FLIR Tau SWIR User Manual
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FLIR Tau SWIR User Manual

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Tau SWIR ISC1202
User's Guide
Document Number: 102-2009-45
Revision 102
Issue Date: October 2018
The information contained in this document pertains to a dual use product controlled for export by the Export Administration
Regulations (EAR). Diversion contrary to US law is prohibited. US Department of Commerce authorization is not required prior to
export or transfer to foreign persons or parties unless otherwise prohibited.
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Summary of Contents for FLIR Tau SWIR

  • Page 1 Tau SWIR ISC1202 User’s Guide Document Number: 102-2009-45 Revision 102 Issue Date: October 2018 The information contained in this document pertains to a dual use product controlled for export by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Diversion contrary to US law is prohibited. US Department of Commerce authorization is not required prior to...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Physical Connection ........................21 FLIR Camera Controller GUI ..................... 22 FLIR Camera Controller Software Interface................24 Troubleshooting the FLIR Camera Controller GUI ..............27 Operation of the FLIR Camera Controller GUI ........29 Menu Bar ............................ 29 Calibration Tab ........................... 31 Optimization Tab ........................
  • Page 3 AGC ROI: ............................39 Window Editor ............................ 40 AGC ROI Coordinate Values ......................40 Digital Zoom: ............................40 Orientation: ............................40 Polarity / Palette: ..........................41 Auto-Exposure Enable: ........................42 Save Settings ............................42 Factory Defaults ..........................42 Reset Camera ............................42 Utilities Tab ..........................
  • Page 4 FIGURE 8. TAU SWIR CAMERA WITH VPC MODULE ..................17 FIGURE 9. VPC MODULE ACCESSORY KIT ....................... 18 FIGURE 11. CAMERA LINK MODULE (SHOWN INSTALLED ON A TAU SWIR CAMERA) ......19 FIGURE 12. CAMERA LINK MODULE ACCESSORY KIT ................. 20 FIGURE 13.
  • Page 5 Revision History Version Date Comments December 2016 Initial release February 2018 Added detail to descriptions October 2018 Updated controls for TEC table List of Abbreviations Abbreviation/ Components Acronym Actinve Contrast Enhancement Automatic Gain Control Correlated Double Sampling Digital Detail Enhancement Electrostatic Damage Flat Field Calibration (or Correction) Field of View...
  • Page 6 Abbreviation/ Components Acronym REACH Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals RoHS Reduction of Hazardous Substances Region of Interest ROIC Read Out Integrated Circuit SIC-200 Silicon Inspection XX SWIR Short Wave Infrared Smart Scene Optimization To Be Determined Thermo Electric Cooler Uniform Resource Locator Universal Serial Bus Vacuum Package Assembly...

  • Page 7: 1.0 Scope

    This may be removed allowing for custom lens mounts. This User’s Guide includes quick-start information for the Tau SWIR, as well as detailed descriptions of functions and adjustments for the camera that can be performed using FLIR’s Tau SWIR Camera Controller GUI.

  • Page 8: 4.0 Standard Camera Kit

    4.0 Standard Camera Kit Components that come standard with the Tau SWIR camera are: 1. Camera body (includes standard Tau backshell, C-Mount Adapter installed) 2. 2-Wire, 12” lead for TEC power (shown in Figure 5) 3.

  • Page 9: Figure 2. Pins On Tau Swir Hirose Connector

    Figure 2. Pins on Tau SWIR Hirose Connector Page 9 The information contained in this document pertains to a dual use product controlled for export by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Diversion contrary to US law is prohibited. US Department of Commerce authorization is not required prior to...
  • Page 10 Table 1. Tau SWIR Pin-Out, Hirose Connector Mode (2) CMOS 14-bit (default) Pin # Signal Name Pin # Signal Name COMM_TX (RS232_TX_OUT) COMM_RX (RS232_RX_IN) CMOS LINE_VALID_OUT CMOS FRAME_VALID_OUT DGND DGND CAMLINK_CLK [P] CAMLINK_CLK [N] CAMLINK_DATA [0P] CAMLINK_DATA [0N] CAMLINK_DATA [1P]...
  • Page 11 Table 2. Pinout Hirose 50-Pin Connector, Output Mode (3) CMOS 8-bit Pin # Signal Name Pin # Signal Name COMM_TX (RS232_TX_OUT) COMM_RX (RS232_RX_IN) LINE_VALID_OUT FRAME_VALID_OUT DGND DGND CAMLINK_CLK [P] CAMLINK_CLK [N] CAMLINK_DATA [0P] CAMLINK_DATA [0N] CAMLINK_DATA [1P] CAMLINK_DATA [1N] CAMLINK_DATA [2P] CAMLINK_DATA [2N] CAMLINK_DATA [3P] CAMLINK_DATA [3N]...
  • Page 12 Table 3. Pinout Hirose 50-pin Connector, Output Mode (1), BT.656 Pin # Signal Name Pin # Signal Name COMM_TX (RS232_TX_OUT) COMM_RX (RS232_RX_IN) DISCRETE IO REG [6] DISCRETE IO REG [7] DGND DGND CAMLINK_CLK [P] CAMLINK_CLK [N] CAMLINK_DATA [0P] CAMLINK_DATA [0N] CAMLINK_DATA [1P] CAMLINK_DATA [1N] CAMLINK_DATA [2P]...

  • Page 13: Tec Connector

    0.3W at room ambient temperatures with the camera mounted on a tripod. Included in the standard camera kit is a matching TEC power cable (FLIR PN 308-0268-00) terminated at one end with a Molex Pico-Lock 2-pin connector. See Figure 5. This connector is keyed to prevent connecting a reversed voltage to the TEC.

  • Page 14: Tec Power Through Accessory Boards

    TEC Power Through Accessory Boards When using either the VPC or Camera Link Adaptor accessory boards, power may be supplied to the TEC Power connector via a cable from the accessory board. See Section 5.0 for a description of these accessory boards.

  • Page 15: Mechanical Interface

    Each pair of holes are 4mm deep and have a 24mm separation. Alternatively, an optional ¼ x 20 mounting accessory (FLIR part number 261‐2071‐00) can be purchased that utilizes one of the the three M2.0 x 0.4 hole pairs. See Figure 6.

  • Page 16: Optical Interface

    If cleaning becomes necessary, see Section 8.2 for instructions. 5.0 Optional Accessories The Tau SWIR Camera can be used with either the Tau SWIR VPC Module Accessory (FLIR PN 421- 0059-00) or the Tau SWIR Camera Link Module Accessory (FLIR PN 421-0058-00) for simple desktop operation.

  • Page 17: Figure 8. Tau Swir Camera With Vpc Module

    USB mini, communication and power Figure 8. Tau SWIR camera with VPC module Page 17 The information contained in this document pertains to a dual use product controlled for export by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Diversion contrary to US law is prohibited. US Department of Commerce authorization is not required prior to...

  • Page 18: Installation

    VPC Installation The VPC module plugs into the Hirose connector on the back of the Tau SWIR camera, as shown in Figure 8. Use the two M1.6 x 0.35 x 8mm screws included in the kit to secure the module to the camera.

  • Page 19: Camera Link Module Accessory

    Camera Link Module Accessory The Camera Link module is an expansion board for FLIR cameras that matches the functionality of the VPC Module and adds the ability to access digital data via Camera Link connection. The Camera Link module takes CMOS-type digital data from the camera and converts it to Camera Link. In order to use a Camera Link module for acquisition of data, first enable the digital data output using the FLIR Camera Controller GUI.

  • Page 20: Installation

    Camera Link Installation The Camera Link Module plugs into the Hirose connector on the back of the Tau SWIR camera, as shown in.Figure 10. Prior to installing the two M1.6 x 0.35 x 20mm screws, the two mini spacers must be slipped in between the module and the back cover of the camera, as shown in Figure 12.

  • Page 21: 6.0 Connecting To The Camera

    Female to Phono Plug (RCA) adaptor (Figure 13) included in the accessory kit, which allows the camera to be connected to a standard yellow RCA video input on a monitor. The Tau SWIR camera core provides either NTSC or PAL compatible composite video output, selectable in the software GUI or SDK.

  • Page 22: Flir Camera Controller Gui

    The FLIR Camera Controller GUI provides communication between a PC and a FLIR camera using either the USB interface or some other means of serial communication through the camera’s connector. The Tau SWIR version of the GUI is export controlled software that is used to configure and control the Tau SWIR camera.

  • Page 23: Figure 15. Device Manager Showing Proper Driver Installation

    Figure 14. Device Manager showing proper driver installation Page 23 The information contained in this document pertains to a dual use product controlled for export by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Diversion contrary to US law is prohibited. US Department of Commerce authorization is not required prior to export or transfer to foreign persons or parties unless otherwise prohibited.

  • Page 24: Flir Camera Controller Software Interface

    FLIR Camera Controller Software Interface This section describes simple communication with the camera using the FLIR Camera Controller GUI and assumes that the camera is connected to the PC using a USB cable and either the VPC or Camera Link Accessory Module.

  • Page 25: Figure 17. Flir Camera Controller Gui Status Tab - Not Connected

    Figure 16. FLIR Camera Controller GUI Status Tab – Not Connected → 3. Connect to the camera by selecting Tools Connection Page 25 The information contained in this document pertains to a dual use product controlled for export by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

  • Page 26: Figure 18. Flir Camera Controller Gui Connection Window Part 1

    Figure 17. FLIR Camera Controller GUI Connection Window Part 1 4. Select Serial (RS-232), select 921600 as the Baud Rate for fastest communication, and click Finish. If there are more than one serial communication ports enabled on the computer, the button will display Next.

  • Page 27: Troubleshooting The Flir Camera Controller Gui

    Troubleshooting the FLIR Camera Controller GUI If the FLIR Camera Controller GUI does not link with the camera, there will be a popup shown below which indicates that the GUI has not been able to communicate with the camera.
  • Page 28 Verify that the camera is powered by checking that the camera is producing an image on an analog monitor. The Tau SWIR camera takes approximately 5 seconds to start up, stabilize the temperature of the focal plane array (FPA), and provide video. Until this time a splash screen will be displayed on the monitor.

  • Page 29: 7.0 Operation Of The Flir Camera Controller Gui

    7.0 Operation of the FLIR Camera Controller GUI This section describes operation of the FLIR Camera Controller GUI and explains adjustments that can be made to the camera. Menu Bar The FLIR Camera Controller GUI has a classic menu bar where drop down menus are displayed.

  • Page 30: Figure 24. Help -- About Camera Controller

    About: The GUI Framework is the version of the GUI. The Main App is the software version of the camera. The version in the example is 123.21.16.126. The firmware is 16.14.0.23. Click Details to view versions for each individual dll in the GUI. Figure 23.

  • Page 31: Calibration Tab

    Calibration Tab When the FLIR Camera Controller GUI successfully links to the camera, the window shown below will be visible. At the bottom of the application window, there is the Camera and FPA status. The GUI provides six tabs allowing for camera control as described below.
  • Page 32 NTSC or PAL analog output will not be affected, except to output repeated frames for frame rates less than 30fps or to skip frames for frame rates greater than 30fps.. Sensor Gain: Some FLIR SWIR cameras support multiple gain modes. Selecting between these modes will adjust the intrascene range and control the sensitivity.
  • Page 33 be active during the NUC process and will allow the user to abort and possibly restart the 2pt NUC process. When the NUC process is complete, check to see that the image is good and the number of bad pixels found is not unreasonably high, then press the Save NUC button to save the NUC parameters.
  • Page 34 Bad Pixel Control: All defective pixels are identified by FLIR as part of the standard factory Acceptance Test. However, it is possible that a camera in the field may have a pixel that needs replacing. Usually these are flickering pixels, or pixels which have developed an offset, and may appear as white on a black background.

  • Page 35: Optimization Tab

    Figure 25. FLIR Camera Controller GUI -- Optimization Tab AGC Modes: There are four Histogram Equalization Modes included in the Tau SWIR camera. There are also four Legacy Modes for customers wishing to stay with existing AGC modes from previous revisions of FLIR cameras.
  • Page 36 An excellent starting point for the understanding of histogram equalization can be found in Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histogram_equalization. The implementation in the Tau SWIR camera is much more sophisticated than the basic, providing controls for the Linear Percent (low “bin” enhancement), Plateau Value (histogram high “bin”...
  • Page 37 Note: The default mode (“Auto”) along with the default parameter settings for the Automatic AGC mode have been proven to offer the best image quality for generalized scene imaging. It may be possible to tune the AGC to achieve a better image for a given scenario. However, be aware that it is possible to make AGC adjustments that will configure the camera to produce no 8-bit image (all black or all white).

  • Page 38: Linear Parameters

    Digital Video output mode is set to 8-bit data. The 14-bit digital data bypasses the AGC sections of digital processing. Linear Parameters: Used for fine tuning the Auto Bright, Once Bright, and Manual modes, these settings are contextually active depending on which Algorithm is selected. Each of their settings is described above. Once Bright –...

  • Page 39: Enhancements

    AGC ROI: FLIR cameras allow the user to set a Region of Interest (ROI) or a rectangular area of pixels on the sensor array that the AGC algorithm will use for its calculations. The AGC ROI applies to the Automatic and Linear Histogram algorithms.

  • Page 40: Window Editor

    Digital Zoom: The Tau SWIR camera has built in discrete steps of digital zoom capability. For 640 x 512 resolution cameras, it is possible to zoom to 8x. The camera always zooms to the center of the video.

  • Page 41: Polarity / Palette

    check to see if the desired orientation has been achieved, but that may not give the best image over scene temperature. Polarity / Palette: The camera detects and images the SWIR illumination in a given scene. Within the camera, these illumination values are mapped (as determined by the AGC algorithm selected) to a range of 0 to 255 values.

  • Page 42: Auto-Exposure Enable

    The next time the camera is powered; the camera will remember these saved settings. If the Save Settings button is not clicked, any changes made via the FLIR Camera Controller GUI will be valid only for the current session. Cycling power to the camera will revert to the previously saved settings.

  • Page 43: Utilities Tab

    Utilities Tab The Utilities tab on the FLIR Camera Controller GUI, shown below, provides the ability to configure the camera’s analog output. Figure 27. FLIR Camera Controller GUI -- Video Tab Camera Link Configuration: This section describes digital data acquisition with the Camera Link accessory and assumes that all prior sections have been successfully completed.

  • Page 44: Camera Updates

    4. If a BitFlow framegrabber is to be used, consult FLIR for the necessary hardware. 5. The FLIR Camera Controller GUI allows for control of the FLIR camera, but does not support Camera Link frame capture and so third-party software must be used. The ImperX frame grabber includes FrameLink Express software that allows for recording single or multiple images (BMP, JPG, TIF, and RAW) as well as standard AVI clips.

  • Page 45: External Sync

    Refer to the Application Note written to address the individual topic of interest for more information. External Sync: The Tau SWIR camera provides options for external synchronization and triggering. The camera is in “Free Run” mode whenever the External Sync is Disabled. Options for the synchronized event (integration, data readout, video output) are discussed below.

  • Page 46: Figure 30. Integration Priority Mode Synchronization

    Lockout Frame Sync Integration peri od FPA integrate FPA readout FPA integrate data delay FVAL (Camera Link) LVAL (Camera Link) Data Output # columns line overhead Figure 29. Integration Priority Mode Synchronization Readout Priority. This mode is used to synchronize the readout of scene information. This mode is useful for downstream signal processing elements that either need to control when data is sent or need a fixed relationship between the sync and when data is available.

  • Page 47: Test Pattern

    Lens Control: Functions in the Lens Control section are not part of the Tau SWIR initial release. Save Settings: After using the FLIR Camera Controller GUI to change Camera modes and settings to desired values, use the Save Settings button to store many of the current selections as new power-up defaults.

  • Page 48: Factory Defaults

    Factory Defaults: The Factory Defaults button restores the camera’s settings to the initial values specified by FLIR. To save the factory default settings as the power up defaults, first click the Factory Defaults button, then click the Save Settings button.

  • Page 49: Debug

    Debug The FLIR Camera Controller GUI provides an easily accessible way to communicate with FLIR cameras by providing a point and click interface. When a button is clicked in the GUI (ex. Do FFC), the GUI takes the corresponding serial command (0C) and formats the command according to the FLIR packet protocol detailed in the software IDD.

  • Page 50: 8.0 Appendix - Extraordinary Conditions

    2. Solvent and lens tissue: Lens tissue should always be used in conjunction with a solvent. FLIR recommends a solvent mix of 50% acetone (hence the use of acetone-impenetrable gloves) and 50% Isopropyl alcohol.
  • Page 51 FLIR’s written consent. © FLIR Commercial Systems, 2016. All rights reserved worldwide. No parts of this manual, in whole or in part, may be copied, photocopied, translated, or transmitted to any electronic medium or machine readable form without the prior written permission...
  • Page 52 Page 52 The information contained in this document pertains to a dual use product controlled for export by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Diversion contrary to US law is prohibited. US Department of Commerce authorization is not required prior to export or transfer to foreign persons or parties unless otherwise prohibited.

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