Image Engineering LED-Panel V5 User manual

Image Engineering GmbH & Co. KG · Im Gleisdreieck 5 ·50169 Kerpen-Horrem · Germany
T [phone] - 0 · F [phone] ·www.image-engineering.com
LED-Panel V5
User Manual
10. May 2022

Image Engineering
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Content
1INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................4
1.1 Intended use..............................................................................................................4
1.2 Foreseeable misuse...................................................................................................5
1.2.1 Older LED-Panel versions...................................................................................5
1.3 General safety information.........................................................................................5
1.4 Eye safety..................................................................................................................5
2GETTING STARTED........................................................................................................5
2.1 Scope of delivery .......................................................................................................5
3OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS HARDWARE...................................................................6
3.1 Set up hardware.........................................................................................................6
3.2 Hardware description.................................................................................................6
3.2.1 Trigger mode.......................................................................................................7
3.2.2 Setting mode and time ........................................................................................7
Setting the mode.................................................................................................................... 8
Setting the time ...................................................................................................................... 8
Setting the LEDs running direction......................................................................................... 8
Display brightness.................................................................................................................. 8
4MEASUREMENT METHODS...........................................................................................9
4.1 Shutter lag without autofocus time .............................................................................9
4.2 Shutter lag with autofocus time................................................................................10
4.3 Exposure time..........................................................................................................11
4.4 Video recording rate / Frame rate.............................................................................12
4.5 Speed of multi-shot mode ........................................................................................13
4.6 Rolling shutter speed ...............................................................................................14
5OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS SOFTWARE .................................................................17
5.1 Requirements...........................................................................................................17
5.2 Software installation.................................................................................................17
5.3 Set up hardware and software for software control ..................................................17
5.4 Software activation...................................................................................................17
5.5 Software description.................................................................................................18
5.5.1 File list...............................................................................................................19
5.5.2 Control panel.....................................................................................................20
Analysis.................................................................................................................................20
LED-Panel.............................................................................................................................20
iQ-Trigger..............................................................................................................................21
5.5.3 Image view........................................................................................................22
5.5.4 Metadata...........................................................................................................22
5.5.5 Results..............................................................................................................23

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5.5.6 Menu bar...........................................................................................................23
5.5.7 Export results....................................................................................................24
5.5.8 Connected LED-Panel ......................................................................................24
5.6 Measurement...........................................................................................................24
6COMMAND LINE INTERFACE (CLI).............................................................................26
6.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................26
6.2 Operation functions..................................................................................................27
6.2.1 Set operation mode...........................................................................................27
6.2.2 Get operation mode ..........................................................................................28
6.2.3 Set trigger mode ...............................................................................................29
6.2.4 Get trigger mode...............................................................................................29
6.2.5 Set LEDs switching time....................................................................................30
6.2.6 Get LEDs switching time...................................................................................31
6.2.7 Start measurement............................................................................................31
6.2.8 Stop measurement............................................................................................31
6.2.9 Get running state...............................................................................................32
6.2.10 Reset measurement......................................................................................32
6.2.11 Get camera trigger input state.......................................................................32
6.2.12 Get stop trigger input state............................................................................33
6.2.13 Get the number of currently activated LEDs..................................................33
6.2.14 Put the LED-Panel in sleep mode, wake from sleep mode............................34
6.2.15 Enable / Disable the external input “Camera Trigger”....................................34
6.2.16 Get the enabled / disabled state of the external input “Camera Trigger”........35
6.2.17 Enable / Disable the external input “Stop Trigger” .........................................35
6.2.18 Get the enabled / disabled state of the external input “Stop Trigger” .............36
6.2.19 Set the intensity of the display backlight........................................................36
6.2.20 Get the intensity of the display backlight........................................................37
6.2.21 Set the direction of the LEDs for “Response Time” and “Exposure Time” modes .....37
6.2.22 Get the direction of the LEDs for “Response Time” and “Exposure Time” modes .....38
6.2.23 Set the direction of the LEDs for “Rolling Shutter” mode ...............................38
6.2.24 Get the direction of the LEDs for “Rolling Shutter” mode...............................39
6.2.25 Set LEDs switching time for the “Exposure Time” mode................................39
6.2.26 Get LEDs switching time for the “Exposure Time” mode ...............................40
6.2.27 Trigger iQ-Trigger (LED-Panel V5 and V4 only) ............................................40
6.2.28 Trigger iQ-Defocus (LED-Panel V5 and V4 only)...........................................41
6.2.29 Set auto release (LED-Panel V5 and V4 only)...............................................41
6.2.30 Set post roll time (LED-Panel V5 and V4 only)..............................................42
6.2.31 Set the intensity of the LED array (LED-Panel V5 only).................................42
6.2.32 Get the intensity of the LED array (LED-Panel V5 only) ................................43
7ADDITIONAL INFORMATION .......................................................................................44
7.1 Disposal instructions................................................................................................44
8TECHNICAL DATA SHEET...........................................................................................44
9TRADEMARK AND COPYRIGHT..................................................................................45

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9.1 Trademarks..............................................................................................................45
9.2 Software by third parties ..........................................................................................45
9.3 Copyright information...............................................................................................45
1 INTRODUCTION
LED-Panel is the ideal measurement device to determine shutter and shooting time lag,
autofocus time, burst frame rate, exposure times, and the rolling shutter speed of a digital
imaging device.
Exact measurements with accuracy better than one millisecond are possible with this device. It
meets all the requirements of the ISO 15781 standard, which describes the measurement of
shooting time lag, shutter release time lag, shooting rate, and start-up time.
The LED-Panel has an interface that can be controlled from a computer. Use a standard USB
port to select the different operation modes of the LED-Panel. Shutter and shooting time lag can
be activated by adjusting the LED frequency, the display refresh mode, and the continuous
mode for exposure time and frame rate measurements.
Of course, the rolling shutter mode with its 10 LED rows that move simultaneously can also be
selected through the command-line interface. Via USB, each mode can be triggered
individually, and the LED sequence's direction can be changed.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Read the manual carefully before using the device.
Inappropriate utilization may cause damage to the device, to the DUT (device under
test), or other components of your setup.
Keep these instructions in a safe place and pass them to any future user.
1.1 Intended use
LED-Panel V5 is designed to perform timing measurements on digital cameras. Measurements
according to ISO 15739 are possible with LED-Panel V5.
•Only suitable for indoor use.
•Place your system in a dry and constant tempered environment without interfering light.
•The optimal ambient temperature range is 22 to 26 degrees Celsius. The maximum
ambient temperature range is 18 to 28 degrees Celsius.
•The device has a maximum error of < 0.06%.
•An accuracy of better than one millisecond enables extremely precise measurements.
•A software-based analysis is included in the LED-Panel software.

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1.2 Foreseeable missuse
1.2.1 Older LED-Panel verisons
Most parts of this manual apply to LED-Panel V4. Please contact Image Engineering to request
a manual from a previous version of the LED-Panel.
1.3 General safety information
Do not open the device without any instructions from the Image Engineering support or when
connected to the power supply.
1.4 Eye safety
If you use the LED-Panel infrared version, please wear the supplied safety googles according to
IEC 62471:2009. Do not look directly into the emitted light or look through the optical LED
system; this can cause irreversible eye damage.
2 GETTING STARTED
2.1 Scope of delivery
LED-Panel V5, power supply, USB cable, remote control, control software
Optional equipment:
•iQ-Trigger
•iQ-Trigger-T

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3 OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS HARDWARE
3.1 Set up hardware
Connect the power cord to the power supply on LED-Panel V5. Connect the power supply to
electricity. Switch on LED-Panel V5 by setting the power switch to “I.” The power switch is
located beside the power supply.
3.2 Hardware description
LED-Panel V5 front and side
Operating element front:
•LED array
•Display
•Trigger button
•Mode button
Operating elements side:
•Rotary knob for changing the frequency and dimming of the LED array and the display
•USB Mini port (connection to PC)
•Stop trigger (3.5 mm TRS connector, signal input *)
•Camera trigger (3.5 mm TRS connector, signal input *)
•iQ-Trigger (before: Digitus, 6.3 mm TRS connector, signal output *)
•Defocus (6.3 mm TRS connector, signal output *)
•Power switch
•Power connection
The square array of 100 LEDs is separated into ten rows, each consisting of ten LEDs. The
LEDs light up one after another with the set speed/frequency.
The row beneath the square field consists of ten LEDs and is switched forward after all 100
LEDs have passed. Thus, the device can represent cycles of up to 1000 LEDs.

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*For an electrical wiring diagram of these connectors, please see the LED-Panel datasheet.
Square field of 10 x 10 LEDs and the
additional row beneath the 10 rows.
In this example, the 100 LEDs have
already passed through six times, visible
on the lighted up LED “600” in the lower
row.
The LED-Panel V5 can be operated manually or via software (USB interface). Please refer to
chapter 3.3 for information about control software.
3.2.1 Trigger mode
The LED-Panel V5 can be operated manually using either an external (single) or internal
(continuous) trigger. The trigger mode can be changed by pressing the button Trigger. The
trigger is indicated on the LCD display in the top row:
•Cont: Trigger Continuous
•Sngl: Trigger Single
A remote release is connected to the LED-Panel for the external operating mode. When
connecting to the CAMERA TRIGGER input, the LED-Panel starts by pressing and stops by
releasing the remote release button (and returns to the start position).
The period between two triggered events can be calculated if a remote release is also
connected to the STOP TRIGGER input. The LED-Panel starts by pressing the CAMERA
TRIGGER (remote release) and stops by pressing the STOP TRIGGER (remote release). When
stopped, the LED-Panel does not return to the start position –but remains at the LED position lit
last. The only prerequisite is that the CAMERA TRIGGER remains pressed when stopped and
pressing the CAMERA TRIGGER again resets the LED-Panel.

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3.2.2 Setting mode and time
Overview of selectable modes, their descriptions, and times
Setting the mode
Briefly press the MODE button (mode is indicated in the display) to set a mode.
Selectable modes: response time [µs/ms/s], exposure time [1/x s], frame rate [Hz], rolling
shutter [µs/ms/s].
Setting the time
Use the rotary knob to set a time/frequency in the different modes.
Setting the LEDs running direction
Figure 1
To set the running direction, press and hold the MODE button until the display's "Set direction"
is shown. Change the direction by turning the rotary knob. There are eight directions for the
response and exposure time modes, and there are also four directions for the rolling shutter
mode. The running direction is indicated on the right side of the display. For instance, the
indication "12/34" (Figure 1) means the LEDs start from the left top edge of the LED matrix and
run to the right top edge. It then jumps to the left of the second top line, runs from left to right,
and continues to the bottom of the LED matrix. The indication "12/12" means that a column of
10 LEDs starts from the left and runs to the right.
Display and LED-array brightness
The brightness of the display can be modified by using the rotary knob. Press and hold the
rotary knob until the message "Set brightness" and "LED xx LCD xx" are shown on the display.
Mode
Response time
Exposure time
Frame rate
Roll. shutter
Measurement
Response time
Exposure time
Frame rate
Rolling shutter
LED Movement
Single LED
moves across
matrix according
to set direction
Single LED
moves across
matrix according
to set direction
Bottom row:
single LED
moves from
right to left
Entire row/column
moves across
matrix according to
set direction
Trigger Mode
Single (external)
Continuous
(internal)
-
Continuous
(internal)
Single (external)
Times in USB /
manual mode
20 μs – 9.9 s
50 kHz - 0.101 Hz
1/50000 –10 s
50 kHz - 0.1 Hz
Frame rate
1 Hz - 200 Hz
20 μs – 9.9 s
50 kHz - 0.101 Hz

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Turn the rotary knob to change the LED array light intensity. To set the display's brightness,
push the rotary knob again and turn it to change.
4 MEASUREMENT METHODS
Depending on the operating mode, the following measurements can be made with the aid of the
LED-Panel:
1. Shutter lag without autofocus time
2. Shutter lag with autofocus time
3. Exposure times
4. Video recording rate / Framerate
5. Speed of multi-shot mode
6. Rolling shutter speed
4.1 Shutter lag without autofocus time
The LED-Panel is used in TRIGGER EXT operating mode, and the time is set. The LED-Panel
is connected to and is started with a remote release. A micro switch button must be connected
to the release button on the camera, and the camera must be focused, with both buttons
pressed to measure the shutter lag. After the shutter lag has passed, the camera takes a picture
of the running LED-Panel. The time passed since the microswitch was pressed can be read with
the lighted LED(s) aid in this picture.
Figure 2
Due to the two buttons having different release points, a time lag can occur between starting the
LED-Panel and releasing the camera. We offer an optional device that is guaranteed to push
both buttons (microswitch and camera release button) in less than 5 ms. This device –iQ-

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Trigger - activates the camera release. The iQ-Trigger is available as a separate product and is
not included in the scope of delivery of LED-Panel.
Example
LED-Panel settings:
Operating mode TRIGGER EXT
Exposure time (1/x s) 1/10 s
LED No. 2 is lit up (Figure 2):
Shutter lag is 0.2 seconds (2 * 1/10 s)
4.2 Shutter lag with autofocus time
The LED-Panel is used in TRIGGER EXT operating mode, and a microswitch is connected.
Two pictures are taken, and the shutter lag is calculated.
•It is described in Shutter lag without autofocus time. The shutter lag without autofocus
time is calculated.
•The camera focus is set to infinity, and afterward, a picture of the LED-Panel is taken
with the microswitch’s help. After the time for the autofocus and shutter lag has passed,
the camera takes a picture of the running LED-Panel. The time passed since the
microswitch (and release button) was pressed and autofocus was completed can be
read with the aid of the lit LEDs in this picture.
The autofocus time can be calculated as the difference between shutter lag with autofocus time
(Figure 4) and shutter lag without autofocus time (Figure 3).
Autofocus time = (shutter lag with autofocus time) –(shutter lag without autofocus time)

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Example
LED-Panel settings:
Operating mode TRIGGER EXT
Exposure time (1/x s) 1/10 sec
Shutter lag without autofocus time: LED No. 2 lights up → 0.2 s
Shutter lag with autofocus time: LED No. 32 lights up → 3.2 s
Autofocus time = 3.2 s - 0.2 s = 3 s
4.3 Exposure Time
Exposure times of cameras can be measured with the aid of the LED-Panel. When setting the
LED-Panel to CONTINUOUS trigger mode and adjusting the time, a picture of the LED-Panel is
taken. The exposure time can be read by analyzing the lit LEDs.
Figure 3
Shutter lag without autofocus time
Figure 4
Shutter lag with autofocus time

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Example
Camera exposure time: 1/10 s
LED-Panel settings: 3.00 ms / 333 Hz
34 LEDs are lit
Exposure time: 34*3.00 ms = 102 ms (~ 1/10 s)
4.4 Video recording rate / Frame rate
This mode makes the frame rate measurement of video recording devices possible. The LED-
Panel is set to the frame rate mode “Frame rate” and is being recorded on the camera. The
frequency of the LED-Panel must now be counterbalanced with the rotary knob until the lower
row of LEDs stops blinking on the camera display. The LED-Panel has now matched the frame
rate of the camera. The manual frequency scan should be started at the lowest level because
the frame rate frequency harmonics also cause the LEDs to stop blinking.

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4.5 Speed of multi shot mode
The speed of the multi-shot mode of cameras can also be measured with the aid of the LED-
Panel. The LED-Panel must be set into the CONTINOUS operating mode, and the time must be
defined. Afterward, pictures of the LED-Panel are taken in multi-shot mode. The speed of multi-
shot mode can be calculated from a distance between the live LEDs in two consecutive images.
Figure 6
The frequency of the LED-Panel does not match
the frame rate of the camera (flickering LEDs)
Figure 5
The frequency of the LED-Panel matches the
frame rate of the camera (LEDs glow
permanently)
Figure 8 Figure 7

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Example
Camera exposure time:
1/250 s
LED-Panel settings:
CONTINUOUS, exposure time 1/10 s
Each time the LED has moved three places forwards between the consecutive images. With
LED-Panel’s frequency set to 0.1s, the multi-shot mode has a speed of 0.3 s per picture (i.e.,
3.3 photos per second).
4.6 Rolling shutter speed
The LED-Panel can be used in CONTINUOUS and TRIGGER EXT operating modes. The LED-
Panel is connected to a remote release in TRIGGER EXT operating mode and starts by using
this switch. Due to the two buttons having different release points, a time lag can occur between
starting the LED-Panel and camera release. We have developed a device that is guaranteed to
push both buttons (micro switch and camera release button) in less than five milliseconds. The
so-called iQ-Trigger activates the camera release mechanically. The iQ-Trigger is available as a
separate product.
All ten rows of LEDs are operated simultaneously in the rolling shutter operating mode. This
means that a whole column of LEDs runs across the panel instead of single LEDs. Cameras
with a rolling shutter show an offset in the taken picture between the LEDs in the running
column. The time can be read from this offset, which is required to read out the LED-Panel
image.
For this measurement, we recommend framing the field of the LEDs in the image so that they fill
the whole image height.
Figure 10 Figure 9

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Figure 11
In the rolling shutter mode, all ten rows of LEDs
are operated simultaneously
Figure 11a
In case of a rolling shutter effect an off set of
the LED rows is visible.

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We recommend two LED-Panels in “Exposure Time” mode for software-based rolling shutter
analysis, one in the top left corner and one in the bottom right corner. For detailed information
on setting up two LED-Panels with your device under test, please see the following two
infographics.
Figure 12: internal wiring
Figure 13: setting up for timing measurement

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5 OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS SOFTWARE
5.1 Requirements
•PC with Windows 7 32bit/64bit (or higher) operating system
•One free USB port
5.2 Software installation
Run the installer for your Microsoft Windows operating system. During installation, device
drivers and additional software will be installed. Along with the LED-Panel software, the
installation includes:
•Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
•Hardware driver
Unless you changed the default installation path, you will find the directory “Image
Engineering\LED-Panel <version number>” in your “Program Files” folder after a successful
installation. Additionally a directory “Image Engineering\LED-Panel” is created in
<root>\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming (example:
C:\Users\John_Doe\AppData\Roaming\Image Engineering) to store application settings.
5.3 Set up hardware and software for software control
Connect the power cord to the power supply on the side of the LED-Panel. Connect the power
supply to electricity.
Connect the USB cable to the LED-Panel and your PC. Switch on LED-Panel by setting the
power switch to “I.” The power switch is located beside the power supply.
5.4 Software activation
Figure 14
Start the iQ-LED software by clicking the ‘iQ-LED.exe’ or the iQ-LED icon on your desktop.
When you start the LED-Panel software for the first time, you will be asked to activate the
software (Figure 14). To do this, connect your LED-Panel to the computer and enter the
provided license key. The key is in a text file on the USB shipped with the product. After the
activation process is completed, the software starts, and a license file will be written to
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Image Engineering\LED-Panel\Data\.

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NOTE
The LED-Panel hardware must be connected to your computer via USB during the
activation process.
5.5 Software description
The LED-Panel software contains two main functions:
•controlling LED-Panel V5, LED-Panel V4 and LED-Panel V3
•analyzing images taken from LED-Panel V5 and LED-Panel V4
You can perform many actions using the control software, including setting the desired
measurement frequency, choosing between the available LED modes, starting and stopping the
LED-Panel, adjusting the LED array, and displaying brightness. You can also release an iQ-
Trigger attached to the LED-Panel once or set an interval to release it periodically to take a
series of images.
For the analysis of images, the LED-Panel software provides a convenient way to evaluate
camera timing, such as shooting release time lag, with the assistance of the LED-Panel device
according to ISO 15781. The software supports all standard image file formats like JPEG, PNG,
TIFF, and BMP. The analysis results can be saved as plain text (*.txt) and/or XML files for
further processing.
Note: Software-based analysis is only available for LED-Panel V5 and LED-Panel V4.
Figure 15

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The graphical user interface (GUI) is divided into three major parts (see Figure 15)
•the file list and the setting control panel (Figure 15, ①& ②)
•the image view (Figure 15, ③)
•the results and the meta data view (Figure 15, ④& ⑤).
Note: After putting the LED-Panel into sleep mode, it will wake up after switching off/on the
power, disconnecting the USB cable, or after the PC shuts down/power-up. To wake up from
the PC, use an according command. To wake up manually, switch off the LED-Panel, push the
MODE button, hold it, and then switch on the power.
5.5.1 File list
The file list is located on the top left side of the GUI. Add your images taken from LED-Panel V4
to the list.
The file list can contain different file types such as
JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and BMP. You can load single
images or a whole folder by simply dragging and
dropping them onto the file list (Figure 16) or using
the file browser by clicking the add-button below the
list.
The images are arranged in a “Measurement”tree
structure, sorted in ascending order. So, each image
belongs to a measurement. You can create a new
measurement by dropping images on the empty area
or using the plus sign button. To add an image to an
existing measurement, drag and drop it over the file
names of the desired measurement or right-click on
this measurement to open a context menu.
Select it and click the delete-button (Figure 16) or
press “Delete” on your keyboard to delete a single
file. By clicking the trash-bin-button, the entire file list
gets cleared.
The arrow button in the top right corner will hide or
display all files in the list.
The icon next to the file name indicates the current
image status. There are three different states:
Image not yet processed
Image successfully processed
Detection failed or an error occurred during analysis (a message box will show up with
further details)
Figure 16

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5.5.2 Control panel
The control panel is located on the bottom left side of the GUI. There you select the required
settings for your analysis.
The control panel (Figure 15, ②) is divided into three different tabs (Figure 17).
Analysis
The “Analysis” tab contains the general settings. “LED-Panel”and “iQ-Trigger”tabs are used to
control connected devices.
Figure 17
In the “Analysis tab”(Figure 17), you can choose the measurement method and the frequency.
The set frequency is used to calculate the time shown by the LED-Panel in your images. For
further details on measuring different camera timings, please refer to chapter 5 and ISO 15781.
Note: Ensure that the frequency setting matches the device setting used when capturing your
images.
LED-Panel
Figure 18