A601f - HDR User's Manual V2 - PDF, 2 MB

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USERS MANUAL
Document Number: DA00065902
Release Date: 22 March 2004
For customers in the U.S.A.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used
in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communica-
tions. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in
which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
You are cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this manual could
void your authority to operate this equipment.
The shielded interface cable recommended in this manual must be used with this equipment in
order to comply with the limits for a computing device pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC
Rules.
For customers in Canada
This apparatus complies with the Class A limits for radio noise emissions set out in Radio Inter-
ference Regulations.
Pour utilisateurs au Canada
Cet appareil est conforme aux normes Classe A pour bruits radiolectriques, spcifies dans le
Rglement sur le brouillage radiolectrique.
Life Support Applications
These products are not designed for use in life support appliances, devices, or systems where
malfunction of these products can reasonably be expected to result in personal injury. Basler cus-
tomers using or selling these products for use in such applications do so at their own risk and
agree to fully indemnify 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 Basler
Vision Technologies.
Contacting Basler Support Worldwide
Europe:
Basler AG
Ander Strusbek 60 - 62
22926 Ahrensburg
Germany
Tel.: +49-4102-463-500
Fax.: +49-4102-463-599
vc.support.europe@baslerweb.com
Americas:
Basler, Inc.
740 Springdale Drive, Suite 100
Exton, PA 19341
U.S.A.
Tel.: +1-877-934-8472
Fax.: +1-877-934-7608
vc.support.usa@baslerweb.com
Asia:
Basler Asia PTe. Ltd
25 Internat. Business Park
#04-15/17 German Centre
Singapore 609916
Tel.: +65-6425-0472
Fax.: +65-6425-0473
vc.support.asia@baslerweb.com
www.basler-vc.com
Contents
BASLER A601f-HDR I
DRAFT
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Documentation Applicability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
1.2 Performance Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
1.3 Camera Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
1.4 Spectral Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
1.5 Environmental Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
1.5.1 Temperature and Humidity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
1.5.2 Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
1.6 Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
2 Camera Interface
2.1 Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
2.1.1 General Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
2.1.2 Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
2.1.3 Connector Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.2 Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
2.3 Camera Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
2.4 Video Data and Control Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
2.4.1 Input Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
2.4.1.1 ExTrig: Controls Exposure Start (Input 0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
2.4.2 Output Signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
2.4.2.1 IntEn: Indicates that Exposure is Taking Place (Output 0) . . . . . . . 2-5
2.4.2.2 TrigRdy: Indicates that Exposure Can Begin (Output 1) . . . . . . . . . 2-5
2.4.2.3 Pixel Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
2.4.3 IEEE 1394 Device Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
3 Basic Operation and Standard Features
3.1 Functional Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
3.1.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
3.2 Exposure Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
3.2.1 Setting the Exposure Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
3.2.2 Maximum Exposure Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
3.2.3 Controlling Exposure Start with Shot Commands via the 1394 Interface . . 3-5
3.2.4 Controlling Exposure Start with an ExTrig Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
3.2.5 Recommended Method for Controlling Exposure Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
3.3 Trigger Ready Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
3.4 Integrate Enabled Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
3.5 Gain and Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
3.5.1 Setting the Gain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
3.5.2 Setting the Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
3.6 Area of Interest (AOI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
3.6.1 Changing AOI Parameters On-the-Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Contents
II BASLER A601f-HDR
DRAFT
3.7 Selectable 8 or 10 Bit Pixel Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
3.8 Available Video Formats, Modes, and Frame Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
3.8.1 Standard Formats, Modes, and Frame Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
3.8.2 Customizable Formats and Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
4 Configuring the Camera
4.1 Block Read and Write Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
4.2 Changing the Video Format setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
4.3 Configuration ROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
4.4 Implemented Standard Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
4.4.1 Inquiry Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
4.4.2 Control and Status Registers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
4.5 Advanced Features Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
4.5.1 Advanced Features Access Control Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
4.5.2 Advanced Features Inquiry Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
5 Smart Features and the Smart Features Framework
5.1 What are Smart Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
5.2 What is the Smart Features Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
5.3 What do I Need to Use Smart Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
5.4 What is the Smart Features Framework Software? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
5.5 Enabling and Parameterizing Smart Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
5.5.1 Checking to see if the Camera Supports Smart Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
5.5.2 Determining the Address a Smart Features CSR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
5.5.3 Enabling and Parameterizing a Smart Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
5.6 Getting Smart Features Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
5.6.1 How Big a Buffer Do I Need? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
5.7 Standard Smart Features on the A601f-HDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
5.7.1 Extended Data Stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
5.7.2 Frame Counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
5.7.3 Cycle Time Stamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
5.7.4 DCAM Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
5.7.5 CRC Checksum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
5.7.6 Test Images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
5.7.7 Extended Version Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
5.7.8 Lookup Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
5.7.8.1 Using the SFF Viewer to Upload a Lookup Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
5.8 Customized Smart Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
6 Using the HDR Feature
6.1 What is the HDR Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
6.2 How Does the HDR Feature Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
6.3 Using the HDR Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
6.3.1 Enabling and Parameterizing the HDR Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Contents
BASLER A601f-HDR III
DRAFT
6.3.2 Determining the Bit Depth of Transmitted HDR Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
6.3.3 Maximum Frame Rate in the HDR Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
6.3.4 Viewing HDR Images with Baslers SFF Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15
6.3.5 Manually Adjusting the HDR Settings with Baslers SFF Viewer . . . . . . . 6-17
6.3.6 HDR Test Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
7 Mechanical Considerations
7.1 Camera Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Contents
IV BASLER A601f-HDR
DRAFT
Introduction
BASLER A601f-HDR 1-1
DRAFT
1 Introduction
1.1 Documentation Applicability
This Users Manual applies to cameras with a firmware ID number of 19.
Cameras with a lower or a higher firmware ID number may have fewer features or have more
features than described in this manual. Features on cameras with a lower or a higher firmware ID
number may not operate exactly as described in this manual.
An easy way to see the firmware ID number for an A601f-HDR camera is by using the BCAM
Viewer included with the Basler BCAM 1394 driver. To see the firmware ID number:
1. Attach your camera to a computer equipped with the BCAM 1394 driver.
2. Double click the BCAM Viewer icon on your desktop or click Start All Programs Basler
Vision Technologies BCAM 1394 BCAM Viewer. The viewer program window will
open.
3. Find the camera name in
the Bus Viewer panel that
appears on the left side of
the window and click on
the camera name.
4. Click on the icon in
the tool bar at the top of
the window.
5. A properties window
similar to the one shown
in Figure 1-1 will open.
Use the figure as a guide
to find the firmware ID
number.
Figure 1-1: BCAM Properties Window
You can also access the firmware ID number by using the Extended Version
Information smart feature. See Section 5.7.7 for more information.
Introduction
1-2 BASLER A601f-HDR
DRAFT
1.2 Performance Specifications
Category Specification
Sensor Type Micron MT9V403 - 1/2 inch, CMOS, Global Shutter
Pixels 656 (H) x 491 (V)
Pixel Size 9.9 m (H) x 9.9 m (V)
Max. Frame Rate
(at full resolution)
60 fps in 8 bit output modes
30 fps in 16 bit output modes
(frame rate is lower when the HDR feature is used)
Video Output Formats Mono 8 (8 bits/pixel)
Mono 16 (16 bits/pixel - up to 16 bits effective)
Vendor Specific 0 (16 bits/pixel) *
Pseudo YUV 4:2:2 (16 bits/pix avg.) **
* See page 3-19 and Section 6.3.2 for more details.
** See Section 3.8.1 for more details.
Gain and Brightness Programmable via IEEE 1394 bus
Exposure Time Control Programmable via IEEE 1394 bus
Synchronization External via External Trigger signal
Power Requirements +8.0 to +36.0 VDC (+12 VDC nominal), < 1% ripple
1.7 W max @ 12 VDC (typical)
supplied via 1394 cable
I/O Electrical
Characteristics
Inputs: opto-isolated, 5 VDC nominal, 10 mA nominal
Outputs: opto-isolated, 2 to 35 VDC maximum forward voltage, 100 mA max
collector current
See Sections 2.4.1 and 2.4.2 for more details.
Max. Cable Lengths 1394: 4.5 m
I/O: 10 m
See Section 2.2 for more details.
Lens Adapter C-mount
Housing Size
(L x W x H)
Without lens adapter: 59.0 mm x 44 mm x 29 mm
With C-mount adapter: 67.3 mm x 44 mm x 29 mm
Weight < 100g (typical)
Conformity CE, FCC
Table 1-1: A601f-HDR Performance Specifications
Introduction
DRAFT
1.3 Camera Models
Currently, only one model of the A601f-HDR is available. The camera is monochrome.
1.4 Spectral Response
The spectral response for the A601f-HDR is shown in Figure 1-2.
Figure 1-2: A601f-HDR Spectral Response
The spectral response curve excludes lens characteristics and light source
characteristics.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Wavelength (nm)
Introduction
DRAFT
1.5 Environmental Requirements
1.5.1 Temperature and Humidity
Housing temperature during operation: 0C + 50C (+ 32F +122F)
Humidity during operation: 20% 80%, relative, non-condensing
1.5.2 Ventilation
Allow sufficient air circulation around the camera to prevent internal heat build-up in your system
and to keep the housing temperature below 50C. Additional cooling devices such as fans or heat
sinks are not normally required but should be provided if necessary.
1.6 Precautions
To ensure that your warranty remains in force:
Read the manual
Read the manual carefully before using the camera!
Keep foreign matter outside of the camera
Do not open the casing. Touching internal components may damage them.
Be careful not to allow liquid, flammable, or metallic material inside the camera housing. If
operated with any foreign matter inside, the camera may fail or cause a fire.
Electromagnetic Fields
Do not operate the camera in the vicinity of strong electromagnetic fields. Avoid electrostatic
charging.
Transporting
Transport the camera in its original packaging only. Do not discard the packaging.
Cleaning
Avoid cleaning the surface of the CMOS sensor if possible. If you must clean it, use a soft, lint free
cloth dampened with a small quantity of high quality window cleaner. Because electrostatic
discharge can damage the CMOS sensor, you must use a cloth that will not generate static during
cleaning (cotton is a good choice).
To clean the surface of the camera housing, use a soft, dry cloth. To remove severe stains, use a
soft cloth dampened with a small quantity of neutral detergent, then wipe dry.
Do not use volatile solvents such as benzine and thinners; they can damage the surface finish.
Camera Interface
DRAFT
2 Camera Interface
2.1 Connections
2.1.1 General Description
The A601f-HDR is interfaced to external circuitry via an IEEE 1394 socket and a 10 pin RJ-45 jack
located on the back of the housing. Figure 2-1 shows the location of the two connectors.
Figure 2-1: Camera Connectors
10 pin
RJ-45
Jack
IEEE
1394
Socket
Camera Interface
DRAFT
2.1.2 Pin Assignments
The IEEE 1394 socket is used to supply power to the camera and to interface video data and
control signals. The pin assignments for the socket are shown in Table 2-1.
The RJ-45 jack is used to interface the external trigger, integrate enabled, and trigger ready
signals. The pin assignments for the jack are shown in Table 2-2.
Pin Signal
1 Power Input (+8.0 to +36.0 VDC)
2 DC Gnd
3 TPB -
4 TPB +
5 TPA -
6 TPA +
Table 2-1: Pin Assignments for the IEEE 1394 Socket
Pin Designation Use
1 Output 3 - Reserved for future use
2 Output 2 - Reserved for future use
3 Output 1 - Trigger Ready Output (-)
4 Output 0 - Integrate Enabled Output (-)
5 Input 0 + External Trigger Input (+)
6 In Gnd Comm Common ground for all inputs
7 Out VCC Comm Common VCC for all outputs
8 Input 2 + Reserved for future use
Table 2-2: Pin Assignments for the RJ-45 jack
Camera Interface
DRAFT
Figure 2-2: A601f-HDR Pin Numbering
2.1.3 Connector Types
The 6-pin connector on the camera is a standard IEEE-1394 socket.
The 10-pin connector on the camera is an RJ-45 jack.
The camera housing is connected to the cable shields and coupled to signal ground
through an RC network (see Figure 2-3 for more details).

Caution!
The plug on the cable that you attach to the cameras RJ-45 jack must
have 10 pins. Use of a smaller plug, such as one with 8 pins or 4 pins, can
damage the pins in the RJ-45 jack on the camera.
1
3
5
2
4
6
1 10
!
Camera Interface
DRAFT
2.2 Cables
The maximum length of the IEEE 1394 cable used between the camera and the adapter in your
PC or between the camera and a 1394 hub is 4.5 meters as specified in the IEEE 1394 standard.
Standard, shielded IEEE 1394 cables must be used.
The maximum length of the I/O cable is at least 10 meters. The cable must be shielded and must
be constructed with twisted pair wire. Close proximity to strong magnetic fields should be avoided.
2.3 Camera Power
Power must be supplied to the camera via the IEEE 1394 cable. Nominal input voltage is
+12.0_VDC, however, the camera will operate properly on any input voltage from +8.0 VDC to
+36.0 VDC as specified in the IEEE 1394 standard. Maximum power consumption for the A601f-
HDR is 1.7 W at 12 VDC. Ripple must be less than 1%.

Caution!
Use only standard IEEE 1394 connectors.
The polarity of the input power to the camera must be as shown in Table
2-1. Do not reverse the input power polarity. Reversing the polarity will
damage the camera.
!
Camera Interface
DRAFT
2.4 Video Data and Control Signals
2.4.1 Input Signals
2.4.1.1 ExTrig: Controls Exposure Start (Input 0)
Input 0 is designed to receive an external trigger (ExTrig) signal that can be used to control the
start of exposure. For more detailed information on using the ExTrig signal to control exposure,
see Section 3.2.4.
As shown in Figure 2-3, the input for the ExTrig signal is opto-isolated. The nominal input voltage
for the LED in the opto-coupler is 5.0 V ( 1.0 V). The input current for the LED is 5 to 15 mA with
10 mA recommended.
For the ExTrig input, a current between 5 and 15 mA means a logical one. A current of less than
0.1 mA means a logical zero.
2.4.2 Output Signals
2.4.2.1 IntEn: Indicates that Exposure is Taking Place (Output 0)
Output 0 is an integration enabled (IntEn) signal that indicates when exposure is taking place. The
IntEn signal will be high during exposure and low when exposure is not taking place. See Section
3.4 for more information on the IntEn signal.
As shown in Figure 2-3. the output for the IntEn signal is opto-isolated. The minimum forward
voltage is 2 V, the maximum forward voltage is 35 V, the maximum reverse voltage is 6 V, and the
maximum collector current is 100 mA.
A conducting transistor means a logical one and a non-conducting transistor means a logical zero.
2.4.2.2 TrigRdy: Indicates that Exposure Can Begin (Output 1)
Output 1 is a trigger ready (TrigRdy) signal that goes high to indicate the earliest point at which
exposure start for the next frame can be triggered. Section 3.3 explains the operation of the trigger
ready signal in more detail.
As shown in Figure 2-3. the output for the TrigRdy signal is opto-isolated. The minimum forward
voltage is 2 V, the maximum forward voltage is 35 V, the maximum reverse voltage is 6 V, and the
maximum collector current is 100 mA.
A conducting transistor means a logical one and a non-conducting transistor means a logical zero.
As stated above, the nominal input voltage for the LED on each input is +5 VDC. If
a 560 Ohm resistor is added to the positive line for an input, the input voltage can be
12 VDC. If a 1.2 or 1.5 kOhm resistor is added to the positive line for an input, the
input voltage can be 24 VDC.
Camera Interface
DRAFT
2.4.2.3 Pixel Data
Pixel data is transmitted as isochronous data packets according to version 1.30 of the 1394 -
based Digital Camera Specification (DCAM) issued by the 1394 Trade Association (see the trade
associations web site: www.1394ta.org). The first packet of each frame is identified by a 1 in the
sync bit of the packet header.
Pixel Data Transmission Sequence
Pixel data is transmitted in the following sequence:
Row 0/Pixel 0, Row 0/Pixel 1, Row 0/Pixel 2 ... Row 0/Pixel 654, Row 0/Pixel 655.
and so forth.
2.4.3 IEEE 1394 Device Information
The A601f-HDR uses an IEEE 1394a - 2000 compliant physical layer device to transmit pixel data.
Detailed spec sheets for devices of this type are available at the Texas Instruments web site
(www.ti.com).
Camera Interface
DRAFT
Figure 2-3: I/O Schematic
390
5.1k
3.3 V
Gnd
HCPCL063L
3.3 V
390
5.1k
HCPCL063L
3.3 V
390
5.1k
3.3 V
Gnd
HCPCL063L
3.3 V
390
5.1k
HCPCL063L
3.3 V
In_0 +
In_1 +
In_2 +
In_3 +
In_Gnd_Com
PC3Q64Q Gnd
560
560
PC3Q64Q
Gnd
560
560
PC3Q64Q
Gnd
560
560
PC3Q64Q
Gnd
560
560
Out_VCC_Com
Out_0 -
Out_1 -
Out_2 -
Out_3 -
To IEEE 1394a - 2000
Compliant Physical
Layer Controller
Gnd
6
5
4
3
2
1
Shield
Shield
TPA+
TPA-
TPB+
TPB-
VG
VP
IEEE
1394
Socket
Camera_Power_In +
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Cable Shields
10-Pin
RJ-45
Jack
Out_3 -
Out_2 -
Out_1 -
Out_0 -
In_0 +
In_Gnd_Comm
Out_VCC_Com
In_2 +
In_1 +
In_3 +
Gnd
1 M
Cable
Shields
Camera Interface
DRAFT
Basic Operation & Standard Features
DRAFT
3 Basic Operation and
Standard Features
3.1 Functional Description
3.1.1 Overview
A601f-HDR area scan cameras employ a CMOS-sensor chip which provides features such as a
full frame shutter and electronic exposure time control.
Normally, exposure time and charge readout are controlled by values transmitted to the cameras
control registers via the IEEE 1394 interface. Control registers are available to set exposure time
and frame rate. There are also control registers available to set the camera for single frame
capture or continuous frame capture.
Exposure start can also be controlled via an externally generated trigger (ExTrig) signal. The
ExTrig signal facilitates periodic or non-periodic start of exposure. When exposure start is
controlled by a rising ExTrig signal and the camera is set for the programmable exposure mode,
exposure begins when the trigger signal goes high and continues for a pre-programmed period of
time. Accumulated charges are read out when the programmed exposure time ends.
At readout, accumulated charges are transported from each of the sensors light-sensitive
elements (pixels) to a pixel memory (see Figure 3-1). As the charges are moved out of the pixels
and into the pixel memories, they are converted to voltages. There is a separate memory for each
pixel. Because the sensor has memories that are separate from the pixels, exposure of the next
image can begin while the sensor is reading out data from the previously captured image.
The pixel memories can be connected to a bus and there is one bus per vertical column. For
readout, the pixel memories are addressed row-wise by closing a switch that connects each pixel
memory in the addressed row to the column buses. As the voltages leave the column buses, they
are amplified, an offset is applied, and they are digitized by the ADCs. A variable gain control and
a 10 bit, analog-to-digital converter (ADC) are attached to the end of each column bus.
From the column buses, the digitized signals enter a horizontal output register. The 10 bit digital
video data is then clocked out of the output register, through an FPGA, and into an image buffer.
The data leaves the image buffer and passes back through the FPGA to a 1394 link layer
controller where it is assembled into data packets that comply with version 1.30 of the 1394 -
based Digital Camera Specification (DCAM) issued by the 1394 Trade Association. The packets
are passed to a 1394 physical layer controller which transmits them isochronously to a 1394
DRAFT
interface board in the host PC. The physical and link layer controllers also handle transmission
and receipt of asynchronous data such as programming commands.
The image buffer between the sensor and the link layer controller allows data to be transferred out
of the sensor at a rate that is independent of the of the data transmission rate between the camera
and the host computer. This ensures that the data transmission rate has no influence on image
quality.
Figure 3-1: A601f-HDR Sensor Architecture
Output Registers
Control
Logic
Row
Decoder
VGC
ADC
VGC
ADC
VGC
ADC
VGC
ADC
VGC
ADC
VGC
ADC
VGC
ADC
VGC
ADC
VGC
ADC
VGC
ADC
Digitized
Pixel
Data
CMOS Sensor
Pixel
Pixel
Memory
Reset
Switch
End
Exposure
Switch
DRAFT
Figure 3-2: Block Diagram
Control:
AOI
Gain
Brtness.
IntEn
ExTrig
Image
Data
CMOS
Sensor
FPGA
Image
Data
8 MB
Image
Buffer
Image
Data
Link
Layer
Controller
Physical
Layer
Controller
Image
Data
Isochronous
and
Asynchronous
Data
Isochronous
and
Asynchronous
Data
IEEE
1394
Bus
Micro-
controller
Control
Asynchronous
Data
I/O
TrigRdy
DRAFT
3.2 Exposure Control
3.2.1 Setting the Exposure Time
Exposure time is determined by the value stored in the Shutter control register (see page 4-7).
The value in the register can range from 1 to 4095 (0x001 to 0xFFF). The value in the register
represents n in the equation: Exposure Time = n x 20 s. So, for example, if the value stored in
the SHUTTER register is 100 (0x064), the exposure time will be 100 x 20 s or 2000 s.
If you are operating the camera at a standard frame rate, you can determine the maximum shutter
setting for that frame rate by reading the Max_Value field of the Shutter_Inq register (see page 4-
6).
3.2.2 Maximum Exposure Time
The maximum exposure time for a given frame rate is determined by the following formula:
For example, if a camera is operating at 40 fps:
So in this case, the maximum exposure time is 25.0 ms.
Exceeding the maximum exposure time for your frame rate will cause the camera to
slow down, i.e., it will cause the camera to operate at a lower frame rate.
1
frame rate
--------------------------- maximum exposure time =
1
40 fps
---------------- 0.0250 s =
DRAFT
3.2.3 Controlling Exposure Start with Shot Commands
via the 1394 Interface
Exposure start can be controlled by sending shot commands directly to the camera via the 1394
bus. In this case, an external trigger (ExTrig) signal is not used. When exposure start is controlled
via the 1394 bus, two modes of operation are available: one-shot and continuous-shot.
One-Shot Operation
In one-shot operation, the camera exposes and transmits a single image. Exposure begins after
the One_Shot control register is set to 1 (see page 4-7). Exposure time is determined by the value
field in the Shutter control register (see page 4-7).
The One_Shot control register is self cleared after transmission of the image data.
Continuous-Shot Operation
In continuous-shot operation, the camera continuously exposes and transmits images. The
exposure of the first image begins after the Iso_En/Continuous_Shot control register is set to 1
(see page 4-7). The exposure time for each image is determined by the value field in the Shutter
control register. The start of exposure on the second and subsequent images is automatically
controlled by the camera.
If the camera is operating in video Format 0, the rate at which images will be captured and
transmitted is determined by the value stored in the Cur_V_Frm_Rate / Revision control register
(see page 4-7).
If the camera is operating in video Format 7, the rate at which images will be captured and
transmitted is determined by the value stored in the Byte_Per_Packet control register (see pages
3-18 and page 4-10).
Image exposure and transmission stop after the Iso_En/Continuous_Shot control register is set to
0.
These explanations of exposure start are included to give the user a basic insight into
the interactions of the cameras registers. Typically, IEEE 1394 cameras are used
with a driver which includes an interface that allows the user to parameterize and op-
erate the camera without directly setting registers. The Basler BCAM 1394 Camera
Driver, for example, has both a simple Windows
interface and a programmers API

for parameterizing and operating the camera.
On A601f-HDR cameras, exposure of a new image can begin while the previous im-
age is being read out. This is commonly referred to as overlap mode. Following the
recommended method for exposure start in Section 3.2.5 will allow you to overlap ex-
posure with readout and achieve the cameras maximum frame rate.
DRAFT
3.2.4 Controlling Exposure Start with an ExTrig Signal
The external trigger (ExTrig) input signal can be used to control the start of exposure. A rising edge
or a falling edge of the signal can be used to trigger exposure start. The Trigger_Mode control
register (see page 4-8) is used to enable ExTrig exposure start control and to select rising or falling
edge triggering.
The ExTrig signal can be periodic or non-periodic. When the camera is operating under control of
an ExTrig signal, the period of the ExTrig signal determines the cameras frame rate:
For example, if you are operating a camera with an ExTrig signal period of 20 ms:
So in this case, the frame rate is 50 fps.
The minimum high time for a rising edge trigger signal (or low time for a falling edge trigger signal)
is 1 s.
Exposure Modes
If you are triggering the camera with an ExTrig signal, two exposure modes are available,
programmable mode and level controlled mode.
Programmable Exposure Mode
When programmable mode is selected, the length of the exposure will be determined by the value
stored in the Shutter control register (see page 4-7). If the camera is set for rising edge triggering,
exposure starts when the ExTrig signal rises. If the camera is set for falling edge triggering,
exposure starts when the ExTrig signal falls. Figure 3-3 illustrates programmable exposure with
the camera set for rising edge triggering.
Figure 3-3: Programmable Exposure with Rising Edge Triggering
1
ExTrig period
----------------------------------- frame rate =
1
20 ms
---------------- 50 fps =
ExTrig
ExTrig Period
Exposure
(determined by shutter setting)
DRAFT
Level Controlled Exposure
When level controlled mode is selected, the length of the exposure will be determined by the
ExTrig signal alone. If the camera is set for rising edge triggering, exposure begins when the
ExTrig signal rises and continues until the ExTrig signal falls. If the camera is set for falling edge
triggering, exposure begins when the ExTrig signal falls and continues until the ExTrig signal
rises. Figure 3-4 illustrates level controlled exposure with the camera set for rising edge triggering.
Figure 3-4: Level Controlled Exposure with Rising Edge Triggering
To enable the external trigger feature, set the On_Off field of the Trigger_Mode control register
(see page 4-8) to 1.
To set the triggering for rising or falling edge, set the Trigger_Polarity field of the Trigger_Mode
control register to 0 for falling edge or 1 for rising edge.
To set the exposure mode, set the Trigger_Mode field of the Trigger_Mode control register to 0 for
the programmable exposure mode or 1 for the level controlled exposure mode.
The ExTrig signal must be used in combination with a one-shot or a continuous-shot command. If
precise control of exposure start time is desired, you must also monitor the Trigger Ready signal
and you must base the timing of the ExTrig signal on the state of the Trigger Ready signal. (See
Section 3.2.5 for recommended methods for using the signals)
The following descriptions assume that the ExTrig signal is set for rising edge triggering and the
programmable exposure mode.
ExTrig/One-Shot Operation
In ExTrig/One-shot operation, a One Shot Command is used to prepare the camera to capture
a single image. When the ExTrig signal rises, exposure will begin. To use this method of operation,
follow this sequence:
1. Set the Shutter control register for your desired exposure time (see Section 3.2.1).
2. Set the One_Shot control register to 1.
3. Check the state of the TrigRdy signal:
a) If TrigRdy is high, you can toggle ExTrig when desired.
b) If TrigRdy is low, wait until TrigRdy goes high and then toggle ExTrig when desired. (See
Section 3.3 for more about TrigRdy.)
4. When ExTrig rises, exposure will begin. Exposure will continue for the length of time
specified in the Shutter control register.
5. At the end of the specified exposure time, readout and transmission of the captured image
will take place.
The One_Shot control register is self cleared after frame transmission.
ExTrig
ExTrig Period
Exposure
DRAFT
ExTrig/Continuous-Shot Operation
In ExTrig/Continuous-shot operation, a Continuous Shot Command is used to prepare the
camera to capture multiple frames. In this mode, exposure will begin on each rising edge of the
ExTrig signal. To use this method of operation, follow this sequence:
1. Set the Shutter control register for your desired exposure time (see Section 3.2.1).
2. Set the Iso_En/Continuous_Shot control register to 1.
3. Check the state of the TrigRdy signal:
a) If TrigRdy is high, you can toggle ExTrig when desired.
b) If TrigRdy is low, wait until TrigRdy goes high and then toggle ExTrig when desired. (See
Section 3.3 for more about TrigRdy.)
4. When ExTrig rises, exposure will begin. Exposure will continue for the length of time
specified in the Shutter control register.
5. At the end of the specified exposure time, readout and transmission of the captured image
will take place.
6. Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 each time that you want to begin exposure and capture an image.
7. Image exposure and transmission stop when the Iso_En/Continuous_Shot control register is
set to 0.
These explanations of exposure start are included to give the user a basic insight into
the interactions of the cameras registers. Typically, IEEE 1394 cameras are used
with a driver which includes an interface that allows the user to parameterize and op-
erate the camera without directly setting registers. The Basler BCAM 1394 Camera
Driver, for example, has both a simple Windows
interface and a programmers API

for parameterizing and operating the camera.
On A601f-HDR cameras, exposure of a new frame can begin while the previous frame
is being read out. This is commonly referred to as overlap mode. Following the rec-
ommended method for exposure start in Section 3.2.5 will allow you to overlap expo-
sure with readout and achieve the cameras maximum frame rate.
DRAFT
3.2.5 Recommended Method for Controlling Exposure Start
If a camera user requires close control of exposure start, there are several general guidelines that
must be followed:
The camera should be placed in continuous shot mode.
The user must use an external trigger (ExTrig) signal to start exposure.
The user must monitor the trigger ready (TrgRdy) signal.
A rising edge of the ExTrig signal must only occur when the TrgRdy signal is high.
Assuming that these general guidelines are followed, the reaction of the camera to a rising
external trigger signal will be as shown in Figure 3-5:
The start of exposure will typically occur 22 s after the rise of the ExTrig signal.
The integrate enabled (IntEn) signal will rise between 5 and 20 s after the start of exposure.
The actual length of exposure will be equal to the programmed exposure time.
The IntEn signal will fall between 30 and 100 s after the end of exposure.
Figure 3-5: Exposure Start Controlled with an ExTrig Signal
1
Frame Transfer Time = [ (AOI Height + 2) x 15.28 s ] + 15.28 s
2
Frame Transmission Time = Packets/frame x 125 s
3
If the transmission time is greater than the transfer time:
Start Delay = 125 s.
If the transmission time is less than the transfer time:
Start Delay = (Transfer Time - Transmission Time) + 125 s
The camera can be programmed to begin exposure on a rising edge or on a falling

edge of an ExTrig signal. Also, two modes of exposure control are available: pro-
grammable and level controlled (see Section 3.2.4). For this illustration, we are as-
suming that a rising edge trigger and the programmable exposure mode are used.
TrigRdy
ExTrig
Exposure
IntEn
Frame
Transfer
~22 s
Frame N Transfer to the Image Buffer
1
Exposure
Frame N
Exposure
Frame N + 1
Exposure
Frame N + 2
Frame N + 1 Transfer to the Image Buffer
1
TIMING CHARTS ARE NOT DRAWN TO SCALE
30 s
100 s
5 s
20 s
~ 22 s
5 s
20 s
30 s
100 s
Frame
TransMission
Frame N Transmission to the PC
2
Frame N + 1 Transmission to the PC
2
Transmission Start Delay
3
Transmission Start Delay
3
DRAFT
3.3 Trigger Ready Signal
The maximum frame rate for the camera can be limited by any one of three factors:
The amount of time it takes to transfer a captured image from the CMOS sensor to the
frame buffer.
The amount of time it takes to transfer an image from the frame buffer to the PC via the
IEEE 1394 bus.
The exposure time setting.
The camera automatically recalculates the maximum frame rate any time a setting that effects one
or more of these factors is changed. For example, the camera will recalculate the maximum frame
rate if you change the exposure time, the size of the area of interest, or the packet size.
The camera will use the calculated maximum frame rate to generate a trigger ready (TrigRdy)
signal. The trigger ready signal indicates the earliest moment that each exposure can begin
without exceeding the maximum frame rate for the current conditions. The trigger ready signal will
go low when each exposure is started and will go high when it is safe for the next exposure to
begin (see Figure 3-5).
The TrigRdy signal is present on output 1 of the camera (see Section 2.4.2.2).
3.4 Integrate Enabled Signal
The Integrate Enabled (IntEn) signal goes high when exposure begins and goes low when
exposure ends. 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. Typically, you do not want the camera to
move during exposure. In this case, you can monitor the IntEn signal to know when exposure is
taking place and thus know when to avoid moving the camera.
The IntEn signal is present on output 0 of the camera (see Section 2.4.2.1).

The trigger ready signal is not defined in the 1394 Trade Association Digital Camera
Specification. Trigger ready is a patented feature of Basler cameras that allows our
cameras to have optimized timings.
If you signal the camera to start an exposure when trigger ready is low, the camera
will delay the start of exposure until the next rise of the trigger ready signal. This pre-
vents you from running the camera faster than the maximum rate and avoids drop-
ping frames.
If the camera is in continuous shot mode and external triggering is disabled, the trig-
ger ready output signal will not be present.
When you use the integrate enabled signal, be aware that there is a delay in the rise
and the fall of the signal in relation to the start and the end of exposure. See Figure
3-5 for details.
DRAFT
3.5 Gain and Brightness
On A601f-HDR cameras, the output
from the cameras sensor is digital and
the gain and brightness functions are
accomplished by manipulation of the
sensors digital output signal.
As shown in the top graph in Figure 3-
6, when the gain is set to 0, the full 10
bit output range of the cameras
CMOS sensor is mapped directly to
the 8 bit output range of the camera. In
this situation, a gray value of 0 is
output from the camera when the
pixels in the sensor are exposed to no
light and a gray value of 255 is output
when the pixels are exposed to very
bright light. This condition is defined as
0 dB of system gain for the camera.
As shown in the three lower graphs,
increasing the gain setting to a value
greater than 0 maps a smaller portion
of the sensors 10 bit range to the
cameras 8 bit output. When a smaller
portion of the sensors range is
mapped to the cameras output, the
cameras response to a change in light
level is increased.
This can be useful when at your
brightest exposure, a gray value of
less than 255 is achieved. For
example, if gray values no higher than
127 were achieved with bright light,
you could increase the gain setting so
that the camera is operating at 6 dB
(an amplification factor of 2) and see
an increase in gray values to 254.
Figure 3-6: Mapping at Various Gain Settings
0 256 512 768 1023
64
128
192
255
10 Bit Sensor Output
Gain Set to 0
Increasing Light
0 dB
0 256 512 768 1023
64
128
192
255
Gain Set to 28
Increasing Light
2.5 dB
0 256 512 768 1023
64
128
192
255
Gain Set to 85
Increasing Light
6 dB
0 256 512 768 1023
64
128
192
255
Gain Set to 255
Increasing Light
12 dB
DRAFT
As shown in the top graph in Figure 3-7,
setting the brightness higher than the
default value of 725 moves the
response curve to the left. This would
increase the 8 bit value output from the
camera for any given 10 bit value from
the sensor and thus increase the
apparent brightness of the image.
As shown in the bottom graph, setting
the brightness lower than the default
value of 725 moves the response curve
to the right. This would decrease the 8
bit value output from the camera for any
given 10 bit value from the sensor and
thus decrease the apparent brightness
of the image.
Figure 3-7: Brightness Setting Changes Mapping
3.5.1 Setting the Gain
The cameras gain setting is determined by the value field in the Gain control register (see page
4-8). The value can range from 0 to 255 (0x00 to 0xFF). Typical settings and the resulting
amplification are shown in Table 3-1.
Table 3-1: Gain Settings
Decimal Hex dB Amplification
Factor
Decimal Hex dB Amplification
Factor
0 0x00 0.0 x 1.0 128 0x7F 8.0 x 2.5
28 0x1C 2.5 x 1.3 170 0xAA 9.5 x 3.0
43 0x2A 3.5 x 1.5 213 0xD4 10.9 x 3.5
85 0x55 6.0 x 2.0 255 0xFF 12.0 x 4.0
Because the sensor used on the A601f-HDR has a direct digital output, the implemen-
tation of the gain settings on A601f-HDR cameras is different from the implementation
on other Basler cameras. This means that you can not directly compare the response
of an A601f-HDR camera to another Basler camera with the same gain setting. For
example, if you compare the response of an A601f-HDR with the gain set to 100 and
an A301f with the same gain setting, you will see a significant difference. This hap-
pens because the gain scales on the two cameras are implemented differently and
are not directly comparable.
0 256 512 768 1023
64
128
192
255
Brightness Set to 850
Increasing Light
0 256 512 768 1023
64
128
192
255
Brightness Set to 600
Increasing Light
DRAFT
3.5.2 Setting the Brightness
The cameras brightness is changed by setting the value field in the Brightness control register
(see page 4-7). The setting can range on a decimal scale from 0 to 1023 (0x000 to 0x3FF). The
default is typically 725 (0x2D5) by may vary slightly from camera to camera. Settings below the
default decrease the brightness and settings above the default increase the brightness.
The effect of a change in the brightness setting varies depending on the gain setting. With the gain
set to 0, changing the brightness setting by 4 results in a change of 1 in the digital values output
by the camera. With the gain set to 255, changing the brightness setting by 1 results in a change
of 1 in the digital values output by the camera.
DRAFT
3.6 Area of Interest (AOI)
The area of interest (AOI) feature allows you to specify a portion of the CMOS array and during
operation, only the pixel information from the specified portion of the array is transmitted out of the
camera.
The area of interest is referenced to the top left corner of the CMOS array. The top left corner is
designated as column 0 and row 0 as shown in Figure 3-8.
The location and size of the area of interest is defined by declaring a left-most column, a width, a
top row and a height. For example, suppose that you specify the left column as 10, the width as
16, the top row as 4 and the height as 10. The area of the array that is bounded by these settings
is shown in Figure 3-8.
The camera will only transmit pixel data from within the area defined by your settings. Information
from the pixels outside of the area of interest is discarded.
Figure 3-8: Area of Interest
The AOI feature is enabled by setting the camera to operate in Format_7, Mode_0. This is
accomplished by setting the Cur_V_Format control register (see page 4-7) to 7 and the
Cur_V_Mode control register to 0. The location of the area of interest is defined by setting a value
for the left field and a value for the top field within the Image_Position control register for
Format_7, Mode_0 (see page 4-9). The size of the area of interest is defined by setting a value
for the width field and a value for the height field within the Image_Size control register for
Format_7, Mode_0.
To use the entire CMOS array in A601f-HDR cameras, set the value for left to 0, the value for top
to 0, the value for width to 656 and the value for height to 491.
The sum of the setting for Left plus the setting for Width must not exceed 656.
The sum of the setting for Top plus the setting for Height must not exceed 491 on
monochrome cameras or 490 on color cameras.
Starting Column
Width in Columns
0 1
Row 0
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 31
Column
Row 1
Row 2
Row 3
Row 4
Row 5
Row 6
Row 7
Row 8
Row 9
Row 10
Row 11
Row 12
Row 13
Row 14
Row 14
Row 15
Row 17
Row 18
Row 19
Height
in
Rows
Starting
Row
The camera will
only transmit
the pixel data
from this area.
DRAFT
3.6.1 Changing AOI Parameters On-the-Fly
Making AOI parameter changes on-the-fly means making the parameter changes while the
camera is capturing images continuously. On-the-fly changes are only allowed for the parameters
that determine the position of the AOI, i.e., the parameters for top and left. Changes to the AOI
size are not allowed on-the-fly.
The cameras response to an on-the-fly change in the AOI position will vary depending on the way
that you are operating the camera:
If the exposure time is 100 s, the changes will take effect on the next trigger after the
changes are received by the camera.
If the exposure time is < 100 s and the camera is running in non-overlapped mode
1
, the
changes will take effect on the next trigger after the changes are received by the camera.
If the exposure time is < 100 s and the camera is running in overlapped mode
2
, when the
changes are received by the camera, the camera will delay the triggering of the next image
until transmission of the current image is complete. When transmission of the current image
is complete, the camera will change the AOI position, will trigger the next image, and will
resume running in overlapped mode.
1
The term non-overlapped mode means that image capture is triggered in the following manner:
the camera captures (exposes) an image and completely transmits that image out of the camera
before the next image capture is triggered. In other words, exposure and transmission of image
N are both completed before exposure of image N+1 begins.
2
The term overlapped mode means that image capture is triggered in the following manner: the
camera captures (exposes) an image and while this image is being transmitted out of the
camera, capture of the next image is triggered. In other words, capture of image N+1 begins
while transmission of image N is still in progress.
DRAFT
3.7 Selectable 8 or 10 Bit Pixel Depth
When an A601f-HDR camera is operating in Format 7 Mode 0, it can be set to output pixel data at
either 8 bit or 10 bit depth.
For 8 Bit Depth
Set the Color_Coding_ID field of the Format_7, Mode_0 register for Mono 8 (see page 3-18). With
this ID set, the camera outputs 8 bits per pixel.
For 10 Bit Depth
Set the Color_Coding_ID field of the Format_7, Mode_0 register for Mono 16. With this ID set, the
camera outputs 16 bits per pixel but only 10 bits are effective. The effective pixel data fills from the
LSB and the unused bits are filled with zeros. Pixel data is stored in the PC memory in little endian
format, i.e., the low byte for each pixel is stored at the lower address and the high byte is stored
at the neighboring higher address.
On an A601f-HDR set to Mono 16, the maximum frame rate is 30 fps.

DRAFT
3.8 Available Video Formats, Modes,
and Frame Rates
3.8.1 Standard Formats, Modes, and Frame Rates
The following standard video formats, modes, and frame rates are available on the A601f-HDR:
Format_0, Mode_5, FrameRate_0 (Mono, 8 bits/pixel, 640 x 480 pixels at 1.875 fps)
Format_0, Mode_5, FrameRate_3 (Mono, 8 bits/pixel, 640 x 480 pixels at 15 fps)
Format_0, Mode_1, FrameRate_0 (YUV 4:2:2, 16 bits/pixel avg., 320 x 240 pixels at 1.875 fps)
Format_0, Mode_1, FrameRate_3 (YUV 4:2:2, 16 bits/pixel avg., 320 x 240 pixels at 15 fps)
Format_0, Mode_1, FrameRate_4 (YUV 4:2:2, 16 bits/pixel avg., 320 x 240 pixels at 30 fps)
YUV 4:2:2 output is normally associated with color cameras, but A601f-HDR cameras
are monochrome. When an A601f-HDR camera is set for YUV 4:2:2, its output will be
in the YUV 4:2:2 format but the output will be monochrome, not color. This mono-
chrome version of the YUV 4:2:2 format is provided so that the camera can be used
with Windows XP accessories such as Movie Maker.
DRAFT
3.8.2 Customizable Formats and Modes
Format_7, Mode_0 and Format_7, Mode_2 are available on the A601f-HDR.
Format_7, Mode_0
Format_7, Mode_0 is available on A601f-HDR cameras. This mode is used to enable and set up
the area of interest (AOI) feature described in Section 3.6. Format_7, Mode 0 is parameterized by
using the Format_7, Mode 0 control and status registers (see page 4-9).
When the camera is operating in Format_7, Mode_0, the frame rate can be adjusted by setting
the number of bytes transmitted in each packet. The number of bytes per packet is set by the
BytePerPacket field of the Byte_Per_Packet register.
The value that appears in the MaxBytePerPacket field of the Packet_Para_Inq control register will
show the maximum allowed bytes per packet setting given the current AOI settings. When the
bytes per packet is set to the maximum, the camera will transmit frames at its maximum specified
rate. By default, the AOI is set to use the full sensor area and the bytes per packet is set to 4092.
If you set the bytes per packet to a value lower than the maximum, the camera will transmit frames
at a lower rate. The rate is calculated by the formula:
Keep in mind that when you lower the bytes per packet setting, the number of bytes needed to
transmit a frame (the packets per frame) will increase. Due to limitations in the DCAM structure,
a maximum of 4095 packets per frame is allowed. If you set the bytes per packet too low, the
number of packets per frame will exceed the 4095 packet limit and the camera will not transmit
frames properly.
Color Codings
In Format_7, Mode_0, the Mono 8 and Mono 16 color codings are available:
When the Mono 8 ID is set in the Color_Coding_ID field of the Format_7, Mode_0 register, the
camera outputs 8 bits per pixel.
camera outputs 16 bits per pixel but only 10 bits are effective. The effective pixel data fills from
the LSB and the unused bits are filled with zeros. Pixel data is stored in the PC memory in little
endian format, i.e., the low byte for each pixel is stored at the lower address and the high byte is
stored at the neighboring higher address.
When the camera is set for Mono 16 the maximum frame rate is 30 fps.
When the camera is operating in Format_7, the Cur_V_Frame_Rate control register is

not used and has no effect on camera operation.
Color code definitions can vary from camera model to camera model. This is especially
true for older models of Basler cameras.
Frames/s
1
Packets per Frame x 125 s
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- =
DRAFT
Format_7, Mode_2
Format_7, Mode_2 is available on A601f-HDR cameras. This mode must be used when the High
Dynamic Range smart feature is enabled as described in Section 6. Format_7, Mode 2 is
parameterized by using the Format_7, Mode 2 control and status registers (see page 4-11).
The frame rate can be adjusted by setting the control and status registers for Format_7, Mode_2
in the same manner as described for Format_7, Mode_0.
Color Codes
In Format_7, Mode_2, the Mono 8, Mono 16, and Vendor Specific 0 color codings are available.
camera outputs 8 bits per pixel. Each 8 bit value directly represents the value of a pixel.
camera outputs 16 bits per pixel. Pixel data is stored in the PC memory in little endian format, i.e.,
the low byte for each pixel is stored at the lower address and the high byte is stored at the
neighboring higher address. Each 16 bit value directly represents the value of a pixel.
When the Vendor Specific 0 ID is set in the Color_Coding_ID field of the Format_7, Mode_2
register, the camera outputs 16 bits per pixel. Pixel data is stored in the PC memory in little endian
format, i.e., the low byte for each pixel is stored at the lower address and the high byte is stored
at the neighboring higher address. With the Vendor Specific 0 color coding, each 16 bit value does
not directly represent the value of a pixel. The 16 bits represent a coding which must be properly
interpreted to obtain the actual pixel value.
With the Vendor Specific 0 coding, the least significant byte of the 16 bits represents a base
(unsigned) and the most significant byte represents an exponent. The actual value of the pixel is:
For example, if an A601f-HDr camera was set for Vendor Specific 0 color coding and it transmitted
a value of 0x0220, the base would be 32 (decimal) and the exponent would be 2 (decimal). The
actual pixel value would be:
Actual Pixel Value = 128
See Section 6.3.2 for more information about the color codings used with Format_7, Mode_2.
The Vendor Specific 0 color coding is defined in version 1.31 of the IIDC specification.
Color code definitions can vary from camera model to camera model. This is especially
true for older models of Basler cameras.
Actual Pixel Value Base 2
exponent
=
Actual Pixel Value 32 2
2
=
DRAFT
Configuring the Camera
DRAFT
4 Configuring the Camera
The A601f-HDR is configured by setting status and control registers as described in the 1394-
Based Digital Camera Specification issued by the 1394 Trade Association. (The specification is
available at the 1394 Trade Associations web site: www.1394ta.org.) Except where noted, all
registers conform to version 1.30 of the specification.
If you are creating your own driver to operate the camera, Sections 4.1 through 4.5 provide the
basic information you will need about the registers implemented in the camera along with some
information about read/write capabilities.
A fully functional driver is available for Basler IEEE 1394 cameras such as the A601f-HDR. The
Basler BCAM 1394 Driver/Software Development Kit includes an API that allows a C++
programmer to easily integrate camera configuration and operating functions into your system
control software. The driver also includes a Windows
based viewer program that provides

camera users with quick and simple tools for changing camera settings and viewing captured
images.
The BCAM 1394 Driver/SDK comes with comprehensive documentation including a
programmers guide and code samples. For more information, visit the Basler web site at:
www.basler-vc.com.
DRAFT
4.1 Block Read and Write Capabilities
The camera supports block reads and block writes. If you do a single read or a block read, the
camera will return a 0 for all non-existent registers. If you do a single write to a non-existent
register or a block write that includes non-existent registers, the writes to non-existent registers
will have no effect on camera operation.
4.2 Changing the Video Format setting
Whenever the Current Video Format setting is changed, you must also do the following:
If the Cur_V_Format is changed from Format 7 to Format 0, you must also write the
Cur_V_Mode and the Cur_V_Frm_Rate.
If the Cur_V_Format is changed from Format 0 to Format 7, you must also write the
Cur_V_Mode, the Image_Position, the Image_Size and the Bytes_Per_Packet. (See Section
3.8.2 for more information on setting the Bytes per Packet in Format 7).
4.3 Configuration ROM
The configuration ROM in the A601f-HDR is compliant with the DCAM specification V 1.30
DRAFT
4.4 Implemented Standard Registers
A list of all standard registers implemented in A601f-HDR appears below.
The base address for all camera control registers is:
Bus_ID, Node_ID, FFFF F0F0 0000
This address is contained in the configuration ROM in the camera unit directory. The offset field
in each of the tables is the byte offset from the above base address.
4.4.1 Inquiry Registers
Camera Initialize Register
Inquiry Register for Video Format
Inquiry Registers for Video Mode
* See Section 3.8.1 for more information on the pseudo YUV 4:2:2 mode
Offset Name Notes
000h Initialize Camera will reset itself, break any state lock, and
re-initialize itself to factory settings.
Offset Name Notes
100h V_Format_Inq The A601f-HDR supports format_0 and format_7.
Offset Name Notes
180h V_Mode_Inq_0
(Format 0)
In format_0, the A601f-HDR supports:
mode_1 (320 x 240, pseudo YUV 4:2:2*, 16 bits/pix. avg.)
mode_5 (640 x 480, mono, 8 bits/pixel)
19Ch V_Mode_Inq_7
(Format 7)
In format_7, the A601f-HDR supports:
mode_0 (656 x 491)
mode_2 (656 x 491)
DRAFT
Inquiry Registers for Video Frame Rate
CSR Inquiry Registers for Format 7
Inquiry Register for Basic Functions
Offset Name Notes
204h V_Rate_Inq_0_1
(Format_0, Mode_1)
In format 0, mode 1, the A601f-HDR supports the following
frame rates:
1.875 fps (frame rate 0)
15 fps (frame rate 3)
214h V_Rate_Inq_0_5
(Format_0, Mode_5)
In format 0, mode 5, the A601f-HDR supports the following
frame rates:
Offset Name Notes
2E0h V_CSR_Inq_7_0 The A601f-HDR implements the CSR for format_7,
mode_0.
2E8h V_CSR_Inq_7_2 The A601f-HDR implements the CSR for format_7,
mode_2.
Offset Name Notes
400h Basic_Func_Inq The A601f-HDR supports the following basic
functions:
Advanced_Feature_Inq
Vmode_Error_Status_Inq
Feature_Control_Error_Status
One_Shot_Inq
DRAFT
Inquiry Registers for Feature Presence
Offset Name Notes
404h Feature_Hi_Inq The A601f-HDR supports the following features:
Brightness
Shutter
Gain
Trigger
408h Feature_Lo_Inq = 0
480h Advanced_Feature_Inq The A601f-HDR implements a Basler advanced feature
set.
DRAFT
Inquiry Registers for Feature Elements
Offset Name Notes
500h Brightness_Inq The A601f-HDR supports the following
sub-features for brightness:
Presence_Inq
ReadOut_Inq
Manual_Inq
Min_Value = 0x000
Max_Value = 0x3FF
51Ch Shutter_Inq The A601f-HDR supports the following
sub-features for shutter:
Presence_Inq
ReadOut_Inq
Manual_Inq
Min_Value = 0x001
Max_Value = depends on format and mode
For format 0, the max shutter setting depends on the
frame rate:
at 1.875 fps, max = 4095 (0xFFF)
at 3.75 fps, max = 4095 (0xFFF)
at 7.5 fps, max = 4095 (0xFFF)
at 15 fps, max = 3331 (0xD03)
at 30 fps, max = 1665 (0x681)
at 60 fps, max = 831 (0x33F)
For format 7, the max shutter setting is 0xFFF
520h Gain_Inq The A601f-HDR supports the following
sub-features for gain:
Presence_Inq
ReadOut_Inq
Manual_Inq
Min_Value = 0x000
Max_Value = 0x0FF
530h Trigger_Inq The A601f-HDR supports the following
sub-features for trigger:
Presence_Inq
ReadOut_Inq
OnOff_Inq
Polarity_Inq
Trigger_Mode0_Inq
Trigger_Mode1_Inq
DRAFT
4.4.2 Control and Status Registers
Status and Control Registers for the Camera
* This register is defined in version 1.31 of the IIDC specification.
Status and Control Registers for Features
Offset Name Notes
600h Cur_V_Frame_Rate Default = 0
604h Cur_V_Mode Default = 0
608h Cur_V_Format Default = Format 7
60Ch Iso_Channel / Iso_Speed Default Channel =0
Default Speed = S400
614h Iso_En
Continuous Shot
Default = 0
61Ch One_Shot / Multi_Shot Default = 0
Multi_Shot is not supported
630h* Data_Depth Default = 8
Read only
Offset Name Notes
800h Brightness Brightness settings range from 0 to 1023 (0x000 to
0x3FF).
Typical default = 725 (0x2D5). Settings below the
default decrease the brightness and settings above
the default increase the brightness.
The effect of a change in the brightness setting var-
ies depending on the gain setting. With the gain set
to 0, changing the brightness setting by 4 results in
a change of 1 in the digital values output by the cam-
era. With the gain set to 255, changing the bright-
ness setting by 1 results in a change of 1 in the
digital values output by the camera.
81Ch Shutter Shutter settings range from 1 (0x001) to 4095
(0xFFF).
Exposure time = (shutter register value) x 20 s
Default = 498 (0x1F2) = 9.96 ms
DRAFT
820h Gain Gain settings range from 0 (0x00) to 255 (0xFF).
A setting of 0x00 results in a gain of 1x (0dB)
A setting of 0xFF results in a gain of 4x (12 db)
Default = 28 (0x1C) resulting in a gain of 2.5 dB
830h Trigger_Mode Setting On_Off to:
0 = disable trigger use {=default}
1 = enable trigger use
Setting Trigger_Polarity to:
0 = low active
1 = high active {= default}
Setting Trigger_Mode to:
0 = mode 0 (programmable mode)
1 = mode 1 (level mode)
The parameter portion of the register is ignored.
Offset Name Notes
DRAFT
Control and Status Registers for Format_7, Mode_0
Format_7, Mode_0 is available on A601f-HDR cameras.The base address for each Format_7,
Mode_0 camera control register is:
The offset field in each of the tables is the byte offset from the above base address.
* This field is defined in version 1.31 of the IIDC specification.
Offset Name Notes
000h Max_Image_Size_Inq Hmax = 656
Vmax = 491
The VGA sub-image is positioned in the center of
the full size image.
004h Unit_Size_Inq Hunit = 1
Vunit = 1
008h Image_Position Default = (0, 0)
00Ch Image_Size Default = (Hmax, Vmax)
010h Color_Coding_ID Default = Mono 8 (ID = 0)
014h Color_Coding_Inq The A601f-HDR supports the following color codes
in this mode:
Mono 8 (ID = 0)
Mono16 (ID = 5)
024h* Color_Coding_Inq Field is not used in this mode.
034h Pixel_Number_Inq The value of this register depends on the following
registers:
Image_Size
038h Total_Bytes_Hi_Inq The value of this register depends on the following
registers:
Image_Size
Color_Coding_ID
The value Includes the following data:
Image data
Padding bytes
Data added by any enabled smart features
03Ch Total_Bytes_Lo_Inq See Total_Bytes_Hi_Inq register
040h Packet_Para_Inq UnitBytePerPacket = 4
MaxBytePerPacket depends on:
Image_Size
Color_Coding_ID
DRAFT
* When you lower the bytes per packet setting, the number of bytes needed to transmit a frame
(the packets per frame) will increase. Due to limitations in the DCAM structure, a maximum of
4095 packets per frame is allowed. If you set the bytes per packet too low, the number of
packets per frame will exceed the 4095 packet limit and the camera will not transmit frames
properly.
** This field is defined in version 1.31 of the IIDC specification.
Offset Name Notes
044h Byte_Per_Packet BytePerPacket = set by user *
RecBytePerPacket = 4092 (0xFFC)
048h Packet_Per_Frame_Inq The value of this register depends on the following
registers:
Image_Size
Color_Coding_ID
Byte_Per_Packet
The value Includes the following data:
Image data
Padding bytes
04Ch Unit_Position_Inq Hposunit = 1, Vposunit = 1
054h ** Data_Depth Indicates the effective data depth of the pixel in-
formation being transmitted from the camera.
The value of this register depends on the following
registers:
Color_Coding_ID
In Format _7, Mode_0:
Color_Coding_ID Effective Bits
Data Depth Transmitted
ID = 0 (Mono 8) 8 8
ID = 5 (Mono 16) 10 16
ID = 2 (YUV 4:2:2) 8 16
DRAFT
Control and Status Registers for Format_7, Mode_2
Format_7, Mode_2 is available on A601f-HDR cameras.The base address for each Format_7,
Mode_2 camera control register is:
* This field is defined in version 1.31 of the IIDC camera specification.
** The Vendor Specific 0 color coding is unique to Basler. When this color coding is selected, the
camera outputs 16 bits per pixel but the 16 bits do not directly represent a pixel value. See page
3-19 and Section 6.3.2 for more information.
Offset Name Notes
000h Max_Image_Size_Inq Hmax = 656
Vmax = 491
The VGA sub-image is positioned in the center of
the full size image.
004h Unit_Size_Inq Hunit = 1
Vunit = 1
008h Image_Position Default = (0, 0)
00Ch Image_Size Default = (Hmax, Vmax)
010h Color_Coding_ID Default = Mono 8 (ID = 0)
014h Color_Coding_Inq The A601f - HDR supports the following color codes
in this mode:
Mono 8 (ID = 0)
Mono 16 (ID = 5)
024h * Color_Coding_Inq Vendor Specific 0 (ID = 128) **
034h Pixel_Number_Inq The value of this register depends on the following
registers:
Image_Size
038h Total_Bytes_Hi_Inq The value of this register depends on the following
registers:
Image_Size
Color_Coding_ID
The value includes the following data:
Image data
Padding bytes
03Ch Total_Bytes_Lo_Inq See Total_Bytes_Hi_Inq register
DRAFT
* This field is defined in version 1.31 of the IIDC specification.
** The Vendor Specific 0 color coding is unique to Basler. When this color coding is selected, the
camera outputs 16 bits per pixel but the 16 bits do not directly represent a pixel value. See page
3-19 and Section 6.3.2 for more information.
Offset Name Notes
040h Packet_Para_Inq UnitBytePerPacket = 4
MaxBytePerPacket depends on:
Image_Size
Color_Coding_ID
044h Byte_Per_Packet BytePerPacket = set by user
RecBytePerPacket = 4092 (0xFFC)
048h Packet_Per_Frame_Inq The value of this register depends on the following
registers:
Image_Size
Color_Coding_ID
Byte_Per_Packet
The value includes the following data:
Image data
Padding bytes
04Ch Unit_Position_Inq Hposunit = 1
Vposunit = 1
054h* Data_Depth Indicates the effective data depth of the pixel in-
formation being transmitted from the camera.
The value of this register depends on the following
registers:
Color_Coding_ID
In Format _7, Mode_2:
Color_Coding_ID Effective Bits
Data Depth Transmitted
ID = 0 (Mono 8) 8 8
ID = 5 (Mono 16) 16 16
ID = 128 (Vend Spec 0) ** 16 16
DRAFT
4.5 Advanced Features Registers
The base address for the advanced features registers is:
This address is contained in the Advanced_Feature_Inq register of the Inquiry register for feature
presence section.
4.5.1 Advanced Features Access Control Register
Advanced Features Access Control Register
4.5.2 Advanced Features Inquiry Registers
Inquiry Register for Advanced Features (High)
The functionally of the advanced features control and status registers has been
made part of Baslers Smart Features Framework (SFF). We strongly recommend
that you use the SFF registers (see Section 5) rather than the advanced features
registers.
To ensure backward compatibility, the existing advanced features registers de-
scribed below will continue to be supported, but their functionality will not be ex-
tended in the future.
Offset Name Notes
0000h ACCESS_CONTROL_REGISTER See DCAM Spec. V1.30 page 26.
Offset Name Field Bit Description
0008h ADV_INQ_HI Presence [0] Presence of this feature
Test Image [1] Presence of test images
Shading [2] Presence of shading correction
--- [3] Reserved
Extd. Versions [4] Presence of extended versions
Firmware Upload [5] Presence of firmware upload
capability
--- [6..31] Reserved
DRAFT
Inquiry Register for Advanced Features (Low)
Inquiry Register for Extended Version Information
Extended Versions Information Register
000Ch ADV_INQ_LO Presence [0] Presence of this feature
--- [1..31] Reserved
1010h EXTD_VERSIONS_INQ Presence [0] Presence of this feature
--- [1..7] Reserved
Length [8..15] Specifies the length in quadlets of the
String field in the Extended Versions
Information Register (see below).
--- [16..31]
1014h EXTD_VERSIONS String
(Read only)
[n Bytes] An ASCII character string that includes the
software version numbers for the camera.
The length of this string field is equal to the
number of quadlets given in the Length
field of the Inquiry Register for Extended
Version Information (see above).
This string contains the cameras firmware ID number. You can read the string to determine your
cameras firmware ID. The ID numbers position in the string is described in Section 1.1.
For troubleshooting purposes, Basler technical support may ask you to read this register and to supply
the results.
DRAFT
Status and Control Register for Test Images
This advanced features register can be used to control the operation of the cameras test image
feature (see Section 5.7.6 for a description of the available test images).
0098h TEST_IMAGE Presence_Inq
(Read only)
[0] Presence of this feature
0: N/A 1: Available
--- [1..7] Reserved
Image_Inq_1
(Read only)
[8] Presence of test image 1
0: N/A 1: Available
Image_Inq_2
(Read only)
0: N/A 1: Available
Image_Inq_3
(Read only)
0: N/A 1: Available
Image_Inq_4
(Read only)
0: N/A 1: Available
Image_Inq_5
(Read only)
0: N/A 1: Available
Image_Inq_6
(Read only)
0: N/A 1: Available
Image_Inq_7
(Read only)
0: N/A 1: Available
--- [15] Reserved
Image_On
(Read/write)
[16..18] 0: No test image active
1: Test image 1 active
--- [19..31] Reserved
DRAFT
Smart Features
DRAFT
5 Smart Features and the Smart
Features Framework
5.1 What are Smart Features
Smart features are features unique to Basler cameras. Test Images, the Cycle Time Stamp, and
the CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) Checksum are examples of Basler smart features.
In some cases, enabling a smart feature will simply change the behavior of the camera. The Test
Image feature is a good example of this type of smart feature. When the Test Image feature is
enabled, the camera outputs a test image rather than a captured image.
When certain smart features are enabled, the camera actually develops some sort of information
about each image that it acquires. In these cases, the information is added to each image as
trailing data when the image is transmitted from the camera. Examples of this type of smart feature
are the Cycle Time Stamp feature and the CRC Checksum. When the Cycle Time Stamp feature
is enabled, after an image is captured, the camera determines when the acquisition occurred and
develops a cycle time stamp for the image. And if the CRC Checksum feature is enabled, the
camera calculates a checksum for the image. The cycle time stamp and checksum are added as
trailing data to each image as the image is transmitted from the camera.
5.2 What is the Smart Features Framework
The first component of the Smart Features Framework (SFF) is a mechanism that allows you to
enable and to parametrize smart features. This mechanism is essentially an extension of the
register structure defined in the DCAM specification for use with Advanced Features. The SFF
establishes a register for each smart feature. By setting bits within the register for a particular
smart feature, you can enable the feature and control how the feature operates.
When certain smart features are enabled, the camera actually develops some sort of data about
each image that it acquires. For example, when the Cycle Time Stamp feature is enabled, the
camera creates a time stamp for each image based on when the image exposure started. In the
cases where a smart feature develops some sort of data about a captured image, the smart
features data is added as trailing data to each image as the image is transmitted from the camera.
The SFF provides a mechanism for parsing the smart features data added to images transmitted
out of the camera by assigning a unique identifier (GUID) to each smart feature. Whenever the
camera adds data for a smart feature to an image, it includes the GUID for the smart feature as
Smart Features
DRAFT
part of the added data. The GUIDs are especially useful when you enable several smart features
that add data to the image stream. The GUIDs make it possible to identify which portion of the
added data is the result of each enabled smart feature. Refer to Sections 5.6 and 5.7 for detailed
information about getting smart features results.
5.3 What do I Need to Use Smart Features
To use smart features you will need:
A camera that supports smart features. Not all camera models support smart features. And
with some camera models that do support smart features, you may find that older cameras
may not support all available smart features or may not support smart features at all. Section
5.5 contains information about checking a camera to see if it supports smart features.
A method of accessing the cameras DCAM register structure. We strongly recommend that
you use the Basler BCAM 1394 Driver (v1.7 or higher) along with the Basler Smart Features
Framework software to access the registers. (See Section 5.4 for more information about the
SFF Software.)
5.4 What is the Smart Features Framework Software?
A Smart Features Framework Software (SFF Software) package is available from Basler. The SFF
Software has two major components:
An SFF Viewer. The viewer is a Windows
based tool that allows you to easily enable and

disable smart features, parameterize the camera, capture and view images, and view smart
features results.
An SFF Tutorial. The tutorial explains how to access the cameras smart features from within
your own applications. The tutorial is based on the assumption that you are using the Basler
BCAM 1394 driver with your camera.
The SFF software package is available for download at the Basler web site. To download the
software, go to:
http://www.baslerweb.com/popups/popup_en_1825.php
We strongly recommend that you use the Basler BCAM 1394 driver. However, any
driver that can get images in format 7 and that provides access to the DCAM registers
can be used to work with smart features. If you do use a different driver, you can
adapt the access techniques described in the SFF Software tutorial (see Section 5.4)
to the driver you are using.
You should be aware that drivers other than the Basler BCAM driver have not been
tested with smart features.
The SFF Viewer will only work on PCs that have the BCAM driver v1.7 or higher in-
stalled.
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.5 Enabling and Parameterizing Smart Features
The camera provides a control and status register (CSR) for each smart feature (see Sect 5.7 for
details of each feature and its CSR). To enable and parameterize a smart feature, the following
steps must be performed:
1. Check to see if the camera supports smart features.
2. Ask the camera for the address of the CSR for the desired smart feature.
3. Enable and parameterize the desired smart features.
The next two sections describe steps 1 and 2. The layout of the registers used to enable and
parameterize the smart features is described in section 5.7.
5.5.1 Checking to see if the Camera Supports Smart Features
Smart features are vendor unique. Such features are referred to in the 1394 Trade Association
DCAM standard as advanced features. The DCAM standard specifies how vendors should
implement advanced features. According to the standard, advanced features must be unlocked
(that is, enabled) by writing an advanced features set identifier (Feature ID) and a time-out value
to the Advanced Features Access Control Register. From the point of view of the DCAM standard,
smart features are a set of advanced DCAM features. The Feature ID associated with Basler
smart features is 0x0030 533B 73C3.
For Basler cameras, unlocking advanced features is not strictly necessary because any
implemented smart features are always available. However, the unlock mechanism is also used
to check to see if a camera supports vendor unique features such as smart features. If a device
doesnt recognize a Feature ID written to the Access Control Register, a value of
0xFFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF will be read back from the ACR. This value indicates that the device
does not implement the feature set associated with that Feature ID.
Assuming that the address of the Advanced Features Access Control Register is
0xFFFF F2F0 0000, perform the following steps to see if a camera is smart features capable:
1. Write the quadlet data 0x0030 533B to 0xFFFF F2F0 0000
2. Write quadlet data 0x73C3 F000* to 0xFFFF F2F0 0004
3. Read quadlet data from 0xFFFF F2F0 0000 and 0xFFFF F2F0 0004. If at least one of the
read operations returns a value that is not equal to 0xFFFF FFFF, the camera supports
smart features. If both read operations return 0xFFFF FFFF, the camera does not support
smart features.
Note that instead of performing two single quadlet write operations, a block write can be
performed.
* The last three zeros in this quadlet data represent a timeout value. See page 26 in version 1.30
of the 1394-Based Digital Camera Specification
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.5.2 Determining the Address a Smart Features CSR
The control and status register (CSR) for each smart feature is identified by a 128 bit Globally
Unique Identifier (GUID). GUIDs are also known as UUIDs (Universal Unique Identifier).
A GUID consists of:
One 32 bit number (D1)
Two 16 bit numbers (D2, D3)
A sequence of 8 bytes (D4[0] - D4[7])
GUID example:
CA8A916A - 14A4 - 4D8E - BBC9 - 93DF50495C16
(D1) (D2) (D3) (D4[0] - D4[1]) (D4[2] - D4[7])
Section 5.7 describes the standard smart features available on A601f-HDR cameras. Each smart
feature description includes the GUID assigned to the features CSR.
To determine the starting address of a smart features CSR, the features CSR GUID must be
written to the Smart Features Inquiry register (SF_Inq_Register). The SF_Inq_Registers offset
relative to the Access Control Register is 0x10. If the camera recognizes the GUID as the CSR
GUID for an implemented smart feature, the address of CSR for the feature can be read from the
Smart Features Address Register (SF_Addr_Register) at offset 0x20. If the feature isnt supported
by the device, a value of 0x0 will be read from the SF_Addr_Register.
SF_Inq_Register Layout
SF_Addr_Register Layout
Bit
Offset 0-7 8-15 16-23 24-31
10h D1
14h D3 D2
18h D4[3] D4[2] D4[1] D4[0]
1ch D4[7] D4[6] D4[5] D4[4]
Bit
Offset 0-7 8-15 16-23 24-31
20h Address_Lo
24h Address_Hi
Smart Features
DRAFT
Example
Determine the address of the CRC Checksum smart feature which has a CSR GUID of:
3B34004E - 1B84 - 11D8 - 83B3 - 00105A5BAE55
D1: 0x3B34 004E
D2: 0x1B84
D3: 0x11D8
D4[0]: 0x83
D4[1]: 0xB3
D4[2]: 0x00
D4[3]: 0x10
D4[4]: 0x5A
D4[5]: 0x5B
D4[6]: 0xAE
D4[7]: 0x55
Step 1: Write the CSR GUID to the SF_Inq_Register
Assuming that the address for the ACR is 0xFFFF F2F0 0000, perform the following quadlet write
operations to the SF_Inq_Register
a. Write quadlet data 0x3B34 004E to 0xFFFF F2F0 0010 (D1)
b. Write quadlet data 0x11D8 1B84 to 0xFFFF F2F0 0014 (D3 | D2)
c. Write quadlet data 0x1000 B383 to 0xFFFF F2F0 0018 (D4[3] | D[0])
d. Write quadlet data 0x55AE 5B5A to 0xFFFF F2F0 001C (D4[7] | D[4])
Instead of performing four quadlet write operations, one block write operation can be performed.
Step 2: Read the start address for the smart feature from the SF_Addr_register
a. Read quadlet data from 0xFFFF F2F0 0020 (Address_Lo)
b. Read quadlet data from 0xFFFF F2F0 0024 (Address_Hi)
If both Address_Lo and Address_Hi return zero, the camera doesnt support the CRC checksum
feature. Assuming the read operations yielded Address_Lo = 0xF2F0 0038 and Address_Hi =
0x0000 FFFF, the CRC Checksum feature CSRs address is 0xFFFF F2F0 0038.
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.5.3 Enabling and Parameterizing a Smart Feature
Once you have determined the starting address of the control and status register (CSR) for your
desired smart feature, you are ready to enable and parameterize the feature by setting bits within
the CSR.
Section 5.7 describes the standard smart features available on A601f-HDR cameras. Each smart
features description includes an explanation of what the feature does and an explanation of the
parameters associated with the feature. The descriptions also include a detailed layout of how the
bits contained within the features CSR relate to the parameters for the feature. After reading the
description of your desired smart feature, you can enable and parameterize the feature by setting
the appropriate bits within the CSR.
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.6 Getting Smart Features Results
In many cases, activating a smart feature results in additional data that must be transmitted by the
camera, i.e., the results of the smart feature. The results of a smart feature will be appended to
the image data so that each frame contains both image data and smart features results.
Before using any of the smart features that add information to the image data, the extended data
stream feature must be enabled. The extended data stream is in itself a smart feature. When the
extended data stream feature is enabled, information such as the height of the image, the width
of the image, and the AOI size is added to each images basic pixel data. Disabling the extended
data stream feature switches off all smart features that add information to the image data stream.
The extended data stream feature and any other smart features which add information to the
image data stream will only work when the camera is set for video format 7. For other video
formats, enabling the extended data stream feature or any of the other smart features that
normally add data to the image stream does not affect the image data stream; the camera only
sends the basic image data without any added information.
Figure 5-1: Image Data Stream with Smart Features Enabled
As illustrated in Figure 5-1, when smart features are enabled, each image frame consists of
chunks. For example, the frame may include a chunk which contains the extended image data
(the basic image data plus the added height, width, etc. information), a chunk which contains the
results for the frame counter smart feature, a chunk which contains the results for the cycle time
stamp smart feature, etc. Table 5-1 describes the general structure of a chunk.
Each chunk ends with a four byte unsigned integer indicating the length of the chunk and four
bytes which indicate the bitwise complement of the length. Transferring both the chunk length and
the bitwise complement of the length serves as a mechanism to detect transmission errors. If the
last four bytes of a chunk arent the bitwise complement of the preceding four bytes, the chunks
length information isnt valid and this indicates that a transmission error occurred.
Position Name Description
0 Data
[ K Bytes ]
The data that the chunk is transporting.
K Chunk GUID
[ 16 Bytes ]
Identifies the type of chunk and the smart feature associated with the
chunk. (Note that a smart features chuck GUID is not the same as
its CSR GUID.)
K+16 Length
[ 4 Bytes ]
The chunks total length in bytes.
K+20 Inverted Length
[ 4 Bytes ]
The bitwise complement of the length.
Table 5-1: General Structure of a Chunk
Extended Image Data Chunk
(includes basic image data plus added
data such as image height and width)
Smart
Feature A
Chunk
Smart
Feature B
Chunk
Frame N
Smart
Feature A
Chunk
Smart
Feature B
Chunk
Frame N + 1
Smart Features
DRAFT
There are different types of chunks, for example, the chunk that is added when the cycle time
stamp smart feature is enabled and the chunk that is added when the frame counter smart feature
is enabled. Although most chunks follow the general structure described in Table 5-1, each type
of chunk has unique aspects to its layout. To allow you to distinguish between the chunks, each
chunk carries a chunk GUID. The GUID for each chunk is transferred just before the chunks
length information. If you look through the descriptions of the smart features in Section 5.7, you
will notice that for smart features which add a chunk to the image data stream, there is a
description of the layout of the chunk and the chunk GUID associated with the chunk.
A chunks length field contains the chunks total length in bytes. The GUID, the length, and the
inverted length are included as part of the total chunk length.
By appending length information and a chunk GUID to each chunk, the camera sends a self-
describing data stream and allows easy navigation through the individual chunks that make up a
complete image data frame.
5.6.1 How Big a Buffer Do I Need?
When smart features that add data to the image are enabled, the size of each transmitted frame
will be larger than you would normally expect for a frame which contains only image data. To
determine the size of the buffer that you will need to hold an image with appended smart features
data, check the Total_Bytes_Hi_Inq and Total_Bytes_Lo_Inq fields of the Format_7 register for the
mode you are currently using. Make sure to check these fields after all smart features have been
enabled and all other settings affecting the image size have been completed. The size information
in these fields will allow you to properly set up buffers to receive the transmitted images.
Dont confuse CSR GUIDs with chunk GUIDs:

Each smart feature has a control and status register (CSR) associated with it and
each CSR has a unique CSR GUID assigned to the register. The CSR GUIDs
are used to help you keep track of which CSR is associated with each smart fea-
ture.
Any smart feature that adds a chunk of data to the image data stream also has
a unique chunk GUID assigned to the feature. The chunk GUID will be included
the chunk of data that a smart feature adds to the image data. The chunk GUIDs
let you determine which smart feature is associated with each added chunk in
the image data stream.
The CRC Checksum is an exception to the general structure of a chunk. See Section
5.7.5 for more information.
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.7 Standard Smart Features on the A601f-HDR
5.7.1 Extended Data Stream
The extended data stream feature has two functions:
When it is enabled, information such as image height, image width, and AOI size is added to
the basic pixel data for each image.
It must be enabled before you can use any other smart feature that adds information to the
image data stream.
With the extended data stream feature enabled, the basic pixel data for each image and the added
information such as the image height and width are included in an extended data chunk. Refer
to the extended data chunk layout below for a complete description of the information included in
the extended data chunk.
Control and Status Register for the Extended Data Stream Feature
Extended Data Chunk Layout
The extended data stream feature must be enabled in order to use any of the other
smart feature that adds information to the image data stream. Disabling the extended
data stream feature switches off all smart features that add information to the image
data stream.
The extended data stream feature and any other smart features which add informa-
tion to the image data stream will only work when the camera is set for video format 7.
Name Extended_Data_Stream
Address See Determining the Address of Smart Features CSRs on page 5-4.
CSR GUID 4E7ABCB0 - 1B84 - 11D8 - 9651 - 00105A5BAE55
Field Bit Description
Presence_Inq
(Read only)
0: Not Available 1: Available
---- [1 ... 30] Reserved
Enable
(Read / write)
[31] Enable / Disable this feature
0: Disable 1: Enable
0 Pixel Data
[ K Bytes ]
The pixel data from the captured image
K Gap
[ M Bytes ]
For technical reasons, there might be a gap between the
pixel data and the other data in the extended image data.
Smart Features
DRAFT
K + M Stride
[ 4 Bytes ]
Signed integer. Indicates the number of bytes needed to
advance from the beginning of one row in an image to the
beginning of the next row.
K + M + 4 Reserved
[ 3 Bytes ]
-----
K + M + 7 Data Depth
[ 1 Byte ]
Effective data depth in bits of the pixels in the image.
K + M + 8 Top
[ 2 Bytes ]
Y coordinate of the top left corner of the current area of in-
terest (AOI).
K + M + 10 Left
[ 2 Bytes ]
X coordinate of the top left corner of the current AOI.
K + M + 12 Height
[ 2 Bytes ]
Height in pixels of the current AOI.
K + M + 14 Width
[ 2 Bytes ]
Width in pixels of the current AOI.
K + M + 16 Reserved
[ 3 Bytes ]
-----
K + M + 19 Color Coding ID
[ 1 Byte ]
Color coding ID which describes the pixel data format. See
DCAM V1.31. See also Section 3.8.2 of this document.
K + M + 20 Reserved
[ 3 Bytes ]
-----
K + M + 23 Color Filter ID
[ 1 Byte ]
For color cameras, describes the orientation of the color fil-
ter to the current AOI. See DCAM V1.31.
K + M + 24 Chunk GUID
[ 16 Bytes ]
94ED7C88 - 1C0F - 11D8 - 82E0 - 00105A5BAE55
K + M + 40 Chunk Length
[ 4 Bytes ]
This chunks total length in bytes.
K + M + 44 Inverted Chunk Length
[ 4 Bytes ]
The bitwise complement of the chunk length.
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.7.2 Frame Counter
The frame counter feature numbers images sequentially as they are captured. The counter starts
at 0 and wraps at 4294967296 (operating continuously at 100 frames per second, it would take
the counter about 500 days to wrap). The counter increments by one for each captured frame.
Whenever the camera is powered off, the counter will reset to 0.
Note that if the camera is in continuous shot mode and continuous capture is stopped, up to two
numbers in the counting sequence may be skipped. This happens due to the internal image
buffering scheme used in the camera.
Control and Status Register for the Frame Counter Feature
Frame Counter Chunk Layout
The extended data stream feature (see Section 5.7.1) must be enabled in order to
use the frame counter feature or any of the other smart feature that adds information
to the image data stream. Disabling the extended data stream feature switches off all
smart features that add information to the image data stream.
The frame counter feature will only work when the camera is set for video format 7.
Name Frame_Counter
CSR GUID 4433C4A4 - 1B84 - 11D8 - 86B2 - 00105A5BAE55
Presence_Inq
(Read only)
---- [1 ... 30] Reserved
Enable
(Read / write)
0 Counter
[ 4 Bytes ]
The frame counter.
4 Chunk GUID
[ 16 Bytes ]
8C5DB844 - 1C0F - 11D8 - 965F - 00105A5BAE55
20 Chunk Length
[ 4 bytes ]
24 Inverted Chunk Length
[ 4 bytes ]
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.7.3 Cycle Time Stamp
The cycle time stamp feature adds a chunk to each image frame containing the value of the
counters for the IEEE 1394 bus cycle timer. The counters are sampled at the start of exposure of
each image.
Control and Status Register for the Cycle Time Stamp Feature
Cycle Time Stamp Chunk Layout
use the cycle time stamp feature or any of the other smart feature that adds informa-
tion to the image data stream. Disabling the extended data stream feature switches
off all smart features that add information to the image data stream.
The cycle time stamp feature will only work when the camera is set for video format 7.
Name Cycle_Time_Stamp
CSR GUID 5590D58E - 1B84 - 11D8 - 8447 - 00105A5BAE55
Presence_Inq
(Read only)
---- [1 ... 30] Reserved
Enable
(Read / write)
0 Cycle Time Stamp
[ 4 Bytes ]
Second Count [0 ... 6] Counts the seconds. Wraps to
zero after 127 seconds.
Cycle Count [7 ... 19] Counts the 125 s isochronous
bus cycles. Wraps to zero after
counting to 7999.
Cycle Offset [20 ... 31] Counts at 24.576 MHz and wraps
to zero after counting to 3071 (re-
sulting in a 125 s cycle)
4 Chunk GUID
[ 16 Bytes ]
994DD430 - 1C0F - 11D8 - 8F6B - 00105A5BAE55
20 Chunk Length
[ 4 Bytes ]
[ 4 Bytes ]
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.7.4 DCAM Values
The DCAM values feature adds a chunk to each image frame containing the current settings for
some standard DCAM features. The settings are sampled at the start of exposure of each image.
Control and Status Register for the DCAM Values Feature
use the DCAM values feature or any of the other smart feature that adds information
to the image data stream. Disabling the extended data stream feature switches off all
smart features that add information to the image data stream.
The DCAM values feature will only work when the camera is set for video format 7.
Name DCAM_Values
CSR GUID 494DE528 - 1B84 - 11D8 - 8A0C - 00105A5BAE55
Presence_Inq
(Read only)
---- [1 ... 30] Reserved
Enable
(Read / write)
Smart Features
DRAFT
DCAM Values Chunk Layout
0 Gain CSR
[ 4 Bytes ]
Content of the DCAM Gain CSR
Presence_Inq [0] Presence of this feature
If 0, the DCAM feature is not avail-
able and all of its values should be
ignored
Abs_Control [1] Absolute control mode
If 1, the DCAM feature is in absolute
control mode and the current value
can be read from the Absolute Value
CSR. Otherwise, the Value field
holds the current raw value setting.
----- [2 ... 4] reserved
One_Push [5] If 1, a one push operation was in
progress.
ON_OFF [6] 0: The feature was disabled, ignore
the value
1: The feature was enabled
A_M_Mode [7] 0: The feature was in manual control
mode
1: The feature was in auto control
mode
-- [8 ... 19] Reserved
Value [20 ... 31] Value of the feature
4 Gain Absolute Value
CSR
[ 4 Bytes ]
Abs Value [0 ... 31] Floating point value with
IEEE/real*4 format
Unit: dB
8 Shutter CSR
[ 4 bytes ]
Content of the DCAM Shutter CSR
Same layout as the GAIN CSR
12 Shutter Absolute Value
CSR
[ 4 Bytes ]
IEEE/real*4 format
Unit: seconds
16 Gamma CSR
[ 4 bytes ]
Content of the DCAM Gamma CSR
Same layout as the Gain CSR
20 Gamma Absolute Value
CSR
[ 4 Bytes ]
IEEE/real*4 format
Unit: dB
Smart Features
DRAFT
24 White Balance CSR
[ 4 Bytes ]
Content of the DCAM White Balance CSR
Presence_Inq [0] Presence of this feature
If 0, the DCAM feature is not avail-
able and all of its values should be
ignored
Abs_Control [1] Absolute control mode
If 1, the DCAM feature is in absolute
control mode and the current value
can be read from the Absolute Value
CSR. Otherwise, the Value field
holds the current raw value setting.
----- [2 ... 4] reserved
One_Push [5] If 1, a one push operation was in
progress.
ON_OFF [6] 0: The feature was disabled, ignore
the value
1: The feature was enabled
A_M_Mode [7] 0: The feature was in manual control
mode
1: The feature was in auto control
mode
U_Value /
B_Value
[8 ... 19] U value / B value
V_Value /
R_Value
[20 ... 31] V_Value / R_Value
28 White Balance
Absolute Value CSR
[ 4 Bytes ]
IEEE/real*4 format
Unit: K (Kelvin)
32 Brightness CSR
[ 4 bytes ]
Content of the DCAM Brightness CSR
Same layout as the Gain CSR
36 Brightness Absolute
Value CSR
[ 4 Bytes ]
IEEE/real*4 format
Unit: %
40 Chunk GUID
[ 16 Bytes ]
911C8982 - 1C0F - 11D8 - 8AF0 - 00105A5BAE55
56 Chunk Length
[ 4 bytes ]
[ 4 bytes ]
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.7.5 CRC Checksum
The CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) Checksum feature adds a chunk to each image frame
containing a 16 bit CRC checksum calculated using the Z-modem method. The CRC Checksum
chunk is always the last chunk added to the image data stream and the chunk is always 32 bits in
size. As shown in Figure 5-2, the checksum is calculated using all of the image data and all of the
appended chunks except for the checksum itself.
Figure 5-2: Data Used for the Checksum Calculation

Control and Status Register for the CRC Checksum Feature
use the CRC Checksum feature or any of the other smart feature that adds informa-
tion to the image data stream. Disabling the extended data stream feature switches
off all smart features that add information to the image data stream.
The CRC Checksum feature will only work when the camera is set for video format 7.
The data transmission method used on A601f-HDR cameras is extremely reliable. The
CRC Checksum feature is included on the camera because CRC checksums are so
commonly used with data transmission applications.
Name CRC_Checksum
CSR GUID 3B34004E - 1B84 - 11D8 - 83B3 - 00105A5BAE55
Presence_Inq
(Read only)
---- [1 ... 30] Reserved
Enable
(Read / write)
Smart
Feature A
Chunk
Smart
Feature B
Chunk
CRC
Check-
sum
This data is used
to calculate the checksum
Smart Features
DRAFT
CRC Checksum Chunk Layout
The CRC checksum is an exception to the normal chunk structure. The CRC chunk is always 32
bits wide and is always the last chunk appended to the image data. The lower 16 bits of the chunk
are filled with the checksum and the upper 16 bits of the chunk are filled with zeros.
Using the Checksum to Check the Data Integrity
When the checksum smart feature is enabled, the following two C functions can be used to check
if an acquired frame contains a valid CRC checksum. The user must pass the acquired image
buffer and the buffers length in bytes to the CheckBuffer() function. The CheckBuffer() function
uses the CRC16() function to calculate the checksum.
These two samples are intended to aid you in developing the code for your application. They are
provided solely as examples.
/** \brief Calculates a 16 bit CRC checksum
* \param pData Pointer to the data buffer
* \param nbyLength Size of the buffer in bytes
* \return The CRC checksum
*/
unsigned short CRC16(const unsigned char *pData, unsigned long nbyLength )
{
unsigned long i, j, c, bit;
unsigned long crc = 0;
for (i=0; i<nbyLength; i++) {
c = (unsigned long)*pData++;
for (j=0x80; j; j>>=1) {
bit = crc & 0x8000;
crc <<= 1;
if (c & j) bit^= 0x8000;
if (bit) crc^= 0x1021;
}
}
return (unsigned short) (crc & 0xffff);
}
Bit Description
[ 0 ... 7 ] CRC Checksum low byte
[ 8 ... 15 ] CRC Checksum high byte
[ 16 ... 23 ] 0x00
[ 24 ... 31 ] 0x00
Smart Features
DRAFT
/** \brief Verifies a frame buffer's CRC checksum
* \param pData Pointer to the frame
* \param nbyLength Size of frame in bytes
* \return 1, if the check succeeds, 0 otherwise
*/
int CheckBuffer(const unsigned char* pData, unsigned long nbyLength )
{
unsigned long nCurrentCRC, nDesiredCRC;
/* Calculate the CRC checksum of the buffer. Don't take the last four bytes
containing the checksum into account */
nCurrentCRC = CRC16(pData, nbyLength - sizeof( unsigned long ) );
/* Retrieve the desired CRC value from the data buffer */
nDesiredCRC = ((unsigned long*) pData)[ nbyLength / sizeof ( unsigned long ) - 1];
/* Return TRUE if they are equal */
return nCurrentCRC == nDesiredCRC;
}
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.7.6 Test Images
A601f-HDR cameras include a test image mode as a smart feature. The test image mode is used
to check the cameras basic functionality and its ability to transmit an image via the video data
cable. The test image mode can be used for service purposes and for failure diagnostics. In test
mode, the image is generated with a software program and the cameras digital devices and does
not use the optics, the CMOS pixel array, or the ADCs. Test images one, two, three, five and six
are available on A601f-HDr cameras.
When a test image is active, the gain, brightness, and exposure time have no effect on the image.
Test Image one
As shown in Figure 5-3, test image one consists of rows with several gray scale gradients ranging
from 0 to 255. Assuming that the camera is operating at full 656 x 491 resolution and is set for a
monochrome, 8 bit output mode, when the test images are generated:
row 0 starts with a gray value of 1 for the first pixel,
row 1 starts with a value of 2 for the first pixel,
row 2 starts with a gray vale of 3 for the first pixel, and so on.
(If the camera is operating at a lower resolution when the test images are generated, the basic
appearance of the test pattern will be similar to Figure 5-3, but the starting pixel values on each
row will not be as described above.)
The mathematical expression for test image one is:

Figure 5-3: Test Image One
The test image smart feature does not add information to the image data stream and
can be enabled even when the extended data stream feature (see Section 5.7.1) is
disabled.
The test image feature will work when the camera is set for any valid video format.
grayvalue [ x + y + 1 ] MOD256 =
Smart Features
DRAFT
Test Image Two
As shown in Figure 5-4, test image two consists of rows with several gray scale gradients ranging
from 0 to 255. Assuming that the camera is operating at full 656 x 491 resolution and is set for a
monochrome, 8 bit output mode, when the test images are generated:
rows 0, 1, and 2 start with a gray value of 0 for the first pixel,
rows 3, 4, 5, and 6 start with a gray value of 1 for the first pixel,
rows 7, 8, 9, and 10 start with a gray value of 2 on the first pixel, and so on.
(If the camera is operating at a lower resolution when the test images are generated, the basic
appearance of the test pattern will be similar to Figure 5-4, but the staring pixel values on each
row will not be as described above.)
The mathematical expression for test image two is:
Figure 5-4: Test Image Two
Test Image Three
Test image three is similar to test image one but it is not stationary. The image moves by 1 pixel
from right to left whenever a one-shot or a continuous-shot command signal is sent to the camera.
grayvalue
[ x + y + 1 ]
4
----------------------------- MOD 256, round off all values =
Smart Features
DRAFT
Test Image Five
Test image five is a stationary image. Figure 5-5 shows the general appearance of test image five.
The test image is generated using a complex mathematical formula and its appearance will vary
significantly depending on how the HDR parameters are set. The main way that this image can be
used is to check the basic functionary of your HDR feature. To check basic HDR functionality,
enable test image five and vary the HDR parameters. If you see the appearance of the test image
changing as you change the HDR parameters, it means that the basic HDR functions are
operational.
Figure 5-5: Test Image Five
Test Image Six
Test image six is similar to test image five but it is not stationary. The image moves by 1 pixel from
right to left whenever a one-shot or a continuous-shot command signal is sent to the camera.
Smart Features
DRAFT
Control and Status Register for the Test Image Feature
Name Test_Images
CSR GUID 2A411342 - C0CA - 4368 - B46E - EE5DEEBF0548
Presence_Inq
(Read only)
----- [1 ... 7] Reserved
Image_Inq_1
(Read only)
Image_Inq_2
(Read only)
Image_Inq_3
(Read only)
Image_Inq_4
(Read only)
Image_Inq_5
(Read only)
Image_Inq_6
(Read only)
Image_Inq_7
(Read only)
----- [15] Reserved
Image_On
(Read / write)
[16 ... 18] 0: No test image active
6: Test Image 6 active
----- [19 ... 31] Reserved
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.7.7 Extended Version Information
A601f-HDR cameras include a register that contains version numbers for the cameras internal
software. This information is not ordinarily useful to the camera user. However, for troubleshooting
purposes, Basler technical support may ask you to read this register and to supply the results.
Control and Status Register for the Extended Version Information Feature
The extended version information smart feature does not add information to the im-
age data stream and can be accessed even when the extended data stream feature
(see Section 5.7.1) is disabled.
The extended version feature will work when the camera is set for any valid video for-
mat.
Name Extended_Version_Information
CSR GUID 2B2D8714 - C15E - 4176 - A235 - 6EF843D747B4
Presence_Inq
(Read only)
----- [1 ... 7] Reserved
Length [8 ... 15] Specifies the length in quadlets of the string field.
----- [16 ... 31] Reserved
Version_Info [n Bytes] An ASCII character string that includes the version numbers for the
cameras internal software. The length of this string field is equal to the
number of quadlets given in the length field above.
The ASCII character string in the Version_Info field contains the cameras firmware
ID number. You can read the string to determine your cameras firmware ID. The ID
numbers position in the string is described in Section 1.1.
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.7.8 Lookup Table
A601f-HDR cameras have a sensor that reads pixel values at a 10 bit depth, however, the cameras
can be set to output pixel values at an 8 bit depth. When set for 8 bit output, the camera normally
uses an internal process to convert the 10 bit pixel values from the sensor to the 8 bit values
transmitted out of the camera. When making the 10 to 8 bit conversion, the internal process takes
the cameras current gain and brightness settings into account.
A601f-HDR cameras include a smart feature that allows you to use a custom lookup table to map
the 10 bit sensor output to the 8 bit camera output rather than using the internal process. When
the custom lookup table is enabled, the gain and brightness settings have no effect. The 10 to 8
bit conversion is based solely on the lookup table.
The lookup table is essentially just a list of 1024 values. Each value in the table represents the 8
bit value that will be transmitted out of the camera when the sensor reports a particular 10 bit value
for a pixel. The first number in the table represents the 8 bit value that will be transmitted out of
the camera when the sensor reports that a pixel has a value of 0. The second number in the table
represents the 8 bit value that will be transmitted out of the camera when the sensor reports that
a pixel has a value of 1. The third number in the table represents the 8 bit value that will be
transmitted out of the camera when the sensor reports that a pixel has a value of 2. And so on.
The advantage of the lookup table feature is that it allows the user to customize the response
curve of the camera. The graphs below represent the contents of two typical lookup tables. The
first graph is for a lookup table where the values are arranged so that the output of the camera
increases linearly as the sensor output increases. The second graph is for a lookup table where
the values are arranged so that the camera output increases quickly as the sensor output moves
from 0 through 511 and increases gradually as the sensor output moves from 512 through 1023.
Figure 5-6: LUT with Values Mapped in a Linear Fashion
Figure 5-7: LUT with Values Mapped for Higher Camera Output at Low Sensor Readings
8 Bit
Camera
Output
10 Bit Sensor Reading
0
0
1023
255
511 255 767
8 Bit
Camera
Output
10 Bit Sensor Reading
0
0
1023
255
511 255 767
Smart Features
DRAFT
Please look at the next page and examine the layout of the control and status register for the
lookup table smart feature. You will notice that the first two quadlets of the register include bits that
allow you to check for this features presence and to enable or disable the feature. These initial
two quadlets are followed by 1024 quadlets. The 1024 quadlets contain the values that make up
the customized lookup table.
The lookup table smart feature does not add information to the image data stream
and can be accessed even when the extended data stream feature (see Section
5.7.1) is disabled.
When you enable the lookup table feature, the 1024 quadlets that represent the
lookup table are automatically populated with values based on the current gain and
brightness settings. If you want use a customized lookup table you must:
1. Use the the look table feature Control and Status Register (CSR) to enable the
lookup table feature.
2. Use the CSR to load the values for the customized lookup table.
When the lookup table is enabled, changes in the gain and brightness settings will
have no effect on camera operation.
The lookup table feature will work when the camera is set for any valid video format.
The lookup table feature can not be used when the high dynamic range feature (see
Section 6) is enabled.
Smart Features
DRAFT
Control and Status Register for the Lookup Table Feature
Name Lookup_Table
CSR GUID B28C667C - DF9D - 11D7 - 8693 - 000C6E0BD1B0
Position Field Bit Description
0 Presence_Inq
(Read only)
----- [1 ... 30] Reserved
Enable
(Read / write)
4 In_Depth_Inq
(Read only)
[0 ... 15] Bit depth of the pixel data reported by the sensor.
Out_Depth_Inq
(Read only)
[16 ... 31] Bit depth of the pixel data transmitted from the camera.
8 Quadlet_0
(Read / write)
[1 Quadlet] Defines the 8 bit value that will be transmitted from the
camera when the 10 bit pixel value from the sensor is 0.
(The 8 LSBs of the quadlet carry the data for the field.
The 24 MSBs are all zeros.)
12 Quadlet_1
(Read / write)
camera when the 10 bit pixel value reported from the
sensor is 1.
16 Quadlet_2
(Read / write)
sensor is 2.

4096 Quadlet_1022
(Read / write)
sensor is 1022.
4100 Quadlet_1023
(Read / write)
sensor is 1023.
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.7.8.1 Using the SFF Viewer to Upload a Lookup Table
The Configurator window in the Basler SFF Viewer (see Section 5.4) includes an Upload button
that can be used to easily load a file containing a customized lookup table into the camera. The
file must be plain text and must be formatted correctly. The file must have 1024 lines with each
line containing two comma-separated values. The first value on each line represents a 10 bit pixel
reading from the sensor and the second value represents the corresponding 8 bit output that will
be transmitted from the camera.
The sample below shows part of a typical text file for a lookup table. Assuming that you have
enabled the lookup table feature on your camera and used the Upload button to load a file similar
to the sample into the camera:
If the sensor reports that a pixel has a value of 1, the camera will output a value of 0.
Figure 5-8: Sample Text File for Use With Upload Button
0,0
1,0
2,0
3,0
4,1
5,1
6,1
7,1
8,2
9,2
10,2
11,2
12,3
13,3
14,3
15,3
16,4
17,4
18,4
19,4
20,5
21,5
1010,252
1011,252
1012,253
1013,253
1014,253
1015,253
1016,254
1017,254
1018,254
1019,254
1020,255
1021,255
1022,255
1023,255
Smart Features
DRAFT
5.8 Customized Smart Features
The Basler A601f-HDR has significant processing capabilities and Basler can accommodate
customer requests for customized smart features. A great advantage of the smart features
framework is that it serves as a standardized platform for parameterizing any customized smart
feature and for returning the results from the feature.
The Basler camera development team is ready and able to handle requests for customized smart
features. The cost to the customer for adding a customized smart feature to the A601f-HDR will
depend on the complexity of algorithm, software, and firmware development, of incorporating the
feature within the smart features framework, and of testing to ensure that the feature meets
specifications. Please contact your Basler sales representative for more details about customized
smart features.
Using the HDR Feature
DRAFT
6 Using the HDR Feature
6.1 What is the HDR Feature
Most digital cameras operate with sensors that use an 8, 10, or 12 bit value to encode the
brightness of each pixel in the images captured by the sensor. If the sensor operates in a linear
fashion with a 12 bit depth, it can capture images with a dynamic range of up to 72 dB between
the darkest area in the image and the lightest area in the image. For many applications where the
light sources in the field of view can be adjusted, this range is usually enough to accurately
represent all of the gradations of shading within the image. But for situations where a bright light
source or shiny materials are located within the field of view or where a scene is captured in
daylight, this dynamic range may not be enough. In these situations, you will often find that if a
high exposure time is used to capture detail in the darker areas of the field of view, the light areas
appear overexposed in the captured images. And if a short exposure time is used to avoid
overexposure in the lighter areas of the captured images, all detail is lost in the darker areas. The
basic problem is that the very wide range of lighting gradations present in these situations can not
be accurately represented by an 8, 10, or 12 bit output.
For situations where the lighting ranges from very dark to very light, a digital camera that can
output detailed images on a scale which represents a very high dynamic range is required. The
A601f-HDr has this capability. Technically, it can output images at up to a 22 bit depth - a scale
that can represent images with up to a 132 dB dynamic range. (In practice, you will find the useful
limit to be about 19 bits and an approximately 112 dB dynamic range.)
DRAFT
6.2 How Does the HDR Feature Work
The principle behind the HDR feature is fairly simple. When an HDR image capture is triggered
on the camera, the camera actually captures several complete images at progressively longer
exposure times. In the images with the shortest exposure times, the bright areas will be sharp and
clear but the dark areas will be underexposed and details will be lost. In the images with the
longest exposure times, the bright areas will be overexposed but the dark areas will be clear and
will show detail. The HDR algorithm examines the collected set of images and for each pixel in the
scene, it selects the pixel value from the collected images that best represents the scene. It them
merges these pixel values into a single image and scales the pixel values in the combined image
to an output range of up to 22 bits.
The three images below show what can be done with the A601f-HDr when capturing an image
outside in daylight. The left image was captured in standard, single-exposure fashion with a low
exposure time. As you can see, the bright areas of the image are visible, but the dark areas have
no detail. The center image was captured in standard, single-exposure fashion with a longer
exposure time. The dark areas now show detail, but the bright areas are overexposed. The right
image was captured using the A601f-HDr high dynamic range feature. As you can see, the image
shows good detail in both the dark areas and the light areas. (You should know that a filter was
used to reduce the right-hand image to 8 bits so that it could be viewed and printed on
conventional devices.)
Figure 6-1: Conventional vs. A601f-HDr Images
One major advantage of the multiple exposure technique employed in A601f-HDr cameras is that
the high dynamic range images produced have a low noise level. There are cameras available on
the market that can produce high dynamic range images from a single exposure, but the
techniques used to stretch the dynamic range in the images from these cameras results in a high
noise level.
Internally, the camera captures several images to create one HDR image. Externally,
the camera behaves as though it is capturing a single image. In other words, for each
complete HDR image, only one trigger ready signal is generated, only one trigger sig-
nal is needed to start image capture, the frame counter increments only once, etc.
Due to the multiple exposure technique employed in A601f-HDr cameras, high dy-
namic range images of moving objects may contain image artifacts.
DRAFT
6.3 Using the HDR Feature
6.3.1 Enabling and Parameterizing the HDR Feature
The HDR feature can only work when the camera is set for video format 7, mode 2. Make sure
that the camera is set for this format and mode before enabling HDR (see pages 3-19 and 4-11).
The HDR feature on A601f-HDr cameras is part of the smart features framework described in
Chapter 5. If you have not already done so, you should read the material in this chapter to
familiarize yourself with smart features. The HDR feature is enabled and its parameters are set in
the same fashion as the other smart features. The layout of the control and status register (CSR)
for the HDR feature is shown in the table starting on page 6-6.
The main parameters associated with the HDR feature are:
Quality
The quality parameter setting determines the number of exposures that will be captured and
combined to form the final images. There are four quality settings: High, Normal, Medium, and
Low. The higher the quality setting, the greater the number of exposures used to create each HDR
image.
Using higher quality settings represents a trade-off. When you use the higher settings, you will see
very low noise in your HDR images (see Figure 6-2 on the next page). At lower settings, the noise
in the HDR images increases. But since higher quality images require more exposures to create,
the frame rate you can achieve with the high quality settings will be low. Using the lower quality
settings will increase your achieveable frame rate, but there will be more noise in the HDR images.
The setting for the quality parameter has an influence on the step size of the dynamic bits
parameter (see Dynamic Bits below).
Dynamic Bits
The dynamic bits parameter setting determines the bit depth of the HDR images created by the
camera. For example, when the dynamic bits is set to 18, the HDR images created by the camera
will have an 18 bit depth.
The absolute maximum for the dynamic bits setting is 22, however, the maximum may be limited
by other settings. For example, as the value of the start shutter parameter is increased, the
maximum allowed value for the dynamic bits setting decreases. Before setting the dynamic bits,
you should set all other HDR parameters. You should then check the values of the minimum
dynamic bits and maximum dynamic bits parameters. Your setting for the dynamic bits parameter
must be between the indicated min and max (inclusive).
While the setting for the dynamic bits parameter determines the bit depth of the HDR images
created by the camera, it does not necessarily determine the bit depth of the images transmitted
from the camera. See Section 6.3.2 for more details.
The HDR smart feature does not add information to the image data stream and it can
be enabled even when the extended image data feature (see Section 5.7.1) is dis-
abled.
The HDR feature will only work when the camera is set for video format 7, mode 2.
DRAFT
The step size that you can use when changing the dynamic bits setting depends on the setting for
the quality parameter:
If the quality parameter is set to high, the dynamic bits parameter can be set is steps of one
(8, 9, 10, 11, 12 .... 20, 21, 22)
If the quality parameter is set to normal, the dynamic bits parameter can be set is steps of
two (8, 10, 12, 14 .... 20, 22)
If the quality parameter is set to medium, the dynamic bits parameter can be set is steps of
three (8, 11, 14, 17, 20)
If the quality parameter is set to low, the dynamic bits parameter can be set is steps of four
(8, 12, 16, 20)
If the dynamic bits parameter is set to a value that is not valid with the current quality setting, the
camera will automatically change the dynamic bits setting to the next highest valid value. For
example, if the quality parameter is set to medium and you set the dynamic bits to 12, the camera
will automatically increase the dynamic bits setting to 14.
Figure 6-2: Signal-to-Noise Ratio of HDR Images with a 20 Bit Depth
8.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
5.5
5.0
4.5
.001 .01 .10 1.0 10 100
% Sensor Saturation
S/N Ratio of Individual Exposures
S/N Ratio of Resulting HDR Image
Quality = High
8.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
5.5
5.0
4.5
.001 .01 .10 1.0 10 100
% Sensor Saturation
Quality = Normal
8.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
5.5
5.0
4.5
.001 .01 .10 1.0 10 100
% Sensor Saturation
Quality = Medium
8.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
5.5
5.0
4.5
.001 .01 .10 1.0 10 100
% Sensor Saturation
Quality = Low
DRAFT
Start Shutter
The HDR feature creates high dynamic range images by capturing a series of images at
progressively longer exposure times and then combining the series of images into a single HDR
image. The setting for the start shutter parameter determines the exposure time for the first image
in the series. The camera automatically calculates the exposure time for the other images in the
series based on the start shutter value.
The maximum allowed setting for start shutter can vary depending on other HDR settings. So
before you set the start shutter parameter, you should check the values of the minimum start
shutter and maximum start shutter parameters. Your setting for the start shutter parameter must
be between the indicated min and max (inclusive).
The value of the start shutter parameter represents n in the equation:
Starting Shutter Time = (n x 20 s)
So, for example, if the value stored for the start shutter parameter is 5, the starting shutter time
will be 5 x 20 s or 100 s.
Increasing the value of the start shutter parameter will increase the brightness of the resulting
HDR image. You should keep in mind that changes to the start shutter parameter have an effect
on the allowed range of the dynamic bits setting. As the start shutter parameter is increased, the
maximum allowed setting for the dynamic bits parameter decreases.
The start shutter parameter setting also affects the maximum frame rate that the camera can
achieved. As the start shutter value is increased, the maximum achievable frame rate decreases.
Gamma
When the cameras color coding (see pages 3-19 and page 4-11) is set to Mono 8, the HDR
images created by the camera will be converted to 8 bit images before they are transmitted. A
common gamma conversion formula is used to convert the images. The setting for the gamma
parameter determines the value of gamma in the conversion formula. Section 6.3.2 explains the
conversion process in more detail.
The units for the gamma parameter are in hundredths. So if the gamma parameter is set to 75, for
example, this represents an actual gamma value of 75 hundredths or 0.75. A setting of 125 would
represent 125 hundredths or 1.25.
Before you set the gamma parameter, you should then check the values of the minimum gamma
and maximum gamma parameters. Your setting for the gamma parameter must be between the
indicated min and max (inclusive).
As mentioned above, this internal gamma conversion function is performed inside of the camera
before the images are transmitted. You should be aware that this internal function only produces
an approximated gamma. Images produced using this internal gamma function are intended for
preview purposes when only an 8 bit monitor is available. These images have limited suitability
for high level image analysis purposes.
The Basler SFF Viewer includes a converter option that lets you do a gamma conversion on HDR
images after they have been transmitted to the PC (see Section 6.3.4). This external conversion
process gives much better results.
DRAFT
One Push Auto
The one push auto parameter is used to initiate a routine that automatically sets the cameras HDR
parameters. Setting the one push auto parameter to 1 initiates the routine. The parameter will
automatically reset to zero when the routine is complete.
When the one push auto routine is activated, the camera begins capturing and examining images.
As it examines the captured images, it automatically adjusts the HDR settings so that the bright
parts of the captured scene are not saturated and the dark parts are not too dark.
Once the routine is complete, the camera will use the new HDR settings made by the routine. The
camera will continue to use these settings until you change them.
Control and Status Register for the High Dynamic Range Feature
Name High_Dynamic_Range
CSR GUID 93F1F19D - 5761 - 4260 - A9D787F7BE722129
Position Field Bit Description
0 Presence_Inq
(Read only)
----- [1] Reserved
One_Push_Auto
(Read / write)
[2] One push automatic parameter adjustment.
Setting the bit to 1 will initiate the automatic adjust-
ment routine. The bit will reset to zero when the rou-
tine is complete.
----- [3] Reserved
Quality
(Read / write)
[4 ... 5] Determines the number of exposures that will be
captured to create the final image. Higher quality
requires more exposures.
0: High Quality
1: Normal Quality
2: Medium Quality
3: Low Quality
----- [6 ... 7] Reserved
Min_Dynamic_Bits
(Read only)
[8 ... 15] Minimum allowed value for the dynamic bits setting
Max_Dynamic_Bits
(Read only)
[16 ... 23] Maximum allowed value for the dynamic bits setting
Dynamic_Bits
(Read / write)
[24 ... 31] Sets the depth of the HDR image
4 Min_Start_Shutter
(Read only)
[0 ... 31] Minimum allowed value for the starting shutter
setting
DRAFT
8 Max_Start_Shutter
(Read only)
[0 ... 31] Maximum allowed value for the starting shutter
setting
12 Start_Shutter
(Read / write)
[0 ... 31] Starting shutter time = (start_shutter register value
x 20 s)
16 Internal_Gamma
Presence_Inq
(Read only)
[0] Presence of the internal gamma feature
(This bit is only set when the color coding is set to
Mono 8.)
----- [1 ... 7] Reserved
Min_Gamma
(Read only)
[8 ... 15] Minimum allowed value for the gamma setting
Max_Gamma
(Read only)
[16 ... 23] Maximum allowed value for the gamma setting
Gamma
(Read / write)
[24 ... 31] This parameter sets the value of gamma in the con-
version formula used when the camera is set for
Mono 8 output.
The units for this parameter are 1/100ths. So a set-
ting of 75, for example, would represent 75/100ths
or 0.75.
When HDR is active, the brightness and gain settings for the camera are fixed and
can not be adjusted.
When HDR is active, the shutter setting (see page 4-7) is not used and changing this
setting will have no effect on the cameras operation.
DRAFT
6.3.2 Determining the Bit Depth of Transmitted HDR Images
As described in Section 6.3.1, the bit depth of the HDR images created by the camera will be
determined by the setting of the Dynamic Bits parameter. While this setting determines the bit
depth of the HDR image the camera creates, it does not determine the bit depth of the images that
are transmitted out of the camera. The bit depth of the transmitted images is determined by the
setting for the Color_Coding_ID in the cameras Format_7 Mode_2 control and status register
(see pages 3-19 and 4-11).
When the camera is operating in video Format_7 Mode_2, three color codings are available:
Mono 8, Mono 16, and Vendor Specific 0.
With the color coding set to Mono 8:
The HDR images created by the camera are reduced to 8 bit depth before they are transmitted.
A common gamma correction method is used to reduce the bit depth. With this internal gamma
conversion method, each HDR pixel value is converted to an 8 bit value using the following
formula:
Where: P
8
is the resulting 8 bit pixel value
P
HDR
is the original pixel value in the HDR image
P
HDR Max
is the maximum pixel value that can be represented in the HDR
image with the current HDR settings
is the current setting for the gamma parameter in the HDR CSR register
This internal gamma conversion function is performed inside of the camera before the images
are transmitted. You should be aware that this internal function only produces an approximated
gamma. Images produced using this internal gamma function are intended for preview purposes
when only an 8 bit monitor is available. These images have limited suitability for high level image
analysis purposes.
The Basler SFF Viewer includes a converter option that lets you do a gamma conversion on HDR
images after they have been transmitted to the PC (see Section 6.3.4). This external conversion
process gives much better results.
With the color coding set to Mono 16:
Images are transmitted from the camera at 16 bit depth.
If the bit depth of the HDR images created by the camera is lower than 16 bits, the 16 bit values
transmitted from the camera will be packed with zero(s). For example, assume that the bit depth
of the HDR images is set to 14 bits. In this case the camera would transmit 16 bit values but only
the 14 LSBs would represent actual pixel data. The two MSBs in the 16 bit values transmitted from
the camera would be packed with zeros.
P
8
255
P
HDR
P
HDR Max
-----------------------------------

=
DRAFT
With the color coding set for Vendor Specific 0:
Images are transmitted from the camera at 16 bit depth, however the transmitted 16 bits are in a
special vendor unique format. This 16 bit format is capable of representing any pixel value present
in any HDR image created by the camera.
With the Vendor Specific 0 format, the least significant byte of the transmitted 16 bits represents
a base (unsigned) and the most significant byte represents an exponent. The actual value of the
pixel is:
Example 1
If an A601f-HDr camera was set for Vendor Specific 0 color coding and it transmitted a value of
0x0220, the base would be 32 (decimal) and the exponent would be 2 (decimal). The actual pixel
value would be:
Example 2
If an A601f-HDr camera was set for Vendor Specific 0 color coding and it transmitted a value of
0x0DC3, the base would be 195 (decimal) and the exponent would be 13 (decimal). The actual
pixel value would be:
Note that the values delivered from the camera are not normalized. This means that there can be
different codings for the same value. For example:
Actual Pixel Value Base 2
exponent
=
2
=
13
=
128 2
0
64 2
1
32 2
2
. . . = = =
DRAFT
6.3.3 Maximum Frame Rate in the HDR Mode
As a rule, the maximum frame rate on an A601f-HDr camera is 60 frames per second. The camera
can not exceed this frame rate under any circumstances.
The maximum frame rate can also be limited by either of two factors:
The amount of time it takes to transfer an image from the frame buffer to the PC via the
IEEE 1394 bus.
The amount of time it takes to create an HDR image with the current HDR and AOI set-
tings.
To determine the maximum frame rate for a given set of HDR parameter values, calculate a result
in each of the two formulas below. The formula that returns the lowest value will determine the
maximum frame rate for the given HDR settings.
Formula 1:
Formula 2:
This formula includes a series of calculations needed to determine the time it takes to create an
HDR image with the current settings.
Calculation A - Number of Exposures Needed to Create the HDR Image:
Where: DB = the dynamic bits setting
Q = 1 with quality set to high
2 with the quality set to normal
3 with the quality set to medium
4 with the quality set to low
Calculation B - Sensor Readout Time for Each Exposure:
(The sensor readout time will be the same for each exposure.)
Max. Frames/s
1
Packets/frame 125 s
---------------------------------------------------------------- =
Number of Exposures
(DB - 8)
Q
-------------------- - 1 + =
Readout Time AOI Height + 3 ( ) 15.28 s =
DRAFT
Calculation C - The Exposure Time for Each Exposure
Where: S = start shutter setting in s
Q = 1 with quality set to high
2 with the quality set to normal
3 with the quality set to medium
4 with the quality set to low
n = the exposure number
This calculation must be made for each exposure needed to create the HDR image.
The exposures are numbered starting with 0. So, for example, if the HDR image
requires three exposures, you will make the calculation for exposure number 0,
exposure number 1, and exposure number 2.
Calculation D
For each exposure:
determine the sum of Exposure Time + 90 s
compare this sum to the readout time + 60 s
make note of the higher of the two values
Calculation E
Find the sum of the high values that you noted in calculation D. This sum is THDR,
i.e., the total time (in s) that it takes to create one HDR image with the current
settings.
Calculation F - The maximum frame rate with the current HDR settings
Once you have made these calculations, you can determine the maximum frame rate for your
current HDR settings. Compare the outcome of formula one, the outcome of the calculations in
formula two, and the 60 fps absolute maximum rate for the A601f-HDR. The maximum frame rate
for your current HDR settings is the lowest of these three values.
Exposure Time
n
S 2
Q
( )
n
=
Max. Frames / s
1
THDR
---------------- =
DRAFT
Example:
Assume that after making all camera settings, you check the Packet_Per_Frame_Inq register in
the control and status registers for Format 7. You find that the packets per frame with the current
setting is 158.
Assume that the AOI is set for the sensors full 656 x 491 resolution.
Assume that the HDR settings are:
Quality = Normal (2)
Dynamic Bits = 18
Starting Shutter = 40 s
Formula 1:
Max. Frames/s = 50.6
Formula 2:
Calculation A - Number of Exposures Needed to Create the HDR Image:
Number of Exposures = 6
Calculation B - Sensor Readout Time for Each Exposure:
Readout Time = 7548.32 s (round to 7548)
(This readout time will be the same for all exposures.)
Max. Frames/s
1
158 125 s
------------------------------------ =
Number of Exposures
(18 - 8)
2
------------------- 1 + =
Readout Time 491 + 3 ( ) 15.28 s =
DRAFT
Calculation C - The Exposure Time for Each Exposure
Exposure Time for Exposure
0
= 40 s
1
= 160 s
2
= 640 s
3
= 2560 s
4
= 10240 s
5
= 40960 s
0
40 s 2
2
( )
0
=
1
40 s 2
2
( )
1
=
2
40 s 2
2
( )
2
=
3
40 s 2
2
( )
3
=
4
40 s 2
2
( )
4
=
5
40 s 2
2
( )
5
=
DRAFT
Calculation D
Calculation D
Sum the high values from calculation 4 to get the total HDR exposure time.
Sum = 7608 s + 7608 s + 7608 s + 7608 s + 10330 s + 41050 s
Sum = 81812 s
Calculation E - The maximum frame rate with the current HDR settings
Max. Frames / s = 12.2
Among the three values:
60 fps maximum frame rate for the A601-HDR
50.6 fps from formula 1
12.2 fps from formula 2
the lowest value is 12.2. So the maximum frame rate with the current HDR settings is 12.2 frames
per second.
Readout Time + 60 s Exp. Time + 90 s Higher Value
Exposure 0 7548 + 60 = 7608 s 40 + 90 = 130 s 7608 s
Exposure 1 7548 + 60 = 7608 s 160 + 90 = 150 s 7608 s
Exposure 2 7548 + 60 = 7608 s 640 + 90 = 730 s 7608 s
Exposure 3 7548 + 60 = 7608 s 2560 + 90 = 2650 s 7608 s
Exposure 4 7548 + 60 = 7608 s 10240 + 90 = 10330 s 10330 s
Exposure 5 7548 + 60 = 7608 s 40960 + 90 = 41050 s 41050 s
Max. Frames / s
1
81812 s
------------------------ =
DRAFT
6.3.4 Viewing HDR Images with Baslers SFF Viewer
Most common computer monitors can only display images at 8 bits per pixel in grayscale mode.
Because HDR images captured by your camera and transmitted to your PC normally have greater
than 8 bit depth, they cant usually be displayed on a standard computer monitor. The Basler SFF
Viewer (see Section 5.4) includes converters that can be used to reduce captured HDR images
to 8 bit depth so that they can be viewed on a standard monitor. Three conversion methods are
available in the viewer: Gamma, Tonemap, and Laplace.
The Configurator window in the SFF Viewer software is used the select the conversion method
and the Viewer window is used to view the resulting images. For more information on using the
SFF Viewer, see the online help file included with the software.
Gamma Conversion
A common gamma filter is the most simple method for converting captured HDR images to 8 bit
depth for on-screen display. With this method, each HDR pixel value is converted to an 8 bit value
using the following formula:
Where: P
8
is the resulting 8 bit pixel value
P
HDR
is the original pixel value in the HDR image
P
HDR Max
is the highest pixel value in the captured HDR (or 255 if the highest
value is less than 255)
is the current value in the Gamma setting in the Configurator window of the
viewer
You can use the Configurator window in the software tool to set the value of gamma.
The converters were developed so that the HDR images captured by A601f-HDr cam-
eras could be reduced to 8 bit depth for viewing on standard monitors. But these con-
verters are also useful on other Basler IEEE 1394 cameras that do not have the HDR
feature. For example, the Basler A102f can output images with an effective 12 bit
depth. The HDR converters in the SFF Viewer can be used to reduce the 12 bit im-
ages to 8 bits so that they can be viewed on a standard monitor.
P
8
255
P
HDR
P
HDR Max
-----------------------------------

=
DRAFT
Tonemap Conversion
The tonemap converter adjusts the histogram of the values in the HDR image so that the result is
an 8 bit grayscale image with a nearly balanced histogram.
Laplace Conversion
With a Laplace conversion, bandpass filtering is used to decompose the HDR image into several
subimages with different spatial frequency ranges. These subimages are then compressed. The
subimages with low frequencies are compressed more to eliminate global light distribution. The
high frequency subimages, which contain most of the details of the scene, are compressed less.
The subimages are then recombined to form a single 8 bit image.
The Laplace conversion technique has several advantages and disadvantages. The advantages
are that it is a quick conversion (when compared to the most sophisticated filter algorithms)
making it good for live viewing and that it has the most highly detailed contrast of any of the
implemented converters. The main disadvantage is that the resulting images look unnatural.
Figure 6-3: Filtered Images of an Outdoor Scene
Gamma Filtered Tonemap Filtered Laplace Filtered
DRAFT
6.3.5 Manually Adjusting the HDR Settings with Baslers
SFF Viewer
This section describes a technique for manually adjusting the HDR settings while capturing and
viewing images with the Basler SFF Viewer (see Section 5.4). Doing the manual adjustment
procedure serves two purposes:
It familiarizes you with the HDR settings and gives you a feel for how the settings affect the
HDR images transmitted from the camera.
It gives you the opportunity to establish some base HDR settings that you can use when
operating the camera in your actual application.
To perform the manual adjustment, you must use the SFF Software Tool to change the HDR
settings and to view the captured images. The Configurator window in the software tool is used to
change the cameras HDR settings. The Configurator window is also used to select a conversion
method that will be used convert the HDR images to an 8 bit format that is viewable on your
monitor. The Viewer window in the software tool is used to view the captured images. (See the
online help included with the software tool for more information about using each window.)
To adjust the HDR settings:
1. Set up your lighting and your field of view so that they represent your normal operating
conditions.
2. Use the Configurator window to make the following settings:
Video Mode = 2
Color Coding = Vendor Specific 0,
HDR Quality = high
HDR Start Shutter = 1
HDR Dynamic Bits = 8
HDR Converter Type = Tone Map
3. Capture an image and use the Viewer window to examine the pixel values in the brightest
parts of the image. The pixel values in these areas should be about 240 to 250. (if you place
the cursor over the image, the values for the pixel under the cursor will be displayed in the
Viewer windows status bar.)
a) If the pixel values are not in that range, use the Configurator window to adjust the HDR
starting shutter value. Increasing the value will make the brightest pixel values in the
captured images higher. Decreasing the value will make them lower.
(You could also adjust the image brightness by increasing or decreasing the lighting on
your object.)
b) Continue to capture images, examine the pixels, and adjust the starting shutter value
until the brightest pixels are in the 240 to 250 range.
4. Use the Configurator window to increase the HDR dynamic bits setting by 1 and then capture
a new image. You should notice that increasing the setting makes the detail in the dark parts
of the image become more visible.
a) Continue increasing the dynamic bits setting by 1, capturing an image, and examining
the image until the detail in the dark parts is at an acceptable level.
(When you are adjusting the dynamic bits setting, you may notice that the maximum for
the setting is lower than the technically achieveable value of 22 that you might expect. You
should be aware that increasing the starting shutter setting has an effect on the maximum
setting for dynamic bits. As you increase the starting shutter setting, the maximum allowed
setting for dynamic bits will decrease.)
DRAFT
5. Use the Configurator window to place the camera in continuous capture mode and note the
frame rate. This frame rate represents the maximum rate that can be achieved with the
current HDR settings. If the frame rate is too low to meet your needs, you can make the
following changes to increase the maximum rate:
a) Decrease the quality setting. Decreasing the quality setting by one level will significantly
increase the maximum allowed frame rate. Decreasing the quality level will also increase
the noise level in the image, however, the increase in noise level is minimal.
(You should be aware that when you decrease the quality setting, the number of valid
dynamic bit settings becomes more limited. See the descriptions of the quality setting and
the dynamic bits setting on page 6-3 for more information.)
b) Decrease the dynamic bits setting. Decreasing the dynamic bits setting will increase the
maximum allowed frame rate. Decreasing the dynamic bits setting will cause the dark
parts of the image to lose detail.
After you make a change to either the quality setting or the dynamic bits setting, check the
frame rate to see if it now meets your needs.
6.3.6 HDR Test Images
Two test images (test images five and six) are available for checking the basic functionality of
the HDR feature. See Section 5.7.6 for more information on test images.
Mechanical Considerations
DRAFT
7 Mechanical Considerations
7.1 Camera Dimensions
The camera housing for the A601f-HDR is manufactured with high precision. Planar, parallel, and
angular sides guarantee precise mounting with high repeatability.
A601f-HDR cameras are equipped with four M3 mounting holes on the bottom and two M3
mounting holes on the top as indicated in Figure 7-1.
Caution!
To avoid collecting dust on the sensor, mount a lens on the camera immediately
after unpacking it.
!
Mechanical Considerations
DRAFT
Figure 7-1: A601f-HDR Mechanical Dimensions (in mm)
2 x M3; 4 deep
29
23.5
73.3
50
13.3
5
Photosensitive
Surface of the
CMOS Sensor
59
17.526
Tolerances
are TBD
4 x M3; 4 deep
Revision History
BASLER A600f-HDR i
DRAFT
Revision History
Doc. ID Number Date Changes
DA00065901 9 March 2004 Initial release of this manual. This revision of the manual applies to
cameras with firmware ID 19.
DA00065902 22 March 2004 Expanded the description of the Gain and Brightness functions in
Section 3.5.
Revision History
ii BASLER A600f-HDR
DRAFT
Feedback
BASLER A600f-HDR iii
DRAFT
Feedback
Your feedback will help us improve our documentation. Please click the link below to access an online
feedback form. Your input is greatly appreciated.
http://www.baslerweb.com/umfrage/survey.html
Feedback
iv BASLER A600f-HDR
DRAFT
Index
BASLER A601f-HDR v
DRAFT
Index
A
advanced features registers . . . . . . . . . . . 4-134-15
area of interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
B
bit depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
block reads and writes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
C
cables
maximum length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2, 2-4
other requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
camera models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
camera power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
cleaning the camera and sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
connections, general description . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
connector types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
continuous-shot operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5, 3-8
CRC checksum smart feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
customized smart features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
cycle time stamp smart feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
D
DCAM values smart feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
E
environmental requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
exposure start
controlling via the 1394 interface . . . . . . . . . 3-4
controlling with an ExTrig signal . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
recommended method for controlling . . . . . . 3-9
exposure time, setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
extended data stream smart feature . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
extended version info smart feature . . . . . . . . . 5-23
external trigger signal
controlling exposure with . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
min high/low time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
F
firmware ID number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
frame counter smart feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
frame rate
basic specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
standard frame rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
functional description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
G
gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
gamma
using with the HDR feature . . . . . . . . . . 6-5, 6-8
H
high dynamic range smart feature . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
housing size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
humidity requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
I
IEEE 1394 Device Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
input signals
external trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
integrate enabled signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5, 3-10
L
lens adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
level controlled exposure mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
lookup table smart feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
M
mechanical considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
models, camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
mounting facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
O
one-shot operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5, 3-7
output signals
integrate enabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
pixel data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
trigger ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
P
performance specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
pin assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
pixel data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
pixel depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
pixel size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
power requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2, 2-4
precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
programmable exposure mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
R
registers implemented in the camera . . . . . 4-34-15
Index
vi BASLER A601f-HDR
DRAFT
S
sensor
pixel size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
shot commands
controlling exposure with . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
shutter value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
smart features
CRC checksun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
customized smart features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
cycle time stamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
DCAM values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
extended data stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
extended version info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
frame counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
lookup table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
test image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
smart features framework
defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
smart features framework software . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
spectral response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
T
temperature requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
test image smart feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
trigger ready signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5, 3-10
V
ventilation requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
video format
changing the setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
video formats, modes, & frame rates
customizable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
video output formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
W
weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

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D

interface and a programmers API

interface and a programmers API

The camera can be programmed to begin exposure on a rising edge or on a falling

On an A601f-HDR set to Mono 16, the maximum frame rate is 30 fps.

When the camera is operating in Format_7, the Cur_V_Frame_Rate control register is

based viewer program that provides

based tool that allows you to easily enable and

Dont confuse CSR GUIDs with chunk GUIDs:

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