 | Acquire Image (IEEE 1394 or GigE) FAQs |
Q: In the Acquire Images tab, why is the Acquire Image (IEEE 1394 or GigE) icon disabled?
The icon may be disabled for several reasons. Verify that the correct version of the NI-IMAQdx driver software is installed. If necessary, install the driver software. If the icon is still disabled after verifying that the correct driver is installed, refer to Troubleshooting Tips for GigE Vision Cameras for troubleshooting tips.
Q: My camera appears in Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) but does not appear in the Devices list. How can I get the name of my camera to appear in the Devices list?
Make sure that the camera is associated with the NI-IMAQdx driver in MAX. If the camera is listed under Legacy NI-IMAQ IEEE 1394 Devices, right-click the camera and select Driver»NI-IMAQdx IIDC Digital Camera. For IEEE 1394 cameras, refer to Troubleshooting Tips for IEEE 1394 Cameras for troubleshooting tips. For GigE cameras, refer to Troubleshooting Tips for GigE Vision Cameras for troubleshooting tips.
Q: I cannot acquire images when I press the Acquire Image or Continuous Acquisition buttons.
Close Vision Builder AI. Open MAX, and verify the camera appears correctly in the Devices and Interfaces branch of the Configuration tree. For IEEE 1394 cameras, refer to Troubleshooting Tips for IEEE 1394 Cameras for troubleshooting tips. For GigE cameras, refer to Troubleshooting Tips for GigE Vision Cameras for troubleshooting tips.
Q: Why does my 16-bit image appear incorrectly?
Complete the following steps to adjust the 16-bit pixel representation parameters and correct the image:
- In the property page for the Acquire Image (IEEE 1394 or GigE) step, on the Main tab, select the camera from the Devices list.
- Click the Attributes tab.
- Select the Show All Attributes checkbox to list all of the attributes for the camera.
- Adjust the values for the BitsPerPixel, ShiftPixelBits, and SwapPixelBytes attributes to correct the image.
- Click OK to save the configuration settings.
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Note Some image processing algorithms do not support 16-bit images. |
Q: Why do only some attributes allow me to specify the result of a previous step as the value for the attribute?
Only attributes that can be modified while the camera is acquiring can be set to a previous measurement result. Any attribute that cannot be modified during an acquisition must use a constant value. If the same camera is used in multiple steps, attributes that cannot be modified during an acquisition are forced to use the same value throughout the inspection to ensure optimized acquisition performance.
Q: When should I use the Immediate Acquisition Mode instead of the Wait for Next Image Acquisition Mode?
Immediate mode is useful for triggered applications to help ensure that a triggered image is not lost while executing other steps in the inspection. Immediate mode allows this step to use an image that was acquired before the step is called. If the camera has not acquired an image since the last time a step acquired an image from the camera, Immediate mode will behave like the Wait for Next Image Acquisition Mode. The Wait for Next Image mode is useful when you want to ensure that the image returned by this step is a current image and not a previously acquired image.
Q: Why do some of the attributes not have an effect on the image?
Even though an attribute is writable, the camera may be in a mode that ignores the attribute you are trying to set. For example, if the camera is in an 8-bit mode and you set the BitsPerPixel or ShiftPixelBits attribute, the image will not be affected because those attributes only apply to 16-bit images.
Q: Why are no triggering modes listed in the Attribute tree?
Not all cameras support triggering. Only attributes supported by the camera are listed in the Attribute tree.
Q: Why does the acquired image not use the current attribute settings?
If the value specified for an attribute is out of range, the last valid value is used. Also, if your inspection contains multiple acquisition steps that use the same camera with different attribute settings, it may take 2 or 3 frames for the camera to apply the new attribute settings. The exact number of frames required is camera-dependant. To ensure that an acquisition uses the correct attribute settings, you may have to allow the camera to acquire a few frames before processing the image.
Q: Why does the camera return errors when using the Controller: Multiple machines receive images Camera Control Mode?
When you select Controller: Multiple machines receive images for the Camera Control Mode, Vision Builder AI sets the Destination Mode attribute for the camera to Multicast. Not all cameras support Multicast mode. If you get an error, try setting the Destination Mode attribute to Broadcast. To change the Destination Mode to Broadcast, complete the following steps:
- On the Attributes tab, enable the Show all Attributes checkbox.
- In the Attribute tree, select Acquisition Attributes»Advanced Ethernet»Controller»Destination Mode.
- Set the Destination Mode to Broadcast.
If the camera still returns errors, try setting the Destination Mode to Unicast. If the camera works in Unicast mode, it is likely that the camera does not support either Multicast or Broadcast modes.