How to get 8-bit image directly from this camera?

[terp]

I have been using this PULNIX TM-1300 camera. Based on its manual (see the attached file), it can output either 10-bit/8-bit image. I hook up this camera to the computer through PCI-1422 card. Under MAX configuration, I select the "Pulnix TM-1300" as the camera file. However, no matter how I play with the camera setting, the image acquired is always 10-bit, which is automatically set to 16-bit in Labview. So far I have to do the 8-bit conversion in all my programs in order to process the image, which is quite a lot more work and pain of neck!

Does anyone have experience on this and know how to set the camera/board to aquire 8-bit image directly from the camera? I appreciate your help on this!!

[Scott_R]

Hello,

What settings have you adjusted in MAX to try to get an 8-bit video signal? In the "Acquisition Parameters" tab, there should be a "Bit Depth" control that you can use to set the camera acquisition to either 8 or 10 bits. Try changing that value and then click on "Save" at the top of the acquisition window. If you don't save the settings, the default settings may be used instead.

Try this and let me know if the images acquired are still 10-bit images.

Regards,
Scott R.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments.

[terp]

Scott,

The "Bit Depth" setting in MAX is greyed out. Don't what to do.

-cy

[Scott_R]

Cy,

Try looking at the "Camera Attributes" tab. Do you see an attribute that specifies that you can change the bit-depth? If not, then the camera file has not exposed that functionality. In this case, we need to look at what serial command needs to be sent to the camera to change the bit-depth. This information should be contained within the documentation for the camera. If that functionality exists, then you should be able to modify the camera file to include the bit-depth attribute.

To modify the camera file, I would suggest using the NI Camera File Generator, available at:

ftp://ftp.ni.com/support/imaq/pc/ni-imaq/cfgenerator/1.1/

Try this and let me know if you have any additional questions.

Regards,
Scott R.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments