Using double frame mode with a Hamamatsu C8484-05 and a PCI 1426

[JSherwood]

Hi,

I am using a hamamatsu C8484-05 CCD camera (http://sales.hamamatsu.com/en/products/system-division/machine-vision/part-c8484-05.php), with a PCI-1426. 

Despite the NI site saying that they are compatible, Hamamatsu tell me that the camera is only compatible with the 1426 using the NI drivers , and not the Hamamatsu vi's. (http://sales.hamamatsu.com/index.php?id=13200492&language=1&)

I located the .icd file for the C8484-05 on the NI website, and using IMAQ, i can control most of the settings using the set camera attribute vi. 

However, there does not seem to be an option to set double exposure mode for PIV (i.e. 2 frame 2 exposure using double buffering)

Do I have to do this manually using the low-level buffer controls? For a previous camera (IDT X3) I was able to select this option in their provided VI.

If so, could you point me in the direction of some good tutorials for the use of buffers? 

Additionally, is there an easy way to get all of the options without copying the text from each menu in MAX and using multiple case structures?

Kind regards

Joe Sherwood

[Chris_Garratt_NIUK]

Hi Joe,

I was wondering if the exposure mode could be controlled by a property node. I assume the camera required additional drivers?

On the second point, could you give me a little more information on what you mean about getting the options from MAX as I am not entirely clear what you mean.

In the mean time I will see if I can find a good tutorial for you as a back-up.

Best Regards,

Chris

[JSherwood]

Hi Chris,

The camera did not require additional drivers to run, I assume because it is controlled by camlink. I did download the .icd file for the camera in order to have the correct controls in MAX.

The property node would be the easy option, as I mentioned, there was one such node for the idt x3 camera I used in labview previously. 

However, using the 'set camera attribute.vi' , each property is controlled with the string camera attribute - 'Camera Attribute is the attribute name as documented in MAX' (from the help file).

In MAX, there is no camera attribute for setting double frame mode, which is my problem. I attach a vi I wrote to control all of the settings available for this camera to illustrate my meaning and hopefully answer your second question (which is now not too important).  

I hope this answers your question, let me know if there is anything else you need to know to help me resolve this quandary

Kind regards

Joe

[JSherwood]

I've now realised that the problem is that the icd file provided on the industrial camera advisor on the NI website is for the C8484-05, whereas the camera I have, which is capable of double frame mode is the C8484-05c.

Is it possible for NI to provide an .icd file for the C8484-05c???

Please!

[Andy.G]

Hey JSherwood,

Unfortunately this particular model is not currently supported by NI, however the 8484-05 is therefore you should be able to make a copy of the Hamamatsu 8484-05.icd file and manually edit the attributes of that particular camera (Find: Attribute (Correction Controls)). We are unfortunately unable to do this for you as we have neither the camera nor the manual, therefore we cannot write the code due to a lack of terminators and commands and more importantly we will be unable to test the device. Also you can make a request for the driver, but this will not happen instantly.

You can find the file via these following steps:

National  Instruments folder -> IMAQ -> Data -> Hamamatsu C8484-05.icd

Request for support:

http://sine.ni.com/apps/utf8/nipc.specs?action=search&asid=1102

[JSherwood · Accepted solution]

Find attached the modified version of the .ICD file for this camera (C8484-05C). I have saved it as a txt to allow the upload on the ni forum. Simply change .txt to .icd and place in >National Instruments\NI-IMAQ\Data

This allows double frame/PIV mode using the 'fast repetition mode' setting in addition to all of the standard functions. The trigger polarity is set positive and the first exposure is 4.5us, while the second is 81.7ms (without binning)

I hope this is of use.

Regards

Joe

[zeyad a]

Hi Joe, 

I'm facing the same problem that you were facing with the C8484-50C. We bought the C8484-05C since we need to do PIV along with another camera HiSense MkII. I downloaded the file that you provided and it didn't work in IMAQ. When I acquire images with your camera definition it gives me an error message. I have to close IMAQ and open it again to use the old C8484-05 file or another definition file to acquire images with the camera. 

I have a couple of questions: 

1- have you tried your camera definition file with IMAQ ? 

2- did you use labview to acquire the dual frame images ?

By the way, I noticed that the properties that you gave for camera definition file are similar to the HiSense MkII (it is another name for C8484-05C). if so have you tried acquiring images with the maximum allowable time between frames (dt = 81 ms) ? If so, how were the images ? 

Zeyad

[JSherwood]

Hi Zeyad,

The HiSense MkII is just a DANTEC relabelled C8484-05C, apparently it has some differences, but I have found none (except the price tag!). For me, the icd file in the previous post (and this one) work for both cameras.

The file I uploaded was a quick fix, but some of the options were not available when in PIV mode. The attached file is one i I improved at a later date, so you may have more luck with it (see note below) When you say you open it with IMAQ, what do you mean specifically? Vision Assistant, or IMAQ within labview? I personally check functionality using MAX, via the acquisition card (PCI 1426).

So to answer your questions,

1) If you just mean have I used it in LabVIEW, yes. It also works in Vision assistant and MAX

2) I have used it to acquire double frame images with no problems

I have used the camera at full exposure, and it was fine, but of course this is dependent on the illumination. If you are using laser pulses and your room is sufficiently dark the exposure should not matter.

I should mention that the one problem I have had is that IMAQ within labview seems incapable of changing the camera mode from double to single, so I have to change it in MAX (I had a guy from LabVIEW look at this, but he couldn't solve it).

Perhaps I could help more if you gave me a little more idea about your setup/application/ details of the errors etc.

Regards

Joe

 _________________________________

I could not upload an icd file (interesting choice from NI), so I have saved it as a txt, you will just have to odify the extension to use it

[zeyad a]

Hi Joe, 

Thanks for the response and for the suggestions that you gave. I checked the camera definition file and found it worked after I adjusted acquisition parameters in Ni-Measurement and Automation (I think it is vision acquisition  V 4.6). The previous error messages that I saw were (0XBFF60022 Time out error, and 0XBFF60036 serial port error). 

I'll tell you about my current problem. We have a license for Dynamic Studio and I was using HiSense MKII in my previous work. Currently I'm looking to do studies that require the use of two cameras simultaneously. We couldn't afford the HiSense MKII and I found that C8484-05C is the HiSense camera. After getting it I was surprised that Dynamic studio (Dantec software) didn't recognize the C8484-50C. The tech support at dantec were also surprised that their software didn't recognize the Hamamatsu camera. So now I have to resort to other means of acquiring images with the C8484-05C since I couldn't acquire the images with Dynamic Studio. 

Other problems that I'm facing are the software compatibility issues. I have Ni-Measurement automation 4.6 which is compatible with Dynamic Studio, but when I upgrade the software to vision acquisition 8.6 dynamic studio stops working. I asked Dantec for the patch for version 8.6 and no answer. So now I need to install labview (probably the latest version) and not change the vision assist and hope that I will not see any software conflicts.

It is good to know that c8484-05 is good with full exposure. I asked you about it since I noticed with the HiSense MkII with full exposure the images will be distorted. 

By the way, is there a way to contact you directly other than this forum ?

Fine regards

Zeyad  

[JSherwood]

Hi Zeyad, 

If you search me at UCL you will find my email (I'm avoiding putting it directly in case i get spammed somehow).

Joe