Kodak EktaPro 4540 High Speed Viddeo GPIB download interface

[thuang0000@my-deja.com]

Does anybody here have any experience working with Kodak EktaPro 4540
High-Speed Video system with GPIB download interface? We are currently
using one, and the download speed is just painfully slow (approx. 3
sec/frame using the software written in LabVIEW 3.0/4.0) for the amount
of memory we have onboard the controller, it'd take ~50 minutes to
finish downloading.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


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[Johnner]

thuang0000@my-deja.com wrote:

> Does anybody here have any experience working with Kodak EktaPro 4540
> High-Speed Video system with GPIB download interface? We are currently
> using one, and the download speed is just painfully slow (approx. 3
> sec/frame using the software written in LabVIEW 3.0/4.0) for the amount
> of memory we have onboard the controller, it'd take ~50 minutes to
> finish downloading.

I used one of these in grad school, and I recall that the download
interface was actually an executable compiled from LabVIEW VIs. When I was
using it, Kodak would not supply the source VIs that were used to create
the EXE--has that changed?

In any case, I doubt that the LabVIEW version used to compile the
executable is at fault here. We always worked with the s
mallest image size
(64x64 pixels), and I recall that each one took something like a half
second to download, counting the overhead for the GPIB controller to issue
commands for the camera memory box to flip to the next image, etc.

I never questioned it at the time, but in retrospect it seems as if the
GPIB bus should have been able to provide higher throughput. If there is
some Kodak-based limitation, though, then I wouldn't be surprised by the 3
seconds/frame value, assuming you're using the largest frame size.

If I were you, I'd contact Kodak for some performance specs before you try
anything else. I've also got a name I can give you via private e-mail if
you want to contact someone else who's using the EktaPro 4540 and GPIB
transfers.

Regards,
John Lum

[markwysong@my-deja.com]

I've used the EktaPro 4540 before, but I don't usually download the
images to a computer. Generally we put them on videotape. I don't know
how you would get any faster if you were transferring at the highest
possible rate of the GPIB.

I'd be interested in how the Labview software handles the GPIB portion.
Is there some special function you're trying to do with these images
that you can't do with a videotape?

I can imagine how long that would take with the amount of memory that
camera has. FYI We've noticed some limitations of the camera triggers
(5ms delay on the relay input, 25-70 uS delay on the TTL trigger).
There's a way to determine when the camera actually started recording.

Mark

In article <8p5d2q$9e7$1@nnrp1.deja.com>,
thuang0000@my-deja.
com wrote:
> Does anybody here have any experience working with Kodak EktaPro 4540
> High-Speed Video system with GPIB download interface? We are
currently
> using one, and the download speed is just painfully slow (approx. 3
> sec/frame using the software written in LabVIEW 3.0/4.0) for the
amount
> of memory we have onboard the controller, it'd take ~50 minutes to
> finish downloading.
>
> Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.
>


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

[Johnner]

markwysong@my-deja.com wrote:

> Is there some special function you're trying to do with these images
> that you can't do with a videotape?

In my case, there was a lot to be gained from digitizing our experimental
images. We were imaging the rapid solidification of a levitated glob of
molten nickel, and we were trying to model the propagation of the
solid/liquid interface (moving at speeds upward of 45 m/s) across the
surface of the droplet.

Our technique involved interactively identifying "interface" points on
successive frames, then mapping those points to a mathematically-modeled
ellipsoid, taking into account spatial orientation and rate of rotation. If
we hadn't digitized the images, we would have been forced to take a ruler up
to the TV screen! Not m
uch fun--we actually did do that for some of our
early tests.

Regards,
John

[lancetboy76]

We have the Kodak EktaPro 4540, but have a SCSI interface rather than GPIB. I would say that we get data transfer speeds much faster than 3sec/frame. I think that we can download about 1000 frames in about 20 seconds. I don't know if Kodak supports this camera anymore. I believe that they purchased it from a company called Photron. I know that you can get a IEEE 1394 RAM module from Photron that should provide pretty fast transfer rates.

[GretchenSkellyZimmer]

I would love to get hold of a copy of the VIs mentioned above.  We are using a slightly older model of the Kodak High Speed Camera, but I'm sure the GPIB Interface would be similar.  I realize that this thread is quite old, but if any of the original posters are still active, and were able to acquire the VI's, please let me know if you are willing to share your code!

gzimmer@pppl.gov