Inheritance diagram for VIB::CameraLinkIn:

Detailed Description

This class represents the Camera Link grabber module.

One instance of this class controls one or two Camera Link input connectors which are physically combined on the same hardware. Depending on the hardware and firmware, Camera Link Base (single or dual channel), Medium, Full and Deca configurations are supported. The function GetNumberOfInputs() can be used to determine which configurations are available.

Required steps for image acquisition

Initialization
- The function ConfigureCLInput() is called to initialize a camera channel. The Camera Link data format, the AOI size and additional options like ignoring the FVAL signal (frame valid) when using line scan cameras are specified.
- Image buffers have to be allocated by calling AllocateImageBuffer() and added to the acquisition queue with AddImageBufferForCapturing(). Ownership of the buffers is transferred to the library and acquisition of camera frames begins.
Acquisition loop
- WaitForImageBuffer() is used to wait for completion of a buffer. Ownership is transferred to the user again.
- After the user has finished processing the image data, the buffer can be transferred back to the acquisition queue again by calling AddImageBufferForCapturing().
Stopping image acquisition
- AbortWaitingForDMA() can be used to abort all threads that are waiting for a new image.
- AbortBufferUsage() forces the FPGA and library to stop using new buffers in the acquisition queue.
- Then, the user has to call WaitForImageBuffer() to gain control over the buffers and release them with FreeImageBuffer().

Note

The grabber starts using the next available buffer from the aquisition queue at the beginning of the next camera frame, (or the next line for line scan cameras). If no buffer is available, the frame will be dropped. Use multiple buffers to avoid dropped frames.
Multiple threads can call WaitForImageBuffer() simultaneously to check for new images. This can help to enable parallel image processing using multiple CPU cores.
In order to reconfigure a camera channel with ConfigureCLInput(), acquisition has to be stopped and all buffers have to be freed first.

Example

This example demonstrates a simple use case for acquiring images from a camera.

The following assumptions are made:

A CL Base camera is connected on the first Camera Link connector
The camera is running in free-run mode
The camera delivers images with 8-bit Camera Link format and a resolution of at least 640 × 480 pixels

VIB::CameraLinkIn    cameraLink;
void                 *pBuffer     = NULL;
const unsigned short  Width       = 640;
const unsigned short  Height      = 480;
const unsigned int    channel     = 0;
const unsigned int    buffers     = 4;
bool                  isImgValid;
 
// Open the first CameraLinkIn device
cameraLink.Open(0);
 
// set the AOI size and the pixel format
cameraLink.ConfigureCLInput(
        channel,
        VIB::CameraLinkIn::CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_1TAP_8BIT,
        VIB::CameraLinkIn::CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_DEFAULT,
        Width,
        Height);
 
// allocate image buffers and add them to the acquisition queue
for (unsigned int i = 0; i < buffers; i++)
{
    cameraLink.AllocateImageBuffer(channel, &pBuffer);
    cameraLink.AddImageBufferForCapturing(channel, pBuffer);
}
 
// acquisition loop
while (running)
{
    // wait for a new image using a timeout of 1000 ms
    cameraLink.WaitForImageBuffer(channel, 1000, &pBuffer, isImgValid);
 
    if (pBuffer != NULL)
    {
        if (isImgValid)
        {
            // work with the buffer
            ProcessImage(pBuffer);
        }
        else 
        {
            printf("Frame is invalid\n");
        }
 
        // add the buffer into the acquisition queue again
        cameraLink.AddImageBufferForCapturing(channel, pBuffer);
    }
    else
    {
        printf("Frame timeout\n");
    }
}
 
// Abort image acquisition
cameraLink.AbortBufferUsage(channel);
 
// Get image buffers from the library and release them
while (true)
{
    cameraLink.WaitForImageBuffer(channel, 0, &pBuffer, isImgValid);
    if (pBuffer == NULL)
        break;
    cameraLink.FreeImageBuffer(channel, pBuffer);
}

Please note that error checking was removed to keep the code as simple as possible.

Triggering Camera Link cameras

The Camera Link standard defines four output signals which are mainly used for triggering cameras, also known as CC-Lines. The state of every line can be individually configured with ConfigureCC(). The Multiplexer output signals are available as source for the CC lines.

Example: generate a fixed frequency trigger signal

The internal TriggerGenerator is configured to generate a 10 Hz signal and then used as camera trigger on the CC1 line.

VIB::Multiplexer      multiplexer;
VIB::TriggerGenerator triggerUnit;
VIB::CameraLinkIn     cameraLink;
const unsigned int    channel = 0;
 
// Open devices: Multiplexer, Trigger Unit and Camera Link
multiplexer.Open();
triggerUnit.Open();
cameraLink.Open();
 
// Trigger Unit: configure a signal generator to 10Hz and connect it to output 0 of the unit
triggerUnit.ConfigureSet("GenA_tLow=50ms GenA_tHigh=50ms TrigOut0_Mux=GenA");
 
// Multiplexer: connect multiplexer output 0 to the trigger unit
multiplexer.ConnectOutput(0, VIB::Multiplexer::MUX_SRC_TRIGGEN_OUT0);
 
// Connect the CC1 line to the multiplexer output
cameraLink.ConfigureCC( channel,
                    1,      // CC-line index for CC1
                    VIB::CameraLinkIn::CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT0,  //source for the CC line
                    false ); // no inversion of the signal
 
// ...

Please note that error checking was removed to keep the code as simple as possible.

Example: derive trigger signal from an incremental encoder

The internal TriggerGenerator is configured to divide the encoder signal and then use it as camera trigger on the CC1 line.

VIB::Multiplexer      multiplexer;
VIB::TriggerGenerator triggerUnit;
VIB::CameraLinkIn     cameraLink;
const unsigned int    channel = 0;
 
// Open devices: Multiplexer, Trigger Unit and Camera Link
multiplexer.Open();
triggerUnit.Open();
cameraLink.Open();
 
// Multiplexer: make encoder A/B available for the trigger unit
multiplexer.ConnectOutput(0, VIB::Multiplexer::MUX_SRC_SYNC_0);
multiplexer.ConnectOutput(1, VIB::Multiplexer::MUX_SRC_SYNC_1);
 
// Trigger Unit: use DividerA to reduce the frequency of the encoder signal by 10
triggerUnit.ConfigureSet("DividerA=10,TrigIn0/1_Both");
// Trigger Unit: connect divider output to output 0 of the unit
triggerUnit.ConfigureSet("MuxIntern0=DividerA TrigOut0_Mux=TrigIntern0");
 
// Multiplexer: connect multiplexer output 2 to the trigger unit
multiplexer.ConnectOutput(2, VIB::Multiplexer::MUX_SRC_TRIGGEN_OUT0);
 
// Connect the CC1 line to the multiplexer output
cameraLink.ConfigureCC( channel,
                    1,      // CC-line index for CC1
                    VIB::CameraLinkIn::CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT2,  //source for the CC line
                    false ); // no inversion of the signal

Please note that error checking was removed to keep the code as simple as possible.

Using embedded image, trigger and timestamp counters

Three counters can be enabled in order to embed additional information at the beginning of each frame or each line for line scan cameras. The counters are controlled by the InFlags parameter for ConfigureCLInput():

CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_INSERT_IMAGE_COUNTER: Insert a 16 bit frame / line counter at the beginning of each frame / line.
CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_INSERT_CC1_COUNTER: Insert a 16 bit CC1 trigger counter at the beginning of each frame / line.
CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_INSERT_TIMESTAMP: Insert a 32 bit timestamp into the beginning of each frame / line (1 µs time base)

The image counter can be used for detection of dropped camera frames or lines which are caused by insufficient acquisition buffers. With area scan cameras, the image counter increases with every frame received from the camera (FVAL signal).

The CC1 trigger counter is used in triggered mode for detection of ignored trigger events, for example when the trigger signal on CC1 is arriving too fast for the camera.

The timestamp value is based on a micro-second counter which is inserted by the FPGA during reception of the frame start or line start on the Camera Link interface.

If a counter is enabled, the original pixel data from the camera is overwritten by the corresponding counter value. The location of the counter values is fixed, see example below.

Note

When using line scan cameras (flag CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_IGNORE_FVAL), the counters are inserted into every line. The image counter increases with every line received from the camera (LVAL signal).
Depending on the processing pipeline delay of the camera, the inserted trigger counter can be inaccurate if the image data arrives later than the next trigger event. This is mainly an issue with line scan cameras at high line rates.

Example code for reading embedded counters with area scan cameras

bool checkCounters = false;
unsigned short frameCounter[2];
unsigned short trgCounter[2];
unsigned int timestamp[2];
 
...
 
// enable all counters
cameraLink.ConfigureCLInput(
        channel,
        VIB::CameraLinkIn::CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_1TAP_8BIT,
        VIB::CameraLinkIn::CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_INSERT_IMAGE_COUNTER |
        VIB::CameraLinkIn::CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_INSERT_CC1_COUNTER |
        VIB::CameraLinkIn::CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_INSERT_TIMESTAMP,
        Width,
        Height);
 
...
 
while (running)
{
    bool isImgValid;
 
    // wait for a new image using a timeout of 1000 ms
    cameraLink.WaitForImageBuffer(channel, 1000, &pBuffer, isImgValid);
 
    if (pBuffer != NULL)
    {
        if (isImgValid)
        {
            // read the counter values from the beginning of the image:
            frameCounter[0] = ((unsigned short *)pBuffer)[0];
            trgCounter[0] = ((unsigned short *)pBuffer)[1];
            timestamp[0] = ((unsigned int *)pBuffer)[1];
 
            if (checkCounters)
            {
                unsigned short counterDiff;
 
                // check the received sensor frames
                counterDiff = frameCounter[0] - frameCounter[1];
                if (counterDiff != 1)
                    printf("%u camera frames dropped\n", counterDiff);
 
                // check the trigger counter
                counterDiff = trgCounter[0] - trgCounter[1];
                if (counterDiff != 1)
                    printf("%u CC1 trigger events dropped\n", counterDiff);
 
                printf("Frame period: %u us\n", timestamp[0] - timestamp[1]);
            }
            else
            {
                // delayed start of counter check
                checkCounters = true;
            }
 
            // store values for the next cycle
            frameCounter[1] = frameCounter[0];
            trgCounter[1] = trgCounter[0];
            timestamp[1] = timestamp[0];
        }
        else 
        {
            printf("Frame is invalid\n");
        }
 
        // add the buffer into the acquisition queue again
        cameraLink.AddImageBufferForCapturing(channel, pBuffer);
    }
    else
    {
        printf("Frame timeout\n");
    }
}

Please note that no error checking is performed in the examples in order to simplify the code.

Serial Communication API

The Rs232 device can be used to enable communication with the connected camera through the Camera Link cable.

When using a Windows platform, the Serial Communications API defined by the Camera Link specification can also be used. This allows access by third party configuration tools provided by the camera manufacturer for example.

The Windows SDK installer configures the following registry values for finding the required DLL clserima.dll, existing registry values will not be overwritten:

Windows 32 bit:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\cameralink

-> CLSERIALPATH (REG_SZ) = %ProgramFiles%\CameraLink\Serial
Windows 64 bit:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\cameralink

-> CLSERIALPATH (REG_SZ) = %ProgramFiles%\CameraLink\Serial

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\Wow6432Node\cameralink

-> CLSERIALPATH (REG_SZ) = %ProgramFiles(x86)%\CameraLink\Serial

The SDK installer copies the 32-bit and 64-bit DLL variants of clserima.dll to the locations specified by the registry values.

The registry values are evaluated by the middleware DLL named clallserial.dll. This DLL searches for frame grabber DLLs in the specified directory, for example clserima.dll.

clallserial.dll provides a common interface for camera control applications. It is normally provided by the camera manufacturer, or it can be downloaded here: CLALLSERIAL Project.

Hardware, library and firmware dependencies

Available features depend on the combination of hardware type, software library and FPGA version (click to expand the table):

Hardware	Precondition		Supported capabilities
Hardware	Library Version	FPGA Version	Camera Link Deca	Unused byte for 24 bit RGB
PCIe Camera Link Card	1.6.5.7	SYST_CL: 1.0.0.11	yes	0xff
PCIe Camera Link Card	1.6.4.0	SYST_CL: 1.0.0.6	no	0xff
VisionBox AGE-X2	1.6.0.0	SYST_BASEBOARD: 1.0.0.24 SYST_CL: 1.0.0.7	no	0xff
VisionBox AGE-X2	1.6.0.0	SYST_BASEBOARD: 1.0.0.24 SYST_CL: 1.0.0.2	no	random
VisionBox AGE-X5	1.6.8.0	SYST_BASEBOARD: 1.0.0.45 SYST_CL: 1.0.0.12	yes	0xff
VisionCam XM	1.6.4.0	SYST_BASEBOARD: 1.0.0.30	no	0xff

Note

The VisionCam XM doesn't have a Camera Link connector, but uses Camera Link signaling internally for the sensor. This API is normally not invoked directly by the user, but by the FG Camera library.
In order to reconfigure a camera channel using ConfigureCLInput() with library < 1.7.9.0, the CameraLinkIn instance has to be closed first.

Public Types
enum	CC_SOURCE
	The source signals for the Camera Link CC lines, used by ConfigureCC() More...

enum	INMODE_FLAGS
	Special or additional configuration modes, used by ConfigureCLInput() More...

enum	INMODE_TYPE
	The data organization on the Camera Link interface, used by ConfigureCLInput() More...

enum	MODULE_CONFIGURATION
	Type of Camera Link module configuration ConfigureModule() More...

Public Member Functions
bool	AbortBufferUsage (const unsigned int ChannelIndex)
	Forces the driver to stop using image buffers. More...

bool	AbortWaitingForDMA (const unsigned int ChannelIndex)
	Forces all waiting threads to return from the WaitForImageBuffer() function call. More...

bool	AddImageBufferForCapturing (const unsigned int ChannelIndex, void *ptr)
	Adds an image buffer to the acquisition queue for capturing new camera frames. More...

bool	AllocateImageBuffer (const unsigned int ChannelIndex, void **pptr)
	Allocates a image buffer for capturing. More...

	CameraLinkIn ()
	Default constructor for the device object More...

bool	ConfigureCC (const unsigned int ChannelIndex, const unsigned int CCIndex, const VIB::CameraLinkIn::CC_SOURCE src, const bool Invert)
	Selects the source for the given CameraLink-CC line. More...

bool	ConfigureCLInput (unsigned int ChannelIndex, VIB::CameraLinkIn::INMODE_TYPE InType, unsigned int InFlags, unsigned int AOI_Width, unsigned int AOI_Height, unsigned int AOI_X=0, unsigned int AOI_Y=0)
	Initializes a camera channel. More...

bool	ConfigureCLInput (unsigned int ChannelIndex, VIB::CameraLinkIn::INMODE_TYPE InType, unsigned int InFlags, unsigned short Width, unsigned short Height, unsigned short AOI_X, unsigned short AOI_Y, unsigned short AOI_Width, unsigned short AOI_Height)
	Initializes a camera channel. More...

bool	ConfigureModule (const VIB::CameraLinkIn::MODULE_CONFIGURATION ModuleConfig)
	Configures the module to the given CL mode. More...

bool	FreeImageBuffer (const unsigned int ChannelIndex, void *ptr)
	Frees the specified buffer. More...

bool	GetAOI (unsigned int ChannelIndex, unsigned int &AOI_X, unsigned int &AOI_Y, unsigned int &AOI_Width, unsigned int &AOI_Height)
	Returns the configured AOI size. More...

bool	GetBitsPerPixel (unsigned int ChannelIndex, unsigned int &ValidBits, unsigned int &BufferBits)
	Returns the number of bits for each pixel. More...

bool	GetBufferSize (unsigned int ChannelIndex, unsigned int &Bytes)
	Returns the number of bytes allocated for each image buffer. More...

bool	GetNumberOfInputs (const VIB::CameraLinkIn::MODULE_CONFIGURATION ModuleConfig, unsigned int &NumberOfInputs)
	Returns the number of independent camera channels for the given configuration. More...

bool	Reset ()
	Resets the device to default settings. More...

bool	WaitForImageBuffer (unsigned int ChannelIndex, unsigned int msTimeOut, void **pPtr, bool &IsContentValid)
	Waits for completion of image buffers and transfers ownership to the user. More...

bool	WaitForImageBuffer (unsigned int ChannelIndex, unsigned int msTimeOut, void **pPtr, bool &IsContentValid, unsigned long long &timestamp)
	Waits for completion of image buffers and transfers ownership to the user. More...

Public Member Functions inherited from VIB::iDevice
bool	Close ()
	Closes a device More...

	iDevice (const iDevice &device)
	The copy constructor makes a copy of the existing device object More...

bool	isOpen (bool &state)
	Returns the open state of a device object More...

bool	Open (unsigned int Index=0)
	Opens a device More...

iDevice &	operator= (const iDevice &device)
	The assignment operator makes a copy of the existing device object More...

virtual	~iDevice ()
	Deletes the device object More...

Member Enumeration Documentation

◆ CC_SOURCE

enum VIB::CameraLinkIn::CC_SOURCE

The source signals for the Camera Link CC lines, used by ConfigureCC()

Enumerator
CL_IN_CC_SRC_OFF	static off
CL_IN_CC_SRC_ON	static on
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT0	Multiplexer Output 0.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT1	Multiplexer Output 1.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT2	Multiplexer Output 2.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT3	Multiplexer Output 3.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT4	Multiplexer Output 4.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT5	Multiplexer Output 5.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT6	Multiplexer Output 6.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT7	Multiplexer Output 7.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT8	Multiplexer Output 8.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT9	Multiplexer Output 9.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT10	Multiplexer Output 10.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT11	Multiplexer Output 11.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT12	Multiplexer Output 12.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT13	Multiplexer Output 13.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT14	Multiplexer Output 14.
CL_IN_CC_SRC_MUX_OUT15	Multiplexer Output 15.

◆ INMODE_FLAGS

enum VIB::CameraLinkIn::INMODE_FLAGS

Special or additional configuration modes, used by ConfigureCLInput()

Enumerator
CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_DEFAULT	Default value if no special behavior required.
CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_IGNORE_FVAL	Use this value for linescan cameras.
CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_IGNORE_DVAL	Ignore the Camera Link DVAL signal (data valid)
CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_INSERT_IMAGE_COUNTER	Insert a 16 bit frame / line counter at the beginning of each frame / line.
CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_INSERT_CC1_COUNTER	Insert a 16 bit CC1 trigger counter at the beginning of each frame / line.
CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_INSERT_TIMESTAMP	Insert a 32 bit timestamp into the beginning of each frame / line (1 µs time base)

◆ INMODE_TYPE

enum VIB::CameraLinkIn::INMODE_TYPE

The data organization on the Camera Link interface, used by ConfigureCLInput()

Note: The term Tap refers to Camera Link Tap (pixels), which should not be confused with tap arrangement of the sensor.

Enumerator
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_1TAP_8BIT	CL Base: 1 tap / 8 bit, memory size: 1 byte per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_1TAP_10BIT	CL Base: 1 tap / 10 bit, memory size: 2 bytes per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_1TAP_12BIT	CL Base: 1 tap / 12 bit, memory size: 2 bytes per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_1TAP_14BIT	CL Base: 1 tap / 14 bit, memory size: 2 bytes per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_1TAP_16BIT	CL Base: 1 tap / 16 bit, memory size: 2 bytes per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_2TAP_8BIT	CL Base: 2 taps / 8 bit, memory size: 1 byte per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_2TAP_10BIT	CL Base: 2 taps / 10 bit, memory size: 2 bytes per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_2TAP_12BIT	CL Base: 2 taps / 12 bit, memory size: 2 bytes per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_3TAP_8BIT	CL Base: 3 taps / 8 bit, memory size: 1 byte per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_1TAP_24BIT_RGB	CL Base: 1 tap / 3x 8 bit, memory size: 4 byte per pixel (one dummy byte)
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_4TAP_8BIT	CL Medium: 4 taps / 8 bit, memory size: 1 byte per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_4TAP_10BIT	CL Medium: 4 taps / 10 bit, memory size: 2 bytes per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_4TAP_12BIT	CL Medium: 4 taps / 12 bit, memory size: 2 bytes per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_6TAP_8BIT	CL Medium: 6 taps / 8 bit, memory size: 1 byte per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_1TAP_30BIT_RGB	CL Medium: 1 tap / 3x 10 bit, memory size: 8 bytes per pixel (3x 2 bytes + two dummy bytes)
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_1TAP_36BIT_RGB	CL Medium: 1 tap / 3x 12 bit, memory size: 8 bytes per pixel (3x 2 bytes + two dummy bytes)
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_2TAP_24BIT_RGB	CL Medium: 2 taps / 3x 8 bit, memory size: 4 byte per pixel (one dummy byte)
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_8TAP_8BIT	CL Full: 8 taps / 8 bit, memory size: 1 byte per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_10TAP_8BIT	CL Deca: 10 taps / 8 bit, memory size: 1 byte per pixel.
CL_IN_INMODE_TYPE_8TAP_10BIT	CL Deca: 8 taps / 10 bit, memory size: 10 bits per pixel Memory storage: eight bytes containing the MSBs for eight pixels, followed by two bytes conaining the remaining two LSBs for these pixels.

◆ MODULE_CONFIGURATION

enum VIB::CameraLinkIn::MODULE_CONFIGURATION

Type of Camera Link module configuration ConfigureModule()

Enumerator
CL_IN_MODULECONFIG_BASE	CL-Base input, one cable for one camera.
CL_IN_MODULECONFIG_MEDIUM	CL-Medium input, two cables for one camera.
CL_IN_MODULECONFIG_FULL	CL-Full input, two cables for one camera.
CL_IN_MODULECONFIG_DECA	CL-Deca input, two cables for one camera.
CL_IN_MODULECONFIG_AUTO	Automatically determine configuration based on INMODE_TYPE (default)

Constructor & Destructor Documentation

◆ CameraLinkIn()

VIB::CameraLinkIn::CameraLinkIn ( )

Default constructor for the device object

The device must be opened with Open() before it can be used.

Member Function Documentation

◆ AbortBufferUsage()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::AbortBufferUsage ( const unsigned int ChannelIndex )

Forces the driver to stop using image buffers.

After return of this function, the user can obtain ownership of the buffers by calling WaitForImageBuffer(). Buffers cannot be added to the acquisition queue again, they can only be freed.

Parameters

ChannelIndex Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ AbortWaitingForDMA()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::AbortWaitingForDMA ( const unsigned int ChannelIndex )

Forces all waiting threads to return from the WaitForImageBuffer() function call.

WaitForImageBuffer() calls normally return with an error, but they may also return with a buffer or a timeout depending on the timing.

New calls to WaitForImageBuffer() are not allowed until this function returns.

Image acquisition is not affected by this function, the library continues using the buffers in the aquisition queue until AbortBufferUsage() is called.

Parameters

ChannelIndex Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ AddImageBufferForCapturing()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::AddImageBufferForCapturing	(	const unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		void *	ptr
	)

Adds an image buffer to the acquisition queue for capturing new camera frames.

After a buffer was added to the queue using this function it is controlled by the library. Its not allowed to access or free this buffer until the buffer is delivered to the user by calling WaitForImageBuffer().

For area scan cameras, the grabber will fill available image buffers in the queue with valid camera frames. If no buffers are available, camera frames will get dropped.

For line scan cameras (see CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_IGNORE_FVAL), the grabber will accumulate valid camera lines into available buffers. If no buffers are available, camera lines will get dropped.

There is no rule in which sequence the added buffers are used.

Parameters

ChannelIndex	Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()
ptr	Pointer to a valid image buffer, allocated with AllocateImageBuffer()

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ AllocateImageBuffer()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::AllocateImageBuffer	(	const unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		void **	pptr
	)

Allocates a image buffer for capturing.

The allocated buffer size can be obtained with GetBufferSize().

Note

It is not allowed to use a buffer with a channel which was allocated for a different channel.
Furthermore, the buffer must be released by FreeImageBuffer(), not by free() or delete().

Parameters

ChannelIndex	Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()
pptr	Pointer to the new image buffer

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ ConfigureCC()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::ConfigureCC	(	const unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		const unsigned int	CCIndex,
		const VIB::CameraLinkIn::CC_SOURCE	src,
		const bool	Invert
	)

Selects the source for the given CameraLink-CC line.

See Triggering Camera Link cameras for example code.

Parameters

ChannelIndex	Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()
CCIndex	Index for the CC-Line [1...4]
src	The desired source signal
Invert	Polarity of the output signal

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ ConfigureCLInput() [1/2]

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::ConfigureCLInput	(	unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		VIB::CameraLinkIn::INMODE_TYPE	InType,
		unsigned int	InFlags,
		unsigned int	AOI_Width,
		unsigned int	AOI_Height,
		unsigned int	AOI_X = `0`,
		unsigned int	AOI_Y = `0`
	)

Initializes a camera channel.

In order to reconfigure a camera channel with this function, the acquisition has to be stopped with AbortBufferUsage and all buffers have to be freed first.

Parameters

ChannelIndex	Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()
InType	Camera Link pixel format
InFlags	Bitwise OR of configuration flags defined in INMODE_FLAGS Use CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_DEFAULT for area scan cameras and CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_IGNORE_FVAL for line scan cameras
AOI_Width	AOI width
AOI_Height	AOI height
AOI_X	Horizontal start position
AOI_Y	vertical start position

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ ConfigureCLInput() [2/2]

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::ConfigureCLInput	(	unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		VIB::CameraLinkIn::INMODE_TYPE	InType,
		unsigned int	InFlags,
		unsigned short	Width,
		unsigned short	Height,
		unsigned short	AOI_X,
		unsigned short	AOI_Y,
		unsigned short	AOI_Width,
		unsigned short	AOI_Height
	)

Initializes a camera channel.

In order to reconfigure a camera channel with this function, the acquisition has to be stopped with AbortBufferUsage and all buffers have to be freed first.

Parameters

ChannelIndex	Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()
InType	Camera Link pixel format
InFlags	Bitwise OR of configuration flags defined in INMODE_FLAGS Use CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_DEFAULT for area scan cameras and CL_IN_INMODE_FLAGS_IGNORE_FVAL for line scan cameras
Width	The complete camera frame width
Height	The complete camera frame Height
AOI_X	Horizontal start position
AOI_Y	vertical start position
AOI_Width	AOI width
AOI_Height	AOI height

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ ConfigureModule()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::ConfigureModule ( const VIB::CameraLinkIn::MODULE_CONFIGURATION ModuleConfig )

Configures the module to the given CL mode.

The default mode is CL_IN_MODULECONFIG_AUTO: the CL configuration is determined by the InType paramter when calling ConfigureCLInput().

Parameters

ModuleConfig the new working mode for the whole module

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ FreeImageBuffer()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::FreeImageBuffer	(	const unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		void *	ptr
	)

Frees the specified buffer.

It is only allowed to clean up buffers which are owned by the user. Use AbortBufferUsage() and WaitForImageBuffer() to gain ownership for buffers in the acquisition queue.

Parameters

ChannelIndex	Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()
ptr	Pointer to the image buffer

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ GetAOI()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::GetAOI	(	unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		unsigned int &	AOI_X,
		unsigned int &	AOI_Y,
		unsigned int &	AOI_Width,
		unsigned int &	AOI_Height
	)

Returns the configured AOI size.

The camera channel must be configured with ConfigureCLInput() before calling this function.

Parameters

ChannelIndex	Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()
AOI_X	Horizontal AOI start position
AOI_Y	Vertical AOI start position
AOI_Width	AOI width
AOI_Height	AOI height

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ GetBitsPerPixel()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::GetBitsPerPixel	(	unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		unsigned int &	ValidBits,
		unsigned int &	BufferBits
	)

Returns the number of bits for each pixel.

The camera channel must be configured with ConfigureCLInput() before calling this function.

Parameters

ChannelIndex	Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()
ValidBits	Number of usable bits per pixel
BufferBits	Number of bits per pixel used in the image buffers, including the unused padding bits

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ GetBufferSize()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::GetBufferSize	(	unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		unsigned int &	Bytes
	)

Returns the number of bytes allocated for each image buffer.

The camera channel must be configured with ConfigureCLInput() before calling this function.

Parameters

ChannelIndex	Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()
Bytes	Number of bytes

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ GetNumberOfInputs()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::GetNumberOfInputs	(	const VIB::CameraLinkIn::MODULE_CONFIGURATION	ModuleConfig,
		unsigned int &	NumberOfInputs
	)

Returns the number of independent camera channels for the given configuration.

The number depends on hardware, firmware and the specified Camera Link configuration. The returned number can be 0 for not supported, 1 for one channel and 2 for two channels (CL Base only).

Parameters

ModuleConfig	Specifies the configuration for which the function returns the number of channels
NumberOfInputs	Returns the number of channels / cameras which can be connected

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ Reset()

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::Reset ( )

Resets the device to default settings.

Only the CC lines are currently affected when calling this function. All signals are turned off (CL_IN_CC_SRC_OFF).

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

◆ WaitForImageBuffer() [1/2]

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::WaitForImageBuffer	(	unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		unsigned int	msTimeOut,
		void **	pPtr,
		bool &	IsContentValid
	)

Waits for completion of image buffers and transfers ownership to the user.

See overloaded version of WaitForImageBuffer() with the additional timestamp parameter for a detailed description.

◆ WaitForImageBuffer() [2/2]

bool VIB::CameraLinkIn::WaitForImageBuffer	(	unsigned int	ChannelIndex,
		unsigned int	msTimeOut,
		void **	pPtr,
		bool &	IsContentValid,
		unsigned long long &	timestamp
	)

Waits for completion of image buffers and transfers ownership to the user.

Multiple threads can call this function simultaneously. The first caller returns first with the next completed buffer.

After successful return of the function, one of three events have occured:

The returned image buffer in pPtr is valid and IsContentValid is true:
The ownership of the buffer is transfered to the user and image acquisition was successful.
The returned image buffer in pPtr is valid and IsContentValid is false:
The ownership of the buffer is transfered to the user, but the image acquisition was not successful. The contens of the image buffer are not valid or only partially valid. The cause can be an incorrectly configured frame size and format, a problem with the Camera Link signals, or after call of AbortBufferUsage().
The returned image buffer in pPtr is invalid (NULL):
The timeout expired or AbortWaitingForDMA() was called. Image buffers remain in the acquisition queue. After a timeout, the user can call this function again to check for ready images.

After a valid buffer was returned, it can be released with FreeImageBuffer() or added to the acquisition queue again with WaitForImageBuffer().

This function is also used to obtain buffers after AbortBufferUsage() was called.

Parameters

ChannelIndex	Camera index, 0 ... GetNumberOfInputs()
msTimeOut	TimeOut in milliseconds, 0 ... `INFINITE`
pPtr	Double pointer for storing the new image buffer or `NULL`
IsContentValid	If the returned image buffer in pPtr is valid, this flag indicates if the buffer contents are valid (acquisition was successful)
timestamp	If the returned image buffer in pPtr is valid, the timestamp value contains the point in time of the image transfer completion within the driver. The timestamp value is stored in micro-seconds and is based on the following clocks: Windows: performance counter (QueryPerformanceCounter()), requires driver ≥ v1.3.2.0 Linux: CLOCK_MONOTONIC, requires driver ≥ v1.2.0.0 The value will be zero if the driver doesn't support timestamps.

Returns: true for success, use VIBSystem::GetLastErrorString() for an error description

Detailed Description

Required steps for image acquisition

Triggering Camera Link cameras

Using embedded image, trigger and timestamp counters

Serial Communication API

Hardware, library and firmware dependencies

Public Types

Public Member Functions

Member Enumeration Documentation

◆ CC_SOURCE

◆ INMODE_FLAGS

◆ INMODE_TYPE

◆ MODULE_CONFIGURATION

Constructor & Destructor Documentation

◆ CameraLinkIn()

Member Function Documentation

◆ AbortBufferUsage()

◆ AbortWaitingForDMA()

◆ AddImageBufferForCapturing()

◆ AllocateImageBuffer()

◆ ConfigureCC()

◆ ConfigureCLInput() [1/2]

◆ ConfigureCLInput() [2/2]

◆ ConfigureModule()

◆ FreeImageBuffer()

◆ GetAOI()

◆ GetBitsPerPixel()

◆ GetBufferSize()

◆ GetNumberOfInputs()

◆ Reset()

◆ WaitForImageBuffer() [1/2]

◆ WaitForImageBuffer() [2/2]