Raptor HAWK 247 User manual

HAWK 247
Model: HK247-CL
USER MANUAL

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
2
CONTENT
CONTENT................................................................................................................................................. 2
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 3
2. SPECIFICATION ............................................................................................................................4
3. GETTING STARTED....................................................................................................................... 6
4. EPIX XCAP .................................................................................................................................... 8

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
3
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Scope
This manual covers the Hawk 247 camera and all applicable components. Raptor recommends that this
manual be used to optimize camera operation.
1.2 Camera Care
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). Should any other
issues occur please contact your local agent.
To clean the sensor window: gently wipe the face of the sensor window with a small amount of optical
grade isopropyl alcohol and lens paper. Apply forced air again to remove any loose particles.
CAUTION —The camera’s sensor, and circuits are sensitive to static discharge. Ensure you are using a
static strap or are completely grounded at all times to release any static energy before you clean the
window.
CAUTION —Do not use acetone.

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
4
2. SPECIFICATION
2.1 Camera Specification
The Hawk 247 digital camera is designed for high-resolution applications requiring visible to NIR imaging
(350 - 1100nm). It uses an EMCCD sensor with a resolution of 658 x 496 in a 12-bit digital output. The
Hawk 247 also has a model that offers an analogue output. High-speed low-noise electronics provide
linear response and sensitivity for rapid image capture.
The Camera Link digital interface for the digital Hawk provides the most stable platform for data transfer
and the camera will work on any Camera Link standard card.
A Software Development Kit (SDK) is available for interfacing with custom software.
FPA Specification
Sensor
Texas Instruments TC247SPD-B0
Sensor Type
½” Frame Interline Transfer (FIT) Impaction
Active Pixel
658 x 496
Pixel Pitch
10μm x 10μm
Active Area
6.58mm x 4.96mm
Spectral response1
0.35μm to 1.1μm
Peak Quantum Efficiency
54% @ 490nm
Pixel Well Depth
< 1
Pixel Operability
< 99.5%
Camera Specification
Camera Setup / Control
Digital
Digital Output Format
12 bit Camera Link (Base Configuration)
Frame Rate
25Hz, 29.97Hz or 30Hz
Exposure time
500μs to 1/frame rate
Iris Control
N/A
Trigger interface
Trigger IN and OUT - TTL compatible
Total Power Consumption
< 5W
Functions controlled by serial
communication
Exposure, EM Gain, Intelligent AGC, Hot Pixel Correction,
Gamma
Video Connector
Camera Link
Power Connector
Hirose part code HR10A-7R-4PB
Resolution
450 TV lines
Readout Mode
Progressive Scan
Optical Interface
C/CS Mount, back focus compatibility
Dynamic Range
55 dB
Minimum Illumination
< 200μlux
Antiblooming Protection
Yes (> 500:1)
Power supply
12V DC ±10%
TE Cooling
Active, no fan
Operating Case Temperature
-20°C to +55°C
Storage Temperature
-30°C to +85°C
Dimensions
43mm x 43mm x 57mm (including CS-mount)
Weight
< 150g
Latest version available on www.raptorphotonics.com

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
5
2.2 Mechanical Outline
3D drawings (STEP) are available upon request.

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
6
3. GETTING STARTED
3.1 System Overview
3.2 Mounting to Microscope
The HAWK 247 has a standard C/CS-Mount that should easily screw onto any microscope port.
3.3 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. The
image below shows an optical table mount with the ¼-20 BSW thread.
¼-20 BSW
Power
Trig in/SMA
Trig out/SMA
Camera Link Connector/SDR
C-mount

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
7
3.4 3rd PARTY SOFTWARE
Raptor supports a range of 3rd party software packages as per the matrix below.
XCAP
XCLIB
NI
Labview
Micro-
manager
StreamPix
Genika
Astro
Audela
Astro
Control
Kite








Hawk 247








Falcon II





Falcon III





Eagle






Owl 320








Owl 320 High Speed





Owl 'Mini'





Owl 640







Ninox 640





Owl 1280





In this guide, there is a quick overview of XCAP (http://www.epixinc.com/support/files.php) and Micro-
Manager (https://micro-manager.org). Should you have other software support specific needs, please
do not hesitate to contact our sales team on [e-mail].
3.5 Connecting your camera to a computer
•If using a laptop insert the Express Card to the Camera Link adapter while the PC is switched
off and make sure it is secure. If using a PC, insert the EPIX controller card into the correct slot
of your PC. You can visit http://www.epixinc.com for further support issues.
•Insert EPIX software key dongle into a USB port (the red light on the dongle should light up).
•Boot up the computer.
•Use the Camera Link cable to connect the camera to the computer.
•Connect the other end of the Camera Link cable to the camera.
•Carefully thread the C/CS-mount lens onto the camera’s lens ring, rotating the lens in a
clockwise direction until it is securely fastened. Use the lens controls to adjust focus. We
suggest that the camera be mounted on a tri-pod or an optical bench.
•Connect the 12V power supply to the camera.
The Hawk 247-CL is compatible with all types of Camera Link frame grabber. However, our cameras
are extensively tested using Epix Inc. equipment’s XCAP, for this reason we recommend XCAP software.
- Software tested by Raptor Photonics
- Software tested by other companies
Blank - The camera is not supported by this software

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
8
4. EPIX XCAP
For minimum computer system requirements, please contact Epix for the latest information.
4.1 Download and Install XCAP
Using the following link, http://www.epixinc.com/support/files.php, please select the appropriate
version of XCAP for your computer. Please ensure you are downloading 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. Be sure to accept the board
driver installation.
4.2 Operating your camera using XCAP.
1. Open XCAP from within your operating system enabling administrative privileges.
2. Select PIXCI dropdown menu and select PIXCI Open Close, Figure 1 should appear.
Figure 1: Open / Close
3. Select Close, and then Click on the Camera & Format button.
4. Using the dropdown menu scroll down and select Raptor Photonics Hawk-CL from the list (Figure 2),
selecting OK when done.

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
9
Figure 2: Camera Selection
5. Select Open and the viewing and control screens, Figure 3, will now open. Two windows should open
(
Figure 3), a viewing window (Left) and a control window (Right).
Figure 3: XCAP Camera Control Screen
6. The camera controls are pre-configured in EPIX.
7. The control window on the right should reflect your chosen camera. For example, for the Hawk 247,
it should read - EPIX PIXCI E8DB: Raptor Photonics Hawk 247-CL. If not, you need to select a different
camera.
8. Check that the camera is communicating, see animated icon (Figure 4) on bottom right of control
screen.
Figure 4: Active Communication
9. You are now configured and connected, ready to acquire an image.
10. Check the Serial Connect box (to establish serial communication to the camera). This should contain
a tick (as circled in Figure 5).
11. Check the live button (as circled in Figure 5).

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
10
Figure 5: Image Capture
12. You should now see an image. On the bottom of the screen, you should see something similar to
the following: Frame: 0 Size: 658 x 496 Resize 0.8x0.8 Video: 25.0fps Capture: 25.0 fps Display: 25.0fps.
Figure 6: Live Image Capture Window

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
11
4.3 Changing the settings on XCAP
You have the ability to change several settings to control the camera through the tabs in the control
window of the EPIX software.
4.3.1 Exposure
Click on the Gain Tab.
There is an option for Auto Level Control (ALC). When Auto Level Control is unchecked, you can
manually adjust the exposure and digital gain using the sliders or entering a specific value in the field.
It is recommended to start with auto gain on to get an image, then turning it off to fine-tune your image.
Figure 7: Gain Tab

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
12
4.3.2 Trigger
Use this tab to select the Readout Mode, and a Fixed Frame Rate value.
Figure 8: Trigger Tab
4.3.3 Auto
On this Tab, you can select the parameters for the Automatic Level Control, Including the speed, and
spread of signal taken into account. In this mode, the FPGA of the camera will automatically adapt the
exposure time and digital gain within the given frame rate to optimise the image quality.
Figure 9: Auto Tab

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
13
4.3.4 Auto ROI
Use this tab to set the Region of Interest (ROI) used for the Auto Level Control; ROI gain will set an
overlay onto the image so you can track its position. For the Hawk CL, there is a list of different ROI
array sizes that you can choose from that the AGC will be applied to. By default, this will be set at
640x480 as shown in Figure 10, and will account for the whole image. Changing the values of the X and
Y offset enables you to move the position of the ROI array.
Figure 10: Auto ROI Tab
Figure 11 shows an example of an AGC ROI of array size 320x240. The ROI gain selected in this
example is 0.75, meaning the image outside of the ROI is darker.
Figure 11: ROI example 1

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
14
Figure 12 illustrates the same ROI pixel array size, but with the ROI gain selected to 1.25. As you can
see, the image outside of the ROI is now saturated and brighter. The ROI gain value used is down to
personal preference.
Figure 12: ROI example 2
4.3.5 Miscellaneous
There are four features here, gamma correction, test pattern, bad pixel detection and invert image
(Mirror). These are shown in Figure 13.
Figure 13: Camera Information

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
15
Gamma correction is used to alter the contrast of the dark regions of the image. The gamma value by
default is 0.45 (Figure 14) but can be changed to 1 (Figure 15). Below you can see the effect that
changing the gamma value to 1 has on the image, with the dark regions becoming darker.
The test pattern option enables you to apply different types of test patterns. The ‘bad pixel’ tab
enables you to highlight any bad pixels that there are in the image. The ‘Mirror’ tab lets you invert the
image about the vertical axis.
The Info tab can be used to view the cameras manufacturer data and CCD sensor temperature.
Figure 16: Information Tab
Figure 14: Image with gamma = 0.45
Figure 15: Image with gamma = 1

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
16
4.4 Adjusting the image display (With XCAP Std only)
The Viewing Pallet is not automatically adjusted in the XCAP software.
This needs manually Configured to give the best display of the RAW image data from the camera.
1. Go to the Modify/Contrast Modification menu, Figure 19.
2. Select “Stretch Contrast, Histogram Percentile Endpoints” and “Preview” Figure 20: Stretch Contrast.
3. Adjust the “Low Percentile Endpoint” and “High Percentile Endpoint” to optimize the image display,
defaults should be acceptable for most applications.
Figure 19: Contrast Modification
Figure 20: Stretch Contrast

HK247-CL USER MANUAL REV1
February 2018
17
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
Raptor Photonics LTD
Willowbank Business Park
Larne, Co Antrim
BT40 2SF
Northern Ireland
PH: [phone]