Overlapping Exposure And Sensor Readout - Basler Pioneer User Manual

Image Acquisition Control
10.5 Overlapping Exposure and Sensor
Readout
The image acquisition process on the camera includes two distinct parts. The first part is the
exposure of the pixels in the imaging sensor. Once exposure is complete, the second part of the
process – readout of the pixel values from the sensor – takes place.
In regard to this image acquisition process, there are two common ways for the camera to operate:
with "non-overlapped" exposure and with "overlapped" exposure. In the non-overlapped mode of
operation, each time an image is acquired, the camera completes the entire exposure/readout
process before acquisition of the next image is started. This situation is illustrated in Figure 36.
Image Acquisition N Image Acquisition N+1 Image Acquisition N+2
Exposure Readout
Exposure Readout Exposure Readout
Time
Fig. 36: Non-overlapped Exposure
While operating in a non-overlapped fashion is perfectly normal and is appropriate for many
situations, it is not the most efficient way to operate the camera in terms of acquisition frame rate.
On this camera, however, it is allowable to begin exposing a new image while a previously acquired
image is being read out. This situation is illustrated in Figure 37 and is known as operating the
camera with "overlapped" exposure.
As you can see, running the camera with readout and exposure overlapped can allow higher
acquisition frame rates because the camera is performing two processes at once.
Image Acquisition N
Exposure Readout
Image Acquisition N+1
Exposure Readout
Image Acquisition N+2
Exposure Readout
Image Acquisition N+3
Exposure Readout
Time
Fig. 37: Overlapped Exposure
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