Dalsa Linea SWIR GigE User manual

Linea SWIR GigE
Quick Start Guide
This Quick Start Guide helps you to set up your camera for basic operation. Refer to the Linea SWIR GigE
Camera User’s Manual for specifications, networking, external signal connections and application
development. Note: screen images were made using the 1k model but instructions also apply to the 512
model.
Before you begin, ensure that you have:
•Camera power cable or Power over Ethernet (PoE) setup using a PoE Ethernet Switch or PoE Injector.
•Cat 5e or Cat 6 Ethernet cable. Note:cable should not be less than 1 meter (3 feet) long or more than
100 meters (328 feet) long.
•A computer with a second or unused Gigabit Network Interface (NIC) and any necessary imaging
software (such as Sapera LT).
•Other necessary components of your system, including: light sources, camera mounts, lenses, encoders,
etc. Please note that for best imaging performance it is recommended to use a lens designed for short
wave infrared wavelengths between 900 and 1700 nm. Standard lenses designed for visible light may
not transmit IR light fully nor perform to specification outside of their intended wavelength range. There
are several manufacturers that make C-mount SWIR lenses specifically for machine vision systems. For
assistance in selecting suitable optics for your application please contact one of our regional sales
offices.
Connect the Linea SWIR GigE Camera
Before connecting power to the camera, test the power supplies. The camera requires a single voltage input
(Min +12 V to Max +24 V) on Auxiliary connector or PoE Class 2 setup.
•Connect power via PoE or the 10-pin connector, but not both. Although the camera has protection,
differences in ground levels may cause operational issues or electrical faults. The Auxiliary connector
pinout is outlined below. See the Camera User’s Manual (document number 03-032-20280) for detailed
information and recommended cable solutions.
Face View of the 10-pin Auxiliary Connector and Pinout Description
Pin Number Linea SWIR Direction Definition
1 PWR-GND - Camera Power - Ground
2 PWR-VCC - Camera Power – DC +12 to +24Volts
3 GPI-Common - General Input Common Ground
4 GPO-Power - General Output Common Power
5 GPI 1 In General External Input 1
6 GPO 1 Out General External Output 1
7 GPI 2 In General External Input 2
8 GPO 2 Out General External Output 2
9 RESERVED - Reserved for Future Use
10 Chassis - Camera Chassis

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•Apply power to the camera.
•Connect Linea SWIR GigE to the host computer GigE network adapter or to PoE Ethernet switch via a
CAT5e or CAT6 Ethernet cable.
•Once communication with the host computer is started, the automatic IP configuration sequence will
assign an IP address, as described in the user manual (see Linea SWIR GigE IP Configuration Sequence).
•Check the diagnostic LED on the back of the camera, which will initially be red and then switch colors as
shown in the diagram below. A steady blue color indicates that the IP address has been assigned and the
camera is ready to connect to an application.
Flashing Red
initialization Flashing Blue waiting for IP Blue
IP assigned
Green
application
connected
Red
power connected
•Start the Sapera CamExpert application by double-clicking the desktop icon created during the Sapera LT
installation. If using a different software application, then follow the specific instructions for your
application.
•CamExpert will search for installed Sapera devices. The connected Linea SWIR GigE camera should be
listed in the Device window on the left side of the app once CamExpert completes the automatic device
search (device discovery).
•Select the camera by clicking on the camera’s user-defined name. By default, the camera is identified by
its serial number.
•The camera’s status LED will turn green, indicating that the CamExpert application is now connected.
The camera is ready for imaging.
•Click on the Grab button for live acquisition (the camera’s factory default mode is Internal Trigger with a
vertical height parameter defining the virtual image frame).
•If the camera doesn’t have a lens, select one of the internal test patterns available (Image Format
Controls > Test Image Selector).
•The following screenshot shows the camera connected to CamExpert and outputting the Grey Horizontal
Ramp test patter:

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•You can now stop the grab, add a lens and adjust other camera parameters—such as Line Rate, Exposure
time, etc. to develop your imaging application.
•Refer to the camera’s user’s manual for a description of all of the available camera commands.
Flat Field Correction Overview
The Flat Field Correction function (FFC) uses two coefficients per pixel to correct the gain and offset of the
corresponding pixel. These corrections compensate for Photo-Response Non-uniformity (PRNU) and Fix
Pattern Noise (FPN) unique to each camera sensor.
Note: it is important that you perform the FFC calibration under the same conditions the camera will be used
in.
Before calibration, the camera should be powered on long enough to achieve its nominal temperature. The
exposure time and camera internal temperature need to be similar to the expected operating conditions—
otherwise, image sensor variations (over temperature and exposure) will render the FFC calibration invalid.
The current camera version supports an FFC calibration through Sapera CamExpert, while the FFC correction
is done in the camera device.
The following is a brief overview of the main calibration steps for users already familiar with the Flat Field
Correction.

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Refer to the FFC section in the User Manual for a detailed description of the FFC process and for guidelines
on how to optimize the image quality.
Since the FFC is done on the entire sensor (1k model: 1024 x 1 pixels or 512 model: 512 x 1 pixels), verify in
the Image Format Controls section that the Horizontal and Vertical binning are set to “1” and that the image
Width is set to “1024” (or “512” for the 512 model)—as shown here:
Before performing an FFC, we strongly recommend that you evaluate the “bare image” characteristics. The
bare image quality determines the quality of FFC that will be applied to the image.
To obtain a bare image:
(1) Disable the FPN and PRNU coefficients and (2) choose Off from the Flat Field Correction Mode.

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The camera is now ready to produce bare images. The line profile tool is best used to evaluate a bare image.
The following line profile is an example of the bare image of a white uniform object:
Make sure that the average output level is set close to your calibration target. An extremely low output will
increase the noise level significantly high after the PRNU is corrected, such that the SNR and/or DNR may not
meet your application’s requirements.

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How to do a FFC Setup
The process requires images be snapped in black and bright conditions, followed by the FFC process.
•If using a sheet as a white target, it must be completely free of blemishes and texture.
•Dirt or texture will generate variating in the image and incorporate it into the calibration coefficients of
the camera. Vertical stripes are visible while imaging after the target is removed.
•A moving target during calibration will average out any dirt or texture present.
Set up Black and Bright Acquisitions with the Histogram Tool
Verify the camera’s acquisition with a live grab and prepare to grab a flat light gray image required for
calibration. Ideally, a controlled diffused light source aimed directly at the lens should be used or a non-
glossy paper with the lens slightly out of focus (or evenly lite wall). Note the lens iris position for a bright but
not saturated image.
Verify a Black Acquisition
Close the camera lens iris and cover the lens with the lens cap. Using CamExpert, click on the grab button
and then select Histogram. The following figure shows a typical histogram for a camera grabbing a dark
image.

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Important: the average pixel value for the frame is close to black. Note: Sensors might show a much
higher maximum pixel value due to one or more "hot pixels".
Verify a Bright Acquisition
Point the camera at a diffused light source or evenly lit white wall with no shadows falling on it. Click the
grab button, followed by ‘histogram’ in the drop down menu. Use the lens iris to adjust for a bright gray
approximately pixel value 200 (for 8-bit pixels). The following figure displays a histogram while grabbing a
bright gray image.
Important: In this example, the average pixel value for the frame is bright gray. Note: Sensors may
show a much higher maximum or a much lower minimum pixel value due to one or more "hot or dead
pixels". The sensor specification accounts for a small number of hot, stuck or dead pixels (pixels that do not
react to light over the full dynamic range specified for that sensor).
When the bright gray acquisition setup is complete, note the camera and lens iris position for repeatability in
the future.

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Flat Field Correction Calibration
Flat Field Correction Calibration (FFC) contains FPN (Fixed Pattern Noise) and PRNU (Photon Response non-
uniformity) corrections.
NOTE: Before performing a FFC, we recommend you evaluate the “bare image” characteristics, which
determine the quality of FFC, applied to the image.
To obtain a bare image, disable FPN and PRNU coefficients:
•Choose Off from Flat Field Correction Mode.
1. Setting gain to 1x.
Type or use the numeric up-down control to set the value to 1.0 as seen below.
2. Choose Off from Flat Field Correction Mode.

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To evaluate a bare image use the line profile tool shown below.
Line Profile Example

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A line profile is mainly determined by two factors: Flatness and Height
1) Flatness: The Line profile represents a Flat Field measurement. Due to lens-shading effect, light falls-off
near the edges and results in lower output. This produces higher noise levels near the edge. A smaller
aperture opening and longer focal length can reduce lens - shading effect. In some demanding applications,
optimized low - shading lenses should be considered.
2) Height: An average value near your calibration target is ideal.
An extremely low output compared to the target will increase noise level significantly after the PRNU is
corrected. To avoid SNR and / or DNR not meeting your application requirements, the profile should reach a
level near the calibration target.
NOTE: Changes to gain do not improve image quality from a SNR perspective. Gains are analog and digital
multipliers that scale up signal and noise proportionally.
Before performing a FFC keep the following in mind:
•Ensure the camera’s temperature is at nominal operating condition. Power-on for minimum 30 min.
•All parameters should meet your application’s specifications. If parameters change after FFC completion,
the results may no longer be accurate. Perform another FFC.
FPN Correction
Step 1: Cover the lens (place the sensor in black).
Step 2: Select Off from Flat Field Correction Mode drop-down menu and check the line profile / histogram. If
pixel outputs are zero, adjust the “Black level (in DN)” to increase Minimum value above zero. The Black
Level adjustment is located in the Sensor Control category.

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Step 3: Select Calibration from Flat Field Correction Mode drop-down menu.
Step 4:Select 2048 or 4096 option from Flat Field Calibration Sample Size. The 2048 option reduces
calculating time; 4096 option returns result that is more accurate.
Step 5: Press the Press… command in the Calibrate FPN menu

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PRNU Correction
Step 1: Apply illumination and place a white flat target in the location where the real object will be. Ideally,
you would use a professional target. For convenience, you can use white paper as the target. The result of
using paper may produce grain effect — where visible vertical lines show up in grabbed images.
Two common ways to correct the grain effect are:
1) Target in motion while PRNU Correction is performed.
2) Defocus lens while PRNU Correction is performed.
Select Off from Flat Field Correction Mode drop-down menu and check the bare image line profile.
Step 2: Select Calibration from Flat Field Correction Mode drop-down menu.
Step 3: Adjust the calibration target in the Flat Field Calibration Target (in DN) if necessary. NOTE: 200 DN is
commonly used target in 8-bit output format.
Step 4: Select 2048 or 4096 from Flat Field Calibration Sample Size drop-down menu.
Step 5: Press the Press… command in Calibrate PRNU menu.

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Step 6:Select a User Flat field set from the Flat Field Correction Current Active Set. Press the Press…
command in Save Calibration menu to Active the Set. If not saved, the FFC result will be lost when the Active
Set or Calibration mode is changed.
Step 7: Select Active from Flat Field Correction Mode drop-down menu to apply the calibrated FPN and
PRNU parameters. Refer to the figure below to verify the line profile.