Scorpion Vision Software supports Sony GigE

• XCG-V60E
• XCG-SX97E
• XCG-U100E
• XCG-5005E

The Sony datasheet can be downloaded here...

cameras using the

• SonyXCGCamera.dll - Scorpion Camera Driver

The driver has been tested under XP Embedded, XP, and Windows 7. Works only for 32 bit Windows. 64 bit operation system support provided by ZCL driver.

Prerequisites

• Scorpion Vision Software version 7 or higher
• XCG-software package installed.
• Cameras are configured and detected by XCG-Software

Note: 

• When camera property page is closed the camera becomes inactive for some duration (up to 30 seconds), then camera gets active again. This is expected behaviors.
• Verify that the network adapter package size matches the size of the camera
• Width and Offset parameters both influence maxWidth value. When Offset or Width is decreased, the maxWidth will be updated only upon next open of properties dialog. The same goes for Height/heightOffset parameters.
• Do not set log levels higher then 1 when running in production.
• Driver and software is available under Release Notes
• Fixed IP require allocating them in the auto-configuration IP range: 169.254.x.x with subnet masks 255.255.0.0.
• Both ZCL and XCG driver can be installed on the same PC but only one filter driver can be active at the same time.
  • Simply uncheck either the Sony Filter Driver or ZCL Filter Driver from the adapter's properties window to enable/disable one or the other.

Example profile can be downloaded here...

Configuration notes

• Manage Bandwidth
  • It is important that the total bandwidth used by cameras does not exceed the bandwidth capability of the network adaptor. The total bandwidth of a Gigabit Ethernet network adaptor is about 120 million bytes per second.
• Bandwidth Calculation = Height * Width * Refresh rate * No Of Cameras
• Bandwidth Calculation Example - 4 MPixel Camera
  • The Image size is 2048x2048 and refresh rate 10 frames per second, the used bandwidth will be
    •  2048 * 2048 * 10 = 41943040 bytes/s = 42MB/s/camera
  • With this configuration on the same network adaptor can be connected no more than two cameras.
• Hint 1: Trigger Delay
  • Triggering multiple cameras at the same time may result in collision in the network and the camera may return an error.
  • The solution for this might be to use trigger delay. For the second camera set 'TriggerDelay' parameter in the properties dialog to 100000 microseconds.
• Hint 2: Jumbo Frames
  • If network card supports Jumbo frames, you should set this number to be at least 9000 kB when configuring your network card settings. Set the 'PacketSize' parameter in the Properties dialog to match the maximum Jumbo packet size.

Property page

• Width
  Image width in pixels. Must be multiple of 8.
• Height
  Image height in pixels. Must be multiple of 4.
• OffsetX
  Horizontal offset in pixels.
• OffsetY
  Vertical offset in pixels.
• PixelFormat
  Pixel format.
• BinningVertical
  This mode increases sensitivity and frame rate by combining vertically adjacent pixel data from the CCD.
  Binning mode approximately doubles sensitivity by combining vertical signals on alternate pairs of adjacent lines. However, because the frame rate is also doubled, available exposure time is consequently halved. Setting a shorter exposure time enhances the effect, and sensitivity is further increased. Consider the effect on exposure time when using the Binning mode.
• AcquisitionFrameRateAbs
  Configure the frame rate manually. However, you cannot increase the frame rate beyond the fastest setting. In addition, if the exposure time is longer than the configured frame period, the frame rate will be reduced in proportion to the exposure time.
  When you want to minimize network traffic, use this setting to lower the frame rate while maintaining the same shutter setting.
• AcquisitionFrameRateAuto
  The fastest frame rate is configured automatically based on the current shutter setting and binning/partial scan setting.
  To increase the frame rate, enable the binning mode or partial scan function. Depending on whether the exposure time is longer than the frame period, the frame rate will be reduced proportionally. Therefore, shorten the shutter time as necessary.
• TriggerMode
  TriggerMode define if the selected trigger is active.
• TriggerSourceSelect
  TriggerSource specifies the internal signal or physical input Line to use as the trigger source for the selected trigger when TriggerMode is On.
• TriggerInhibit
  This function disables the camera’s trigger input.
  When multiple cameras are connected, use this to disable triggering for only specified cameras at specific times.
• TriggerActivation
  This function selects whether triggering occurs at the rising or falling edge of the trigger signal.
• TriggerOverlap
  TriggerOverlap specifies the type trigger overlap permitted with the previous frame.
• TriggerDelayRaw
  This function applies a trigger delay within the camera. Use it to synchronize trigger timing when the trigger signal is offset from the desired object exposure timing.
• ExposureTimeRaw
  This feature used to set the Exposure time (in us) when ExposureMode is Timed.
• Gamma
  This feature is used to perform gamma correction of pixel intensity.
• GammaLowLevel
  This feature is used to perform black level setting of Gamma (in 12 bits).
• BinarizationThreshold
  This feature controls the binarization threshold (in 12 bits).
• GainSelector
  This feature selects which Gain is controlled by the various Gain features.
• GainRaw
  This feature controls the selected gain as a raw integer value (in step).
• GainAbs
  This feature controls the selected gain as an absolute physical value (in dB).
• GainAuto
  This feature performs automatic gain control (AGC).
• GainAutoLevel
  This feature is used to perform luminance level setting of automatic gain control (in 14 bits).
• BlackLevelSelector
  This feature selects which Black Level is controlled by the various Black Level features.
• BlackLevelRaw
  This feature controls the digital black level as a raw integer value (in 14 bits).
• LineSelector
  This feature selects which physical line (or pin) of the external device connector to configure.
• LineMode
  This feature controls if the physical Line is used to Input or Output a signal.
• LineInverter
  This feature controls if the electrical output signal on the selected Line is inverted.
• LineStatus
  This feature read the current status of the input Line.
• LineSource
  This feature is used to select which internal acquisition or I/O source signal to output (TTL) on the selected Line when its LineMode is Output.
• LineFormat
  This feature returns the current electrical format of the selected physical output Line.
• UserOutputSelector
  This feature selects which bit of the User Output register will be set by UserOutputValue.
• UserOutputValue
  This feature sets the value of the selected bit of the User Output register.
• StrobeActiveTimeRaw
  This feature used to set the Strobe active time (in us).
• StrobeActiveDelayRaw
  StrobeActiveTimeRaw specifies the delay (in us) to apply after the StrobeActive before effectively activating it.
• TestImageSelector
  This feature selects the type of test image that is sent by the camera.
• GainAutoAreaHighlight
  This feature activates the detection area highlight of automatic gain control.
• GainAutoAreaWidth
  This feature represents the actual detection area width expelled by the camera (in percent).
• GainAutoAreaHeight
  This feature represents the actual detection area height expelled by the camera (in percent).
• GainAutoAreaOffsetX
  This feature represents the horizontal offset of the actual detection area (in percent).
• GainAutoAreaOffsetY
  This feature represents the vertical offset of the actual detection area (in percent).
• GevSCPSPacketSize
  The stream packet size to send on this channel, except for data leader and data trailer, and the last data packet which might be of smaller size (since packet size is not necessarily a multiple of block size for stream channel).
• 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.
    Note: Setting is not stored in configuration and will be turned off on restart.

Enable Hardware Trigger

Go to camera properties dialog and configure the following:

• Set 'Trigger' to 'ON'
• Set 'TriggerInhibit' to 'OFF'
• Select 'TriggerSource' value 'Hardware'

Note: the exact parameter naming may differ on different camera releases

Enable Software Trigger

Go to camera properties dialog and configure the following:

• Set 'Trigger' to 'ON'
• Set 'TriggerInhibit' to 'OFF'
• Select 'TriggerSource' value 'Software'

In Scorpion profile:

    cam = GetCamera('0')
    cam.setProperty('SoftwareTriggerSignal', 1)
      

Properties available from Python

The following named properties can be dynamically accessed with the 'setProperty' and 'getProperty' commands:

• 'continuous'
  • Enter or leave continuous grabbing mode. This parameter cannot be set via gui page.
  • The continuous mode is normally set when using the command in hw-trigger. Setting continuous modes removes the need for arming the camera with a Grab command.
• 'Reset'
  Close and Reopen the camera.
• 'ExposureTimeRaw'
• 'Gamma'
• 'GammaLevelLow'
• 'BinarizationThreshold'
• 'GainSelector'
• 'GainRaw'
• 'GainAbs'
• 'GainAuto'
• 'GainAutoLevel'
• 'BlackLevelSelector'
• 'BlackLevelSelectorReg'
• 'BlackLevelRaw'
• 'GainAutoAreaHighlight'
• 'GainAutoAreaWidth'
• 'GainAutoAreaHeight'
• 'GainAutoAreaOffsetX'
• 'GainAutoAreaOffsetY'

Example 1: Start Continuous grabbing

    cam = GetCamera('0')
    cam.SetProperty('continuous', 1)
    

Example 2: Stop Continuous grabbing

    cam = GetCamera('0')
    cam.setProperty('continuous', 0)
    

Example 3: Reset camera

    cam = GetCamera('0')
    cam.setProperty('Reset', 1)
       

Example 4: Set Shutter

    cam = GetCamera('0')
    cam.setProperty('ExposureTimeRaw', 250)
    

Example 5: Enable hardware triggering

    cam = GetCamera('0')
    cam.setProperty('TriggerMode', 1)

Example 5: Set white balance XCG-U100-CR

    def SetWhiteBalanceOnce():   
      cam = GetCamera('0')   
      cam.setProperty('0xA0003020', 1)