Issues when using a Pixelink camera with LabView 9.0

[Snorlaxx]

In my lab, we have a program for video acquisition using LabView and the low level camera functions for Pixelink cameras.  We run into some problems trying to run this program and other demo gui programs that came with the Pixelink SDK.  In our data acquisition program, we have problems with our image coming out all scrambled.  We use the low level functions to obtain a frame from the camera in the from of a vector.  We then reshape the vector into an array and then send the array to a vi that turns it into an image.  When we try to view this image using the standard Labview image viewer, the image comes out all scrambled if the zoom factor is not set to .5 on the image viewer.  The full resolution of the image is supposed to be a 1024x1280 image which when we use the Capture OEM software for the camera provided by Pixelink we can see.  The image that we can see through LabView when we have the correct zoom factor seems to be only the top left quarter of what the entire image is supposed to be.  We also encounter strange problems when we attempt to use the demo programs for labview 8.6 that are provided with the SDK.  When trying to run the simpleGUI.vi, for example, the program connects to the camera just fine.  After you hit play to view an image, the problems start.  The program will play the video for a few seconds until it just freezes up and quits responding.  Labview must be exited and restarted in order for the camera to connect again.  I am not sure if it makes a difference that we are running labview 9.0 on our computers or not.  Any help you have on these issues would be of great help.  Attached are pictures of the scrambled/unscrambled image and of the part of our block diagram for camera control.

[Tejinder_G.]

Hello,

I have never personally worked with the Pixelink SDK, so I'm not sure how much help I'd be able to provide.  I'm assuming the Pixelink VI's are calling into their own dll's.  But the first suggestion I would make is to separate the problem from your application and determine if this is a hardware issue or software issue. 

Firstly, can we do a simple acquisition in Measurement & Automation Explorer using the IMAQdx driver?  If you don't have IMAQdx, can you perform a simple acquisition using your Pixelink VI's (excluding any image manipulation?

[Snorlaxx]

We experience no problems when we use the software provided by Pixelink (aka. Capture OEM).  Could you explain what you mean when you say 'simple acquisition in Measurement & Automation Explorer using the IMAQdx driver'?  I do not think that I have tried this, but I am not sure how to do what you are explaining.

[Tejinder_G.]

IMAQdx is the driver that National Instruments provides to interface Firewire, GigE and USB cameras (Directshow compliant USB).  This is a licensed driver, so if you don't currently have it, then testing in MAX is not an option. 

So if I understand correctly, you have the Pixelink software which works fine, but you have Pixelink VI's that are used in LabVIEW, but those do not work correctly?  That to me seems like a driver issue, which I'm not sure how much I can help with since it is not our driver. 

Do you know what dll's the Pixel link VIs are calling into?  Are they Pixelink dlls?  If so, I would suggest speaking with the manufacturer or perhaps on of our other users has worked with Pixelink before.

Sorry I can't be much more helpful.