Scorpion Vision Software supports Pylon interface to Basler GigE and Firewire cameras:

• PylonAreaCamera.dll - for GigE cameras
• PylonAreaCamera1394.dll - for firewire cameras

The following Pylon versions are supported:

• Pylon 4.0
• Pylon 2.3
• Pylon 2.2
• Pylon 2.1

See Scorpion Installer for Pylon installation.

This interface is supported with Scorpion Vision Software 7 or higher version number.

The release notes page provide to all Scorpion Camera Drivers available with reference to the corresponding Pylon version.

The GigE cameras are configured and detected by IP Config and Pylon Viewer. It is important to make sure that IP addresses of cameras and interfaces are correctly assigned.

Test and deployment status

The drivers was initially developed in the spring of 2010. It has now been stable and running in production systems for quite a while.

• The driver has been tested on the Ace and Scout series.
• The firewire drivers has been tested on the Scout Series.
• Both Color and Monochrome cameras are supported.

Bandwidth control

In order for cameras to function properly make sure the bandwidth is properly configured. When cameras are running in a free run mode there are some items to take into consideration. The driver internaly runs at a framerate specified in camera properties even if the scorpion is triggering at much slower pace. There are several properties that affect camera frame rate. They are:

• Exposure time - When "Enable Acquisition Frame Rate" is not checked camera will stream images as fast as it can with a set exposure.
• Enable Acquisition Frame Rate - Enables framerate control
• Acquisition Frame Rate - Defines max number of images to deliver in one second ("Enable Acquisition Frame Rate" must be checked)

Using software trigger

In order to use camera software trigger following must be done:

• Trigger source must be set to "Software"
• To issue trigger execute command "Grab" (python example: ExecuteCmd('Grab','') or via Scorpion actions)

General

Note: only explicitly modified parameters are saved. This allows to choose between alternatives parameters, for example ExposureTimeRaw or ExposureTimeAbs.

The following properties are available:

• ImageFormat
• UseBGR
  This should be enabled for color cameras, otherwise blue and red will be swapped in the final image.
• TestImageSelector
  This enumeration provides a list of the available test images. Selecting a test image from the list will enable the test image.
• AnalogControls
• GainAuto
  The gain auto function automatically adjusts the Auto Gain Raw parameter value within set limits, until a target average gray value for the pixel data from Auto Function AOI1 is reached.
• All_GainRaw
  Sets the 'raw' value of the selected gain control. The 'raw' value is an integer value that sets the selected gain control in units specific to the camera.
• All_BlackLevelRaw
  This value sets the black level control.
• GammaEnable
  Enables the gamma correction.
• Gamma
  This feature is used to perform gamma correction of pixel intensity.
• AOI
• Width
  This value sets the width of the area of interest in pixels.
• Height
  This value sets the height of the area of interest in pixels.
• OffsetX
  This value sets the X offset (left offset) for the area of interest in pixels, i.e., the distance in pixels between the left side of the sensor and the left side of the image area.
• OffsetY
  This value sets the Y offset (top offset) for the area of interest, i.e., the distance in pixels between the top of the sensor and the top of the image area.
• BinningVertical
  Sets the number of binned adjacent vertical pixels. Their charges will be summed and reported out of the camera as a single pixel.
• BinningHorizontal
  Sets the number of binned adjacent horizontal pixels. Their charges will be summed and reported out of the camera as a single pixel.
• AcquisitionTrigger
• TriggerMode
  This enumeration sets the trigger mode for the selected trigger.
• TriggerSource
  This enumeration sets the signal source for the selected trigger.
• TriggerActivation
  This enumeration sets the signal transition needed to activate the selected trigger.
• ExposureAuto
  The exposure auto function automatically adjusts the Auto Exposure Time Abs parameter value within set limits, until a target average gray value for the pixel data of the related Auto Function AOI is reached.
• ExposureTimeRaw
  This value sets an integer that will be used as a multiplier for the exposure timebase. The actual exposure time equals the current exposure time raw setting times the current exposure time base abs setting.
• ExposureTimeAbs
  This float value sets the camera's exposure time in microseconds.
• ExposureTimeBaseAbs
  This float value sets the time base (in microseconds) that is used when the exposure time is set with the 'raw' setting.
• AcquisitionFrameRateEnable
  This boolean value enables setting the camera's acquisition frame rate to a specified value.
• DigitalIO
• LineX_LineMode
  This feature controls whether the physical Line is used to Input or Output a signal. When a Line supports input and output mode, the default state is Input to avoid possible electrical contention. Line Mode can take any of the following values:
  • Input: The selected physical line is used to input an electrical signal.
  • Output: The selected physical line is used to output an electrical signal.
• LineX_LineDebouncerTimeRaw
  Sets the raw value of the selected line debouncer time
• LineX_LineFormat
  This feature controls the current electrical format of the selected physical input or output Line. Line Format can take any of the following values:
  • No Connect: The Line is not connected.
  • Tri-state: The Line is currently in Tri-state mode (Not driven).
  • TTL: The Line is currently accepting or sending TTL level signals.
  • LVDS: The Line is currently accepting or sending LVDS level signals.
  • RS-422: The Line is currently accepting or sending RS-422 level signals.
  • Opto-coupled: The Line is Opto-coupled.
• OutX_LineInverter
  This boolean value enables the inverter function for the selected line.
• OutX_LineStatus
  This boolean value indicates the current logical state for the selected line at the time of polling.
• OutX_LineSource
  This enumeration selects the internally generated camera signal (source signal) for the selected line.
• OutX_UserOutputValue
  This boolean value sets the state of the selected user settable output signal.
• TimerControls
• TimerDurationTimebaseAbs
  This float value sets the time base (in microseconds) that is used when a timer duration is set with the 'raw' setting.
• TimerDelayTimebaseAbs
  This float value sets the time base (in microseconds) that is used when a timer delay is set with the 'raw' setting.
• TimerX_TimerDelayRaw
  This value sets an integer that will be used as a multiplier for the timer delay timebase. The actual delay time equals the current timer delay raw setting times the current timer delay time base abs setting.
• TimerX_TimerDurationRaw
  This value sets an integer that will be used as a multiplier for the timer duration timebase. The actual duration time equals the current timer duration raw setting times the current timer duration time base abs setting.
• TimerX_TimerTriggerSource
  This enumeration sets the internal camera signal used to trigger the selected timer.
• TransportLayer
• GevHeartbeatTimeout
  This value sets the heartbeat timeout in milliseconds.
• StreamChannel0_GevSCPSPacketSize
  If using other packet size than default (1500), unless you have already set the packet size for your network adapter during the installation of the Pylon AreaScan software, check the documentation for your adapter to determine the maximum packet size (sometimes called “frame” size) that the adapter can handle. Many adapters can handle what is known as “jumbo packets” or "jumbo frames". These are packets with a maximum size of 16 kB. Once you have determined the maximum size packets the adapter can handle, make sure that the adapter is set to use the maximum packet size.
• StreamChannel0_GevSCPD
  Sets delay in ticks between packets sent by the camera. Applies to the selected stream channel. Increasing the inter-packet delay will decrease the camera's effective data transmission rate and will thus decrease the network bandwidth used by the camera. In the current camera implementation, one tick=8ns.
• StreamChannel0_GevSCFTD
  Sets a delay in ticks (one tick = 8 ns) between when a camera would normally begin transmitting an acquired frame and when it actually begins transmission. This parameter should be set to zero in most normal situations. If you have many cameras in your network and you will be simultaneously triggering image acquisition on all of them, you may find that your network switch or network adapter is overwhelmed if all of the cameras simultaneously begin to transmit frame data at once. The frame transmission delay parameter can be used to stagger the start of frame data transmission from each camera.
• StreamChannel0_GevSCBWR
  Used to reserve a portion of the assigned bandwidth for packet resends and for the transmission of control data between the camera and the host PC. The setting is expressed as a percentage of the Bandwidth Assigned parameter. For example, if the Bandwidth Assigned parameter indicates that 30 MByte/s have been assigned to the camera and the Bandwidth Reserve parameter is set to 5%, then the bandwidth reserve will be 1.5 MByte/s.
• StreamChannel0_GevSCBWRA
  A software device called the bandwidth reserve accumulator is designed to handle unusual situations such as a sudden EMI burst that interrupts a frame transmission. If this happens, a larger than normal number of packet resends may be needed to properly transmit a complete frame. The accumulator is basically an extra pool of resends that the camera can use in unusual situations.
• StreamChannel0_GevSCBWA(read-only)
  Indicates the bandwidth in bytes per second that will be used by the camera to transmit frame and chunk feature data and to handle resends and control data transmissions. The value of this parameter is a result of the packet size and the inter-packet delay parameter settings.
  Note: Sum of bandwidth for all cameras on the same NIC must not exceed 125MB/s on a gigabit network. Otherwise frame overruns may occur.
• StreamChannel0_GevSCDCT(read-only)
  Indicates the actual bandwidth (in bytes per second) that the camera will use to transmit the image data and chunk data (if any) in each frame given the current frame size, chunk feature settings, and the pixel format setting.
• StreamChannel0_GevSCFJM(read-only)
  If the Bandwidth Reserve Accumulation parameter is set to a high value, the camera can experience a large burst of data resends during transmission of a frame. This burst of resends will delay the start of transmission of the next acquired frame. The Frame Max Jitter parameter indicates the maximum time in ticks (one tick = 8 ns) that the next frame transmission could be delayed due to a burst of resends.
• AutoFunctions
• AutoTargetValue
  The target average gray value may range from nearly black to nearly white. Note that this range of gray values applies to 8 bit and to 16 bit (12 bit effective) output modes. Accordingly, also for 16 bit output modes, black is represented by 0 and white by 255.
• AutoGainRawLowerLimit
  Lower limit of the Auto Gain (Raw) parameter
• AutoGainRawUpperLimit
  Upper limit of the Auto Gain (Raw) parameter
• General
• Log level.
  
  • Level 0 suppresses all messages.
  • Level 1 issues error and warning messages.
  • Levels 2,3,4 issue diagnostic messages. Beware that level 4 produces a lot of messages therefore should be used only on small size images for diagnostic purposes only.
• Also log into file.
  Write camera related messages into log file. Normally messages are written only on Scorpion console, provided console is enabled for camera messages.
• InhibitPylonTerminate.
  If enabled Pylon - terminate function will not be called. Enable when using several pylon drivers in the same profile, for example Basler Runner together with Area Scan gige or firewire cameras.

Camera Property Access from python scripts

The following named properties can be dynamically accessed with 'SetProperty' or 'GetProperty' commands from within Scorpion Vision Software:

• 'continuous'
  Enter or leave continuos grabbing mode. This parameter cannot be set via gui page.
• 'Exposure'
• 'Gain'

Example 1: Start Continuous grabbing

    setProperty('continuous', 1)
 
Example 2: Stop Continuous grabbing

    setProperty('continuous', 0)

Note: 

• Activating continuous grabbing is important when you are working with multiple frames per second.
• Scorpion Vision 8 is able to handle upto  50 - 250 frames / seconds.