Specific Solutions - Dalsa PC-30-02K80-R Manual

Piranha Color Camera User's Manual
Verify Temperature
To check the internal temperature of the camera, use the vt command.

6.2 Specific Solutions

Camera Does Not Respond to Serial Commands
Verify that the baud rate of the communications software matches that of the camera.
The camera always powers up at 9,600 bps.
Flashing Red LED on Power-up
This indicates a serious error. There will be no camera output and the serial interface
will only respond to a limit set of commands. An error message is sent in response to all
commands. Refer to Appendix A5 for a description of these errors and the action to
take.
Erratic Behavior
Use the vv command in order to verify that the supplied voltage is within specification.
No Output or Erratic Behavior
If your camera provides no output or behaves erratically, it may be picking up random
noise from long cables acting as antennae. Do not attach wires to unused pins. Verify
that the camera is not receiving spurious inputs (e.g. EXSYNC if camera is in exposure
mode that requires external signals).
Line Dropout, Bright Lines, or Incorrect Line Rate
Verify that the frequency of the internal sync is set correctly, or when the camera is set
to external sync that the EXSYNC signal supplied to the camera does not exceed the
camera's useable line rate under the current operating conditions and that it is free from
noise.
Horizontal Lines or Patterns in Image
A faulty or irregular encoder signal may result in horizontal lines due to exposure time
fluctuations; ensure that your exposure time is regular. If you have verified that your
exposure time is consistent and patterns of low frequency intensity variations still occur,
ensure that you are using a DC or high frequency light source.
Noisy Output
Check your power supply voltage outputs for noise. Noise present on these lines can
result in poor video quality.
Dark Patches
If dark patches appear in your output the optics path may have become contaminated.
Clean your lenses and sensor windows with extreme care.
1. Take standard ESD precautions.
2. Wear latex gloves or finger cots.
3. Blow off dust using a filtered blow bottle or dry, filtered compressed air.
4. Fold a piece of optical lens cleaning tissue (approx. 3" x 5") to make a square pad
that is approximately one finger-width.
5. Moisten the pad on one edge with 2-3 drops of clean solvent—either alcohol or
acetone. Do not saturate the entire pad with solvent.
Wipe across the length of the window in one direction with the moistened end first,
followed by the rest of the pad. The dry part of the pad should follow the moistened
end. The goal is to prevent solvent from evaporating from the window surface, as this
will end up leaving residue and streaking behind.
Repeat steps 3-5 using a clean tissue until the entire window has been cleaned.
DALSA 03-032-10211-03
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9/27/2007