black images from PCI1428 with TM-1020-15 (Pulnix) camera

[huijuan]

Can anybody help please?
I got total black images from visionbuilder 6.0 and MAX. What could be wrong?
I am using PCI-1428 (b&w)interface with Pulnix TM-1020-15CL camera.
I adjusted the lighting but no use. It was working alright before and a colleague of mine used the system two months ago and worked then.
Some computer moving and cable removing and repluging were done after the last use.

Thanks
huijuan

[Yusuf C]

Hello,

Assuming you are not getting any errors during the acquisition in MAX and didn't change any of the attributes of the camera (running in the default mode), it sounds like the iris on your lens might be closed all the way that it's not letting any light in. Try adjusting the iris so there will be more light going to your sensor. If that doesn't work, try removing the lens from your camera in order to verify that your lens is not the problem. If all these don't make a difference on the acqired image, try a different camera or a different framegrabber that you know is configured properly and works.
I hope this helps!

Regards,

Yusuf C.
Applications Engineering
National Instruments

[huijuan]

Thanks, Yusuf
Just tried the system without lens, it is the same black image results. The camera setting is on default and I also followed NI support engineer's advice to upgrade the MAX and NI-IMAQ to 2.55. All the same results.
The PCI1428 only has camera link connection, it is not easy to find a compatible system either way.
huijuan,

[Yarive]

Check your cable and configuration file.
If the VINIT (CC1 signal at the CL connector) is high (5V) the CCD keeps discharging. As a result, you get black images no matter what the iris or lens situation is.

Yariv

[huijuan]

Thanks very much for your comment.
It has been confirmed that the CCD camera has problem after I visited Pulnix, Although I still don't know what the problem is and would very much like to establish the cause of it. It looks like you are an expert of the CCD camera. Will the high temperature have anything to do with this discharging linking to the black images? I found during my experiment that the CCD got very hot(the TM-1020-15CL is about 5cmx5cmx5cm big and no heat sink in it). I haven't had problem before since I alway unplug the power during my experiment interval.
You can email me directly if you have any idea on this.
huijuan.xing@eng.ox.ac.uk
Thanks a lot.
huijuan,