 … 1s

pco.edge 5.5

Camera Link

72 MHz

70 ns 0 ... 27.52 µs

(slow scan)

0 … 1s

0 … 9.17 µs

(fast scan)

0 … 1s

For optimized synchronization (minimized jitter time) use the falling edge of the line signal at the status output (see SDK description).

fsys

exposure

exp trig (in)

rsys

jit

delay

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

6.2.2 Global Shutter – Timing Details

First, all pixels are globally reset and these reset values are shifted into socalled diffusion nodes. From there, they are non-destructively read out into memory as reset dark images. The exposure starts after transfer of the reset dark image to the diffusion nodes, where they are stored on the chip. The exposure is stopped by global charge transfer to the diffusion nodes. Then, the exposure image is read out to the memory, where the former reset dark image is subtracted to perform an external correlated double sampling, which reduces the noise. Since two images have to be read out to receive

one resulting image, the sCMOS image sensor’s global shutter mode has

only half of the frame rate of the rolling shutter mode.

Reset Exposure Readout

Timing

The exposure and delay time can be adjusted in steps of 10µs.

Camera (GS only)

exposure time

delay time

pco.edge 5.5

10 µs .. 100 ms

0 µs … 1s

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

• “FPS based” mode only available with Camera Link Interface

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 / treadout.

The frame rate can be adjusted in steps of 1 mHz (global shutter).

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

Camera (GS only)

Interface

Frame rate (FPS Based)

exposure time

pco.edge 5.5

Camera Link

10 … 16.7 Hz @ 95.3 MHz

10µs … 100ms

10 … 50 Hz @ 286 MHz

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

External Exposure Start

(Auto Sequence respectively)

# of lines

95.3 MHz

(slow scan)

286 MHz

(fast scan)

tjit 1 0 … 27.52 µs

0 … 9.17 µs

tframe

ROI (y)

29.76 ms (max)

10.00 ms (max)

texp

programmable

10 µs … 100 ms

tdelay (system)

(tframe – texp)

tif 1 27.52 µs

9.17 µs

External Exposure Control

# of lines

95.3 MHz

(slow scan)

286 MHz

(fast scan)

tjit 1 0 … 27.52 µs

0 … 9.17 µs

tframe

ROI (y)

29.76 ms (max)

10.00 ms (max)

texp

counted

if t

exp

< t

frame

system delay (t

delay

) is

added before exposure

starts

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

In [External Exposure Control] trigger mode the external signal controls start of image acquisition and duration of the exposure. First, all pixels are globally reset and these reset values are shifted into so-called diffusion nodes. From there, they are non-destructively read out into memory as reset dark images.

In this mode, the exposure starts always after the readout of the dark image is completed. The length of the exposure has been detected by the sensor from the trigger input. The exposure is stopped by global charge transfer to the diffusion nodes after the respective time. Then, the exposure image is read out to the memory, where the former reset dark image is subtracted to perform an external correlated double sampling, which reduces the noise.

Since two images have to be read out to receive one resulting image and the exposure cannot start during readout time of the dark image, this specific global shutter mode provides less than half of the frame rate of the rolling shutter mode.

6 Camera Control for the pco.edge

6.2.3 Global Reset – Timing Details

All pixels are globally reset, and the exposure starts for all rows at the same time. The exposure stop is carried out row by row, therefore the duration of the exposure is not the same for all pixels. The rolling readout improves the image quality, but due to the difference in exposure time, a flash illumination is recommended. The readout (exposure stop) is done from the outside to the center.

General Timing Diagram

Timing

The exposure and delay time can be adjusted in steps of 10µs.

Camera (GR only)

exposure time

delay time

pco.edge 5.5 (global reset)

10 µs – 2 s

0 µs … 1s

reset /

exposure start

readout

start

readout

end

t frame

t global

t exposure (first row)

t exposure (last row)

t all rows

The exposure time of all rows starts simultaneously. The exposure time of the first row stops after the predefined time, the following rows are read out from the outside to the center row by row. Please note that this leads to a different duration

of exposure time for all rows.

+ 51 hidden pages

Pco edge, edge GOLD, edge 4.2, edge 5.5, edge GOLD 4.2 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual