Raptor Photonics Owl 640 N User manual

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
Owl 640 N
Model: NO1.7-VS-CL-640
USER MANUAL

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 4
1.1 Scope .......................................................................................................................... 4
2. CAMERA CARE ............................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Cleaning the Sensor Window....................................................................................... 5
3. SPECIFICATION .............................................................................................................. 6
3.1 Camera Overview........................................................................................................ 6
3.2 Datasheet .................................................................................................................... 6
4. DESIGN OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................ 7
4.1 Mechanical Model........................................................................................................ 7
4.2 Physical Interface ........................................................................................................ 8
4.3 Power Consumption .................................................................................................... 8
4.4 Mounting to a Microscope............................................................................................ 8
4.5 Mounting to a Tripod or Optical Table.......................................................................... 8
5. SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY......................................................................................... 9
5.1 XCAP Compatibility ..................................................................................................... 9
5.2 Micro-Manager Compatibility ....................................................................................... 9
5.3 LabView Compatibility ................................................................................................. 9
5.4 Custom Software Interfacing........................................................................................ 9
6. CAMERA SETUP AND REQUIRMENTS........................................................................ 10
6.1 Connecting the Camera to the Frame Grabber.......................................................... 10
6.2 Computer/Laptop System Requirements ................................................................... 10
6.3 Frame Grabber Requirements ................................................................................... 10
7. XCAP IMAGING SOFTWARE ........................................................................................ 11
7.1 Downloading XCAP ................................................................................................... 11
7.2 Opening the Camera Configuration ........................................................................... 11
7.3 Acquiring a Live Image Sequence ............................................................................. 13
8. CONTROLLING THE CAMERA (XCAP) ........................................................................ 14
8.1 Exposure Time .......................................................................................................... 14
8.2 Automatic Light Control Adjustment........................................................................... 16
8.2.1 Automatic Light Control Parameters.................................................................... 16
8.2.2 Automatic Light Control Region of Interest .......................................................... 17
8.2 Gain Mode................................................................................................................. 18
8.3 Trigger Mode and Frame Rate................................................................................... 19
8.4 Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC) .............................................................................. 20
8.5 Thermoelectric Cooler (TEC) ..................................................................................... 21

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
8.6 Miscellaneous Tab..................................................................................................... 22
8.7 Manufacturers Data ................................................................................................... 23
9. XCAP CONTROL FEATURES ....................................................................................... 24
9.1 Recording Images on XCAP ...................................................................................... 24
9.2 Saving Preset Configuration Settings ........................................................................ 24
9.2 Contrast Modification (XCAP Std. Only) .................................................................... 25
10. MICRO-MANAGER ...................................................................................................... 26
10.1 Downloading and Installing Micro-Manager (Windows)............................................ 26
10.2 Creating Camera Configuration File......................................................................... 27
10.3 Pre-made Configuration File .................................................................................... 31
10.4 Imaging and Controlling the Camera ....................................................................... 32

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
1. INTRODUCTION
This document provides detailed instructions for the operation of the Owl 640 N camera.
Raptor Photonics Limited reserves the right to change this document at any time without
notice and disclaims liability for editorial, pictorial or typographical errors.
1.1 Scope
This manual covers the Owl 640 N digital camera and all applicable components. Details of
the camera mechanical interface along with information on how to control the camera are
stated. Each camera control is discussed and explained with the use of XCAP Imaging
software, which is the core plug and play software package that is offered with Raptor
cameras. Important precautions to be taken when using the camera are also stated.
An image of the camera module is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Complete Camera Module.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
2. CAMERA CARE
2.1 Cleaning the Sensor Window
Raptor cameras require no regular maintenance except occasional external cleaning of the
sensor window (the glass window between the camera sensor and the microscope or lens).
Use optical grade isopropyl to clean this window. A cotton swab can be used, but may leave
some fibres on the window, so be careful. To avoid this, you could also use a lens tissue or a
cleaning swap such as a texwipe. Forced air can be applied to remove any loose particles.
Should any other issues occur please contact your local agent.
CAUTION — The camera’s sensor and circuits are sensitive to static discharge. Ensure that
you are using a static strap or completely grounded at all times to release any static energy
before you clean the window.
CAUTION — Do not use acetone.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
3. SPECIFICATION
3.1 Camera Overview
The Owl 640 N is a family member of the Owl 640 product range, offering the lowest readout
noise available on the SWIR market, with a typical value of 18e-. This makes the camera the
highest performing SWIR camera for low light imaging i.e. night imaging. With even smaller
mechanics and the implementation of the smaller SDR Camera Link connector, the camera is
even more compact and lightweight than the original Owl 640. The Owl 640 N is a rugged,
high sensitivity digital VIS-SWIR camera. Using the low noise 640 x 512 InGaAs sensor from
SCD, the camera enables high sensitivity imaging from 0.4µm to 1.7µm.
The Camera Link digital interface provides the most stable platform for data transfer and the
camera will work on any Camera Link standard frame grabber.
3.2 Datasheet
For the full specification of the Owl 640 N, the datasheet for the camera can be downloaded
from the Raptor Photonics website using the link below:
https://www.raptorphotonics.com/products/owl-640-n/

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
4. DESIGN OVERVIEW
4.1 Mechanical Model
The camera has the same mechanical design of the Owl 640 N, which is shown below.
Units shown in mm and [inches]
PDF of mechanical model available from our website:

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
4.2 Physical Interface
To be completed.
4.3 Power Consumption
Unit input power specification is +12V DC +/- 0.5V with <3W power dissipation when the
TEC is disabled. An additional 5W may be required if the full drive to the TEC is required.
This will be dependent on environmental conditions and the TEC temperature set point.
The set point for the TEC cooling is +15 °C. The TEC power is automatically adjusted to try
and achieve the set point temperature, with a limit of approx. 5W drive. For low ambient
temperatures or with additional heat sinking, less than 5W may be applied to the TEC to
achieve the set point. In an ambient of 25°C with adequate heat sinking, less than 1W is
typically required to maintain the +15°C set point.
On power up, the peak power due to inrush current will be less than 10 Watts.
4.4 Mounting to a Microscope
The camera has a standard C-mount that should easily screw onto any microscope port.
4.5 Mounting to a Tripod or Optical Table
The camera has a ¼-20 BSW (Whitworth) threaded hole to mount to a tripod or an optical
table.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
5. SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY
This section outlines the options relating to software that are available for the Owl 640 N.
5.1 XCAP Compatibility
Raptor works closely with EPIX who integrate all Raptor camera models into their XCAP
Imaging Software package. XCAP is the core plug and play software package that is offered
with the Owl 640 N.
5.2 Micro-Manager Compatibility
The Owl 640 N can be controlled and imaged using the free open source software package,
Micro-Manager. Using the camera with this software package is discussed in section 10.
5.3 LabView Compatibility
Raptor can supply a LabView .icd file which can be used to control the camera on National
Instruments imaging tools such as NI MAX. The file may also be useful if attempting to
create a custom LabView VI.
5.4 Custom Software Interfacing
Raptor works closely with EPIX Inc, who integrates all Raptor cameras into their software
package, XCAP. The EPIX frame grabbers are the models that we offer with our cameras.
We offer their Software Development Kit (SDK) for interfacing with custom software (XCLIB).
If using a frame grabber from a different company, then you will have to obtain their SDK.
Raptor can provide an ICD which includes a list of all serial commands to control the
camera. This would be required along with the SDK from the frame grabber device to
integrate the camera.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
6. CAMERA SETUP AND REQUIRMENTS
This section will give instruction on connecting the frame grabber to the camera, as well as
outlining important frame grabber and PC requirements.
6.1 Connecting the Camera to the Frame Grabber
The camera has the shrunk SDR port on the interface. The main frame grabber that Raptor
offer with this camera has the normal MDR port (EPIX EB1). Therefore, one MDR – SDR
Camera Link cable is required to connect the camera to this frame grabber.
If demoing the camera with the Mini PC system that Raptor provides, you should connect to
the left port of the frame grabber in the Mini PC. This should be stated on the Mini PC.
6.2 Computer/Laptop System Requirements
The basic system requirement is that the PCIe bus of the system must provide sufficient
bandwidth to handle video rate transfers. The amount of bandwidth required depends on the
camera in-hand. The Owl 640 N uses a Base Camera Link interface which can be handled
with a x1 PCIe bus and PIXCI EB1 from EPIX, providing roughly 200MB/sec maximum
bandwidth. Contact EPIX Inc. for further information regarding minimum computer/laptop
specification requirements to run the XCAP Imaging Software.
6.3 Frame Grabber Requirements
If using a computer, it is a minimum requirement to use an PIXCI EB1 frame grabber. If
using a frame grabber from another company, the specification requirements of this frame
grabber must meet those supplied by the PIXCI EB1 model.
If using a laptop, EPIX offers base Camera Link frame grabbers for a laptop system, such as
the ECB1/ECB1-34.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
7. XCAP IMAGING SOFTWARE
This section will discuss downloading and acquiring an image using XCAP.
7.1 Downloading XCAP
The latest version of XCAP can be downloaded from the link below:
http://www.epixinc.com/support/files.php
Please select the appropriate version of XCAP for your computer. Ensure that you download
from the section labelled “Pre-release version with support for the latest cameras and
latest PIXCI® imaging boards”.Open the downloaded file when complete and follow the
onscreen instructions in the installation wizard. If a pop-up message appears asking whether
to install the PIXCI driver, ensure that you click yes.
7.2 Opening the Camera Configuration
After opening XCAP, select “PIXCI Open/Close” from the “PIXCI” tab from the top menu bar
in the main window. A PIXCI Open/Close pop-up box will open as shown in Figure 2.
Click on “Camera & Format” that is highlighted in Figure 2 and a “PIXCI Open Camera &
Format” box will appear, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 2: PIXCI Open/Close.
Figure 3: PIXCI Open Camera & Format.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
The Owl 640 N uses the Owl 640 II configuration, as they have identical serial
communication commands. Using the dropdown menu highlighted, search for “Owl 640”.
You will see the configuration for “Raptor Photonics Owl 640 II”. Selecting “Open w. Default
Video Setup” will open the control panel with all control parameters set to the default states.
“Open w. Last used Video Setup” will open the control panel with all parameters set at the
last known state. Once this option between the two has been selected, click “Ok”. To open
the camera control panel and imaging window, click “Open” in the “PIXCI Open/Close”
window (Figure 2).
Two windows will now open in XCAP, an imaging window and control panel, as shown in
Figure 4.
Figure 4: Imaging Window and Control Panel.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
7.3 Acquiring a Live Image Sequence
There are two things to observe in the control panel that inform you that the camera is
connected and ready to image.
The serial connect checkbox must be ticked in the control panel. This informs you that you
have established a serial connection with the camera and can control the camera.
Secondly, the symbol near the bottom right of the control panel will have three moving dots.
This indicates that you are obtaining video data from the camera. The imaging statistics
displayed directly underneath the imaging window will also inform you if you are receiving a
video feed from the camera.
Once you have established a serial connection with the camera and are receiving video
data, you can now grab a live image feed. Clicking the “Live” button will grab a live image
sequence which you will now see in the imaging window.
The symbols in the control app discussed above are displayed in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Checking Camera Connection and Acquiring a Live
Image.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
Figure 6: Minimum and Maximum Exposure Times.
8. CONTROLLING THE CAMERA (XCAP)
The sections below will give information on using each control of the Owl 640 N, giving a
description on how to use each control parameter and their effect on the camera’s
performance. The software used to illustrate the camera controls is XCAP.
8.1 Exposure Time
The exposure time can be controlled under any camera control tab in the XCAP GUI and
remains constant on the GUI.
Exposure Time: By default, the auto exposure control (ALC) will be enabled, meaning that
the exposure time and digital gain cannot be manually selected. The ALC will automatically
adjust these parameters based on the signal strength. The ALC can be fine-tuned in multiple
ways. These controls are discussed in section 8.2.
If the ALC is disabled, the user will be able to set a fixed exposure time and digital gain,
using either the manual input box or the slider bar. The maximum exposure time that the
camera can perform in theory is ~26.8s. However in practice, with the sensor only stabilised
at +15 C, the image would display a lot of dark noise with large exposure times. This
camera is not designed for large exposure times and is made for applications using video
frame rates e.g. 25Hz. The maximum exposure time possible is discussed further in this
section. An exposure time can be set either using the user input box or the slider.
The minimum and maximum exposure times that the camera can set are shown in the table
below in Figure 6.
High Gain
Low Gain
Min. Exposure Time
1µs
50µs
Max. Exposure Time
Frame Period – Readout Time
Frame Period – Readout Time
Frame Rate and Maximum Exposure Time Relationship:The maximum exposure time is
a function of the frame period (1/frame rate) and the readout time. The relationship between
these three parameters is shown below:
  = 
The readout time for the Owl 640 N is dependent on whether the camera is in low (LG) or
high (HG) gain. The readout times for each gain mode are as follows:
Readout Time (LG) = ~6ms
Readout Time (HG) = ~10ms
When using an example of a frame rate of 25fps in low gain, the maximum exposure time
possible at this frame rate would be:
  =1
25(6×10)
= 34

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
The exposure time controls on XCAP are shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7: ALC and Manual Exposure Time Controls.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
8.2 Automatic Light Control Adjustment
The ALC can be fine-tuned by adjusting a few different parameters. A Region of Interest
(ROI) of pixels can also be defined in which to drive the ALC. These controls are discussed
below.
8.2.1 Automatic Light Control Parameters
Peak and average video levels are derived and monitored for the active ROI and are used to
drive the ALC. The active video level used to compare to the set point can be adjusted from
full average to full peak or a percentage of both. The percentage used of the average and
peak video levels can be adjusted from the “Auto” tab in the XCAP GUI. An explanation of
the average and peak video levels is stated below.
Average Video Level: An average video level is calculated for the active ROI. This value
will be calculated in real time, i.e. as pixel data in the ROI is captured from the sensor, it is
fed directly to an accumulator. At the end of the frame, the accumulator is divided to give a
true average.
Peak Video Level: The peak video is determined from a rolling average of 4 pixels. Current
pixel + 3 previous pixels are used to derive a peak value. This peak value is monitored for
the ROI and latched at the end of frame.
Selecting a greater percentage from the average will drive the ALC to use greater exposure
and digital gain values. Selecting a greater percentage from the peak will have the opposite
effect.
ALC Level: The ALC level can also be adjusted to fine tune the ALC. Increasing the level
will cause greater exposure and digital gain values to be set by the ALC. Decreasing the
level will have the opposite effect.
Both controls can be adjusted to optimise the ALC for the current imaging scene conditions.
Figure 8: ALC Parameters.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
8.2.2 Automatic Light Control Region of Interest
A Region of Interest (ROI) within the main active region of 640 x 512 may be defined. This
region is used to calculate peak and average video levels to drive the Automatic Light
Control (ALC) function of the camera (discussed in section 8.3.1).
The ROI offset and sizes are outlined in Figure 9.
The active ROI for the ALC can be adjusted from the “Auto ROI” tab in the XCAP GUI,
shown in Figure 10.
The ROI can be moved to within a resolution of 4 pixels in the X and Y, and the ROI size will
have a resolution of 4 pixels.
An optional ROI outline feature can be enabled that highlights a 1 pixel wide box around the
active ROI set. This can be enabled by selecting “ROI Box” from the “ROI Highlight”
dropdown box. If the ROI highlight box is enabled or disabled, all pixels will have a gain of
1x.
If “ROI Contrast” is enabled, all pixels outside of the ROI selected will have a gain of 0.75x.
Figure 9: Region of Interest Size and Offset.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
8.2 Gain Mode
The camera has two modes of operation, high gain mode and low gain mode (default). The
gain mode of the camera can be toggled from the “Gain” tab on the GUI. If the ALC is
enabled, the gain mode will be controlled automatically depending on the imaging scene
illumination.
High gain mode provides the best noise performance and can provide better images for low
scene illumination e.g. night imaging.
Low gain mode provides the best dynamic range and can provide better images for high
scene illumination e.g. daytime imaging or using large exposure times.
The gain mode control is shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10: Gain Mode Control.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
8.3 Trigger Mode and Frame Rate
Trigger Mode: The trigger mode of the camera and additional trigger controls can be
controlled from the “Trigger” tab in the GUI, shown in Figure 11.
The trigger mode of the camera can be toggled from the “Readout Mode” dropdown box. By
default, the camera will be set to internal trigger, integrate then read (ITR). This mode is
indicated by the “Live” option in the dropdown box.
The camera can be switched to external trigger mode by selecting the “Ext. Triggered”
option. When this mode is enabled, the “Trigger Polarity” (rising or falling edge) dropdown
input box will become available. By default, the camera will run with a rising edge trigger
polarity. A trigger delay can also be set when external trigger mode is enabled.
Frame Rate: The XCAP GUI gives the user multiple discrete frame rate options to select
from, ranging from 25Hz to 120Hz. The frame rate can be selected from the “Frame Rate”
dropdown box on XCAP. Note that due to the higher readout time in high gain, the maximum
frame rate is smaller in high gain at 90Hz.
Figure 11: Trigger Mode and Frame Rate.

OWL 640 N/USER MANUAL/03-20/REV1.0
8.4 Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC)
The NUC state of the camera can be controlled from the “NUC” tab of the GUI. The camera
has a 3 point (offset, gain, dark) NUC performed live on board the FPGA of the camera,
correcting for fixed pattern noise. There is also a bad pixel correction when the 3 point NUC
is active.
By default, the 3 point NUC and bad pixel correction will be enabled (3 Point NUC On –
Offset+Gain+Dark).If wanting to output the raw data from the camera, the 3 point NUC can
be disabled (3 Point NUC Off – Raw Data).
The NUC controls are shown in Figure 12.
Bad Pixels: Regarding bad pixels, our Short Wavelength Infra-Red (SWIR) cameras use an
InGaAs Focal-Plane Array (FPA) sensor which consists of an InGaAs layer bonded to a
CMOS read out integrated circuit (ROIC) by indium dots. This architecture makes it
extremely difficult to manufacture a sensor where all the pixels are fully functional. Issues
between the InGaAs layer, indium dots and CMOS ROIC are inevitable. Therefore, all
Raptor SWIR cameras have a pixel operability specification, describing how many pixels are
operating within normal parameters. Raptor uses the best quality sensors available on the
market achieving up to 99.5% pixel operability at delivery. The remaining 0.5% pixels can be
dead, hot or simply vary too much from the average. These must be compensated for to
achieve the best image quality. These bad pixels are corrected for in our NUC.
Bad pixels appearing over time is normal and unfortunately an inevitable aging process. To
correct for new bad pixels that have appeared over time, the bad pixel correction map on the
camera FPGA would need updated. This means that the camera would have to be returned
to Raptor to re-NUC the camera to update the bad pixel correction map. This is something
that would not be possible to do if wanting to send the camera back for every new bad pixel.
Raptor use the highest quality InGaAs sensors available on the market, however.
Figure 12: 3 Point NUC Control.