Redlake MegaPlus II User manual

P/N D91000146-001 Ver. 2.2 Rev. F Quick Start Guide Page 1
This Quickstart Guide provides instructions for basic setup of a
MegaPlus II camera and MegaPlus II Central Control Software. For
additional information, please consult the MegaPlus II User’s
Manual.
Equipment Required for Setup
User Supplied items:
• PC running: Windows XP, Windows 2000 Pro (SP2) or Windows
NT 4.0 or higher
• Ethernet cable (for firmware updates)
Interface Option and Accessories A or B:
A. IEEE-1394 Firewire interface OHCI compliant host
Controller, supporting 400 Mbps or S400 transfers,
4-pin to 4-pin or 4-pin to 6-pin Firewire cable that is 14 feet or
shorter
B. CameraLink Framegrabber hardware and software,
CameraLink cable(s)
Optional: RS-232 serial for camera control only
Redlake Package Contents:
• Camera Controller with one or four head connectors
• Software Developers Kit (SDK)
• NI-IMAQ IEEE 1394 Drivers version 2.0 or higher (download
upgrades from the NI website at http://www.ni.com)
• CD with User’s Manual and MegaPlusII Central Software
•PowerSupply
• Camera Head(s)
• Camera Head cable(s)
Hardware Setup
Firewire
Before proceeding with the installation, make sure that your IEEE
1394 controller interface is installed and operating properly. You
can verify that the system has identified the controller by checking
in the Microsoft Windows Device Manager.
Caution: Make sure the MegaPlus II Camera Controller power
switch is turned to the OFF position before connecting the
cables!
1. Connect
the cable
from the
Camera
Head to
the
camera
port
labeled
Remote
Head #1
on the
Camera
Controller.
Additional Camera Heads can be connected to consecutive
ports as needed. Do not combine EC11000 Camera Head(s) with
other Camera Head models on the same Camera Controller.
2. If using a EC11000 Camera Head, connect the Camera Head to the
power supply.
3. Connect an IEEE1394 cable from the IEEE1394
connector on the back panel of the Camera Controller to the host
computer.
4. Connect the Camera Controller to the power supply.
CameraLink Framegrabber
Before proceeding, make sure that your CameraLink framegrabber
hardware and software are installed properly.
1. Connect the cable from the Camera Head to the camera port
labeled Remote Head #1 on the Camera Controller. Additional
Camera Heads can be connected to consecutive ports as needed.
Do not combine EC11000 Camera Heads with other Camera Head
models on the same Camera Controller.
2. If using a EC11000 Camera Head, connect the Camera Head to the
power supply.
3. Connect a CameraLink cable from the CameraLink #1 connector
on the back panel of the Camera Controller to the #1 Connector
of your CameraLink framegrabber.
4. If necessary, connect a second CameraLink cable from the
CameraLink #2 connector on the back panel of the Camera
Controller to the #2 Connector on the framegrabber.
5. Connect the Camera Controller to the power supply.
MegaPlus II firmware version 1.20 and greater, allow the user to
output video via the DVI port of the MegaPlus II Camera Controller.
First generation MegaPlus II Camera Controllers support only the
analog DVI interface. Later versions of the MegaPlus II Camera
Controllers support both the analog and digital interfaces (this
interface is compliant with the Digital Display Working Group, DDWG,
Digital Visual Interface specification, Revision 1.0). Adapters are
available to attach the DVI connector to the 15-pin Sub-D "VGA" port
found on many computer monitors. Software controls for DVI output
are available in MegaPlus Central version 1.30 and greater.
Caution: DO NOT use the DVI output option for extended periods
on Camera Controllers that are not equipped with an integrated
cooling fan. Using the DVI output option on a MegaPlus II Camera
Controller generates significant heat inside the console.
Software Installation
Firewire
1. Install the NI-IMAQ for IEEE 1394 Cameras driver. Open the
Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX) program and turn
on the camera to verify that the camera is properly identified by
the IEEE 1394 hardware and assigned to the proper system driver.
2. Install the MegaPlus II Central software by inserting the MegaPlus
II software CD into the computer’s CD-ROM drive. The menu
program should start automatically. If your system does not start
Figure 2: Camera Controller back panel
Figure 1: Camera Controller front panel
Continued on Page 2

P/N D91000146-001 Ver. 2.2 Rev. F Quick Start Guide Page 2
the menu, open Windows Explorer, go to the Install folder on
the CD and double-click on the “MenuBox.exe” application on
the CD.
3. Select the option to Install MegaPlus II Central Software and
follow the onscreen instructions. When the application files
have been installed, the MegaPlus II Camera installer will start
automatically.
4. Step 1 of the Camera Installer adds an entry for your MegaPlusII
camera into the camera list. A descriptive name for the camera
can be added to help identify it.
5. In Step 2, specify Firewire as your data interface. Click on Next
and verify your selection.
CameraLink Framegrabber
1. Install the MegaPlus II Central software by inserting the
MegaPlus II software CD into the computer’s CD-ROM drive. The
menu program should start automatically. If your system does
not start the menu, open Windows Explorer, go to the Install
folder on the CD and double-click on the “MenuBox.exe”
application on the CD.
2. Select the option to Install MegaPlus II Central Software and
follow the onscreen instructions. The MegaPlus II Camera
Installer will start automatically after the application files have
been installed.
3. Step 1 of the Camera Installer adds an entry for your MegaPlus II
camera into the camera list. A descriptive name for the camera
can be added to help identify it.
4. In Step 2, specify your CameraLink interface options.
Select from the following options:
CameraLink Serial-Select this interface if you will be using a
CameraLink framegrabber and the CameraLink serial port, then select
the vendor’s DLL from the drop down list.
COM Port Serial-Select this interface if you will be using the DB9
connector on the rear panel of the Camera Controller and a separate
serial cable to control the camera.
Specify the COM port you are connected to on the host with the
following Connection Parameters:
• 9600 baud
• 1 stop bit
• No flow control
• No parity
•Databits
Starting the Application
Double-click the MegPlus II Central icon to start the program or, from
the Windows Task bar select Start > All Programs > MegaPlus II Central.
When MegaPlus II Central starts, the software checks for the presence
of a camera or cameras on the selected communication channel.
MegaPlus II Central has three primary panels for system control:
Console Control-Use this panel to access the Camera Controller
functions: trigger/strobe and camera configuration.
Camera Control Console-Displays the name, resolution and type
(mono or color) of the available cameras.
Settings Button-Located on the Camera Control Console, click on this
button to access the Camera Head Controls: gain, integration time,
white balance and interface configuration.
System Status Message-Displays error messages.
Console Control
Camera Control Console
Image Display
System Status Message