Q Imaging Fast 1394, QICAM Fast 1394 User Manual

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QICAM Fast 1394 User’s Manual

Applicability

This document applies to the QICAM Fast 1394 camera. For the latest updates, please visit

WWW.QIMAGING.COM.

Notice of Copyright

Copyright



2003 Quantitative Imaging Corporation. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication of

this document is prohibited.

Trademarks and Proprietary Names

QImaging, Retiga, and QCapture are trademarks of QImaging. Product names mentioned in this
document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of QImaging or other hardware, software, or
service providers and are used herein for identification purposes only. Microsoft

 and Windows are

registered trademarks in the U.S. and other countries of Microsoft Corporation and are used herein
for identification purposes only. Apple

 and Macintosh are registered in the U.S. and other

countries by Apple Computer, Inc. and are used herein for identification purposes only.

QImaging Corporation Address Information

4401 Still Creek Drive,
Suite 100, Willingdon Business Park
Burnaby, BC, Canada V5C 6G9

604.708.5061

WWW.QIMAGING.COM

QImaging Technical Support

Technical support is available to all registered users of QImaging products from 9am to 5pm Pacific
Standard Time.

[e-mail]

604.708.5061

WWW.QIMAGING.COM/SUPPORT/CONTACT/

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CONTENTS

QICAM Fast 1394 User’s Manual i
INTRODUCTION 1

Power Requirements 1
Host Requirements 1
IEEE 1394 (Firewire) Interface 2
Cables 2
Imaging Software for Your Camera 2

INSTALLATION 4

Step 1. Install the 1394 PCI card (Windows Users Only) 4
Step 2. Install Your Imaging Software 5
Step 3. Connect the QICAM Fast 1394 5

CAMERA BASICS 9

Turning the Camera On and Off 9
Connecting the QICAM Fast 1394 to your Optics 9
Understanding the LED Indicators 10
Capturing Images with the QICAM Fast 1394 10

ADVANCED CAMERA CONTROLS 11

Triggering the QICAM Fast 1394 Extenally 11

Gain and Offset Controls 12
CARING FOR YOUR CAMERA 13
TROUBLESHOOTING 14

Resolving Problems with the camera 14

Unresolved Problems - Contacting QImaging Support 15
GLOSSARY 16
APPENDICES 18

APPENDIX A: External Trigger Port 18

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

The QImaging QICam CCD digital camera is designed for high resolution brightfield scientific and industrial
applications. A progressive scan interline CCD sensor gives a resolution of 1.4 million pixels in a 12-bit digital
output. High-speed low-noise electronics provide linear digital data for rapid image capture. The

Firewire

IEEE1394 digital interface allows ease of use and installation with a single wire requiring no framegrabber or
external power supply. The QICam includes QCapture Software for

Windows and Mac

(R)

based software
systems for real time image preview and capture. A Software Development Kit (SDK) is available for interfacing
with custom software.

Power Requirements

The QICAM Fast 1394 can be powered through a single IEEE 1394 (Firewire) cable.

• Power:

Cooled QICAM Fast 1394 = 11 watts

Uncooled QICAM Fast 1394 = 6 watts

• Input voltage range: 8 - 24 volts

Host Requirements

For Windows PCs:

• Pentium CPU, running at 300MHz.

• 256 MB RAM.

• Video card with 8 MB video memory capable of 32-bit color output.

• Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium Edition (ME), Windows 2000,

or Windows XP Professional.

• If the PC is not equipped with a Firewire card, the supplied card must be installed.

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For Mac OS Computers:

• PowerPC-based Macintosh with an OHCI compliant IEEE 1394 port (G4 and iMac

models).

• iMac models may not provide enough power to cooled cameras. QImaging’s IEEE 1394

HUB may be required to power the camera. Contact QImaging for ordering information.

• Mac OS 9.1, 9.2 or X

• 256 MB+ RAM

• All the G4 and iMac models are equipped with a Firewire card. The supplied IEEE 1394 PCI

is not required for Mac OS computers.

IEEE 1394 (Firewire) Interface

The QICAM Fast 1394 is powered and controlled through an IEEE 1394 (Firewire) digital interface. A
single Firewire connection from the camera to the computer allows full control of the camera and
rapid image data transfer from the camera to the computer.

Cables

A 10-foot Firewire interface cable is included with the camera. One end of this cable connects to either
of the available Firewire ports at the back of the camera; the other end of the cable plugs into your
computer’s 6-pin Firewire port.

Some computers have 4-pin Firewire ports. These ports may be used if they are OHCI compliant, but
you will need to purchase a 4-pin to 6-pin Firewire cable from your local computer store. If you connect
the QICAM Fast 1394 to a 4-pin Firewire port, you likely need to use an external power supply.

What is the difference between 4-pin and 6-pin Firewire ports?

Firewire cables are available in two varieties: 4-pin and 6-pin. 6-pin Firewire cables are capable of
providing both power and a communication interface between the camera and computer while 4-pin
cables provide only a communication interface. Some laptop computers have 6-pin Firewire jacks that
do not provide power. If your computer has such a port, you will have to power your QICAM Fast 1394
by attaching an external power supply to the system.

Imaging Software for Your Camera

Industry Standard Imaging Applications

The QICAM Fast 1394 works with industry-standard Windows and Mac OS imaging software. Please
go to the following URL for an up to date listing of third party software companies that support
QImaging cameras.

HTTP://WWW.QIMAGING.COM/ALLIANCES/

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QCapture Suite Software

The QICAM Fast 1394 operates on both Windows and Mac OS based systems. QCapture Suite
Software for both systems is available at

WWW.QIMAGING.COM. The easy-to-use QCapture software

gives you complete control over the camera’s settings and image capture functions. QCapture Suite
also includes a TWAIN-compliant interface that allows many Windows image-editing applications to
acquire images using QImaging cameras.

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CHAPTER 2

INSTALLATION

Step 1. Install the 1394 PCI card (Windows Users Only)

This step is for Windows PC users only. If you are installing the QICAM Fast 1394 on a Mac OS
computer, please skip to Step 2.

Check your computer for an existing Firewire port:

The QICAM Fast 1394 connects to your Windows PC via a Firewire port. If you already have a Firewire
port, you do not have to install the IEEE 1394 PCI card. Check the connectors at the back of your PC
for a port that matches the Firewire ports on your camera (Figure 1 and Figure 2).

Figure 1— 6-pin to 6-pin Firewire (IEEE 1394) Port connection

Figure 2— 6-pin to 4-pin Firewire (IEEE 1394) Port connection

IMPORTANT: Follow these steps in order to complete the installation.

DO NOT CONNECT the camera until the camera driver is installed.

1. Windows PC users only: Install the IEEE 1394 PCI card - only if necessary.

2. Imaging Software - Install the software and drivers that your new QImaging
camera needs to capture images.

3. QICAM Fast 1394 - Connect the camera to your computer using the supplied IEEE 1394

cable.

DO NOT CONNECT the camera until you have a functioning Firewire port in
your computer and the camera driver is installed.

Camera Computer

Camera Computer