Scorpion Vision Software supports Sick IVP 3D Ranger E Cameras by using

• SickIVPGrab.dll - Scorpion Camera Driver

The following cameras are tested and verified

• Ranger E50

Prerequisites

• Scorpion Vision Software version 8.0.0.441 or higher is installed
• Ranger Studio package installed. See Release Notes for supported version
• Cameras are configured and detected by Ranger Studio

Note:

• Scorpion camera driver and software is available under Release Notes

Setting up camera

The Ranger camera has a number of built-in measurement methods - components and can produce several images. The Scorpion camera driver allows to grab several images from single camera by representing that camera as 4 virtual cameras.

Adding images to the Scorpion:

• Before using the camera in the Scorpion, the camera must be configured in the Ranger Studio. Once the camera is configured, the Service must be saved to the parameter file, which will be used in the Scorpion to set up the camera.
• Add a virtual camera for each image to be grabbed in the Scorpion:
  • Service tab → Camera tab → New button.
  • Change the driver to the SickIVPGrab.dll.
  • Choose the camera.
    

  Note: To speed up camera open on load or to remove interference between cameras when using multiple profiles (This is due to camera dicovery when driver is loaded) you can enter camera IP address directly.
  This can be done by manualy writing camera IP into Camera edit box (2). The format must be:
  IP.index (where index is 1 to 4). Example: 192.168.100.140.1 or 192.168.100.140.4
  If manual IP is entered for the first camera then all cameras have to be entered manualy (the list will display only manualy added cameras) as discovery is not performed. To enable back discovery rename first camera to any name (so it does not fit IP.index) and restart the profile. Next time you select Camera the discovery will be run. If first camera is not entered manualy then all cameras need to be selected from a list.

  

• Set camera parameters:
  • Open the camera properties dialog: Service tab → Camera tab → Right click and select Properties.
  • In the ConfigurationFile parameter set the path to the parameter file saved from the Ranger Studio.
  • Close the camera dialog and give 'Reset All' command under right-click menu to load the parameter file to the camera.
• Open the camera properties dialog. Select a subcomponent to be used for the image and select the image format.
  

  

• Add the image for the created camera: Service tab → Camera tab → New button. It is important to correctly configure the image, depending on the image format.
  • If the image format is Grayscale, the checkbox 3D in the image settings dialog must be unchecked.
    

    

  • If the image format is 3D (XYZ) or 3D (XYZCI), the checkbox 3D must be checked.
    

    

Property page

• General
  • Log level
    • Level 0 suppresses all messages.
    • Level 1 issues error and warning messages.
    • Levels 2,3,4 issue diagnostic messages.
    • Do not use level 4, unless you know what you are doing. Level 4 produces a lot of diagnostic messages and is sutable only for small images or certain types of operations.
  • 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: This setting is not stored in configuration and will be turned off on restart.
• Camera
  • ConfigurationFile
    The path to the parameter file (saved from the Range Studio).
  • NumberOfScans
    The number of scans to be collected in the buffers.
  • BufferSize
    The frame grabber buffer size in Megabytes.
• Image
  • Image
    The subcomponent to be used for the image.
  • ImageFormat
    Specifies image output format:
    • Grayscale - image will be grayscale bitmap (8 bits per pixel).
    • 3D (XYZ) - image will be point cloud (96 bits per pixel).
    • 3D (XYZCI) - image will be point cloud with two additional values - contrast and intensity (160 bits per pixel).
  • Contrast
    The subcomponent to be used for the contrast value. This value is accessible from python script (see example below).
    Available when 3D (XYZCI) image format selected as fourth parameter in 3D point.
  • Intensity
    The subcomponent to be used for the intensity value. This value is accessible from python script (see example below).
    Available when 3D (XYZCI) image format selected as fifth parameter in 3D point.
  • CalibrationFilter
    When enabled, sensor coordinates (u,v) are translated into real-world coordinates (x, r). Calibration is done in the laser plane. If the laser plane is not perpendicular to the reference plane (XY plane), enable LaserPlaneCompensation and specify laser angle.
  • RectificationFilter
    When enabled, points are resampled onto a regular grid.
  • PulsesPerMilimeter
    
    • If the camera does not deliver mark data, y coordinate is calculated from scan number in the buffer:
      y = ScanNumber / PulsesPerMilimeter
    • If the camera configured to deliver mark data, y coordinate is calculated from the mark value:
      y = (MarkValue - MarkValueOfFirstScan) / PulsesPerMilimeter
  • LaserPlaneCompensation
    If the laser plane is not perpendicular to the reference plane, enable this to compensate Z and Y for the skewed coordinate system.
  • LaserPlaneAngle
    Specify the angle between laser plane and ZX plane.
  • MinHeight
    Minimum acceptable height value of points in output point cloud.
    Note: Calibrated point data may be out of range. Check these values or points will not be visible.
  • MaxHeight
    Maximum acceptable height value of points in output point cloud.
    Note: Calibrated point data may be out of range. Check these values or points will not be visible.

Mark Data

If the camera is configured to deliver mark data, the mark value is used to calculate the distance between the profiles. See the PulsesPerMilimeter parameter.

Note: When camera is set in the free-run (no triggering) and mark data is the encoder value, the points will have the same Y coordinate position when encoder is not moving.

The mark value can be accessed using python script. To get the mark values, the Mark subcomponent must be selected in Contrast or Intensity parameter. Sample script to print the mark value from the first point when the Mark subcomponent selected in the Contrast parameter:

    img=GetImageMatr('Range')
    if img<>None:
      if img.isvec() and img.elemtype()=='XYZWVf':
        print img[0][3]
  	

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.

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: Accessing Contrast and Intensity values

When selected image format is 3D (XYZCI), in addition to the coordinates, each point has contrast and intensity value. The following script loops through points and calculates the average contrast and intensity.

    img=GetImageMatr('Range')
    if img<>None:
      if img.isvec() and img.elemtype()=='XYZWVf':
        cnt=img.dim()[0]
        contrast = 0.0
        intensity = 0.0
        for i in range(cnt):
            contrast += img[i][3]
            intensity += img[i][4]
        print "Average contrast: ", contrast/cnt
        print "Average intensity: ", intensity/cnt