IMAQ Camera File

[Michael Noll-Hussong]

Dear LabViewers,

perhaps someone can help with the following problem:
We want to use the PCI-1409 framegrabber with LabVIEW 7.0 and IMAQ Vision to get images produced by the following non-standard method:
Our image is a photomultiplier (PMT) voltage stream that is synchronised using external HSYNC and VSYNC signals. (Background: We are using a laser scanning microscope that uses synchronised X- and Y- mirrors built on galvanomters to guide the laser beam; the PMT serves as photo detector).
Our problem:
1. How to connect the incoming voltage stream, the HSYNC and the VSYNC signal to the PCI-1409 ? What cabling do we need ?

2. NI Germany told us to write a Camera File (ICD-file) in order to get a picture (yeah !). Could you (or someone else) give us
a hint how to program these ICD-files ? Is there a template that can be used ???

Thank you very much for any help in advance and best wishes,

Michael

[Gang Pan]

Do you use internal pixel clock?

[Yusuf C]

Hello,

In order to lock on the signal you'll need to run the 1409 in External Lock (Slave Acquisition) mode. I'm assuming your signal is not 640 x 480. If so, just use External HV Lock mode.
In external lock mode, the 1409 device receives HSYNC, VSYNC, and PCLK signals from the camera and uses these signals to acquire the video signals directly.
Since all three timing signals are provided to 1409, it doesn't require a special camera file. All the information required for acuqisition is provided through the timing signals.
In order to connect the timing signals to 1409 you'll need a IMAQ-A6822 BNC connector box.
Hope this helps!

Best regards,

Yusuf C.
Applications Engineering
National Instruments

[Gang Pan]

Hello,

I've a question about Yusuf's post.
If we use External HV lock, can we specify the rate of internal pixel clock?

Thanks,
Gang

[Yusuf C]

Hello,

Running in the External HV lock mode you can not specify the internal pixel clock because this mode is specifically designed to be used to acquire from VGA video cards (640 x 480 resolution).

Regards,

Yusuf C.
Applications Engineering
National Instruments

[Gang Pan]

Hi,

There are two internal pixel clocks (1x and 2x) we can choose with PCI 1409. Do you know what clock rate they are? or they are variable based on the number of pixels we specify in the camera setting file?

Thanks,
Gang

[Yusuf C]

Hello,

PCLK is not variable. 2x will double internally generated PCLK (vs. 1x) but the frequency is not determined by the acquisition window in the camera file. This mode is specifically designed to be used to acquire from VGA video cards (640 x 480 resolution) and that resolution determines the PCLK freq.

Regards,

Yusuf C.
Applications Engineering
National Instruments

[BruceAmmons]

Michael,

The easiest way to learn how to create ICD files is to browse through the existing ones. They can be found in the IMAQ directory under Data. When I create an ICD file I usually start with a similar one and modify it.

From the other responses, it looks like you will have problems if you don't have a PCLK generator.

Bruce