Page 1 Basler ace USER’S MANUAL FOR USB 3.0 CAMERAS Document Number: AW001234 Version: 02 Language: 000 (English) Release Date: 16 April 2014 This manual includes information about the following prototype cameras: acA2000-165, acA2040-90, acA3800-14, acA4600-10.
Page 2 Basler for any damages resulting from such improper use or sale. Warranty Note Do not open the housing of the camera. The warranty becomes void, if the housing is opened. All material in this publication is subject to change without notice and is copyright...
Page 3 Contacting Basler Support Worldwide Europe: Basler AG An der Strusbek 60 - 62 22926 Ahrensburg Germany Tel.: +49 4102 463 515 Fax.: +49 4102 463 599 support.europe@baslerweb.com Americas: Basler, Inc. 855 Springdale Drive, Suite 203 Exton, PA 19341 U.S.A. Tel.: +1 610 280 0171 Fax.: +1 610 280 7608...
Page 5: Table Of Contents
4 Camera Functional Description........41...
Page 6 Camera Cabling Requirements ........
Page 7 Camera Events ........
Page 8 8.11.4 Gain Auto ........... . 217 Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 9 Obtaining an RMA Number..........253 Before Contacting Basler Technical Support ....... 254 Revision History .
Page 10 Table of Contents AW00123402000 Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 11: Specifications, Requirements, And Precautions
Unless otherwise noted, the material in this manual applies to all of the camera models listed in the tables. Material that only applies to a particular camera model or to a subset of models, such as to color cameras only, will be so designated.
Page 12: General Specifications
Synchronization Via external trigger signal, via the USB 3.0 port or free run Exposure Control Via external trigger signal or programmable via the camera API Camera Power Nominal +5 VDC, compliant with the Universal Serial Bus 3.0 specification, supplied Requirements via the camera’s USB 3.0 port...
Page 13 Specification acA640-90um/uc acA640-120um/uc Software Basler pylon 4 Camera Software Suite (version 4.0 or higher) Available for Windows in 32 and 64 bit versions. Table 1: General Specifications * Unless otherwise noted, the values given for power consumption are maximum values.
Page 14 Synchronization Via external trigger signal, via the USB 3.0 port or free run Exposure Control Via external trigger signal or programmable via the camera API Camera Power Nominal +5 VDC, compliant with the Universal Serial Bus 3.0 specification, supplied Requirements via the camera’s USB 3.0 port...
Page 15 Specification acA1300-30um/uc acA1600-20um/uc Software Basler pylon 4 Camera Software Suite (version 4.0 or higher) Available for Windows in 32 and 64 bit versions. Table 2: General Specifications * Unless otherwise noted, the values given for power consumption are maximum values.
Page 16 Synchronization Via external trigger signal, via the USB 3.0 port or free run Exposure Control Via external trigger signal or programmable via the camera API Camera Power Nominal +5 VDC, compliant with the Universal Serial Bus 3.0 specification, supplied Requirements via the camera’s USB 3.0 port...
Page 17 Synchronization Via external trigger signal, via the USB 3.0 port or free run Exposure Control Via external trigger signal or programmable via the camera API Camera Power Nominal +5 VDC, compliant with the Universal Serial Bus 3.0 specification, supplied Requirements via the camera’s USB 3.0 port...
Page 18 Synchronization Via external trigger signal, via the USB 3.0 port or free run Exposure Control Via external trigger signal or programmable via the camera API Camera Power Nominal +5 VDC, compliant with the Universal Serial Bus 3.0 specification, supplied Requirements via the camera’s USB 3.0 port...
Page 19 Synchronization Via external trigger signal, via the USB 3.0 port or free run Exposure Control Via external trigger signal or programmable via the camera API Camera Power Nominal +5 VDC, compliant with the Universal Serial Bus 3.0 specification, supplied Requirements via the camera’s USB 3.0 port...
Page 20 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions AW00123402000 * Unless otherwise noted, the values given for power consumption are maximum values. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 21: Spectral Response
Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions Spectral Response 1.3.1 Mono Camera Spectral Response The following graphs show the spectral response for each available monochrome camera model. The spectral response curves exclude lens characteristics and light source characteristics. Wavelength (nm) Fig. 1: acA640-90um Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet)
Page 22 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions AW00123402000 Wavelength (nm) Fig. 2: acA640-120um Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) 1000 Wavelength (nm) Fig. 3: acA1300-30um Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 23 AW00123402000 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions Wavelength (nm) Fig. 4: acA1600-20um Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) 1050 1150 Wavelength (nm) Fig. 5: acA1920-25um Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 24 50 0 6 00 7 00 80 0 9 00 1 000 Wavelength (nm) Fig. 6: acA2000-165um, acA2040-90um Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) 1000 Wavelength (nm) Fig. 7: acA2000-165umNIR, acA2040-90umNIR Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 25 AW00123402000 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions 1050 1150 Wavelength (nm) Fig. 8: acA2500-14um Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) 1000 Wavelength (nm) Fig. 9: acA3800-14um Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 26: Color Camera Spectral Response
IR cut filter is recommended. The filter should transmit in a range from 400 nm to 700 ... 720 nm, and it should cut off from 700 ... 720 nm to 1100 nm. A suitable IR cut filter is built into the lens adapter on color models of the camera. Blue...
Page 27 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions Blue Green Wavelength (nm) Fig. 11: acA640-120uc Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Blue Green 4 00 5 00 60 0 Wavelength (nm) Fig. 12: acA1300-30uc Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 28 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions AW00123402000 Blue Green Wavelength (nm) Fig. 13: acA1600-20uc Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Blue Green 35 0 Wavelength (nm) Fig. 14: acA1920-25uc Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 29 AW00123402000 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions Blue Green Wavelength (nm) Fig. 15: acA2000-165uc, acA2040-90uc Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Blue Green 35 0 Wavelength (nm) Fig. 16: acA2500-14uc Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 30 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions AW00123402000 Blue Green Wavelength (nm) Fig. 17: acA3800-14uc Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Blue Green Wavelength (nm) Fig. 18: acA4600-10uc Spectral Response (From Sensor Data Sheet) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 31: Mechanical Specifications
AW00123402000 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions Mechanical Specifications The camera housing conforms to protection class IP30 assuming that the lens mount is covered by a lens or by the plastic cap that is shipped with the camera. 1.4.1 Camera Dimensions and Mounting Points...
Page 32 22 (dimension for M2) Photosensitive surface of the sensor 20.7 17.526 29.3 14.5 41.3 2 x M2; 4 deep Reference Plane Not to Scale Fig. 19: Mechanical Dimensions (in mm) for Cameras with the C-mount Lens Adapter Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 33 22 (dimension for M2) Photosensitive surface 12.526 of the sensor 20.7 29.3 14.5 36.3 2 x M2; 4 deep Reference Plane Not to Scale Fig. 20: Mechanical Dimensions (in mm) for Cameras with the CS-mount Lens Adapter Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 34: Maximum Allowed Lens Thread Length
Camera with C-mount lens adapter (see Figure 21):  The thread length can be a maximum of 9.6 mm, and the lens can intrude into the camera body a maximum of 10.8 mm. Camera with CS-mount lens adapter (see Figure 22): ...
Page 35 Filter Holder (mono and color cameras) (4.6) CS-mount Lens IR Cut Filter (color cameras only) Unthreaded Thread: 4.6 Max 5.8 Max Not to Scale Fig. 22: Maximum Lens Thread Length (Dimensions in mm) for Cameras with the CS-mount Lens Adapter Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 36: Mounting Instructions
AW00123402000 Mounting Instructions To ensure optimum alignment of the camera when mounting the camera in your system, you must follow a certain tightening sequence when tightening screws. Depending on whether you use M2 or M3 screws, a different tightening sequence applies.
Page 37: Tightening Sequence When Using The M3 Screws
1. Tighten the screws for the mounting screw holes (a) in Figure 24. 2. Tighten the screw for mounting screw hole (b) in Figure 24. Bottom Fig. 24: Designations of the Mounting Screw Holes for the M3 Screws. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 38: Software Licensing Information
Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions AW00123402000 Software Licensing Information The software in the camera includes the LZ4 implementation. The copyright information for this implementation is as follows: LZ4 - Fast LZ compression algorithm Copyright (C) 2011-2013, Yann Collet. BSD 2-Clause License: (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php)
Page 39: Avoiding Emi And Esd Problems
 defenses against EMI and ESD. Try to use camera cables that are only as long as necessary and try to run the camera cables  and power cables parallel to each other. Avoid coiling camera cables. If the cables are too long, use a meandering path rather then coiling the cables.
Page 40: Environmental Requirements
The use of a fan to provide air flow over the camera is an extremely efficient method of heat  dissipation. The use of a fan provides the best heat dissipation.
Page 41: Precautions
The location of the filter holder limits the length of the threads on any lens you use with the camera. If a lens with a very long thread length is used, the filter holder or the lens mount will be damaged or destroyed and the camera will no longer operate properly.
Page 42 Be careful not to allow liquid, flammable, or metallic material inside of the camera housing. If operated with any foreign matter inside, the camera may fail or cause a fire. For the special case of cleaning the camera’s sensor, see the instructions below.
Page 43 AW00123402000 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions Do not use solvents or thinners to clean the housing; they can damage the surface finish. Read the manual Read the manual carefully before using the camera! Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 44 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions AW00123402000 Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 45: Installation
Installation 2 Installation The information you will need to do a quick, simple installation of the camera and related software is included in the Quick Installation Guide for ace USB 3.0 Cameras (AW0012350x000). The document also includes information about suitable USB 3.0 host controller chipsets.
Page 46 Installation AW00123402000 Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 47: Camera Drivers And Tools For Changing Camera Parameters
The options available with the Basler pylon 4 Camera Software Suite let you change parameters and control the camera by using a stand-alone GUI (known as the Basler pylon Viewer) or by accessing the camera from within your software application using the Basler pylon API. In addition, the pylon USB Configurator allows you to obtain information about the architecture of the device tree to which your camera is connected and about the devices, including your camera.
Page 48: The Pylon Viewer
3.1.1 The pylon Viewer The pylon Viewer is included in the Basler pylon 4 Camera Software Suite. The pylon Viewer is a standalone application that lets you view and change most of the camera’s parameter settings via a GUI-based interface. The pylon Viewer also lets you acquire images, display them, and save them.
Page 49: The Pylon Sdk
3.1.3 The pylon SDK After the Basler pylon 4 Camera Software Suite has been installed on your PC, you can access all of the camera’s parameters and can control the camera’s full functionality from within your application software by using the pylon API. The pylon Programmer’s Guide and the pylon API Reference contain an introduction to the API and include information about all of the methods and objects included in the API.
Page 50 Camera Drivers and Tools for Changing Camera Parameters AW00123402000 Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 51: Camera Functional Description
The image buffer between the sensor and the controller allows data to be read out of the sensor at a rate that is independent of the data transmission rate between the camera and the host PC. This ensures that the data transmission rate has no influence on image quality.
Page 52 Frame Trigger Wait Signal or Exposure Active Signal or Buffer Timer 1 Signal Image Image Data Data FPGA Sensor Controller Image and Image Control Data Control Power Data Control: Gain, Black Level Control: ROI Fig. 26: Camera Block Diagram Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 53: Overview
Exposure start and exposure time can be controlled by parameters transmitted to the camera via the Basler pylon API and the USB 3.0 interface. There are also parameters available to set the camera for single frame acquisition or continuous frame acquisition.
Page 54 Exposure Active Signal or Flash Window Signal or Timer 1 Signal Image Image Data Data Sensor FPGA Controller Image and Image Control Data Control Power Data Control: ROI, Gain, Black Level Fig. 28: Camera Block Diagram Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 55: Physical Interface
Contact your Basler sales representative to order external components. General Description of the Camera Connections The camera is interfaced to external circuitry via connectors located on the back of the housing: A 6-pin connector used to provide access to the camera’s I/O lines ...
Page 56: Camera Connector Pin Numbering And Assignments
6-pin Connector Pin Numbering and Assignments The 6-pin connector is used to access the physical input and output lines on the camera. The pin numbering for the 6-pin connector is as shown in Figure 30. Fig. 30: Pin Numbering for the 6-pin Connector The pin assignments and designations for the 6-pin connector are shown in Table 7.
Page 57: Usb3.0 Micro-B Port Pin Numbering And Assignments
USB3.0 Micro-B Port Pin Numbering and Assignments The USB 3.0 Micro-B port provides a USB 3.0 connection to supply power to the camera and to transmit video data and control signals. Pin numbering and pin assignments adhere to the Universal Serial Bus 3.0 standard.
Page 58: Camera Cabling Requirements
The end of the I/O cable that connects to the camera must be terminated with a Hirose micro plug (plug type HR10A-7P-6S) or the equivalent. The cable must be wired to conform with the pin assignments shown in the pin assignment table.
Page 59: Camera Power
An incorrect plug can damage the 6-pin I/O connector. The plug on the cable that you attach to the camera’s 6-pin I/O connector must have 6 female pins. Using a plug designed for a smaller or a larger number of pins can damage the connector.
Page 60: Opto-Isolated Input (Pin 2/Line 1)
6-pin connector on the back of the camera (pin 2, see Figure 30). In addition, the camera has two direct-coupled GPIO lines, Line 3 and Line 4, that can both be used as input lines. They are described in Section 5.9 on page The opto-isolated input line has the advantage of being distinctly more robust against EMI than a GPIO line used as an input.
Page 61 For more information about how to use an externally generated frame start trigger (ExFSTrig) signal to control acquisition start, see Section 6.4 on page For more information about configuring the input line, see Section 5.11 on page Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 62: Opto-Isolated Output (Pin 4/Line 2)
6-pin connector on the back of the camera (pin 4, see Figure 30). In addition, the camera has two direct-coupled GPIO lines, Line 3 and Line 4, that can both be used as output lines. They are described in Section 5.9 on page The opto-isolated output line has the advantage of being distinctly more robust against EMI than a GPIO line used as an output.
Page 63 Fig. 33: Opto-isolated Output Line Schematic with a Typical LED Output Signal at +24 VDC for the External Circuit (Simplified) For more information about output line pin assignments and pin numbering, see Section 5.2 on page For more information about the Exposure Active signal, see Figure 6.8.1 on page 127. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 64: Direct-Coupled General Purpose I/O (Gpio; Pin 1/Line 3, Pin 3/Line 4)
(see Figure 30). The GPIO lines can be set to operate as inputs to the camera or to operate as camera outputs. The GPIO lines are designated as Line 3 and Line 4 (see also Section 5.2.1 on page 46).
Page 65: Operation As An Input
Voltage Significance +30.0 VDC Absolute maximum; the camera can be damaged when the absolute maximum is exceeded. +0 to + 5.0 VDC Recommended input voltage range (the minimum external pull up voltage is 3.3 VDC as illustrated in Figure 35).
Page 66 (Illustration for Pin 1 as an Example; Simplified) For more information about GPIO pin assignments and pin numbering, see Section 5.2.1 on page For more information about setting the GPIO line operation, see Section 5.11 on page 65 Section 5.12 on page Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 67: Operation As An Output
The following applies to a direct-coupled GPIO line when it s set as an output and when it is in  the "on" state: The camera uses an open collector with only a weak internal pull-up resistor (approximately 2 kΩ). It is therefore likely that many applications will have to provide an additional pull-up re- sistor.
Page 68 Output Circuit (Illustration for Pin 1 as an Example; Simplified) For more information about GPIO pin assignments and pin numbering, see Section 5.2.1 on page For more information about setting the GPIO line operation, see Section 5.11 on page 65 Section 5.12 on page Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 69: Temporal Performance Of I/O Lines
Physical Interface 5.10 Temporal Performance of I/O Lines This section describes delays ("propagation delays") resulting from the operation of the camera’s input and output lines. For image acquisition, the propagation delays must be added to the delays described in Section 6 on...
Page 70 #: 3.3 - 24 VDC for opto-isolated input, >2.0 - 5.0 VDC for direct-coupled GPIO IN Fig. 37: Analog External Signal and Associated Internal Line Status with Propagation Delays for Opto-isolated Input and Direct-coupled GPIO Inputs (Line Inverters Disabled) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 71 = Propagation delay for the high-low line status change Drawing not to scale Opto-isolated OUT Direct-coupled GPIO OUT Time Fig. 38: Internal Line Status and Associated Output Signals with Propagation Delays for Opto-isolated Output and Direct-coupled GPIO Outputs (Line Inverters Disabled) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 72: Factors Determining I/O Temporal Performance
• Load current: º Depends on application but must be within specified ranges; see Section 5.7 through Section 5.9. • Table 12: Factors Influencing Camera I/O Propagation Delays ( = major influence, = minor influence) º Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 73: Measured Propagation Delays
14) are likely to be near- minimum values related to "slow" edges. The values relate to the specific camera operating conditions listed below and are based on a camera production lot of 2000 cameras. No inferences can be drawn on propagation delays resulting from different operating conditions.
Page 74: Recommendations For Using Camera I/Os
To avoid jitter, make sure the slopes of your trigger signals are short, preferably < 500 ns. The camera’s inherent jitter is less than 100 ns, peak to peak. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 75: Configuring Input Lines And Signals
Counter 1 reset  Whenever a proper electrical signal is applied to the selected line, the camera will recognize the signal as signal for the selected camera function. For example, when Line 1 was selected to act as the source signal for the frame burst start trigger, camera will recognize an electrical signal applied to Line 1 as a frame burst start trigger.
Page 76: Input Line Debouncers
Setting the debouncer to a value that is too long will result in rejecting valid signals. Note that the debouncer delays a valid signal between its arrival at the camera and its transfer. The duration of the delay will be determined by the debouncer value.
Page 77 You can set the Line Selector and the value of the Line Debouncer Time parameter from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the selector and the parameter value: // Select the input line camera.LineSelector.SetValue(LineSelector_Line1);...
Page 78: Input Line Inverter
// Enable the line inverter on the selected line camera.LineInverter.SetValue(true); You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily set the parameters. For more information about the pylon API and the pylon Viewer, see Section 3.1 on page 37...
Page 79: Configuring Output Lines And Signals
Line 2 and GPIO lines Line 3 and Line 4, if configured for output. The camera has several standard output signals available and any one of them can be selected to act as the source signal for an output line.
Page 80 Section 5.12.6 on page 76  setting the status of a user settable output line, see Section 5.12.3 on page  the electrical characteristics of the output line, see Section 5.8 on page  Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 81: Line Minimum Output Pulse Width
5.12.2 Line Minimum Output Pulse Width It can occur that an output signal sent by the camera will not be detected by some receivers. This can happen when the output signal is too narrow or if it reaches its new signal level too slowly.
Page 82 The parameter can be set in a range from 0 to 100 µs. To set the line minimum output pulse width parameter value using Basler pylon: 1. Use the Line Selector to select a camera output line, for example Line 2. 2. Set the value of the LineMinimumOutputPulseWidth parameter.
Page 83: Setting The Status Of A User Settable Output Line
5.12.3 Setting the Status of a User Settable Output Line As mentioned in the previous section, you can designate a camera’s output line as "user settable" by means of the UserOutput parameters. If you have designated an output line as user settable, you can use the UserOuputValue parameter to set the status of the output line.
Page 84: Setting And Checking The Status Of All User Settable Output Lines
UserOutputValue settings are currently 0 for Line 3 and Line 2 and their line status will be low if the line inverters are disabled. See Section 5.13.1 on page 79 for details about the relation between line status, electrical signal level, and line inverter setting. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 85 You can set and read the UserOutputValueAll parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to read the parameter value. In this example, the UserOutputValueAll parameter value is set to 0: // Setting all user output values with a single operation camera.UserOutputValueAll.SetValue(0);...
Page 86: Output Line Inverter
69, the source signal for an output line can be set to Timer 1 Active . The camera has one timer designated as Timer 1. When you set the source signal for the output line to Timer 1 Active, Timer 1 will be used to supply the signal to the output line.
Page 87: Setting The Timer Trigger Source
You can set the Trigger Selector and the Timer Trigger Source parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the selector and the parameter value: camera.TimerSelector.SetValue(TimerSelector_Timer1);...
Page 88: Setting The Timer Delay Time
2. Set the value of the Timer Delay parameter. You can set the Timer Selector and the Timer Delay parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the selector and the parameter value: camera.TimerSelector.SetValue(TimerSelector_Timer1);...
Page 89: Checking The Status Of The I/O Lines
Line 1 (input) Off/Low False Line 2 (output) Off/Low True Line 3 (input/output) Off/Low True Line 4 (input/output) Off/Low True Table 16: I/O Lines and Line Status With no Electrical Signals Applied and All Line Inverters Disabled Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 90 Line 1 (input) On/High False Line 2 (output) On/High True Line 3 (input/output) On/High True Line 4 (input/output) On/High True Table 19: I/O Lines and Line Status When Electrical Signals Are Applied With All Line Inverters Enabled Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 91: Checking The Status Of All Lines
You can set the Line Selector and read the Line Status parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the selector and read the parameter value: // Select output line Line 2 and read the status camera.LineSelector.SetValue(LineSelector_Line2);...
Page 92 Line 4 will be high (binary expression: 1) and for the other lines low (binary expression: 0). LineStatusAll Binary Expression of Parameter Value LineStatusAll (Hexadecimal Parameter Value Number) Table 20: LineStatusAll Parameter Values and Corresponding Binary Expressions Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 93 You can read the Line Status All parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to read the parameter value: // Getting informed about the line status of all I/O lines int64_t i = camera.LineStatusAll.GetValue();...
Page 94 Physical Interface AW00123402000 Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 95: Image Acquisition Control
Acquisition Start and Stop Commands and the Acquisition Mode The Acquisition Start command prepares the camera to acquire frames. The camera cannot acquire frames unless an Acquisition Start command has first been executed.
Page 96 The frame burst start trigger has two modes of operation: off and on. If the Trigger Mode parameter for the frame burst start trigger is set to off, the camera will generate all required frame burst start trigger signals internally, and you do not need to apply frame burst start trigger signals to the camera.
Page 97 Section 6.10 on page 144.) Frame start trigger signals applied to the camera when it is not in a "waiting for frame start trigger" acquisition status will be ignored. = camera is waiting for a frame burst start trigger signal...
Page 98 As mentioned earlier, when a frame start trigger signal is applied to the camera, the camera will begin to acquire a frame. A critical aspect of frame acquisition is how long the pixels in the camera’s sensor will be exposed to light during the frame acquisition.
Page 99: Acquisition Start And Stop Commands And The Acquisition Mode
Executing an Acquisition Stop command terminates the camera’s ability to acquire frames. When the camera receives an Acquisition stop command: If the camera is not in the process of acquiring a frame, its ability to acquire frames will be ...
Page 100 You can set the Acquisition Mode parameter value and you can execute Acquisition Start or Acquisition Stop commands from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The code snippet below illustrates using the API to set the Acquisition Mode parameter value and to execute an Acquisition Start command, where Line 1 is taken as an example.
Page 101: The Frame Burst Start Trigger
When the camera is in this acquisition status, it will ignore any frame start trigger signals it receives. If a frame burst start trigger signal is applied to the camera, it will exit the "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status and enter the "waiting for frame start trigger"...
Page 102 Acquisition Burst Frame Count parameter setting. The camera will then return to the "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status. In order to acquire more frames, you must apply a new frame burst start trigger signal to the camera to exit it from the "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status.
Page 103: Acquisition Burst Frame Count
When in this acquisition status, the camera cannot react to frame start trigger signals. If a frame burst start trigger signal is applied to the camera, the camera will exit the "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status and will enter the "waiting for frame start trigger"...
Page 104: Setting The Frame Burst Start Trigger Mode And Related Parameters
// Set the acquisition burst frame count camera.AcquisitionBurstFrameCount.SetValue( 5 ); You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily set the parameters. For more information about the pylon API and the pylon Viewer, see Section 3.1 on page...
Page 105: Using A Software Frame Burst Start Trigger
"waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status. When a new software frame burst start trigger signal is applied to the camera, it will again exit from the "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status and enter the "waiting for frame start trigger" acquisition status.
Page 106: Setting The Parameters Related To Software Frame Burst Start Triggering And Applying A Software Trigger Signal
You can set all of the parameters needed to perform software frame burst start triggering from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the parameter values and to execute the commands related to software frame burst...
Page 107: Using A Hardware Frame Burst Start Trigger
Line 1, an externally generated electrical signal injected into physical input line Line 1 on the camera will act as the frame burst start trigger signal for the camera. This type of trigger signal is generally referred to as a hardware trigger signal or as an external frame burst start trigger signal (ExFBTrig).
Page 108: Setting The Parameters Related To Hardware Frame Burst Start Triggering And Applying A Hardware Trigger Signal
You can set all of the parameters needed to perform hardware frame burst start triggering from within your application by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the parameter values required to enable rising edge hardware frame burst start...
Page 109: The Frame Start Trigger
Image Acquisition Control The Frame Start Trigger The frame start trigger is used to begin frame acquisition. Assuming that the camera is in a "waiting for frame start trigger" acquisition status, it will begin a frame acquisition each time it receives a frame start trigger signal.
Page 110: Frame Start Trigger Mode
With the trigger mode set to off, the way that the camera will operate the frame start trigger depends on the setting of the camera’s Acquisition Mode parameter: If the Acquisition Mode parameter is set to single frame, the camera will automatically generate ...
Page 111: Frame Start Trigger Mode = On
When the Trigger Mode parameter for the frame start trigger is set to on, you must apply a frame start trigger signal to the camera each time you want to begin a frame acquisition. The Trigger Source parameter specifies the source signal that will act as the frame start trigger signal. The...
Page 112: Setting The Frame Start Trigger Mode And Related Parameters
You can set the Trigger Mode and related parameter values for the frame start trigger from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. If your settings make it necessary, you can also set the Trigger Source parameter.
Page 113: Using A Software Frame Start Trigger
As soon as the camera is capable of reacting to a new frame start trigger signal, it will automatically return to the "waiting for frame start trigger" acquisition status.
Page 114: Setting The Parameters Related To Software Frame Start Triggering And Applying A Software Trigger Signal
API to set the parameter values and to execute the commands related to software frame start triggering with the camera set for continuous frame acquisition mode. In this example, the trigger mode for the frame burst start trigger will be set to off: // Set the acquisition mode to continuous frame camera.AcquisitionMode.SetValue(AcquisitionMode_Continuous);...
Page 115: Using A Hardware Frame Start Trigger
Line 1, an externally generated electrical signal injected into physical input line Line 1 on the camera will act as the frame start trigger signal for the camera. This type of trigger signal is generally referred to as a hardware trigger signal or as an external frame start trigger signal (ExFSTrig).
Page 116: Exposure Modes
When timed mode is selected, the exposure time for each frame acquisition is determined by the value of the camera’s Exposure Time parameter. If the camera is set for rising edge triggering, the exposure time starts when the ExFSTrig signal rises. If the camera is set for falling edge triggering, the exposure time starts when the ExFSTrig signal falls.
Page 117 When trigger width exposure mode is selected, the length of the exposure for each frame acquisition will be directly controlled by the ExFSTrig signal. If the camera is set for rising edge triggering, the exposure time begins when the ExFSTrig signal rises and continues until the ExFSTrig signal falls.
Page 118: Frame Start Trigger Delay
Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the camera for single frame acquisition mode with the trigger mode for the frame burst start trigger set to off. We will use the timed exposure mode with input line Line 1 as the trigger source and with rising edge triggering.
Page 119 The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the parameter values and execute the commands related to hardware frame start triggering with the camera set for continuous frame acquisition mode and the trigger mode for the frame burst start trigger set to off. We will use the...
Page 120: Setting The Exposure Time
All Models Except the acA1920-25um/uc, acA2500-14um/uc, acA3800-14um/uc, acA4600-10uc If you are operating the camera in any one of the following ways, you must specify an exposure time by setting the camera’s Exposure Time parameter: the frame start trigger mode is set to off ...
Page 121 AW00123402000 Image Acquisition Control You can use the Basler pylon API to set the Exposure Time parameter value from within your application software. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the parameter value: // Set the exposure time to 40.0 µs camera.ExposureTime.SetValue(40.0);...
Page 122: Electronic Shutter Operation
Figure 49. Exposure continues for all lines in the sensor until the programmed exposure time ends (or when the frame start trigger signal ends the exposure time, if the camera is using the trigger width exposure mode). At the end of the exposure time, exposure ends for all lines in the sensor.
Page 123 = line readout Fig. 49: Global Shutter For more information about the exposure active output signal, see Section 6.8.1 on page 127. For more information about the Sensor Readout Time parameter, see Section 6.9 on page 141. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 124: Rolling Shutter (Aca1920-25, Aca2500-14, Aca3800-14, Aca4600-10 Only)
(designated as tRow) from one line to the next. When frame start is triggered, the camera resets the top line of pixels of the ROI (line one) and begins exposing that line. The camera resets line two tRow later and begins exposing the line. The camera resets line three tRow later and begins exposing the line.
Page 125 If the camera is operating with the rolling shutter in ERS mode and you are using the camera to capture images of moving objects, the use of flash lighting is most strongly recommended. The camera supplies a flash window output signal to facilitate the use of flash lighting.
Page 126 Exposure Active signal instead, if available. For more information about the Exposure Active signal, see Section 6.8.1 on page 127. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 127 When the camera is operating with the rolling shutter in the global release mode, the use of flash lighting is most strongly recommended. The camera supplies a flash window output signal to facilitate the use of flash lighting.
Page 128: The Flash Window
When the global reset release mode is set, the shutter will operate in global reset release mode. You can set the shutter mode from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippets illustrate using the API to set the shutter modes: // Set the electronic rolling shutter mode camera.ShutterMode.SetValue(ShutterMode_Rolling);...
Page 129 In global reset release mode, the flash window opens when the frame is triggered and closes after a time period equal to the Exposure Time parameter setting. Thus, the flash window width (i.e., how long the flash window will remain open) is equal to the Exposure Time parameter setting. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 130 The flash window signal will go high when the flash window for each image acquisition opens and will go low when the flash window closes. For more information about the flash window signal, see Section 6.8.2 on page 129. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 131: Overlapping Image Acquisitions
Fig. 54: Non-overlapped Exposure and Sensor Readout In the overlapped mode of operation, the exposure of a new frame begins while the camera is still reading out the sensor data for the previously acquired frame. This situation is illustrated in Figure 55 with the camera set for the trigger width exposure mode.
Page 132 Rather the way that you operate the camera will determine whether the exposures and readouts are overlapped or not. If we define the “frame period” as the time from the start of exposure for one frame acquisition to...
Page 133 Guideline for Overlapped Operation with Trigger Width Exposure If the camera is set for the trigger width exposure mode and you are operating the camera in a way that readout and exposure will be overlapped, there is an important guideline you must keep in...
Page 134: Overlapping Image Acquisitions For Aca1920-25, Aca2500-14, Aca3800-14, Aca4600-10
Off for the Frame Burst Start trigger and for the Frame Start Trigger. When using a camera with a rolling shutter, there are two common ways for the camera to operate: with “non-overlapped” acquisition and with “overlapped” acquisition.
Page 135 Rather the way that you operate the camera will determine whether the frame acquisitions are overlapped or not. If we define the “frame period” as the time from the start of exposure for line one in the frame N...
Page 136 AW00123402000 Guideline for Overlapped Acquisition If you are operating the camera in such a way that frame acquisitions will be overlapped, there is an important guideline you must keep in mind: You must wait a minimum of 400 µs after the end of exposure for line one in frame N before you can trigger acquisition of frame N+1.
Page 137: Acquisition Monitoring Tools
Figure 60. This signal can be used as a flash trigger and is also useful when you are operating a system where either the camera or the object being imaged is movable. For example, assume that the camera is mounted on an arm mechanism and that the mechanism can move the camera to view different portions of a product assembly.
Page 138  You can set the Line Selector and the Line Source parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the selector and the parameter value: camera.LineSelector.SetValue(LineSelector_Line2);...
Page 139: Flash Window Signal
The flash window signal will go high when the flash window for each image acquisition opens and will go low when the flash window closes. Figure 62 illustrates the flash window signal on a camera with the shutter operating in the electronic rolling shutter mode.
Page 140 Selecting the Flash Window Signal as the Source Signal for an Output Line The flash window output signal can be selected to act as the source signal for a camera output line, e.g. Line 2. Selecting a source signal for the output line is a two step process: Use the Line Selector to select the output line, e.g.
Page 141: Acquisition Status Indicator
Acquisition Status Indicator If a camera receives a software frame burst start trigger signal when it is not in a "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status, it will simply ignore the trigger signal and will generate a frame burst start overtrigger event.
Page 142: Trigger Wait Signals
Trigger Wait Signals If a camera receives a hardware frame burst start trigger signal when it is not in a "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status, it will simply ignore the trigger signal and will generate a frame burst start overtrigger event.
Page 143 Sensor Exp. Readout Time = Camera is in a "waiting for frame burst start trigger" status Fig. 63: Frame Burst Trigger Wait Signal The frame burst trigger wait signal will only be available when hardware frame burst start triggering is enabled.
Page 144: The Frame Trigger Wait Signal
"waiting for frame start trigger" acquisition status. If you do apply a frame start trigger signal to the camera when it is not ready to receive the signal, it will be ignored and a frame start overtrigger event will be reported.
Page 145 AW00123402000 Image Acquisition Control Figure 64 illustrates the Frame Trigger Wait signal on a camera with a global shutter. The camera is set for the trigger width exposure mode with rising edge triggering and with exposure and readout overlapped. Frame Trigger...
Page 146 (All Models Except acA1920-25um/uc, acA2500-14um/uc, acA3800-14um/uc, acA4600-10uc) When the camera is set for the timed exposure mode, the rise of the Frame Trigger Wait signal is based on the current Exposure Time parameter setting and on when readout of the current frame will end.
Page 147 AW00123402000 Image Acquisition Control When the camera is set for the trigger width exposure mode, the rise of the Frame Trigger Wait signal is based on the Exposure Overlap Time Max parameter setting and on when readout of the current frame will end. This functionality is illustrated in Figure 66.
Page 148 This functionality is illustrated in Figure 67. If you are operating a camera with a rolling shutter, you can avoid overtriggering by always making sure that the Frame Trigger Wait signal is high before you trigger the start of frame capture.
Page 149 Frame Acquisition N Frame Acquisition N+1 Frame Acquisition N+2 Time = Line Exposure = Line Readout = Camera in a "waiting for frame start trigger" status Fig. 67: Frame Trigger Wait Signal on a Rolling Shutter Camera Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 150: Camera Events
Selecting the Frame Trigger Wait Signal as the Source Signal for an Output Line The frame trigger wait signal can be selected to act as the source signal for a camera output line, e.g. Line 2. Selecting a source signal for an output line is a two step process: Use the Line Selector to select the output line, e.g.
Page 151: Acquisition Timing Chart
The exposure start delay is the amount of time between the point where the trigger signal transitions and the point where exposure actually begins. The exposure start delay varies from camera model to camera model. The table below shows the exposure start delay for each camera model (see Table 27 on page 142).
Page 152 Transmission Start Delay Transmission Start Delay Frame N Transmission to Host PC Frame Frame N+1 Transmission to Host PC Transmission Timing charts are not drawn to scale Fig. 68: Exposure Start Controlled with an ExFSTrig Signal Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 153 108. For example, assume that you are using an acA640-120 camera and that you have set the camera for hardware triggering. Also assume that you have selected input line Line 1 to accept the hardware trigger signal, that the input line response time is 1.5 µs, that the delay due to the debouncer setting for input line Line 1 is 5 µs, and that you set the frame start trigger delay to...
Page 154: Maximum Allowed Frame Rate
The amount of time it takes to read an acquired frame out of the imaging sensor and to prepare  it for transmission out of the camera. The amount of time varies with the height of the frame. Frames with a smaller height take less time. The frame height is determined by the camera’s ROI Height setting.
Page 155: Using Basler Pylon To Check The Maximum Allowed Frame Rate
You may find that you would like to acquire frames at a rate higher than the maximum allowed with the camera’s current settings. In this case, you must adjust one or more of the factors that can influence the maximum allowed rate and then check to see if the maximum allowed rate has...
Page 156 1/2 second exposure time. In this case, because each frame acquisition will take at least 1/2 second to be completed, the camera will only be able to acquire a maximum of two frames per second. Even if the camera’s nominal maximum...
Page 157: Use Case Descriptions And Diagrams
Cameras are used in free run for many applications. One example is for aerial photography. A camera set for free run is used to capture a continuous series of images as an aircraft overflies an area. The images can then be used for a variety of purposes including vegetation coverage estimates, archaeological site identification, etc.
Page 158 AW00123402000 Use Case: "Free Run" (Frame Burst Start Trigger Off and Frame Start Trigger Off) The frame burst start trigger is off. The camera will generate frame burst start trigger signals internally with no action by the user. The frame start trigger is off. The camera will generate frame start trigger signals internally with no action by the user.
Page 159 In this situation, a sensing device is usually used to determine when a piece of plywood on the conveyor is properly positioned in front of the camera. When the plywood is in the correct position, the sensing device transmits an electrical signal to input line 1 on the camera.
Page 160 AW00123402000 Use Case: Frame Burst Start Trigger Off and Frame Start Trigger On The frame burst start trigger is off. The camera will generate frame burst start trigger signals internally with no action by the user. The frame start trigger is on, and the frame start trigger source is set to input line Line 1.
Page 161 Count parameter has been set to 3. When a rising edge of the electrical signal is applied to Line 1, the camera will exit the "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status and enter a "waiting for frame start trigger" acquisition status.
Page 162 Line 1. The user must apply a frame burst start trigger signal to Line 1 to make the camera exit the "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status. Because the acquisition burst frame count is set to 3, the camera will re-enter the "waiting for frame burst start trigger"...
Page 163 Line 1 will serve as the frame start trigger signal. Keep in mind that the camera will only react to a frame start trigger signal when it is in a "waiting for frame start trigger" acquisition status.
Page 164 "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status. Because the acquisition burst frame count is set to 3, the camera will re-enter the "waiting for frame burst start trigger" acquisition status after 3 frame start trigger signals have been applied.
Page 165: Color Creation And Enhancement
The pattern of the Bayer filter used on the camera is as shown in Figure 73 (the alignment of the Bayer filter to the pixels in the acquired images (with respect to the sensor) is shown as an example only;...
Page 166: Bayer Color Filter Alignment
Table 28: Bayer Filter to Sensor Alignment On all color camera models that have sensors equipped with a Bayer filter, the alignment of the filter to the pixels in the acquired images is Bayer BG or Bayer GB (see Table 28).
Page 167: Pixel Formats Available On Color Cameras
Table When a color camera is set for one of these Bayer pixel formats, the pixel data is not processed or interpolated in any way. For each pixel covered with a red portion of the filter, you get 8 or 12 bits of red data.
Page 168 This brightness value can be considered as equivalent to the value that would be sent from a pixel in a monochrome camera. So in essence, when a color camera is set for Mono 8, it outputs an 8 bit monochrome image. (This type of output is sometimes referred to as "Y Mono 8".)
Page 169: Integrated Ir Cut Filter
The location of the filter holder limits the length of the threads on any lens you use with the camera. If a lens with a very long thread length is used, the filter holder or the lens mount will be damaged or destroyed and the camera will no longer operate.
Page 170: Color Enhancement Features
RGB color space. So the feature lets you perform red, green, and blue adjustments for each pixel such that white objects in the camera’s field of view appear white in the acquired images.
Page 171 You can set the Balance Ratio Selector and the Balance Ratio parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the selector and the parameter value for green as an example:...
Page 172: Light Source Presets
5000K. When you select this setting, the camera will also adjust the white balance settings and the color adjustment settings so that they are appropriate for a daylight light source with a color temperature of about 5000K. This correction will be set as the default after camera reset or power up.
Page 173 You can use the Light Source Preset parameter value to set the correction for a specific light source or chose no correction. You can set the parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the selector and the parameter value: // Set the LightSourcePreset parameter value to "Off"...
Page 174: Color Adjustment
Although color adjustment can be used without also using a light source preset, we nonetheless strongly recommend to use both in combination if a suitable light source preset if available. This will allow you to make full use of the camera’s color enhancement capabilities.
Page 175 Hue specifies the kind of coloration, for example, whether the color is red, yellow, orange etc.  Saturation expresses the colorfulness of a color. At maximum saturation, no shade of gray is  present. At minimum saturation, no "color" but only some shade of gray (including black and white) is present. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 176 Fig. 74: RGB Color Cube With YCM Secondary Colors, Black, and White, Projected On a Plane Gray Decrease Saturation Adjustment Increase Adjustment Fig. 75: Hue and Saturation Adjustment In the Color Hexagon. Adjustments Are Indicated for Red as an Example Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 177 0.0 to +1.99219. Saturation is not changed when the parameter value is set to 1. The default value after camera reset or power up is close to 1. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 178 Enabling and Setting Color Adjustment You can set the Color Adjustment Hue and Color Adjustment Saturation parameter values from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippets illustrate using the API to set the parameter values: // Select red as the color to adjust camera.ColorAdjustmentSelector.SetValue(ColorAdjustmentSelector_Red);...
Page 179: Color Transformation
The main objective for using a color transformation matrix is to make corrections to the color information delivered by the camera’s sensor. The correction can account for the kind of light source used during image acquisition and compensate for imperfections in the sensor’s color generation process.
Page 180 You can set the Color Transformation Value Selector and Color Transformation Values from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the values in the matrix. Note that the values in this example are just randomly selected numbers and do not represent values that you should actually use.
Page 181: A Procedure For Setting The Color Enhancements
To set the color enhancements: 1. Arrange your camera so that it is viewing a scene similar to what it will view during actual oper- ation. Make sure that the lighting for the scene is as close as possible to the actual lighting you will be using during normal operation.
Page 182 You can reset the parameter settings by camera reset of power Certain conditions outside the camera, such as the lighting, the camera lens, filter or the monitor settings are relevant to the reproduction of color in the image.
Page 183: Features
AW00123402000 Features 8 Features This chapter provides detailed information about the features available on each camera. This chapter also includes explanations of the parameters associated with each feature and how to operate the features. Gain The camera’s gain feature is an analog feature allowing to adjust gain.
Page 184: Setting The Gain
(see Table 30). The maximum allowed setting depends on whether the camera is set for a pixel format that yields an effective pixel bit depth of 8 bit per pixel (Mono 8, RGB 8, BGR 8, Bayer BG 8, Bayer GB 8,YCbCr422_8) or of 12 bit (Mono 12, Mono 12 p, Bayer BG 12, Bayer GB 12, Bayer BG 12 p, Bayer GB 12 p).
Page 185 2. Set the Gain parameter to your desired value (in [dB]). You can set the Gain Selector and the Gain parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the selector and the parameter value: camera.GainSelector.SetValue(GainSelector_All);...
Page 186: Black Level
AW00123402000 Black Level Adjusting the camera’s black level will result in an offset to the pixel values output by the camera. Increasing the black level setting will result in a positive offset in the pixel values output for the pixels. Decreasing the black level setting will result in a negative offset in the pixel values output for the pixels.
Page 187 You can set the Black Level Selector and the Black Level parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the selector and the parameter value: camera.BlackLevelSelector.SetValue(BlackLevelSelector_All);...
Page 188: Remove Parameter Limits
For each camera feature, the allowed range of any associated parameter values is normally limited. The factory limits are designed to ensure optimum camera operation and, in particular, good image quality. For special camera uses, however, it may be helpful to set parameter values outside of the factory limits.
Page 189: Digital Shift
16 times. The next two sections describe how the digital shift feature works when the camera is set for a 12 bit pixel format and when it is set for a 8 bit pixel format. There is also a section describing precautions that you must observe when using the digital shift feature and a section that describes enabling and setting the digital shift feature.
Page 190 4, 8, 16, 20, and so on. If the pixel values being output by the camera’s sensor are high enough to set bit 10 or bit 11 to 1, we recommend not using shift by 2. If you do nonetheless, all bits output from the camera will automatically be set to 1.
Page 191: Digital Shift With 8 Bit Pixel Formats
16, 32, 48, 64, and so on. If the pixel values being output by the camera’s sensor are high enough to set bit 8, bit 9, bit 10, or bit 11 to 1, we recommend not using shift by 4. If you do nonetheless, all bits output from the camera will automatically be set to 1.
Page 192 Features AW00123402000 Shift by 2 When the camera is set to shift by 2, the output from the camera will include bit 9 through bit 2 from the ADC. The result of shifting twice is that the output of the camera is effectively multiplied by 4.
Page 193: Precautions When Using Digital Shift
If you will be using a 12 bit pixel format, make this check: Use the pylon Viewer or the pylon API to set the camera for a 12 bit pixel format and no digital shift. Check the output of the camera under your normal lighting conditions and note the readings for the brightest pixels.
Page 194: Enabling And Setting Digital Shift
3, or 4, digital shift will be set to shift by 1, shift by 2, shift by 3, or shift by 4 respectively. You can set the Digital Shift parameter values from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the parameter values: // Disable digital shift camera.DigitalShift.SetValue( 0 );...
Page 195: Image Region Of Interest (Roi)
10, the width as 16, the offset Y as 6, and the height as 10. The region of the array that is bounded by these settings is shown in Figure 77. The camera will only transmit pixel data from within the region defined by your settings. Information from the pixels outside of the region of interest is discarded.
Page 196 Guidelines for Setting the Image ROI By default, the image ROI is set to use the full resolution of the camera’s sensor. You can change the size and the position of the image ROI by changing the value of the camera’s Offset X, Offset Y, Width, and Height parameters.
Page 197 Setting Incre- Setting Incre- Setting Incre- ment ment ment ment acA640-90uc acA640-120uc acA1300-30uc acA1600-20uc acA1920-25uc acA2000-165uc acA2040-90uc acA2500-14uc acA3800-14uc acA4600-10uc Table 33: Minimum Settings and Increments for Positioning an Image ROI in Color Cameras (without Binning) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 198 2 Enabled 3 Enabled 4 Enabled acA640-90um acA640-120um acA1300-30um acA1600-20um acA1920-25um acA2000-165um acA2000-165umNIR acA2040-90um acA2040-90umNIR acA2500-14um acA3800-14um 2748 1374 Table 34: Minimum ROI Height Settings when Vertical Binning is Disabled and Enabled (Monochrome Cameras and acA1920-25uc) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 199 You can set the Offset X, Offset Y, Width, and Height parameter values from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippets illustrate using the API to get the maximum allowed settings for the Width and Height parameters. They also illustrate setting the Offset X, Offset Y, Width, and Height parameter values: int64_t i = camera.WidthMax.GetValue();...
Page 200: Horizontal And Vertical Roi Centering
The ROI feature also includes Center X and Center Y capabilities. When Center X is enabled, the camera will automatically center the ROI along the sensor’s X axis. When Center Y is enabled, the camera will automatically center the ROI along the sensor’s Y axis.
Page 201: Binning
Two types of binning are available: vertical binning and horizontal binning. With vertical binning, adjacent pixels from 2 rows, 3 rows, or a maximum of 4 rows in the imaging sensor array are summed and are reported out of the camera as a single pixel. Figure 78 illustrates vertical binning.
Page 202 Features AW00123402000 With horizontal binning, adjacent pixels from 2 columns, 3 columns, or a maximum of 4 columns are summed and are reported out of the camera as a single pixel. Figure 79 illustrates horizontal binning. Horizontal Binning by 2...
Page 203: Binning On Color Cameras (Aca1920-25Uc Only)
3 columns, or a maximum of 4 columns in the imaging sensor array are summed and are reported out of the camera as a single pixel. The number of binned pixels depends on the horizontal color binning setting (see example in Figure 81).
Page 204 195. Setting Binning You can enable vertical color binning for the acA1920-25uc color camera by setting the Binning Vertical parameter. Setting the parameter’s value to 2, 3, or 4 enables vertical color binning by 2, by 3, or by 4, respectively. Setting the parameter’s value to 1 disables vertical color binning.
Page 205: Considerations When Using Binning
Using binning effectively reduces the resolution of the camera’s imaging sensor. For example, the sensor in the acA640-90um camera normally has a resolution of 659 (H) x 494 (V). If you set this camera to use horizontal binning by 3 and vertical binning by 3, the effective resolution of the sensor is reduced to 219 (H) by 164 (V).
Page 206 Binning’s Effect on Decimation If vertical binning is used, vertical decimation (see below) is automatically disabled, and vice versa, i.e. if vertical decimation is used, vertical binning is disabled. Horizontal binning works independently of the decimation vertical feature. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 207: Decimation Vertical (Aca2000-165 And Aca2040-90 Only)
Fig. 84: Decimation of 2 (Mono Cameras) Fig. 85: Decimation of 2 (Color Cameras) By using the vertical decimation feature, you can increase the frame rate of the camera. Setting Vertical Decimation You can enable vertical decimation for the acA2000-165 and acA2040-90 cameras by setting the Decimation Vertical parameter.
Page 208: Considerations When Using Decimation
For example, the sensor in the acA2000-165um camera normally has a resolution of 2048 (H) x 1088 (V). If you set this camera to use vertical decimation by 5, the effective resolution of the sensor is reduced to 2048 (H) by 217 (V).
Page 209 Fig. 86: Covered Lines (Mono Camera) For color cameras:  (C) = H_old x D_old - 2 x D_old +2 As soon as the covered lines are determined, the camera C = Coverage D_new = New decimation value calculates the new ROI height:...
Page 210 The values in this table are calculated based on the formulas given above.  (*) = You can manually set the ROI back too the maximum possible height.  Table 36: Vertical Decimation and ROI Heights (Sample Calculations) Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 211: Reverse X
ROI relative to the sensor remains the same regardless of whether or not the reverse X feature is enabled. As a consequence, an ROI will display different images depending on whether or not the reverse X feature is enabled. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 212 You can enable or disable the reverse X feature by setting the ReverseX parameter value. You can set the parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the parameter value: // Enable reverse X camera.ReverseX.SetValue(true);...
Page 213 AW00123402000 Features You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily set the parameter. For more information about the pylon API and the pylon Viewer, see Section 3.1 on page Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 214: Luminance Lookup Table
Format Set for 12 Bit Output Whenever the camera is set for a 12 bit pixel format (e.g., Mono 12), the 12 bits transmitted out of the camera for each pixel normally represent the 12 bits reported by the camera’s ADC. The luminance lookup table feature lets you use a custom 12 bit to12 bit lookup table to map the 12 bits reported out of the ADC to 12 bits that will be transmitted by the camera.
Page 215 Fig. 89: Lookup Table with Values Mapped in a Linear Fashion 4095 3072 12 Bit Camera Output 2048 1024 1024 2048 3072 4095 12 Bit Digitized Sensor Reading Fig. 90: Lookup Table with Values Mapped for Higher Camera Output at Low Sensor Readings Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 216 12 bits effective, you set the camera for a pixel format that results in 8 bit output (e.g., Mono 8). In this situation, the camera will first use the values in the table to do a 12 bit to 12 bit conversion.
Page 217: Gamma Correction
Section 8.6.2 on page 193. When using a light source preset for a color camera, a gamma correction value of approximately 0.4 will automatically be applied, corresponding to an sRGB gamma correction value. Under these circumstances, we recommend not to explicitly set a gamma correction value.
Page 218 You can use the Gamma parameter to set the gamma correction value. Set the Gamma parameter value from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the parameter value to 1.2 as an example: // Set the Gamma value to 1.2...
Page 219: Auto Functions
A target value for an image property can only be reached, if it is in accord with all pertinent camera settings and with the general circumstances used for capturing images. Otherwise, the target value will only be approached.
Page 220: Auto Function Operating Modes
 adjustment will operate, unless the parameter is manually adjusted. You can enable auto functions and change their settings while the camera is capturing images ("on the fly"). If you have set an auto function to "once" or "continuous" operation mode while...
Page 221: Auto Function Rois
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Offset Auto Function Height Region of Interest Image Region of Interest X Offset Width Fig. 91: Auto Function Region of Interest and Image Region of Interest Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 222: Assignment Of An Auto Function To An Auto Function Roi
// Assign auto functions to the selected Auto Function ROI camera.AutoFunctionAOISelector.SetValue(AutoFunctionAOISelector_AOI1); camera.AutoFunctionAOIUseBrightness.SetValue(true); camera.AutoFunctionAOIUseWhiteBalance.SetValue(true); // Select the unused Auto Function ROI 2 // Disable the unused Auto Function ROI camera.AutoFunctionAOISelector.SetValue(AutoFunctionAOISelector_AOI2); camera.AutoFunctionAOIUseBrightness.SetValue(false); camera.AutoFunctionAOIUseWhiteBalance.SetValue(false); You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily set the parameters. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 223: Positioning Of An Auto Function Roi Relative To The Image Roi
You can use auto functions when also using the reverse X feature. For information about the behavior and roles of Auto Function ROI and Image ROI when also using the reverse X feature, see the "Reverse X" section. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 224 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Auto Function ROI Image ROI Fig. 92: Various Degrees of Overlap Between the Auto Function ROI and the Image ROI Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 225: Setting An Auto Function Roi
Function AOI. By default, an Auto Function ROI is set to the full resolution of the camera’s sensor. You can change the size and the position of an Auto Function ROI by changing the value of the Auto Function ROI’s X Offset, Y Offset, Width, and Height parameters.
Page 226 0 ); camera.AutoFunctionAOIWidth.SetValue(1294); camera.AutoFunctionAOIWidth.GetMax(); camera.AutoFunctionAOIHeight.SetValue(964); camera.AutoFunctionAOIHeight.GetMax(); You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily set the parameters. For more information about the pylon API and the pylon Viewer, see Section 3.1 on page Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 227: Gain Auto
All value. The target average gray value can range from 0 (black) to 255 (white) when the camera is set for an 8 bit pixel format or from 0 (black) to 4095 (white) when the camera is set for a 12 bit pixel format.
Page 228 // Set the mode of operation for the gain auto function camera.GainAuto.SetValue(GainAuto_Once); You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily set the parameters. For more information about the pylon API and the pylon Viewer, see Section 3.1 on page Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 229: Exposure Auto
0 (black) to 255 (white) when the camera is set for an 8 bit pixel format or from 0 (black) to 4095 (white) when the camera is set for a 12 bit pixel format.
Page 230 If the Auto Exposure Time Upper Limit parameter is set to a sufficiently high value the camera’s frame rate can be decreased. To set the exposure auto function using Basler pylon: 1. Select the Auto Function ROI, for example ROI 1.
Page 231 // Set the mode of operation for the exposure auto function camera.ExposureAuto.SetValue(ExposureAuto_Continuous); You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily set the parameters. For more information about the pylon API and the pylon Viewer, see Section 3.1 on page For general information about auto functions, see Section 8.11 on...
Page 232: Auto Function Profile
The auto function profile specifies whether the gain or the exposure time will be kept as low as possible when the camera is making automatic adjustments to achieve a target average gray value for the pixel data from the Auto Function ROI that was related to the gain auto function and the exposure auto function.
Page 233: Balance White Auto
0 ); camera.AutoFunctionAOIOffsetY.SetValue( 0 ); camera.AutoFunctionAOIWidth.SetValue( camera.AutoFunctionAOIWidth.GetMax() ); camera.AutoFunctionAOIHeight.SetValue( camera.AutoFunctionAOIHeight.GetMax() ); // Set mode of operation for balance white auto function camera.BalanceWhiteAuto.SetValue(BalanceWhiteAuto_Once); You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily set the parameters. Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 234: Using An Auto Function
211. 8.11.8 Using an Auto Function To use an auto function using Basler pylon: 1. Select an Auto Function ROI. 2. Assign the auto function you want to use to the selected Auto Function ROI. 3. Unassign the auto function you want to use from the other Auto Function ROI.
Page 235: Event Notification
Overtriggering of the frame start trigger has occurred (FrameStartOvertriggerEvent).  This happens, if the camera receives a frame start trigger signal when it is not in a "waiting for frame start trigger" acquisition status. If the frame start overtrigger event is only available when image acquisition is carried out using an external hardware trigger.
Page 236 The Event Queue As mentioned in the example above, the camera has an event queue. The intention of the queue is to handle short term delays in the camera’s ability to access the network and send event messages.
Page 237: Test Images
Enabling a Test Image The Test Image Selector is used to set the camera to output a test image. You can set the value of the Test Image Selector to one of the test images or to "test image off".
Page 238: Test Image Descriptions
8 bit output. The test image consists of fixed diagonal gray gradients ranging from 0 to 255. If the camera is set for 8 bit output and is operating at full resolution, test image one will look similar to Figure 93.
Page 239 The basic appearance of test image 4 is similar to test image 2 (the 8 bit moving diagonal gray gradient image). The difference between test image 4 and test image 2 is this: if a camera feature that involves digital processing is enabled, test image 4 will show the effects of the feature while test image 2 will not.
Page 240 The moving diagonal color gradient test image is available on color cameras only and is designed for use when the camera is set for Y’CbCr output. As shown in Figure 94, test image six consists of diagonal color gradients. The image moves by one pixel from right to left whenever you signal the camera to capture a new image.
Page 241: Device Information Parameters
"friendly name" field of the device information objects returned by pylon’s device enumeration procedure. Device Scan Type (read only) - contains the scan type of the camera, for example, area scan.  Sensor Width (read only) - contains the physical width of the sensor in pixels.
Page 242 Features AW00123402000 GenICam::gcstring s = camera.DeviceFirmwareVersion.GetValue(); // Read the Device Serial Number parameter GenICam::gcstring s = camera.DeviceSerialNumber.GetValue(); // Write and read the Device User ID parameter camera.DeviceUserID.SetValue("CAM_1"); GenICam::gcstring s = camera.DeviceUserID.GetValue(); // Read the Device Scan Type parameter DeviceScanTypeEnums e = camera.DeviceScanType.GetValue();...
Page 243 // Read the HeightMax parameter int64_t i = camera.HeightMax.GetValue(); You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily read the parameters and to read or write the Device User ID. You can also use the Basler pylon USB Configurator to read the Device User ID.
Page 244: User Defined Values
AW00123402000 8.15 User Defined Values The camera can store five "user defined values". Each value is a 32 bit signed integer value that you can set and read as desired. The values simply serve as convenient storage locations for the camera user and have no impact on the operation of the camera.
Page 245: User Sets
As mentioned above, the active configuration set is stored in the camera’s volatile memory and the settings are lost, if the camera is reset or if power is switched off. The camera can save most of the settings from the current active set to a reserved area in the camera’s non-volatile memory. A user set that has been saved in the non-volatile memory is not lost when the camera is reset or switched off.
Page 246 The user sets with factory setups are saved in permanent files in the camera’s non-volatile memory. They are not lost when the camera is reset or switched off and they can not be changed. For more information about auto functions, see Section 8.11 on page 209.
Page 247: Selecting A User Set
Functions User Set, User Set 1, User Set 2 or User Set 3). You can set the User Set Selector from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippet illustrates using the API to set the selector: If you want to select the Default User Set: camera.UserSetSelector.SetValue(UserSetSelector_Default);...
Page 248: Saving A User Set
To save a User Set from the active set into the non-volatile memory using Basler pylon: 1. Make changes to the camera’s settings until the camera is operating in a manner that you would like to save.
Page 249: Loading User Set Into The Active User Set
Loading User Set into the Active User Set You can load any user set from the camera’s non-volatile memory into the camera’s active user set. Accordingly, you can load the user sets with factory setup (Default User Set, High Gain User Set, Auto Function User Set) and the user sets with parameter values previously saved by the user (User Set 1, User Set 2, User Set 3 or a subset) into the camera’s non-volatile memory.
Page 250: Designating A User Set As The User Set Default
The configuration set that you designate as the User Set Default will act as the startup set and will be loaded into the active user set whenever the camera starts up at power on or after a reset. Selecting which user set will serve as the User Set Default is only allowed when the camera is idle, i.e.
Page 251 If you want to designate the Auto Functions User Set as User Set Default: camera.UserSetDefault.SetValue(UserSetDefault_AutoFunctions); If you want to designate e.g. User Set 1as User Set Default: camera.UserSetDefault.SetValue(UserSetDefault_UserSet1); For more information about the Basler pylon API and the pylon Viewer, see Section 3.1 on page Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 252: Chunk Features
In these cases, the information is added to each image as a trailing data "chunk" when the image is transferred to the host PC. Examples of this type of camera feature are the frame counter feature and the time stamp feature. For example, when the Gain chunk is used, the camera checks, after an image is captured, the gain All parameter value used for the image acquisition and develops a data chunk to be appended to the image data.
Page 253: Data Chunks
1. Use the Chunk Selector to select the Gain chunk. 2. Use the Chunk Enable parameter to set the value of the gain chunk to true. Once the gain chunk is enabled and Chunk Mode Active is enabled, the camera will append a gain chunk to each acquired image.
Page 254: Exposure Time Chunk
// make chunk mode active, select and enable Gain chunk camera.ChunkSelector.SetValue(ChunkSelector_Gain); camera.ChunkEnable.SetValue(true); You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily set the parameters. For more information about the pylon Camera Software Suite and the pylon Viewer, see Section 3.1 page 8.17.3.2 Exposure Time Chunk The exposure time chunk feature adds a chunk to each acquired image containing the exposure time parameter value in [µs] used for the image acquisition.
Page 255: Timestamp Chunk
The timestamp is a 64 bit value. The timestamp is based on a counter that counts the number of "timestamp clock ticks" generated by the camera. The unit for each tick is 1 ns (as specified by the Gev Timestamp Tick Frequency). The counter starts at camera power on, camera reset or at counter reset.
Page 256: Counter Value Chunk
2. Use the Chunk Enable parameter to set the value of the chunk to true. Once the counter value chunk is enabled and Chunk Mode Active is enabled, the camera will add a counter value chunk to each acquired image.
Page 257: Counter Reset
You can set the counter reset parameter values from within your application software by using the Basler pylon API. The following code snippets illustrate using the API to configure and set the frame counter reset and to execute a reset via software.
Page 258: Crc Checksum Chunk
2. Use the Chunk Enable parameter to set the value of the chunk to true. Once the CRC checksum chunk is enabled and Chunk Mode Active is enabled, the camera will add a CRC checksum chunk to each acquired image.
Page 259 AW00123402000 Features You can also use the Basler pylon Viewer application to easily set the parameters. For more information about the pylon API and the pylon Viewer, see Section 3.1 on page Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 260: Retrieving Data Chunks
The PayloadSize parameter value for the device (i.e. for the camera) indicates the calculated maximum size ("maximum buffer size") that can be expected to occur for a set of chunks. The calculated maximum size is derived from the current camera parameter settings (ROI size, pixel format, selected data chunks, etc.).
Page 261 If you use code written in C or C# you must run the image data chunk and the appended  chunks through the chunk parser that is included in the C API for Basler pylon software and via the device node map.
Page 262 Features AW00123402000 Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 263: Troubleshooting And Support
This chapter outlines the resources available to you, if you need help working with your camera. Tech Support Resources If you need advice about your camera or if you need assistance troubleshooting a problem with your camera, you can contact the Basler technical support team for your area. Basler technical support contact information is located in the front pages of this manual.
Page 264: Before Contacting Basler Technical Support
Before Contacting Basler Technical Support To help you as quickly and efficiently as possible when you have a problem with a Basler camera, it is important that you collect several pieces of information before you contact Basler technical support. Basler technical support contact information is shown in the title section of this manual.
Page 265 Troubleshooting and Support The camera’s product ID: The camera’s serial number: Host adapter and chipset that you use with the camera: Do you use a hub? Describe the problem in as much detail as possible: (If you need more space, use an extra sheet of paper.)
Page 266 Parameter set It is very important for Basler technical support to get a copy of the exact camera parameters that you were using when the problem occurred. To make note of the parameters, use the Basler pylon Viewer.
Page 267: Revision History
First release of this document for series cameras and some prototype cameras. Updated Asian contact information. Updated names throughout the manual related to the release of the Basler pylon 4 Camera Software Suite. Included information information throughout the document about the...
Page 268 Revision History AW00123402000 Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 269: Index
Index Index Numerics cable 6-pin connector ........46 I/O ............. 48 USB 3.0 ..........48 camera models ......... 1 camera mounting ........26 active set camera power ......... 49 see active user set center X ..........190 active user set ........235 center Y ..........
Page 270 ..225 see line inverter frame burst start trigger event ....225 IR-cut filter ..........159 frame start overtrigger event ....225 frame start trigger event ......225 frame transmission time ......141 Basler ace USB 3.0...
Page 271 ......... 164 propagation delay ......59 pylon API ............ 39 max height parameter ......231 Camera Software Suite ....37 max width parameter ......231 SDK ..........39 minimum ouput pulse width USB Configurator ..... 37 see line minimum output pulse width Viewer ..........
Page 272 YUV pixel format ........158 thread length see lens thread length tightening sequence M2 screws .........26 M3 screws .........27 timer delay ..........76 duration ..........76 source signal for output line ....76 transition threshold ......50 transmission start delay ......141 Basler ace USB 3.0...

This manual is also suitable for:

Aca2000-165 Aca2040-90 Aca3800-14 Aca4600-10

Basler Camera User Manual

1 Specifications, Requirements, and Precautions

2 Installation

3 Camera Drivers and Tools for Changing Camera Parameters

4 Camera Functional Description

5 Physical Interface

6 Image Acquisition Control

7 Color Creation and Enhancement

8 Features

9 Troubleshooting and Support

Revision History

Index

Quick Links

Need help?

Questions and answers

Related Manuals for Basler Camera

Summary of Contents for Basler Camera