Teledyne Falcon4 57M User Manual

Falcon4™ 57M

Preliminary

Camera User’s Manual

FA-S0-57M16-00-R

sensors |

cameras

| frame grabbers | processors | software | vision solutions

03-032-20220-00

www.teledynedalsa.com

Preliminary

Notice

© 2015 Teledyne DALSA
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 infor m a tion without no tice. Reproduction of this manual in whole o r
in part, by any means, is prohibited without prior permission having been obtained from
Teledyne DALSA.

Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United
States and other countries. Windows, Windows 7, Windows 8 are trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.

All other trademarks or intellectual property mentioned herein belong to their respective
owners.

Document Date: August 5, 2015
Document Number: 03-032-20220-00

Revision History

Revision Number Change Description Revision Date

00 Initial release of preliminary version to support

early consignment cameras.

About Teledyne DALSA

Teledyne DALSA is an international high performance semiconductor and electronics
company that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets digital imaging products and
solutions, in addition to providing wafer foundry s ervices.

Teledyne DALSA Digital Imaging offers the widest range of machine vision components in
the world. From industry-leading image sensors through powerful and sophisticated
cameras, frame grabbers, vision processors and software to easy-to-use vision appliances
and custom vision modules.

August 5, 2015

Contents

Preliminary

THE FALCON4 CAMERA OVERVIEW ................................................................ 3

CAMERA HIGHLIGHTS ....................................................................................... 3

Key Features ......................................................................................... 3

Programmability ..................................................................................... 3

Applications ........................................................................................... 3

Models .................................................................................................. 4

Camera Performance Specifications .......................................................... 4

CERTIFICATIONS & COMPLIANCE .......................................................................... 5

SHOCK AND VIBRATION .................................................................................... 5

SUPPORTED INDUSTRY STANDARDS ...................................................................... 6

GenICam™ ............................................................................................ 6

Camera Link HS ..................................................................................... 6

Camera Link HS Transmission Characteristics ............................................ 7

RESPONSIVITY ............................................................................................... 8

SENSOR COSMETIC SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................... 10

SENSOR BLOCK DIAGRAM AND PIXEL READOUT ...................................................... 11

CAMERA SETUP ............................................................................................ 12

SYSTEM PRECAUTIONS AND CLEANING ................................................................. 12

Precautions ......................................................................................... 12

Cleaning the Device .............................................................................. 12

Electrostatic Discharge and the CMOS Sensor .......................................... 12

SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE SETUP ............................................................ 13

RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ............................................................... 13

SETUP STEPS: OVERVIEW ................................................................................ 13

Step 1: Install and Configure Frame Grabber and Software ........................ 13

Step 2: Connect Camera Link and Power Cables ....................................... 13

Power Connector .................................................................................. 14

Step 3: Establish Communication with the Camera ................................... 18

USING CAMEXPERT ...................................................................................... 21

CamExpert Panes ................................................................................. 21

Creating a Camera Configuration File in the Host ...................................... 23

CAMERA OPERATION ................................................................................... 24

Factory Settings ................................................................................... 24

CHECK CAMERA AND SENSOR INFORMATION .......................................................... 24

Verify Temperature ............................................................................... 24

SAVING AND RESTORING CAMERA SETTINGS ......................................................... 25

ACQUISITION AND TRANSFER CONTROL FEATURES ................................................... 26

TEST PATTERNS ............................................................................................ 27

GAIN AND BLACK LEVEL CONTROL DETAILS ........................................................... 29

EXPOSURE CONTROLS .................................................................................... 30

Exposure Time ..................................................................................... 32

Trigger Modes ...................................................................................... 32

Internal Frame Rate ............................................................................. 33

Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual Contents • 1

I/O Block Diagram ................................................................................ 33

Preliminary

Opto-Coupled Inputs ............................................................................ 33

Opto-Coupled Outputs .......................................................................... 34

FLAT FIELD CORRECTION AND DEFECTIVE PIXEL DETECTION OVERVIEW ......................... 35

Correction Function Bloc k Diagram ......................................................... 35

Flat Field Correcti on Algorithm Description ............................................... 36

An important note on window blemishes ................................................. 37

How to do an FFC Setup in the C a m era ................................................... 37

Matching gain and offset values on multiple cameras ................................ 39

Defective Pixel Detection and Replacement .............................................. 39

Static Pixel Replacement ....................................................................... 39

File Access via the CamExpert Tool ......................................................... 40

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ...................................................................... 41

MECHANICALS.............................................................................................. 41

APPENDIX E: EMC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY .................................................. 42

TBD ......................................................................................................... 42

APPENDIX A: GENICAM COMMANDS ............................................................ 43

CAMERA INFORMATION CATEGORY ...................................................................... 43

Camera Information Feature Descriptions ................................................ 43

ACQUISITION AND TRANSFER CONTROL CATEGORY .................................................. 45

Acquisition and Transfer Control Feature Descriptions ............................... 45

SENSOR CONTROL CATEGORY ........................................................................... 45

Sensor Control Feature Descriptions ....................................................... 45

I / O CONTROL CATEGORY ............................................................................... 47

I/O Controls Feature Descriptions ........................................................... 47

ADVANCED PROCESSING CONTROL CATEGORY ........................................................ 50

Advanced Processing Control Feature Descriptions .................................... 50

IMAGE FORMAT CONTROLS CATEGORY ................................................................. 54

CLHS LINK TRANSPORT LAYER CATEGORY ............................................................ 56

Camera Link Transport Layer Feature Description ..................................... 56

FILE ACCESS CONTROL CATEGORY ..................................................................... 57

APPENDIX B: CAMERA, FRAME GRABBER COMMUNICATION ........................ 59

SETTING UP COMMUNICA TION BETWEEN THE CAMERA AN D THE FRAME GRABBER ............... 59

APPENDIX C: CLEANING THE SENSOR WINDOW .......................................... 60

Recommended Equipment ..................................................................... 60

Procedure ............................................................................................ 60

APPENDIX D: INTERNAL FLAT FIELD CALIBRATION ALGORITHMS .............. 61

Offset (FPN) Calibration ........................................................................ 61

Gain (PRNU) Calibration ........................................................................ 61

APPENDIX E: FILE FORMAT ......................................................................... 63

LUT FILE FORMAT ......................................................................................... 63

FFC FILE FORMAT ......................................................................................... 64

CONTACT INFORMA TION ............................................................................. 66

SALES INFORMATION...................................................................................... 66

TECHNICAL SUPPORT...................................................................................... 66

2 • Contents Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual

The Falcon4 Camera Overview

Preliminary

Camera Highlights

Teledyne DALSA’s new generation of monochrome area scan cameras—the
Falcon4 57M—incorporate very large resolutions and faster frame rates, enabling high
speed image capture with superb spatial resolution and improved image quality. Global shuttering

and correlated double sampling ensure smear free and low noise images. These features make the
Falcon4 camera the best choice for applications where throughput, resolution and high pixel
capacity matter most.

In

side the Falcon4 camera is our leading-edge CMOS sensor, which enables high speeds at

very large resolutions. This new production of CMOS sensors builds upon the performance of the
Falcon2 and Falcon3 cameras and improves on image quality.

Th

e Falcon4 cameras are compliant with GenICam™ and CLHS™ specifications—delivering

12 or 16 bits of data. In addition, the M95 thread opening allows for your choice of lens.

Key Features

• Exposure control

• Faster frame rates through windowing

• Good NIR response

• Built-in FPN and PRNU correction

• GenICam compliant

• CLHS interface

Programmability

• Adjustable analog / digital gain and offset

• 12 and 16 bit selectable output

• Adjustable integration time and frame rate

• Test patterns and camera diagnostics

• Horizontal and vertical ROI

Applications

• Semiconductor wafer inspection

• Semiconductor package inspection

• Electronics manufacturing

o 3D solder paste inspection
o Automated Optical Inspection (AOI)

• 3D imaging—Laser profiling

The Falcon4 Camera Overview Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual • 3

Models

Preliminary

The camera is available in the following configuratio ns.

Table 1: Camera Models Overview

Model Number Description

FA-S0-57M16-00-R 57M pixel monochrome, Camera Link HS.

Table 2: Software

Software Product Number / Version Number

Camera firmware Embedded within camera
GenICam™ support (XML camera description file) Embedded within camera
Recommended: Sapera LT, including CamExpert GUI application and

GenICam for Camera Link imaging driver.

Version 7.50 or later

Camera Performance Specifications

Table 3: Camera Performance Specifications

Specifications Performance

Resolution 7168(H) x 8064 (V)
Pixel Rate 1.37 Gpixel / s
Max. Frame Rate 16 fps
Pixel Size 6 µm x 6 µm
Bit Depth 12 bits, Camera Link HS
Exposure Time 100 µs minimum
Dynamic Range Mono** 59 dB (monochrome) (Global Shutter)

65 dB (monochrome) (Rolling Shutter)

Operating Temp 0 °C to 50 °C, front plate temperature

Connectors and Mechanicals

Size 100 mm (H) x 100 mm (W) x 80.5 mm (D)
Mass < 1 kg
Data Interface CLHS—single C2 7M1, CX4 connector
Power Connector Hirose 12-pin circular
Power Supply + 12 V to + 24 V DC
Power Dissipation < 35 W
Lens Mount M95 x 1
Sensor Alignment ± 100 µm in X-Y directions

Compliance

Regulatory Compliance CE and RoHS

Mono Operating Ranges Units Notes

Random Noise DN rms 4.6(GS), 2.3(RS) Typical, FFC disabled

Responsivity DN/(nJ/cm2) See graph Figure 1.

DC Offset DN FFC enabled

4 • Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual The Falcon4 Camera Overview

Preliminary

Mono Operating Ranges Units Notes

Antiblooming >600 x Saturation

FPN DN rms 7 Typical, FFC enabled

PRNU DN rms 10 Typical, FFC enabled

Integral non-linearity DN 3% From 10-90% of

camera saturation

*DN = digital number
Test Conditions:

• TBD

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

Resolution Aspect

Ratio

57M 0.89 7168 8064 16@12bit 2 to 8

Maximum
Column

Maximum
Rows

No summing
(Max)

Summing (Max)

Certifications & Compliance

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.

Shock and Vibration

The cameras meet or exceed the following specifications:

• Random vibration per MIL-STD-810F at 25 G

• Shock testing 75 G peak acceleration per MIL-STD-810F

2

/HZ [Power Spectral Density] or 5 RMS

The Falcon4 Camera Overview Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual • 5

Preliminary

Supported Industry Standards

GenICam™

The camera is GenICam compliant and implements a superset of the GenICam Standard Features
Naming Convention specification V1.5.

This description takes the fo rm of an XML device des cription file using the syntax defined by the
GenApi module of the GenICam specification. The camera uses the GenICam Generic Control
Protocol (GenCP V1.0) to communicate over the Camera Link HS command lane.

For more information see www.genicam.org

Camera Link HS

The camera is Camera Link HS version 1.0 compliant. Camera Link HS is the next generation of
high performanc e communications standards and is used where a digital industr ial camera
interfaces with single or multiple frame grabbers with data rates exce eding those supported by
Camera Link. The camera includes a single Camera Link HS compatible connector, capable of
supporting data rates up to 2.1 Gbytes per second. The connector can also interface with standard
‘CX4 Active Optical Cable’ fiber modules where very long data transmission is required—up to 300
meters.

.

6 • Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual The Falcon4 Camera Overview

RXC
TXC

TX1
TX2

TX3
TX4

TX5
TX6

TXC
RXC

RX1
RX2

RX3
RX4

RX5
RX6

Data Lane 6

Data Lane 0

Command

Channel

Video

Channel

Link

Camera

(C2,7M1)

Frame Grabber

(C2,7M1)

Preliminary

Figure 1. Single CLHS Connector Configuration

The command channel is used by the frame grabber to send command, configuration, and
programming data to the camera and to receive comm a nd responses, status, and image data from
the camera.

The designation C2, 7M1 defines the use of a SFF-8470 connector (C2) and up to 7 lanes of data
with 1 command channel using M-Protocol (8b/10b) at the default spee d of 3.125 Gb/sec.
When using a CX4 Active Optical Cable fiber module, only the command channel and data lanes 0,
1, 2 and 3 (C2, 4M1) will be available, with an associated reduction in bandwidth. Use two fiber
modules to retain the full performance of the camera.

A feature of CLHS is that the initialization of the frame grabber automatically starts a discovery
process that will identify the lane configuration of the camera. This process is transparent to the
user and requires no action by the user to correctly configure the link.

Camera Link HS Transmission Characteristics

The camera data distribution supports 1 cable with single ROI capability. The single ROI is
customer entered and transmitted across all seven data lanes. There is a minimum of 96 pixels per
data lane used.

CLHS limits the start and stop location of the ROI to a multiples of 32 pixels. The maximum line
rate is limited by the sensor when not limited by the CLHS cable or by the PCIe transfer. The sensor
is limited to a 125 kHz maximum line rate.

The CLHS cable has approximately 2.1 GByte / sec bandwidth for seven lanes. The XTIUM frame
grabber has about 1.6 GByte / sec acros s the PCIe bus.

The Frame Grabber is able to store rows in order to perform a “burst-type” operation. CLHS packs
the bits, while the frame grabber unpacks 12 bit data into 16 bit data across the PC Ie bus.

The Falcon4 Camera Overview Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual • 7

Responsivity

Preliminary

The responsivity graph de scribes the camera’s response to different wavelengths of light (excluding
lens and light source characteristics).

Figure 2: Falcon4 Monochrome 57M S p ectral Responsivity

8 • Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual The Falcon4 Camera Overview

Preliminary

Figure 3: Falcon4 Monochrome 57M Effective QE

The Falcon4 Camera Overview Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual • 9

Sensor Cosmetic Specifications

Tolerated Count

#

50

Tolerated Count

# - 0

pixel outside

single column.

Column Defect Count

# 0

20 contiguous pixel defects along a
single row.

Row Defect Count

# 0

Preliminary

The following table lists the current cosmetic specifications for the Teledyne DALSA sensor used in
the Falcon4 series.

Feature /

Specification

Unit

MIN TYP

MAX

Notes

Dark Pixel Definition -

absolute output level

Dark Pixel Count # 50

Light Pixel Definition -

deviates from frame

average

Average Frame

Output Level

Detection Threshold - Groups of

Tolerated Count # 7 Based on estimation algorithm

Detection Threshold Groups of

Glass Spot Defect

Definition

DN > 500 4 frame average

% ± 30 4 frame average image

for scene & dark correction

% SAT 40 50 60 Illuminated with diffused

light source

combined dark and light pixel

dark and light pixels

Combined dark and light pixel

dark and light pixels

defects/kernel 8 / 3x3 8 / 3x3 Illuminated with aperture

defects

defects

(collimated) light source

Detection Threshold % of average ± 8 4 frame average - any

Tolerated Count # 1 1 spot of 9 pixels allowed. No limit

Column Defect

Definition

Row Defect Definition defects/kernel > 20 /Xx1 A horizontal grouping of more than

10 • Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual The Falcon4 Camera Overview

defects/kernel > 20 / 1xY A vertical grouping of more than 20

± 8% of average

on spots below 9 pixels

contiguous pixel defects along a

Table 5: Sensor Cosm etic Specifications

Preliminary

Definition of Blemishes

• Dark pixel defect: Pixel whose signal, in dark, exceeds 500 DN.

• Light pixel defect: Pixel whose signal, at nominal light (illumination a t 50 % of the linear

range), deviates more than ±24 % from its neighboring pixels.

• Cluster defect: A grouping of at most 2 to 5 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 vertical grouping of more than 20 contiguous pixel defects along a single

column. Must be a minimum of 5 good columns between defective columns. If column defect
count is >0 then row defect quantity must = 0. Column defect concealment will be applied
for defective columns.

• Row Defect: A hor izontal grouping of more than 20 contiguous pixel defects along a single
row. Must be a minimum of 5 good rows between defective rows. If row defect count is > 0
then column defect quantity must = 0. Ro w defect concealment will be applied for defective
rows.

• Test conditions Temperature: 40 °C.

• Integration Time: 12 ms.

Sensor Block Diagram and Pixel Readout

Pixels are read from left to right, top to bottom. The data for each line is transferred from the
sensor to 7 CLHS data lanes. CLHS is a packet-based protocol therefore the concept of taps or tap
geometry does not apply; the frame grabber reconstructs the images based on the information
contained in the packet, regardless of which data lane is used for the transfer.

Figure 4: Pixel Readout of the Falcon 4 c amera.

Notes:

• As viewed looking at the front of the camera without a lens. (The Teledyne DALSA logo on
the side of the case will be right-side up.)

The Falcon4 Camera Overview Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual • 11

Camera Setup

Preliminary

System Precautions and Cleaning

Precautions

Read these precautions and this manual before using the camera.

Do not open the housing of the came ra. The warra nt y is voided if the housing is
opened.

• Confirm that the camera’ s packaging is undamaged before opening it. If the packaging is
damaged please contact the related logistics personnel.

• Keep the camera’s front plate temperature in a range of 0 °C to 50 °C during operation. The
camera has the ability to measure its internal temperature. Use this feature to record the
internal temperature of the camera when it is mounted in your system and operating under
the worst case conditions. The camera will stop outputting data if its internal temperature
reaches 70 °C. Refer to section the Verify Temperature for more information on the
‘Temperature’ feature.

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

• Though this camera supports hot plugging, it is recommended that you power down and
disconnect power to the camera before you add or replace system components.

Cleaning the D e vice

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 thinner s, as they can damage the surface finish.

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. If this occurs, the charge normally dissipates within 24
hours and the sensor returns to normal operation.

12 • Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual Camera Setup

increased emission or decreased immunity and performance of the camera.

Preliminary

Software and Hardware Setup

Recommended System Requirements

To achieve best system performance, the following minimum requirements are recommended:

• High bandwidth frame grabber. For example, Teledyne DALSA Xtium or Xcelera CLHS series
frame grabbers: http://www.teledynedalsa.com/imaging/products/fg/#digital-cameralink

• Operating systems: Refer to frame grabber documentation for supported platforms.

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 and Software

.

2. Connect Camera Link and Power Cables

3. Establish communication with the ca m era

Step 1: Install and Configure Frame Grabber and Software

Teledyne DALSA recommends its Xtium or Xcelera CLHS series frame grabbers or equivalent.
Follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

For additional information on configuring frame gra bbers, see .
A GenICam™ compliant XML device description file is embedded within the camera firmware

allowing GenICam™ compliant ap plication to kno w the camera’s capabilities immediately after
connection.

Installing Sapera LT gives you access to the CamExpert GUI, a GenICa m™ compliant application.
Sapera LT is available free of charge for download from the Teledyne Dalsa

website.

Step 2: Connect Camera Link and Power Cables

The camera uses a Camera Link HS SFF-8470 (CX4) cable and a Hirose connector for power and IO
connections.

• Connect the required Camera Link HS cable from the camera to the frame grabber installed
on the computer.

• Connect a power c a ble from the camera to a power supply that can provide a constant
voltage from +12 VDC to +24VDC.

Note: the use of cables types and lengths other than those specified may result in

Software and Hardware Setup Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual • 13

Figure 5: Input and Output, trigger, and Power Connectors

WARNING! Grounding Instructions

computer chassis, before performing handling the camera hardware.

WARNING: It is extremely important that yo u a pply the a pp ropriate voltages to

the camera, test all power supplies.

Preliminary

Static electricity can damage electronic components. It’s critical that you discharge
any static electrical charge by to uching a grounded surface, suc h a s the metal

Power Connector

your camera. Incorrect voltages may damage the camera. Input voltage
requirement: +12 VDC to +24 VDC (± 5 %), 2 Amps. Before connecting power to

14 • Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual Software and Hardware Setup

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8

9

10

11

12

Preliminary

Figure 6: 12-pin Hirose Circular Male Power Plug—Power Connector

Table 6. Power Plug Pinout

Pin Description Pin Description

1 GND 7 OUT2+
2 +12 V to +24 V DC 8 OUT2­3 OUT1- 9 NC
4 OUT1+ 10 NC
5 IN1-/Trigger 11 IN2+/Trigger
6 IN1+/Trigger 12 IN2-/Trigger

WARNING: When setting up the camera’s power supplies follow these guidelines:

• Apply the appropriate voltages.

• Protect the camera with a 3 amp slow-blow fuse between the power supply

and the camera.

Camera Link Data Connector

The camera uses a Camera Link HS SFF-8470 (CX4) cable.

Input Signals, Camera Link

The camera accepts control inputs through the Camera Link HS SFF-8470(CX4) connector.
The camera ships (factory setting) in internal sync, and internally triggered integration.

Frame Start Trigger (EXSYNC)

The EXSYNC signal tells the camera when to integrate and readout the image. It can be either an
internally generated signal by the camera, or it can be supplied externally by a CLHS Pulse
Message, GPIO, and software command.

• Do not use the shield on a multi-conductor cable for ground.

• Keep leads as short as possible in order to reduce voltage drop.

• Use high-quality linear s upplies in order to minimize noise.

Note: If your power supply does not meet these requirements, then the camera
performance specifications are not guaranteed.

Software and Hardware Setup Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual • 15

LED Indicators

Off

No power or hardware malfunction.

maintained but ima ging is disabled.

up to 90 seconds.

Blue fast blinking

Firmware upgrade, file transfer.

During power up this indicates that the c amera is waiting for a c om mand.

Green solid

Free-running acqu isition.

Green slow blinking

Calibration in progr ess.

blinking

Off

No power or hardware malfunction.

Orange solid

The frame grabber is holding th is device in reset preventing any comm unication.

Orange slow blinking

The device is establishing communica tion and the camera is initializing.

up to 90 seconds.Ca

maintained but imaging is disabled.

Red fast blinking

Camera has CLHS link error.

Green solid

Link established and data transfer may take place.

Green fast blinking

Camera is waitin g for trigger.

Green slow blinking

Looking for Link.

Status

LED

CLHS

Status

LED

Initial power up

Camera initializing
(slow blinking)

Link established

Camera waiting for trigger
(fast blinking)

Initial power up

Camera initializing

(slow blinking)

Camera in free-running mode

Waiting for command

Preliminary

The camera is equipped with 2 LEDs on the back to display the operational status of the camera.
The tables below summarizes the operating states of the camera and the corresponding LED states.
When more than one condition is active, the LED indicates the condition with the highest priority.

Color of Camera

Status LED

Red slow blinking Camera in temporary s hutdown (e.g. temp er ature). The communication channel is

Red solid Fatal error state. Device is not functional. During power up the LED state is red for

Blue slow blinking Camera waiting for warm up to complete (Camera initialization)
Blue solid Upgrading inter nal firmware, when a c quisition is disabled. This happens when

changing a camera feature that effects the image output (e.g. aoi, bit depth, etc.).

Meaning

Orange slow

Color of CLHS Status

LED

Red solid Fatal error state. Dev ice is not functiona l. During power up the LED state is r ed for

Red slow blinking Camera in tempora r y shutdown (e.g. temperature). Th e communication ch a nnel is

Camera initializing.

Meaning

LED States on Power Up

The following LED sequence occurs when the Falcon 4 is powered up connected to a CLHS frame
grabber.

16 • Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual Software and Hardware Setup

Preliminary

Software and Hardware Setup Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual • 17

Step 3: Establish Communication with the Camera

Preliminary

To establish communication with the camera:

1. Power on the camera

2. Connect to the frame grabber

3. Connect to the camera

Power on the camera

Turn on the camera’s power supply. You may have to wait up to 60 seconds for the camera to
warm up and prepare itself for operation. The camera must boot fully before it will be recognized by
the GenCP compliant application; the CLHS LED will blink green, and camera LED will turn blue if
using a TeledyneDalsa frame grabber.

Initialize the frame grabber

• Start Sapera CamExpert (or an equivalent GenCP-compliant interface) by double-clicking
the desktop icon created during the software installation.

• CamExpert will search for Sapera devices installed on your system. In the Devices list area
on the left side of the GUI, the connected frame grabber will be shown.

• Select the frame grabber device by clicking on its name.

Note: The first time you set up the camera you will need to establish a communication link between
the camera and frame grabber. Instructions are available in Appendix B: Camera, Frame Grabber
Communication.

Initialize communication w ith the ca m e ra

• Start a new Sapera CamExpert application (or equivalent Camera Link compliant interface)
by double-clicking the desktop icon crea ted during the software installation.

• CamExpert will search for Sapera devices installed on your system. In the Devices list area
on the left side of the GUI, the connected Falcon4 camera will be shown.

• Select the Falcon4 camera device by clicking on the camera’s user-defined name. By default
the camera is identified by its serial number.

Check LED Status

At this point, if the camera is operating correctly the LEDs will flash yellow for approximately 10
seconds and then turn solid green if accquistion is on, or camera LED stays blue, CLHS LED blinks
green to wait for trigger

Software Interface

All the camera features can be controlled through the GUI. For example, under the Sensor Control
menu in the camera window you can control the frame rate and exposure times.

Note: the camera uses two instances of CamExpert. One window controls the camera and one
displays the output received from the frame grabber.

Also Note: If CamExpert is running during a camera reset operation, then you will have to reload
the GUI window used to control the camera once the camera is powered up again. Do this by either
(1) closing and reopening the CamExpe rt window, or (2) by going to “Image Viewer” in the
“Device” tab and selecting the camera again.

18 • Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual Software and Hardware Setup

Preliminary

Software and Hardware Setup Falcon 4 Camera User's Manual • 19