National Instruments NI-IMAQ manual

IMAQ ™ NI-IMAQ ™ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Image Acquisition Software NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Mar ch 2001 Edition Part Number 370362 A-01[...]

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Conventions The follo wing con ventions are used in this manual: » The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup» Options directs you to pull down the File menu, selec t the Pa ge Setup item, and select Options from the last dialog box. This icon denotes a note, which ale[...]

© National Instruments Corporation v NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Contents Chapter 1 Introduction to NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras About the NI-IMAQ Software ...... .......................... ......................... ....................... ....... 1-1 Application Development Environments ............ .......................... .....[...]

Contents NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual vi ni.com Introductory Programming Examples .................. .......................... ......................... ...... 3-5 High-Level Snap Functions ..... ......................... ....................... .............. ......... 3-5 High-Level Grab Functions ........ ......................... [...]

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 1 Introduction to NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras This chapter describes the NI-IM AQ for IEEE-1394 software and lists th e application development env ironments compatib le with NI-IMAQ, describes the fundamentals of creating N I-IMAQ applications for Windows 2000 and [...]

Chapter 1 Introduction to NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 1-2 ni.com Application Development Environments This release of NI-IMAQ for 1394 support s the following Application Development Environmen ts (ADEs) for Windows 2000 and Windows Me/98: • LabVIEW version 5.1 and higher • LabW indows/CVI ve r sion 5[...]

Chapter 1 Introduction to NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras © National Instruments Corporation 1-3 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Fundamentals of Building Applications with NI-IMAQ for 1394 Architecture A block diagram of the NI-IMAQ for 1394 architecture shown in Figure 1-1 illustrates the low- and mid-level architecture for IMAQ devices. [...]

Chapter 1 Introduction to NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 1-4 ni.com The NI-IMAQ Libraries The NI-IMAQ for 1394 for Windows 2 000/Me/98 function libraries are dynamic link libraries (DLLs), which means that NI-IMAQ fo r 1394 routines are not linked into the executable fi les of applications. Only the informat[...]

Chapter 1 Introduction to NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras © National Instruments Corporation 1-5 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual • When compiling, i ndicate where the com piler can find the NI-IMA Q header files and shared libraries. Y ou can f ind most of the files you need for dev elopment u nder the NI-IMA Q target installation direct[...]

© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 2 Software Over v iew This chapter describes the classes of NI-IMAQ for 1394 functions and briefly describes each function. Introduction NI-IMAQ functions are grouped according to the following classes: • Generic functions • High-le vel funct ions – Snap functio[...]

Chapter 2 Software Over view NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 2-2 ni.com High-Level Functions Use high-level functions to quickly and easily capture images. If you need more advanced functionalit y, you can mix high-level function s with low-level functions. Snap Functions Snap functions capture all or a portion of a singl e frame or field[...]

Chapter 2 Software Over view © National Instruments Corporation 2-3 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Sequence Functions Sequence functions st art and stop a continuous acquisitio n of multiple frames. imaq1394SetupSequenceImage Conf igures and starts a session for acquiring a full sequenc e into the list of buf fers managed by IMA Q V isi[...]

Chapter 2 Software Over view NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 2-4 ni.com imaq1394StopAcquisition Stops an asynchronous acquisi tion or synchronous continuous acquisition immediat ely. imaq1394GetBuffer Copies a frame buffer to a user-specified buffer. imaq1394GetImage Copies a session ’ s image data to an IMAQ Vision image. imaq1394Insta[...]

Chapter 2 Software Over view © National Instruments Corporation 2-5 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Utility Functions Use utility functions to display an im age in a window, save an image to a file, or to get detailed error info rmation. imaq1394Plot Plots a buffer to a window given a handle to a window. imaq1394PlotDC Plots a buffer to [...]

© National Instruments Corporation 3-1 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 3 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 This chapter contains an overview of the NI-IMAQ for 1394 library, a description of the programmin g flow of NI-IMAQ for 1394, and programming examples. Flowcharts are incl uded for the following operations: snap, grab, and sequen c[...]

Chapter 3 Programming with NI- IMAQ for 1394 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 3-2 ni.com Low-Level Functions The low-level function set supports all types of acquisiti on. You can use low-level functio ns to start a sy nchronous or asynchronous acq uisition. Establishing Interface Connections To acquire images using the high-level or low-l[...]

Chapter 3 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 © National Instruments Corporation 3-3 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Before you can acquire image data successfully , you must open a camera with the imaq1394CameraOpen function. imaq1394CameraOpen requires a camera name and returns a handle to this interf ace. NI-IMA Q for 1394 then uses thi[...]

Chapter 3 Programming with NI- IMAQ for 1394 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 3-4 ni.com Scalable Image Size IEEE-1394 digital cameras support a predefined set of image sizes which you can select through the Format and Mode attrib utes in MAX. See your camera documentation for a list of supported formats. If you are using IMA Q V ision, th[...]

Chapter 3 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 © National Instruments Corporation 3-5 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Introductor y Programming Examples This section introdu ces some examples fo r performing the different types of image acquisition. Note The error codes returned by NI-IMA Q are not included i n the examples. Alw ays check t[...]

Chapter 3 Programming with NI- IMAQ for 1394 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 3-6 ni.com When you in voke a snap, it initializes the IMA Q 1394 device and acquires the next incoming video frame to a buf fer . Use a snap for low-speed or single-capture applications where ease of programming is essential. Figure 3-2 illustrates a typical sna[...]

Chapter 3 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 © National Instruments Corporation 3-7 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Calling imaq1394SetupGrab initializes a session for a grab acquisitio n. After imaq1394SetupGrab , each successi ve grab copies the last acquired buf fer into a user buf fer where you can perform processing on the im age. Us[...]

Chapter 3 Programming with NI- IMAQ for 1394 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 3-8 ni.com High-Level Sequence Functions Sequence functions include imaq1394SetupSequence .A sequence initiates a variable-length and variable-delay transfer to multiple buffers. You can configure the delay between acquisitions with imaq1394SetupSequence and spec[...]

Chapter 3 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 © National Instruments Corporation 3-9 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Advanced Programming Examples Use low-level functions or co mbine high-and low -level functions for more advanced programming techniqu es, including snap, grab, and sequence. Performing a Snap Using Low-Level Functions The L[...]

Chapter 3 Programming with NI- IMAQ for 1394 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 3-10 ni.com Performing an Asynchronous Snap Using Low-Level Functions The Low-Level Snap1394 Asyn c example demonstrates how to perform an asynchronous acquisition usi ng low-level calls. The example sets up a single-frame acquisition to a buffer. In an asynchron[...]

© National Instruments Corporation 4-1 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 VIs This chapter describes how to use the NI-IMAQ 1394 VIs in LabVIEW. Introduction The NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras VI Library, a series of v irtual instruments (VIs) for using Lab VIEW with your IMAQ 1394 de vice, is included wit[...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 VIs NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 4-2 ni.com Location of NI-IMAQ for 1394 Examples The NI-IMAQ VI for IEEE-1394 Cameras examples illustrate some common applications. You can find t hese examples in the labviewexamplesimaq directory for LabVIEW. For a brief description of any example, open th[...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ fo r 1394 VIs © National Instruments Corporation 4-3 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual The most commonl y used VIs are on the IMAQ for IEEE-1394 palette. Y ou can find VIs for basic acquisition and changing attributes. The Motion and Vision » IMAQ for I EEE-1394 » IMAQ Low Level palette contains VIs for[...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 VIs NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 4-4 ni.com Buffer Management IMAQ Create and IMAQ Dispose manage image buffers in LabVIEW. IMAQ Create , shown in Figure 4-2, allocates an image buffer. Image Name is a label for the buffer created. Each buffer must have a unique name. Image Type specifies the[...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ fo r 1394 VIs © National Instruments Corporation 4-5 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual NI-IMAQ for 1394 Acquisition T ypes Three NI-IMAQ image acquisition types are available in LabV IEW — snap, grab, and sequence. The following sections describe each acquisition type and give examples. Snap A snap acqu[...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 VIs NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 4-6 ni.com Figure 4-5 shows a simplif ied block diagram for usin g IMA Q1394 Gra b Setup and IMA Q1394 Grab Acquire . Figure 4-5. Acquiring Images Using Grab Sequence A sequence initiates a variable-leng th and variable-delay transfer to multiple buffers. Use [...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ fo r 1394 VIs © National Instruments Corporation 4-7 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Figure 4-6 shows a simplif ied block diagram for using IM A Q1394 Sequence . Place IMA Q Create inside a For Loop to create an array of images for the Image s in input to IMA Q1394 Sequence . T o Decimal and Concatenate[...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 VIs NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 4-8 ni.com 4. Call IMA Q1394 Get Image . 5. After an acquisition, release the resources associated with the acquisition using IMA Q 1394 Close . IMA Q1394 Close also stops the acquisition if one is in prog ress. If you want to stop the acquisition without rele[...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ fo r 1394 VIs © National Instruments Corporation 4-9 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual an image acquired using IMA Q13 94 Snap . Y ou can display images in the same way using any acquisition type. For more information o n the display capabilities of IMA Q V ision, consult the IMAQ Vision for LabVIEW User [...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 VIs NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 4-10 ni.com Y our intensi ty graph no w sh ould appear similar to the image shown in Figure 4-9. For more information on the Intensity G raph, consult your LabVIEW documentation Figure 4-9. Intensity Graph for Ima ge Display Use the IMA Q ImageT oArray VI to c[...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ fo r 1394 VIs © National Instruments Corporation 4-11 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual . Figure 4-11. Using a Picture Control to Display an RGB Image Camera Attributes Camera attributes allow you to control camera-specific features such as brightness and shutter speed directly from NI-IMAQ for 1394. You [...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 VIs NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 4-12 ni.com Error Handling Every NI-IMAQ for 13 94 VI contains an error in input cluster and an error out output cluster, as show n in Figure 4-12. The clusters con tain a Boolean value that indicates whether an error occurred, the code for the error, and the [...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ fo r 1394 VIs © National Instruments Corporation 4-13 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Error Code Format Error format for all NI-IMAQ for 1394 VIs is the same, as follows: error in (no err or) is a cluster that describes the error status before this V I ex ecutes. If error in indicates that an error occu[...]

Chapter 4 Programming with NI-IMAQ for 1394 VIs NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual 4-14 ni.com code is the number identifyin g an error or warning. If status is TR UE, code is a non-zero error code. If status is F ALSE, code can be zero or a warning code. Use the error handler VIs to look up the meaning of this code and to display the corres[...]

© National Instruments Corporation A- 1 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual A T echnical Support Resources W eb Support National Instruments W eb support is your first stop for help in solving installation, configuration, and application pro blems and questions. Onlin e problem-solving and di agnostic resources include frequ ently asked ques[...]

Appendix A T echnical Support Resources NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual A-2 ni.com W orldwide Support National Instruments has of fices located around the world to help address your support needs. Y ou can access our branch of fice W eb sites from the W orldwide Off ices section of ni.com . Branch of fice W eb sites provide up-to-date con[...]

© National Instruments Corporation G-1 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Glossar y A acquisition window The image size specific to a video standard or camera resolution. acti ve pixel region The region of pixels acti vely being stored. Def ined by a pix el start [ relati ve to the horizontal synchronizat ion signal(HSYNC)] and a pixel coun[...]

Glossary NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual G- 2 ni.com chrominance See chroma . compiler A software utility that con verts a source program in a high-level programming language, such as Basic, C, or Pascal, into an object or compiled program in machine language. Compiled programs run 10 to 1,000 times faster than interpreted programs .S e e[...]

Glossary © National Instruments Corporation G-3 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual dri ver Software that controls a specific hardw are device, such as an IMA Q or D A Q device. E external trigger A voltage pulse from an external source that triggers an ev ent such as A/D con version. F field For an interlaced video signal, a f ield is half [...]

Glossary NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual G- 4 ni.com I I/O Input/output. The transfer of data to/from a co mputer system in volving communications channels, operator interface de vices, and/or data acquisition and control interfaces. IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. instrument dri ver A set of high-lev el software f[...]

Glossary © National Instruments Corporation G-5 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual luma The brightness i nformation in the vi deo picture. The luma sign al amplitude v aries in propo rtion to the brightness of th e video signal and corresponds exactly to the monochrome pictur e. luminance See luma . LUT Lookup table. T able containing value[...]

Glossary NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual G- 6 ni.com O operating system Base-lev el software that controls a computer , runs programs, interacts with users, and communicates with installed hardware or peripheral de vices. P PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect. A hi gh-performance expansion b us architecture originally de veloped by Inte[...]

Glossary © National Instruments Corporation G-7 NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual resolution (1) The number of rows and columns of pixels. An image composed of m rows and n columns has a resolution of . This image has n pixels along its horizontal axis and m pixels along its v ertical axis. (2) The smallest signal increment that can be det[...]

Glossary NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual G- 8 ni.com V V V olts. VI V irtual Instrument. (1) A com bination of hardware and/or software elements, typically used with a PC, that has the functionality of a classic stand-alone instrument (2) A LabVIEW software module (VI), whi ch consists of a front panel user interface and a block diagram p[...]

© National Instruments Corporation I-1 N I-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual Index A acquisition fun ctions, 2-3 adv anced programming examples, 3-9 to 3-10 asynchronous grab using low-le vel functions, 3-10 asynchronous snap using low-le vel functions, 3-10 grab using low-le vel functions, 3-9 sequence acquisition using low-le vel functions,[...]

Index NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394 Cameras User Manual I-2 ni.com L low-le vel functions acquisition fun ctions, 2-3 attribute functions, 2-4 utility functions , 2-5 M miscellaneous functions, 2-3 N National Instruments W eb s upport, B-1 NI Dev eloper Zone , B-1 NI-IMA Q for 1394 acquisition types, 4-5 grab, 4-5 sequence, 4-6 snap, 4-5 acquisition VIs, 4[...]