Teledyne 4M, 12M, 8M, Falcon2 4M, DALSA Falcon2 4M User Manual

3-Feb-12

03-032-20107-01

www.teledynedalsa.com

Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M

Camera User’s Manual

2 Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual

North America

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www.teledynedalsa.com
[e-mail]

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[e-mail]

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© 2012 Teled yne DALSA, Inc. All information provided in this manual is believed to be accurate and reliable. No responsibility is
assumed by Teledyne DALSA for its use. Teledyne DALSA reserves the right to make changes to this information without notice.
Reproduction of this manual in whole or in part, by any means, is prohibited without prior permission having been obtained from
Teled yne DALSA.

About Teledyne Technologies and Teledyne DALSA, Inc.

Teled yne Technologies is a leading provid er of sophisticated electronic subsystems, instrumentation and communication products,
en gin eered systems, aero sp a ce en gine s, and energy an d p ow er ge nera tio n systems. Teledyn e Techn ologies’ op erations ar e p rimar i ly
located in the United States, the United Kingdom and Mexico. For more information, visit Teled yne Tech nologies’ website a t
www.teledyne.com.

Teled yne DALSA, a Teledyne Technologies company, is an international leader in high performance digital imaging and
semiconductors with approximately 1,000 employees worldwide, headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canad a. Established in 1980,
the company designs, develops, manufactures and markets digital imaging products and solutions, in addition to providing MEMS
products an d serv ices. For mo re information , visit Teled yne DA LSA’s w ebsite at w w w .teled ynedalsa.com.

Support

For further information not included in this manual, or for information on Teledyne DALSA’s extensive lin e of imag e sensing
products, please contact:

03-032-20107-01 Teledyne DALSA

Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual 3

Contents

1. System Precautions and Cleaning ___________________________________________________________________ 5

Precautions ..................................................................................................................................................... 5

Electrostatic Discharge and the CMOS Sensor ................................................................................................. 5

Protecting Against Dust, Oil, and Scratches .................................................................................................... 5

Cleaning the Sensor Window .......................................................................................................................... 6

2. The Falcon2 Camera ____________________________________________________________________________ 7

Camera Highlights ............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Camera Performance Specifications .................................................................................................................................. 9

Certifications ...................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Supported Industry Standards ........................................................................................................................................... 10

Responsivity ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Sensor Cosmetic Specifications........................................................................................................................................... 12

Sensor Block Diagram and Pixel Readout ........................................................................................................................ 13

Mechanicals ........................................................................................................................................................................ 14

3. Software and Hardware Setup______________________________________________________________________ 15

Minimum System Requirements ..................................................................................................................... 15

Setup Steps: Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 15

1. Install and Configure Frame Grabber, Graphics Card, and GUI................................................................. 15

2. Connect Power and Camera Link Cables .................................................................................................... 15

3. Establish communicating with the camera .................................................................................................. 15

4. Check camera LED, settings and test pattern .............................................................................................. 15

5. Operate the Camera ................................................................................................................................... 15

Step 1. Install and configure the frame grabber, graphics card and GUI ......................................................................... 16

Install Frame Grabber .................................................................................................................................... 16

Install Graphics Card ....................................................................................................................................... 16

Install Sapera LT and CamExpert ................................................................................................................... 16

Step 2. Connect Power, Data, and Trigger Cables ............................................................................................................. 17

Power Connector ............................................................................................................................................. 17

LEDs ................................................................................................................................................................ 18

Data Connector: Camera Link ........................................................................................................................ 18

Camera Link cable quality and length ............................................................................................................ 23

Input Signals, Camera Link ............................................................................................................................ 23

Output Signals, Camera Link Clocking Signals............................................................................................... 23

Step 3. Establish Communication with the Camera ........................................................................................................... 24

Power on the camera ...................................................................................................................................... 24

Connect to the frame grabber ......................................................................................................................... 24

Connect to the camera .................................................................................................................................... 24

Check LED Status ............................................................................................................................................ 24

Software Interface ........................................................................................................................................... 24

Step 4. Check Camera Test Patterns and Set Trigger and Exposure Time ........................................................................ 26

Review a Test Image ....................................................................................................................................... 26

4. Camera Operation ______________________________________________________________________________ 27

Factory Settings ................................................................................................................................................................. 27

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4 Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual

Check Camera and Sensor Information ............................................................................................................................. 27

Saving and Restoring Camera Settings ............................................................................................................................. 28

Trigger Modes .................................................................................................................................................................... 30

Exposure Controls .............................................................................................................................................................. 30

Exposure Modes in Detail .................................................................................................................................................. 31

Internally Programmable Frame Rate and Internally Programmable Exposure Time (Default) .................. 31

External Frame Rate and External Exposure Time (Trigger Width) ............................................................... 32

External Frame Rate, Programmable Exposure Time .................................................................................... 33

Set Frame Rate .................................................................................................................................................................. 34

Set Exposure Time ............................................................................................................................................................. 35

Hot Pixels and Long Exposure Times .............................................................................................................. 35

Input / Output Control ....................................................................................................................................................... 35

Control Gain and Black Level ............................................................................................................................................ 37

Image Size ......................................................................................................................................................................... 37

Set Baud Rate .................................................................................................................................................................... 38

I / O Opto-couplers ............................................................................................................................................................ 39

Calibrating the Camera: Flat Field Correction .................................................................................................................. 40

File Access Control ............................................................................................................................................................. 44

Appendix A ____________________________________________________________________________________ 45

Defining Multiple Areas of Interest ................................................................................................................................... 45

Revision History _________________________________________________________________________________ 46

Index ________________________________________________________________________________________ 47

03-032-20107-01 Teledyne DALSA

Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual 5

1. System Precautions and
Cleaning

Precautions

Read these precautions and this manual carefully before using the camera.

Confirm that the cam era’s p ackagin g is und am aged before op en in g it. If th e p ackagin g is damaged p lease
contact the related logistics personnel.

Do not open the housing of the camera. The warranty is voided if the housing is opened.

Keep the camera housing temperature in a range of 10 °C to 50 °C during operation.

Do not operate the camera in the vicinity of strong electromagnetic fields. In addition, avoid electrostatic
charging, violent vibration, and excess moisture.

To clean the device, avoid electrostatic charging by using a dry, clean absorbent cotton cloth dampened
with a small quantity of pure alcohol. Do not use methylated alcohol. To clean the surface of the camera
housing, use a soft, dry cloth. To remove severe stains use a soft cloth dampened with a small quantity of
neutral detergent and then wipe dry. Do not use volatile solvents such as benzene and thinners, as they
can damage the surface finish. Further cleaning instructions are below.

This camera does not support hot plugging. Power down and disconnect power to the camera before you
add or replace system components.

Electrostatic Discharge and the CMOS Sensor

Image sensors and the camera bodies housing are susceptible to damage from electrostatic discharge
(ESD). Electrostatic charge introduced to the sensor window surface can induce charge buildup on the
underside of the window that cannot be readily dissipated by the dry nitrogen gas in the sensor package
cavity. The charge normally dissipates within 24 hours and the sensor returns to normal operation.

Protecting Against Dust, Oil, and Scratches

The sensor window is part of the optical path and should be handled like other optical components, with
extreme care. Dust can obscure pixels, producing dark patches on the sensor response. Du st is most
visible when the illumination is collimated. The dark patches shift position as the angle of illumination
changes. Dust is normally not visible when the sensor is positioned at the exit port of an integrating
sphere, where the illumination is diffuse. Dust can normally be removed by blowing the window surface
using an ionized air gun. Oil is usually introduced during handling. Touching the surface of the window
barehanded will leave oily residues. Using rubber fingercots and rubber gloves can prevent
contamination. However, the friction between rubber and the window may produce electrostatic charge
that may damage the sensor. To avoid ESD damage and to avoid introducing oily residues, avoid
touching the sensor. Scratches diffract incident illumination. When exposed to uniform illumination, a
sensor with a scratched window will normally have brighter pixels adjacent to darker pixels. The location
of these pixels will change with the angle of illumination.

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6 Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual

Cleaning the Sensor Window

Recommended Equipment

 Glass cleaning station with microscope within clean room.
 3M ionized air gun 980

(http:/ / solutions.3mcanada.ca/ wps/ portal/ 3M/ en_CA/ WW2/ Country/ )

 Ionized air flood system, foot operated.
 Swab (HUBY-340CA-003)

(http:/ / www.cleancross.net/ modules/ xfsection/ article.php?articleid=24)

 Single drop bottle (FD-2-ESD)
 E2 (Eclipse optic cleaning system (w ww.photosol.com)

Procedure

 Use localized ionized air flow on to the glass during sensor cleaning.
 Blow off mobile contamination using an ionized air gun.
 Place the sensor under the microscope at a magnification of 5x to determine the

location of any remaining contamination.

 Clean the contamination on the sensor using one drop of E2 on a swab.
 Wipe the swab from left to right (or right to left but only in one direction). Do

this in an overlapping pattern, turning the swab after the first wipe and with
each subsequent wipe. Avoid swiping back and forth with the same swab in
order to ensure that particles are removed and not simply transferred to a new
location on the sensor window. This procedure requires you to use multiple
swabs.

 Discard the swab after both sides of the swab have been used once.
 Repeat until there is no visible contamination present.

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Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual 7

2. The Falcon2 Camera

Camera Highlights

The new Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M are Teledyne DALSA’s new gen eration of area scan cam eras . The
cameras incorporate large resolutions and faster frame rates enabling high speed image capture with
superb spatial resolution. Important features such as global shutter and improved image quality make
these Falcon2 cameras the camera of choice in applications where throughput, resolution, and dynamic
range matter. Global shuttering removes unwanted smear and time displacement artefacts related to
rolling shutter CMOS devices. Inside these Falcon2 cameras is our latest 4, 8 and 12 megapixel CMOS
sensor which has reduced dark noise levels and improved dark offset, FPN (fixed pattern noise) and
PRNU (Pixel Response Non-Uniformity) levels. In addition, region of interest features will offer
opportunities for higher frame rates and new applications.

The cameras are compliant with Cam era Link™ specifications, delivering 8 or 10 bits of data on 8 or 10
taps (frame rates are specified at 8 bits). Further, the M42x1 thread opening allows the use of your lens of
choice.



Key Features

 12, 8 and 4 mega pixels
 Selectable 4:3 or 1:1 aspect ratios
 Global Shutter
 Exposure control
 Faster frame rates through windowing
 Good NIR response
 Built-in FPN and PRNU correction



Programmability

 Adjustable digital gain and offset
 8 or 10 bit selectable output
 Adjustable integration time and frame rate
 Test patterns and camera diagnostics



Applications

 Automated Optical Inspection (AOI)
 3D imaging—Laser profiling
 Semiconductor wafer inspection
 Solar panel inspection
 Electronics manufacturing
 Surface and bump inspection
 3D solder paste inspection
 General machine vision

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8 Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual

Model Number

Description

FA-80-12M1H-00-R

12M pixel monochrome Camera Link.

FA-81-12M1H-00-R

12M pixel color Camera Link.

FA-80-8M100-00-R

8M pixel monochrome Camera Link.

FA-81-8M100-00-R

8M pixel color Camera Link.

FA-80-4M180-00-R

4M pixel monochrome Camera Link.

FA-81-4M180-00-R

4M pixel color Camera Link.

Software

Product Number / Version Number

Camera firmware

Embedded within camera

GenICam™ support (XML camera description file)

Embedded within camera

Sapera LT, including CamExpert GUI application and GenICam
for Camera Link imaging driver

Version 7.2 or later

Models

The camera is available in the following configurations:

Table 1: Camera Models Overview

Table 2: Software

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Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual 9

Specifications

Performance

Resolution

4 : 3 aspect ratio: 12M—4096 (H) x 3072 (V)
8M—3328 (H) x 2502 (V)
4M—2432 (H) x 1728 (V)
1 : 1 aspect ratio: 8M—2816 (H) x 2816 (V)
4M—2048 (H) x 2048 (V)

Pixel Rate

8 x 76 MHz or 10 x 76 MHz (8 bits only)

Max. Frame Rate

12M—58 fps / 8M—90 fps / 4M—168 fps, 10 taps*

Pixel Size

6 µm x 6 µm

Exposure Time

20 µs minimum

Bit Depth

8 bits or 10 bits

Dynamic Range

57.3 dB, typical (12M, 10 bpp**)

Output Format, Taps

8 or 10 tap interleaved

Operating Temp

0 °C to 50 °C, front plate temperature

Connectors and
Mechanicals

Data Interface

2 x Full or Extended Camera Link—SDR26

Power Connector

Hirose 12-pin circular

Power Supply

+ 12 V to + 24 V DC

Power Dissipation

9.5 W, typical

Mini-USB connector

For diagnostics only

Lens Mount

M42 x 1 (F mount optional)

Size

60 mm (H) x 60 mm (W) x 80.5 mm (D)

Mass

< 300 g

Compliance

Regulatory Compliance

CE and RoHS

Mono Operating Ranges

Units

Notes

Random Noise

DN rms

1.4*

Typical, FFC enabled

Broadband Responsivity

DN/ (nJ/ cm2)

See graph

DC Offset

DN 0 FFC enabled

Antiblooming

>1000 x Saturation

FPN

DN rms

1.1*

Typical, FFC enabled

PRNU

DN rms

2.5*

Typical, FFC enabled

Integral non-linearity

DN

< 2%

Camera Performance Specifications

Table 3: Camera Performance Specifications

* Maximum frame rates are dependent on the aspect ratio used.
**Bits per pixel

*12M, 10 bbp, 8 taps / 10 bits Camera Link

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10 Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual

Resolution

Aspect
Ratio

Maximum
Column

Maximum
Rows

Frame
Rate
8 BPP*

Frame
Rate
9 BPP*

Frame Rate
10 BPP*

12M

4:3

4096

3072

58

58

58

8M

1:1

2816

2816

90

89

66

8M

4:3

3328

2502

86

86

74

4M

1:1

2048

2048

148

122

91

4M

4:3

2432

1728

168

145

108

Compliance

EN 55011, CISPR 11, EN 55022, CISPR 22, FCC Part 15, and ICES-003 Class A Emissions Requirements.
EN 55024, and EN 61326-1 Immunity to Disturbance.

Table 4: Frame Rates, Aspect Ratio, and Resolution Comparison

* Sensor bits per pixel

Certifications

Supported Industry Standards

GenICam™

Falcon2 cameras implement a superset of the GenICam ™ specification which defines device capabilities.
This description takes the form of an XML device description file respecting the syntax defined by the
GenApi module of the GenICam ™ specification. For more information see www.genicam.org.

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Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual 11

38.25

Responsivity

The responsivity graph describes the sensor response to different wavelengths of light (excluding lens
and light source characteristics).

The quantum efficiency (QE) graph describes the fraction of photons at each wavelength that contribute
charge to the pixel.

Figure 1: Spectral Responsivity

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12 Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual

Feature / Specification

Unit

MIN

TYP

MAX

Notes

Dark Pixel Definition ­absolute output level

DN

> 500

4 frame average

Dark Pixel Count

max #/ die

50

Light Pixel Definition ­deviates from frame
average

%

± 30

4 frame average image
for scene & dark correction

Average Frame
Output Level

% SAT

40

50

60

illuminated with diffused
light source on production tester

Tolerated Count

max #/ die

50

Die Cluster Defect
Definition

defects/ kernel

2 / 3x3

≤ 5 / 3x3

Detection Threshold

- Groups of
dark and light

pixels

combined dark & light pixel defects

Tolerated Count

max #/ die

7

based on estimation
algorithm in production tester

Die Spot Defect
Definition

defects/ kernel

6 / 3x3

Detection Threshold

Groups of
dark and light

pixels

combined dark & light pixel defects

Tolerated Count

max #/ die

- 0

Glass Spot Defect
Definition

defects/ kernel

8 / 3x3

8 / 3x3

illuminated with aperture
(collimated) light source on production

tester

Detection Threshold

% of ave.

± 8

4 frame average - any
pixel outside +/ - 8% of average

Tolerated Count

max #/ die

1

1 spot of 9 pixels
allowed; no limit on spots below 9 pixels

Column Defect
Definition

defects/ kernel

> 8 / 1x12
Column Defect Count

max #/ die

0 Row Defect Definition

defects/ kernel

> 8 / 12x1

Row Defect Count

max #/ die

0

Sensor Cosmetic Specifications

The following table lists the current cosmetic specifications for the Teledyne DALSA sensor used in the
Falcon2 series.

Table 5: Sensor Cosmetic Specifications

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Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual 13

Definition of Blemishes

Dark pixel defect: Pixel whose signal, in dark, exceeds 500 DN.
Light pixel defect: Pixel whose signal, at nominal light (illumination at 50% of the linear range), deviates
more than ±30% from its neighboring pixels.
Cluster defect: A grouping of at most 2 to 5 pixel defects within a sub-area of 3*3 pixels.
Die Spot defect: A grouping of 6 or more pixel defects within a sub-area of 3*3 pixels.
Glass Spot defect: A grouping of 9 pixel defects within a sub-area of 3*3 pixels.
Column defect: A column that has more than 8 defect pixels in a 1*12 kernel.
Row defect: A row that has more than 8 defects in a 12*1 kernel.
Test conditions Temperature: 40°C.
Integration Time: 12ms.

Sensor Block Diagram and Pixel Readout

Figure 2: 8 Tap Camera Link Configuration Sensor Block Diagram. Aspect Ratio 4 : 3.

Figure 3: 8 Tap Camera Link Configuration Sensor Block Diagram. Aspect Ratio 1 : 1.

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14 Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual

Note: As viewed from the front of the camera without lens.

Mechanicals

Figure 4: Camera Mechanical

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Falcon2 4M, 8M, and 12M Camera User's Manual 15

3. Software and Hardware Setup

Minimum System Requirements

To achieve best system performance, the following minimum requirements are recommended:
 High bandwidth frame grabber recommended, e.g. DALSA PX8 Full Camera link frame grabber (Part

# OR-X8CO-XPF00).

 PCI x8 slot.
 Operating system: Windows XP 32-bit.

Setup Steps: Overview

Take the following steps in order to setup and run your camera system. They are described briefly below
and in more detail in the sections that follow.

1. Install and Configure Frame Grabber, Graphics Card, and GUI

If your host computer does not have a PX8 full Camera link frame grabber and supporting PCIe x8
graphics card installed , then you need to install them.

We recommend the X64 Xcelera-CL PX8 frame grabber or equivalent, described in detail on the
teledynedalsa.com site here. Follow the m an u factu rer ’s in stallation in str u ctions.

A Gen ICam™ comp lian t XML d evice description file is em b edd ed w ithin th e Falcon 2 firm w are allowin g

GenICam ™ com p liant ap p lication to k n ow the cam era’s cap abilities imm ed iately after con n ection.
Installing Sap eraLT gives you access to th e Cam Exper t GUI, a GenICa m ™ com pliant ap p lication .

2. Connect Power and Camera Link Cables

 Connect a power cable from the camera to a +12 VDC to +24 VDC (± 5%) power supply. Note:

11.6 V minimum.

 Connect the Camera link cables from the camera to the computer.

3. Establish communicating with the camera

Start the GUI and establish communication with the camera. Refer to page 17 for a description on
communicating with the camera.

4. Check camera LED, settings and test pattern

Ensure the camera is operating properly by checking the LED, the current, active settings, and by
acquiring a test pattern.

5. Operate the Camera

At this point you will be ready to start operating the camera in order to acquire images, set camera
functions, and save settings.

Teledyne DALSA 03-032-20107-01