Serial communications management through camera link card

[Hummer1]

I have an NI cameralink card and would like to manipulate integration time of a camera using the serial commands to the camera.  Is there a way to pass serial commands to it using other software like MatLab (heresy I know)....

[A_Person · Accepted solution]

My experience using MATLAB is lacking but if it can call the C API for IMAQ, then you should be able to do it.  You can take a look at the NI-IMAQ Function Reference Help and look specifically at the Serial Communication Functions under Low-Level Functions.

[Hummer1]

Thanks...I'll look at that.

Hummer1

[ysirotin]

I have a similar question, however, I would like to know if there is a way to go around the API?  Do you provide a serial port communication utility for the camera?  Alternately is there a way to map the serial port to a generic serial port?

[A_Person]

Unfortunately the OS can't target it as a standard COM port.  You will have to go through the API in order to communicate over the serial lines.  The only interface I can think of is the one built into the Camera File Generator.  

If you want to make a request for something like this, you can at least enter it at the Product Suggestion Center.  The developers will see any suggestions you put in here and evaluate it for future development.

[jc.benoit]

You should be able to send commands to the camera using the clallserial dll.

It provides an API for serial communication with digital cameras in a frame grabber independent fashion.

There is a project page on sourceforge

http://clallserial.sourceforge.net/ 

and on the NI FTP:

https://download.ni.com/#support/imaq/clallserial/

Also please check that you have the "clsernat.dll" in "C:\Windows\system32".

JC Benoit

Vision Engineer

Alliance Vision

[Hummer1]

thanks, I'll take a look at that...

Hummer 1