Adimec CoaXPress User manual

Operating and user manual
QUARTZ series
CoaXPress

OPERATING AND USER MANUAL QUARTZ series CXP
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OPERATING AND USER MANUAL QUARTZ series CXP
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About Adimec
Adimec is the leading supplier of high-performance digital camera modules and camera-lens
assemblies for use in three market segments: machine vision, medical imaging, and applications for
government purposes such as traffic and defense systems. In developing our products as a partner
to major OEMs around the world, we utilize the synergy between these segments to shine in terms of
image quality, speed, dynamic range and reliability.
Adimec is the only company in the market that weds the specific needs of its highly demanding
customers to its technological inventiveness, generating vision solutions of exceptional quality. These
industry-leading customer specials are the models for our standard products.
Thanks to this unique approach, Adimec’s solutions add crucial competitive value to our customers’
high-end systems and their applications, as they yield brilliant results to the users of those systems.
The Netherlands-based holding company has business offices in Europe, the United States, Japan,
and Singapore. For more detailed information about Adimec and our products you can visit our
website www.adimec.com or you can contact your local dealer or the business offices in your region:
Adimec Advanced Image Systems B.V.•
PO Box 7909
5605 SH Eindhoven
The Netherlands
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Adimec Japan•
2-10-3-103, Narimasu, Itabashi-Ku
175-0094 Tokyo, Japan
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Adimec Electronic Imaging Inc.•
PO Box 80529
Stoneham, MA 02180,
USA
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Adimec Asia/Pacific•
190 Middle Road, #17-06 Fortune Centre
Singapore 188979
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]

OPERATING AND USER MANUAL QUARTZ series
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Contents
1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 7
1.1 Product Highlights 7
1.2 About this manual 7
1.3 Standards 7
2. PRECAUTIONS 9
2.1 Safety precautions 9
2.2 Handling 9
3. INSTALLATION HARDWARE 13
3.1 Electrical interface - CoaXPress 13
3.2 Electrical interface - strobe and trigger 13
3.3 LED indicators 15
3.4 Quick start 15
4. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION 17
4.1 Block diagram 17
5. CONTROL OF THE CAMERA 19
5.1 Introduction CoaXPress and GenICam 19
5.2 Structure of camera control 20
6. CAMERA IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL 23
6.1 Interface settings (ICategory: BootstrapCoaXPress) 23
6.2 ICategory: DeviceControl 24
6.3 ICategory: ImageFormatControl 25
6.4 Image acquisition (Icategory: AcquisitionControl) 28
6.5 Flashstrobe Commands (Icategory: CounterAndTimerControl) 35
6.6 Gain and black level (Icategory: AnalogControl) 36
6.7 Output remap (Icategory: LUTControl) 36
6.8 User set (ICategory: UserSetControl) 37
6.9 Built In Test (ICategory: Adimec) 37
6.10 Defect pixel correction (ICategory: DefectPixel) 38
6.11 Flat Field calibrations and corrections (ICategory: Calibration) 39
6.12 Buffer commands (Icategory: BurstMode) 45
6.13 High Dynamic Range mode (ICaterogy: Multislope) 46

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General introduction1.
The Quartz CMOS cameras described in this manual provide 2 and 4Mp resolutions through
CoaXPress interface. All have in common a global shutter operation, CCD like image quality and
reliability. Unlike competitors who are offering general purpose cameras, our products are developed
with the specific needs of OEMs and their applications in mind.
Product Highlights1.1
The Quartz cameras offer the following features:
High quality images on account of sophisticated internal processing•
High Dynamic Range (HDR) and High Quality (HiQ) mode•
GenICam compliancy•
Buffered pipeline•
Lowest noise attainable to global shutter CMOS sensor•
Programmable region of interest•
Various CoaXpress configurations up to CXP-6 dual. CXP-5 dual is sufficient for the highest•
speeds.
Q-2A340 / Qr-2A340 Q-4A180 / Qr-4A180
Max resolution 2048 x 1088 2048 x 2048
Max sustained speed at
full resolution
337 fps
(@ CXP-5 dual)
180 fps
(@ CXP-5 dual)
About this manual1.2
This manual provides the necessary information for setting up, operating and troubleshooting the
camera.
We strongly recommend reading this manual before you unpack or operate the camera.
The manual is applicable to the following Quartz models, color as well as monochrome, with
CoaXPress interface:
Q-2A340m/CXP and Q-2A340c/CXP•
Qr-2A340m/CXP and Qr-2A340c/CXP•
Q-4A180m/CXP and Q-4A180c/CXP•
Qr-4A180m/CXP and Qr-4A180c/CXP•
Unless stated differently, all information in this manual is applicable to all camera versions.
Throughout this manual, the CoaXPress is often abbreviated to CXP.
Standards1.3
CoaXPress – CoaXPress Standard First edition JIIA NIF-001-2010•
GenICam GenApi Standard 2.0•
GenICam Standard Features Naming Convention 1.5.1•

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Liability
Adimec puts in a lot of effort in preparing this manual. Please inform your Adimec Business Office of
any inaccuracies or omissions. Adimec Advanced Image Systems B.V. cannot be held responsible
for any technical or typographical errors and reserves the right to make changes to the product and
manuals without prior notice. Adimec Advanced Image Systems B.V. makes no warranty of any kind
with regard to the material contained within this document, including, but not limited to, the implied
warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Adimec Advanced Image Systems
B.V. shall not be liable or responsible for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the
furnishing, performance or use of this material.
Layout, composing and editorial staff: Adimec Advanced Image Systems B.V.
Illustrations: Adimec Advanced Image Systems B.V.
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a database or retrieval
system, or published in any other form or way, electronically, mechanically, by print, photo print,
microfilm or any other means without prior written permission from the publisher.
All correspondence regarding copyrights, translations:
Adimec Advanced Image Systems B.V.
PO Box 7909 Luchthavenweg 91
5605 SH Eindhoven 5657 EA Eindhoven
The Netherlands The Netherlands
Tel : [phone]
Fax: [phone]
URL: www.adimec.com
Publication number: 186300 Quartz-CXP Ver. 1.0
© Copyright 2013 Adimec Advanced Image Systems B.V. Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

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Precautions2.
NOTE: It is advised to include the text of this chapter in the assembly documents of the system in
which the camera is used.
A CMOS sensor camera is a sensitive device. Please read the following precautions carefully before
you continue unpacking or operating the camera.
Safety precautions2.1
General2.1.1.
It is advised to unpack and handle the camera in a clean, ESD protected working area.
It is advised to read the whole manual before using the camera.
CE symbol2.1.2.
The following symbol for “Conformité Européenne” is applicable to and indicated on the camera.
Handling2.2
General2.2.1.
In order to prevent damage to the camera and to keep the CMOS sensor clean, please take the
following precautions.
Always keep the sensor cap in place as long as no lens is attached.•
Remove the lens cap just before the lens is screwed on the camera. It is advised to perform this•
operation in a clean room or clean bench.
Never touch the CMOS sensor surface. The cover glass is easily damaged and the CMOS sensor•
can be damaged by ESD (electrostatic discharge).
Cleaning of the CMOS sensor2.2.2.
Cleaning of a CMOS sensor is a rather difficult task. Depending on the aperture of the lens used, any
dust particles with a size of 10 µm and larger can show up in your image.
All cameras are checked for cleanliness in our factory before shipment. Proper handling instructions
during system assembly can prevent the CMOS sensor from getting contaminated.
Should cleaning of the CMOS sensor be necessary follow the instruction below.
NOTE:that damage of the CMOS sensor due to scratches on the cover glass or electrostatic
discharge (ESD) is not covered by warranty!
The correct working environment for cleaning is essential in order to ease cleaning and to prevent
damage of the CMOS sensor.

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Precautions:
Take precautions to prevent ESD that can damage the CMOS sensor.•
Cleaning of the CMOS sensor, and assembly of the lens is preferably performed in a clean•
room or clean bench.
Never try to clean the CMOS sensor at a relative humidity lower than 30%. A relative humidity of•
40% or higher is preferred in order to minimize the chance of damage due to ESD.
It is advisable to use an ionizer, in order to minimize the built-up of ESD.•
Be sure to clean the lensmount of the lens before assembly.•
Use non-fluffing Q-tips and Alcohol (or Hexane) for cleaning. De-ionized water may be necessary•
to remove ionic contaminants like salts.
Any Q-tip should be used only once - you will otherwise move dirt from one place to another.•
Never dry rub the window. This may cause static charges or scratches that can destroy the CMOS•
sensor.
Cleaning instructions:
First try to remove the contamination by using clean, dry air. (Use an ultra-filtered, non-residue1.
dust remover spray). Avoid blowing air into the screw thread of the lensmount, because this may
cause contamination on the CMOS sensor due to loose particles and traces of oil or grease.
If this step does not result in an acceptable result, continue with step 2.
Remove the lensmount by unscrewing the 4 crosshead screws2.
that hold the lensmount (see figure 2.1).
Crosshead screws that hold the lensmount (front view of the camera).Figure 2.1:
Clean the inner screw thread of the lensmount using Alcohol or Hexane and a Q-tip.3.
Clean the CMOS sensor cover glass using Alcohol or Hexane and a Q-tip.4.
Gently and carefully rub the window always in the same direction, e.g. top to down.
Install the lensmount back on the camera front.5.
Maximum tightening force may not exceed 0.3 Nm.
Install a lens, power up the camera, set the lens at a small aperture (F16) and point6.
the lens at a bright source. Adjust gain and integration time if necessary.
Check the image on the monitor for dark spots and stripes caused by contamination7.
on the CMOS sensor cover glass. (Note that the image on the monitor should not
saturate due to over exposure - if necessary close the iris even further).
If the CMOS sensor is not clean, repeat steps 4 - 7 using a new Q-tip. After three unsuccessful8.
tries, it is advised to wait a few minutes before a new attempt is made to clean the CMOS sensor.
(The waiting time allows the electric charge that has been built up during cleaning to neutralize).

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Cleaning of the camera2.2.3.
The camera shall NEVER be immersed in water or any other fluid. For cleaning, only use a light moist
tissue.
Maintenance2.2.4.
No specific maintenance other than cleaning is applicable.
Repair and modification2.2.5.
Repair, modification and replacement of parts shall be done only by Adimec to maintain compliance
with the directive 89/336/EEC electromagnetic compatibility and directive 72/23/EEC low voltage
directive and the international standards.
Peripheral equipment2.2.6.
For safety, use an external SELV qualified power supply. Maximum current 1 A.
For safety, peripheral equipment must either be double isolated or SELV qualified.
Mounting / Mechanical2.2.7.
Connectors
Take care during handling of the camera. Connectors should not be damaged.
Prevent the entry of foreign objects or dirt into the connectors, as this will result in unreliable operation
or damage.
Mounting screws
Take notice of the maximum length of the screws that may be used for mounting of the camera. Using
screws too long can cause damage to the camera. Maximum screw length: 5 mm.

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Installation hardware3.
In this chapter the electrical interfaces as well as the mechanical and optical interface are described.
If a lens, cabling and frame grabber is available and installed, one may refer directly to the quick start
section at the end of this chapter. The other sections describe the interfaces in detail.
Electrical interface - CoaXPress3.1
The camera has two BNC connectors for the CoaXPress interface which serve the purposes listed in
the table below.
Refer to section 6.1.2 for details on the CXP datarate configurations.
CABLE 1 CABLE 2 (optional)
Power Power (additional)
Video Video (additional)
Control -
Triggering -
Power3.1.1.
Power is supplied over the CXP link.
Each cable could transfer up to 13W, according to the CoaXPress standard.
The power actually drawn by the camera is listed below. A single cable is sufficient to power the cam-
era.
Q-2A340 Qr-2A340 Q-4A180 Qr-4A180
<10 W
Power consumption @ 24 Volt.Table 3.1:
Video, control and trigger3.1.2.
The CoaXPress interface is designed to transfer video from camera to frame grabber as well as control
data, triggering and power from the grabber to the camera.
The maximum cable length is 40 meter at CXP-5.
For a complete description of the CoaXPress interface please refer to the CoaXPress specification.
Electrical interface - strobe and trigger3.2
An input for external triggering of the camera is available at the I/O connector.
Also a trigger output signal from the camera to control an external flash light is available at this
connector. The input and output are fully programmable. For reference see paragraph 6.5.
The input and output are galvanically isolated from the internal camera electronics by means of an
optocoupler.

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Chassis part:
Hirose type HR10A-7R-4SB(74)•
Camera female I/O connectorFigure 3.1:
Pin no. Signal name Direction Level At the pin
1Trigger in Input 10..20 mA Anode of optocoupler(*)
2Flash strobe out Output Open collector of optocoupler
3Trigger return Input Isolated gnd Cathode of optocoupler
4Flash strobe return Output Isolated gnd Emitter of optocoupler
(*)serial resistors 470 Ωinside camera, see figure 3.2.
Pinning I/O connectorTable 3.2:
Mating cable connector:
Hirose type HR10A-7P-4P(74)•
NOTE: The delay from non-conductive to conductive state of the phototransistor is less than 1.5 µs.
The delay from conductive to non-conductive state of the phototransistor is less than 10 µs.
The recommended termination circuitry is drawn in Figure 3.2.
A current of 2.5 mA is recommended for the Flash strobe output. For the Trigger input, a current of 10
mA is recommended. These current recommendations translate to the recommended series resistor
values in table 3.3.
Vext [V] R1E [Ω]R2E [Ω]
3.3 1000 Do not apply
5.0 2000 0
12 4700 470
Recommended series resistor for trigger inputTable 3.3:
4
2
3
1

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Recommended terminations of strobe output and trigger input.Figure 3.2:
LED indicators3.3
Next to each BNC connector is a multi-color LED indicator.
The meaning of the LED indications is shown in the table below.
LED INDICATION CAMERA/INTERFACE STATE
Orange solid System booting, shown at startup of the camera
Green fast flash Link detection in progress
Green slow pulse Device connected, but no data transferred (shown if acquisition is
stopped)
Orange slow pulse Device connected, waiting for trigger (shown if acquisition is stopped
and camera is in either control mode)
Green solid Device connected, data being transferred (i.e. blinks synchronously
with data)
Red fast flash System error (e.g. internal error)
Quick start3.4
Mount a lens on the camera and adjust the iris for F5.6.•
Connect the CXP cables to the camera and frame grabber.•
Start the PC and start the frame grabber application.•
Perform a camera discovery with the frame grabber and start acquisition.•
Camera Application

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Factory default settings of the Quartz camera series.
Q-2A340 Qr-2A340 Q-4A180 Qr-4A180
Operation Mode Continuous
Frame Rate 25 fps
Output Resolution 10 bit
Factory default interface settingsTable 3.4:

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Functional description4.
This chapter contains a functional description of the Quartz cameras. It briefly describes the main
functions and features of the camera using a simplified block diagram.
More in-depth explanations on these functions as well as descriptions on how to control them are in
the next chapters of this manual.
Block diagram4.1
The diagram below shows the main functional blocks of the Quartz cameras.
Block diagram of the cameraFigure 4.1:
The CMOS image sensor is equipped with one analog to digital converter per column.
A Region Of Interest (ROI block) is available. The camera will only output video information from a
programmable rectangular sub frame. This reduces the amount of data and can increase the frame
rate.
The defect pixel correction function can be enabled and disabled on demand. Also, defect pixels can
be added to the list or removed by the user.
For functional testing of the camera and frame grabber chain, a test pattern generator is available. The
test pattern generator can be enabled and disabled on demand.
Flat field correction allows for correction of fixed pattern noise as well as shading. A full calibration
can be done in the field.
Digital Gain is applied within the basic processing block. An output look-up table is available; this
table allows real-time conversion of the video levels from the processing chain according to a user
programmable curve (e.g. Gamma-function).
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Image Capture
Modes
ROI
Defect pixel
Correction
Test pattern
Flat field
Correction
Basic
Processing
Frame
Averaging
Binning
Image flip
Frame
Buffering
CoaXPress
Interface
Format
conversion
Image tagging
Image Capture Image Processing Image Output

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The camera is able to average a number of images before they are output over the interface. This
reduces the temporal noise significantly.
Horizontal binning and vertical binning digitally averages a number of pixels into a single pixel. The
used method is suitable to increase sensitivity.
The output image can be mirrored horizontally and vertically.
All images pass through a real-time dual ported frame memory, referred to as image FIFO. This FIFO
(first-in-first-out memory) allows for temporary buffering of the images if acquisition of frames is done
faster than the CXP interface allows. Data will be readout immediately after it is written if buffering is
not necessary, leading to minimal delay between acquisition and camera output.
Image tagging allows for identification of each frame at the output. The camera has a built-in frame
counter. A digital representation of this frame counter can be made visible as either overlaying the
actual video data or added as an extra video line tag.
The video data is mapped to the packed for sending according to the CXP protocol. The output
resolution can be set to 8 bit or 10 bit by user command. The output format can be set by user
command.
The camera is equipped with a flash strobe output signal on the I/O connector. The active state of the
flash strobe output can be inverted to adapt to the application requirements. The flash strobe output
can be operated in two different modes, which are set through a user command.
The automatic mode: The flash strobe will become active after the sensor is reset and a•
configurable delay time is expired. The strobe will deactivate when the acquisition is completed.
The programmed mode; Both delay time after a sensor reset as well as the duration of the active•
state can be programmed.
The delay time between the sensor reset operation in the active state of the flash strobe, as well
as the duration of the flash strobe if the camera is in programmed strobe timing mode, can be user
programmed.

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Control of the camera5.
Introduction CoaXPress and GenICam5.1
The CoaXPress interface is register-based and GenICam compliant. The former means in practice
that if a setting is changed or queried, a value is written to or obtained from a camera register with an
address. The exact address and interpretation of the value are camera specific.
GenICam (Generic Interface for Cameras) is designed to bridge this. With CoaXPress frame grabbers a
GenICam Application Programming Interface (GenAPI) is provided. This is a software layer that maps
generic programming syntax onto the camera registers, using a description XML file. The programming
syntax complies to the GenICam SFNC (Standard Features Naming Convention).
The description XML file is stored in the camera. Upon camera startup, most frame grabbers will
automatically download the description XML file from the camera.
Communication between application and camera through SFNC, GenAPI and CoaXPress is
schematically shown in figure 5.1.
Schematic view of communication between application and camera through SFNC, GenAPI and CoaXPressFigure 5.1:
In practice the camera is controlled as follows. If a user would like to change a camera setting, for
example gain, GenICam (SFNC) prescribes a standardized syntax, currently only in C++:
if( IsAvailable(Camera.Gain) )
Camera.Gain = 150;
GenAPI can interpret such commands by the description file, and for example figure out that in order
to set the gain to ‘150’, a value of 96 (HEX) must be written to a register located at address 0x0815
(HEX). Other tasks involved might be to check in advance whether the camera possesses a Gain
feature and to check whether the new value is consistent with the allowed Gain range.
This register message is transmitted via the CoaXPress protocol and interpreted and applied inside the
camera.
Application GenAPI CoaXPress Camera
Description
XML
Frame Grabber manuafacturer Adimec
Command syntax
(according to SFNC,):e.g.
Camera. Gain= 150
Interprets (SFNC)
syntax with description
file; identify associated
register address
Transmit register address
and value according to
CXP protocol
Change setting; write
value to register

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Structure of camera control5.2
The practical way to control the camera is closely dependant on the Frame grabber manufacturers’
software implementation and SDK.
Most frame grabber manufacturers’ software provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that is
automatically generated from the XML file.
This manual focuses on the camera functionality. The specific commands and their effect on the
camera operation are described in detail.
Of each GenAPI parameter its name, interface, access, range, default and unit are listed.
Parameter name5.2.1.
Each parameter is identified by a unique name.
Most names are part of the Standard Features Naming Convention SFNC. For some Quartz
functionalities no SFNC equivalent was available, so a name outside SFNC had to be introduced.
Parameter interface5.2.2.
The parameter interface indicates the type of the parameter. This is mainly used in the frame grabbers’
GUI to assign a display type to the Parameter.
INTERFACE DISPLAY
IInteger slider with value, min, max and increment
IFloat slider with value, min, max and physical unit
IString edit box showing a string
IEnumeration drop down box
ICommand command button
IBoolean check box
ICategory entry in a tree structuring the cameras features.
in the XML file, are categorized the parameters are grouped according
to ICategories.
overview of parameter interfacesTable 5.1:
Parameter access5.2.3.
The parameter access indicates if a user can Read, Write or Read/Write the parameter.
Parameter visibility5.2.4.
Each parameter has a visibility level assigned to it: Beginner, Expert and Guru (increasing in
complexity).
The visibility does not affect the functionality of the features but is merely used by the frame grabber
manufacturers’ GUI to decide which features to display based on the current user level. The purpose
is mainly to insure that the GUI is not cluttered with information that is not intended at the current user
level.

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The following criteria’s have been used for the assignment of recommended visibility:
B: beginner - features that should be visible for all users via the GUI and API. The number of•
features with “beginner” visibility is limited to all basic features of the devices so the GUI display
is well-arranged and is easy to use.
E: expert - features that require a more in-depth knowledge of the camera functionality. This is the•
visibility level for all advanced features in the cameras.
G: guru – advanced features that might bring the cameras into a state where it will not work•
properly anymore if it is set incorrectly for the cameras current mode of operation.
The guru parameters mainly have use in debugging.
NOTE: the guru level parameters are not described in this manual. In case the user needs to
control them, please contact your local support.
In this manual, for each setting and function the visibility is indicated by the letter B (beginner) or E
(expert).
Parameter range, default, unit5.2.5.
For each parameter its range and default value are listed. A unit is only applicable to interface type
IFloat.
Note that the default value is not stored in the XML file but merely in the camera itself.

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