Teledyne Piranha4 User manual

Piranha4 Polarization
Camera User’s Manual
2k High Speed Polarization Line Scan
P/N: 03-032-20245-01
www.teledynedalsa.com
sensors | cameras | frame grabbers | processors | software | vision solutions

2•The Piranha4 Polarization
Notice
© 2017 Teledyne DALSA
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responsibility is assumed by Teledyne DALSA for its use. Teledyne DALSA reserves the right
to make changes to this information without notice. Reproduction of this manual in whole or
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Corporation.
All other trademarks or intellectual property mentioned herein belong to their respective
owners.
Document Date: August 16, 2017
Document Number: 03-032-20245-01
Contact Teledyne DALSA
Teledyne DALSA is headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. We have sales offices in
the USA, Europe and Asia, plus a worldwide network of representatives and agents to serve
you efficiently. Contact information for sales and support inquiries, plus links to maps and
directions to our offices, can be found here:
Sales Offices: http://www.teledynedalsa.com/corp/contact/offices/
Technical Support: http://www.teledynedalsa.com/imaging/support/
About Teledyne DALSA
Teledyne DALSA is an international high performance semiconductor and electronics
company that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets digital imaging products and
solutions, in addition to providing wafer foundry services.
Teledyne DALSA Digital Imaging offers the widest range of machine vision components in
the world. From industry-leading image sensors through powerful and sophisticated
cameras, frame grabbers, vision processors and software to easy-to-use vision appliances
and custom vision modules.

The Piranha4 Polarization •3
Contents
Camera User’s Manual ___________________________________________________________________________________ 1
System Precautions............................................................................................................................. 6
Precautions.......................................................................................................................... 6
Electrostatic Discharge and the CMOS Sensor................................................................... 6
The Piranha4 Polarization _________________________________________________________________________________ 7
Description........................................................................................................................................... 7
Key Features ....................................................................................................................... 7
Programmability................................................................................................................... 7
Applications ......................................................................................................................... 7
Part Numbers and Software Requirements......................................................................................... 8
Camera Performance Specifications................................................................................................... 8
Environmental Specifications............................................................................................... 9
Compliance, EMI Certifications............................................................................................ 9
Supported Industry Standards............................................................................................................. 10
GenICam ............................................................................................................................. 10
Responsivity & Contrast Ratio............................................................................................................. 10
Spatial Correction and Quadlinear Sensor Design.............................................................................. 12
Parallax Correction .............................................................................................................. 15
Camera Direction Example.................................................................................................. 16
Mechanicals......................................................................................................................................... 17
Camera Mounting and Heat Sink Considerations................................................................ 18
Quick, Simple Steps to Acquire an Image _____________________________________________________________________ 19
Software and Hardware Setup______________________________________________________________________________ 19
Recommended System Requirements................................................................................ 19
Setup Steps: Overview........................................................................................................................ 19
Step 1: Install and Configure Frame Grabber and Software (including GUI)....................... 19
Step 2. Connect Camera Link and Power Cables ............................................................... 19
Step 3. Establish communicating with the camera .............................................................. 20
Step 4. Operate the Camera................................................................................................ 20
Step 1. Install and configure the frame grabber and software (including GUI).................................... 20
Install Frame Grabber.......................................................................................................... 20
Install Sapera LT and CamExpert GUI ................................................................................ 20
Step 2. Connect Data, Trigger, and Power Cables ............................................................................. 21
Data Connector: Camera Link ............................................................................................. 22
Camera Link Bit Definitions ................................................................................................. 23
Camera Link Timing Diagrams............................................................................................................ 23
Polarization Angle to Color Mapping ................................................................................... 23
Input Signals, Camera Link.................................................................................................. 35
Output Signals, Camera Link Clocking Signals ................................................................... 35
Power Connector ................................................................................................................. 36
LEDs .................................................................................................................................... 36
Step 3. Establish Camera Communication.......................................................................................... 37
Power on the camera........................................................................................................... 37

4•The Piranha4 Polarization
Connect to the frame grabber.............................................................................................. 37
Connect to the camera ........................................................................................................ 37
Check LED Status ............................................................................................................... 37
Software Interface................................................................................................................ 37
Using Sapera CamExpert with Piranha4 Cameras ............................................................................. 38
CamExpert Panes................................................................................................................ 38
Review a Test Image ........................................................................................................... 40
4. Camera Operation _____________________________________________________________________________________ 41
Factory Settings................................................................................................................................... 41
Check Camera and Sensor Information .............................................................................................. 41
Verify Temperature and Voltage.......................................................................................................... 42
Saving and Restoring Camera Settings .............................................................................................. 42
Camera Link Configuration.................................................................................................................. 44
Trigger Modes ..................................................................................................................................... 44
Exposure Controls............................................................................................................................... 44
Exposure Modes in Detail.................................................................................................................... 46
Set Line Rate....................................................................................................................................... 48
Set Exposure Time.............................................................................................................................. 49
Control Gain and Black Level.............................................................................................................. 49
Set Image Size .................................................................................................................................... 49
Set Baud Rate ..................................................................................................................................... 50
Pixel Format ........................................................................................................................................ 50
Camera Direction Control.................................................................................................................... 51
Pixel Readout Direction (Mirroring Mode) ........................................................................................... 51
Resetting the Camera.......................................................................................................................... 51
Calibrating the Camera........................................................................................................................ 52
Appendix A: GenICam Commands __________________________________________________________________________ 56
Camera Information Category ............................................................................................................. 56
Camera Information Feature Descriptions........................................................................... 57
Camera Information: Camera Configuration Selection Dialog............................................. 60
Camera Power-up Configuration ......................................................................................... 60
User Set Configuration Management .................................................................................. 60
Camera Control Category.................................................................................................................... 60
Camera Control Feature Descriptions ................................................................................. 62
Independent Exposure Control............................................................................................................ 64
Digital I/O Control Feature Descriptions .............................................................................. 65
Flat Field Category .............................................................................................................................. 66
Flat Field Control Feature Description ................................................................................. 67
Region of Interest (ROI)....................................................................................................... 68
Image Format Control Category.......................................................................................................... 69
Image Format Control Feature Description ......................................................................... 70
Area of Interest (AOI) Setup................................................................................................................ 71
Transport Layer Control Category....................................................................................................... 74
Transport Layer Feature Descriptions ................................................................................. 75
Acquisition and Transfer Control Category.......................................................................................... 76
Acquisition and Transfer Control Feature Descriptions ....................................................... 76
Serial Port Control Category................................................................................................................ 77

The Piranha4 Polarization •5
Serial Port Control Feature Descriptions ............................................................................. 77
File Access Control Category.............................................................................................................. 78
File Access Control Feature Descriptions............................................................................ 78
File Access via the CamExpert Tool.................................................................................... 80
Download a List of Camera Parameters.............................................................................. 81
Appendix B: ASCII Commands _____________________________________________________________________________ 82
Accessing the Three Letter Commands (TLC) .................................................................... 82
ASCII to GenCP................................................................................................................... 83
Port Configuration................................................................................................................ 83
Commands .......................................................................................................................... 84
Appendix C: Quick Setup and Image Acquisition _______________________________________________________________ 94
Appendix D: The Sensor Window ___________________________________________________________________________ 96
Cleaning and Protecting Against Dust, Oil, and Scratches.................................................. 96
Cleaning the Sensor Window .............................................................................................. 97
Appendix E: Camera, Frame Grabber Communication ___________________________________________________________ 98
Setting Up Communication between the Camera and the Frame Grabber......................... 98
Appendix F: Error and Warning Messages ____________________________________________________________________ 101
BiST: Built in Self Test ......................................................................................................... 101
Operational Error Codes...................................................................................................... 102
EMC Declaration of Conformity _____________________________________________________________________________ 103
Revision History_________________________________________________________________________________________ 104
Index _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 105

6•The Piranha4 Polarization
System Precautions
Precautions
Read these precautions and this manual carefully before using the camera.
Confirm that the camera’s packaging is undamaged before opening it. If the packaging is
damaged please contact the related logistics personnel.
Do not open the housing of the camera. The warranty is voided if the housing is opened.
Keep the camera housing temperature in a range of 0 °C to +65 °C during operation.
Do not operate the camera in the vicinity of strong electromagnetic fields. In addition, avoid
electrostatic charging, violent vibration, and excess moisture.
To clean the device, avoid electrostatic charging by using a dry, clean absorbent cotton
cloth dampened with a small quantity of pure alcohol. Do not use methylated alcohol. To
clean the surface of the camera housing, use a soft, dry cloth. To remove severe stains use
a soft cloth dampened with a small quantity of neutral detergent and then wipe dry. Do not
use volatile solvents such as benzene and thinners, as they can damage the surface finish.
Further cleaning instructions are below.
Though this camera supports hot plugging, it is recommended that you power down and
disconnect power to the camera before you add or replace system components.
Electrostatic Discharge and the CMOS Sensor
Image sensors and the camera bodies housing are susceptible to damage from electrostatic
discharge (ESD). Electrostatic charge introduced to the sensor window surface can induce
charge buildup on the underside of the window that cannot be readily dissipated by the dry
nitrogen gas in the sensor package cavity. The charge normally dissipates within 24 hours
and the sensor returns to normal operation.
Additional information on cleaning the sensor window and protecting it against dust, oil,
blemishes, and scratches can be found here, Appendix D: The Sensor Window.

The Piranha4 Polarization •7
The Piranha4 Polarization
Description
The Piranha4 Polarization™ camera is a breakthrough in the machine vision industry. This
high-speed polarization camera provides three native polarization states plus an unfiltered
channel.
The Piranha4 polarization camera enhances detection capability in machine vision and is
ideal for detecting surface roughness, film thickness, stresses, alloy composition, and 3D
profiles.
Key Features
•Three native polarization states plus an unfiltered channel
•High speed: up to 70 kHz line rates
•Bi-directional
•Compact camera body
•Sub-pixel spatial correction
•Horizontal parallax correction
Programmability
•Multiple regions of interest (ROI) for calibration and data reduction
•8, 10, or 12 bit output, selectable
•Flat field and lens shading correction
•8 programmable coefficient sets
•GenICam or ASCII compliant interfacing
Applications
•Glass inspection
•FPD
•Wafer inspection
•Electronics inspection
•Materials grading systems
•Medical imaging
•Food sorting
•Remote sensing
•General purpose machine vision

8•The Piranha4 Polarization
Part Numbers and Software Requirements
This manual covers the Piranha4 camera models summarized below. New models are added
to this manual as they are released by Teledyne DALSA.
Camera Resolution Pixel size Max. Line Rate Lens Mount
(threaded)
Product Number
Piranha4
Polarization 2048 x 4 14.08 µm x 14.08 µm 70 kHz M42 x 1 P4-CP-02K07Q-00-R
Software
Product Number / Version Number
Camera firmware Embedded within camera
GenICam support (XML camera description file) Embedded within camera
Sapera LT, including CamExpert GUI application and GenICam for Camera
Link imaging driver
Version 7.30 or later
Camera Performance Specifications
Specifications
Performance
Imager Format 0º, 90º, 135º, and unfiltered
Resolution 2048 x 4 pixels
Pixel Size 14.08 µm x 14.08 µm
Line Rate 0 kHz minimum to 70 kHz maximum
Exposure Time 7 µs minimum to 3,000 µs maximum
Bit Depth 8, 10, and 12 bits, selectable
Connectors and Mechanicals
Control & Data Interface 2 x SDR-26 mini Camera Link connectors used to transmit Base, Medium,
Full, or Deca configurations
Power Connector Hirose 6-pin circular male
Power Supply + 12 V to + 24 V DC
Power Dissipation 8 W
Size 62 mm (W) x 62 mm (H) x 47.87 mm (D)
Mass < 340 g (without heat sinks)
Operating Temp 0 °C to 65 °C, front plate temperature
Optical Interface
Lens Mount M42 x 1
F-mount adapter available
Sensor to Camera Front Distance 12 mm
Sensor Alignment (aligned to sides of camera)
Flatness
Θy (parallelism)
x
y
z
Θz
50 µm
0.08° or 81 µm
± 100 µm
± 100 µm
± 250 µm
± 0.2°
Compliance
Regulatory Compliance
CE, FCC and RoHS, GenICam

The Piranha4 Polarization •9
Table 1: P4-CC-02K07Q-00-R Operating Specifications
Operating Ranges
Performance
0º
135°
90°
Unfiltered
Dynamic Range 60 dB 60 dB 60 dB 60 dB
Random Noise 3.36 DN** rms 3.36 DN rms 3.36 DN rms 3.36 DN rms
Responsivity Refer to graph
Gain 1x to 10x Nominal Range (not including individual RGB gains for white balance)
DC Offset < 12 DN < 12 DN < 12 DN < 12 DN
PRNU < 4% @50% Sat < 4% @50% Sat < 4% @50% Sat < 4% @50% Sat
FPN < 6.5 DN < 6.5 DN < 6.5 DN < 6.5 DN
SEE 10.6 nJ / cm2 10.6 nJ / cm2 10.6 nJ / cm2 10.6 nJ / cm2
NEE 9.8 pJ / cm2 9.8 pJ / cm2 9.8 pJ / cm2 9.8 pJ / cm2
Antiblooming > 100 x Saturation
Integral non-
linearity
< 2% DN
Contrast ratio
average across the
line
> 15 : 1
**DN = digital number
Test Conditions:
•Values measured using 12-bit, 1x gain.
•10 kHz line rate
•Light source: white LED
•No white balancing
•Front plate temperature: 45º C
Environmental Specifications
Environmental Specifications Performance
Storage temperature range -20 °C to +80 °C
Humidity (storage and operation) 15% to 85% relative, non-condensing
MTBF (mean time between failures) > 100,000 hours, typical field operation
Compliance, EMI Certifications
Compliance
EN 55011, FCC Part 15, CISPR 11, and ICES-003 Class A Radiated Emissions Requirements.
EN 55024 and EN 61326-1 Immunity to Disturbance.
RoHS per EU Directive 2002/95/EC and WEEE per EU Directive 2002/96/EC and China Electronic Industry
Standard SJ/T11364-2006
GenICam XML Description File, Superset of the GenICam™ Standard Features Naming Convention specification
V1.5, Camera Link Serial Communication: GenICam™ Generic Control Protocol (GenCP V1.0)

10 •The Piranha4 Polarization
Supported Industry Standards
GenICam
Piranha4 cameras are GenICam™ compliant. The cameras implement a superset of the
GenICam Standard Features Naming Convention specification V1.5. This description takes
the form of an XML device description file complying with the syntax defined by the GenApi
module of the GenICam specification. The camera uses the GenICam Generic Control
Protocol (GenCP V1.0) to communicate over the Camera Link serial port. Additional
information on GenICam can be found here: www.genicam.org.
Responsivity & Contrast Ratio
The camera’s responsivity graph describes the sensor’s response to different wavelengths of
light (excluding lens and light source characteristics).
The contrast ratio graph describes the ratio of responsivity to perpendicular polarization
states across the usable light spectrum. For example, a contrast ratio of 100 would indicate
a 100x reduction in response to linear polarized light which is 90° out of phase with a
channels given polarization angle.

The Piranha4 Polarization •11

12 •The Piranha4 Polarization
Spatial Correction and Quadlinear Sensor Design
The camera uses a quadlinear sensor where four separate 2K lines of pixels are used—one
for 0oline, one for 135oline, one for 90oline, and the last one for unfiltered.
14.08um
14.08um
0 Degree
135 Degree
90 Degree
14.08um
14.08um
14.08um
Unfiltered
14.08um
42.24um
Figure 1: 2K Quadlinear Sensor Line Spacing Diagram
In the case of the 2k cameras, only a single line of space separates the polarized lines—with
the exception of the unfiltered line, which has three lines of spacing separating it.
When the image passes the three lines of pixels, the 0oline, 135oline and 90oline
components for the same image location are captured at a different time as dictated by the
line spacing. The camera automatically corrects for the line spacing to ensure that the 0o
line, 135oline and 90oline components of the image pixel are all aligned when output.
However, this is only correct when the object pixel size is square; i.e., the distance moved
by the object for one EXSYNC period is equal to the width of the object pixel. In some
applications it may not be possible to achieve a ‘square’ object pixel as fine adjustment of
the lens magnification and/or the distance moved for each EXSYNC period is not possible.
This scenario may be especially apparent when trying to integrate the camera into an
existing system.
When it is not possible to generate a square object pixel, artefacts will occur in the scan
direction and is particularly noticeable at sharp edge transitions. The size of the edge
artefact is proportional to how far the pixel is from square. To correct for this, the camera
has a feature, Line Spatial Correction (or three letter command ssa), which allows fine
adjustment of the compensation mechanism the camera uses to correct for the line spacing.
The default setting for this feature is 2, which is set for square object pixels. The setting can
be adjusted from 0 to 5 to compensate for rectangular pixels—whether they are too long or
to short.

The Piranha4 Polarization •13
1) Filter Characteristics:
The following are birefringence test targets captured using the Piranha4 2k polarization
camera. Birefringence patters are only detectable using polarization light. The three
polarization channels clearly reveal the birefringence patterns, while the unfiltered channel
cannot detect them.
Figure 2. Images of a Birefringence Target
2) Stress measurement
One of the important applications for polarization imaging is stress detection. Stress in
transparent materials (glass, plastic, and fibre, etc.) can be detected and / or measured
using the polarization camera. The following images show the stress built up in a plastic
ruler captured by the camera.

14 •The Piranha4 Polarization
Figure 3. Polarization and Unfiltered Images of a Plastic Ruler
3) Suggested Illumination
White LED, visible single wavelength LED (e.g. green), and NIR LED light sources with
wavelength <1000 nm can be used depending on application requirements.

The Piranha4 Polarization •15
Parallax Correction
When the camera it is not perpendicular to the object surface it will exhibit parallax
distortion—in the form of color. (Color is a representation of the polarization states.) The
parallax distortion increases when imaging at steep angles relative to the cameras imaging
plain. This is an optical effect caused by the line spacing of the three individual colors. This
spacing results in a different magnification for each line at high angles. As shown in the
figure below, there is color distortion at the extremes ends of the image but at the centre of
the image the color distortion does not show up.
Figure 4. Image with Horizontal Color Alignment Issues
Using the camera’s Parallax Correction feature, the optical magnification for each line is
adjusted such that colors can be lined up at the extreme ends of the image without affecting
the center. Using the feature Image Distortion Correction Mode (shm = 1) this feature can
be turned on. Using the feature Image Distortion Correction Line Selector the user can
select red and green to correct the distortion. Note. The red and green lines are adjusted to
to align with the center blue line. Image Distortion Parallax Correction Pixel Stretch (sha -
Set horizontal alignment in float f<value 0-3>) is used to add the amount of correction
needed to the image. The value entered here must be between 0 and 3 (decimal values are
accepted.
Figure 5: CamExpert Parallax Correction Controls
Figure 6. Figure 7 Corrected Image
The figure above is the same image corrected using the parallax correction. In this example
the value of 3 was used to correct the image.

16 •The Piranha4 Polarization
Camera Direction Example
The selectable camera direction accommodates an object direction change on a web and
lets you to mount the camera “upside down”.
Note: the example here assumes the use of a lens (which inverts the image).
Figure 8: Object Movement and Camera Direction Example, with a Lens

The Piranha4 Polarization •17
Mechanicals
[ADD MECHANICALS]
Figure 9: Camera Mechanical

18 •The Piranha4 Polarization
Figure 10: Piranha4 Heat Sink Accessories Kit
Optional Lens Mount and Heat Sink Accessories
Description Description
M42 to F-mount adapter AC-LA-00115-A0-R
M42 to C-mount adapter AC-LC-00001-00-R
Heat sink AC-MS-00108-01-R
Camera Mounting and Heat Sink Considerations
Up to two optional heat sinks can be installed on the camera. As illustrated, they are ideally
positioned to allow close spacing of the cameras. These heat sinks are designed to provide
adequate convection cooling when not obstructed by enclosures or mounting assemblies.
Teledyne DALSA recognises that each customer’s application can be unique. In
consideration, camera’s heat sinks have been designed in such a way that they can be
repositioned on the different faces of the camera or removed entirely, depending on the
mounting configuration and its heat sinking potential.
Repositioning or removal of the heat sinks must be performed with care in order to avoid
temperature issues. The camera has the ability to measure its internal temperature. Use
this feature to record the internal temperature of the camera when it is mounted in your
system and operating under the worst case conditions. The camera will stop outputting data
if its internal temperature reaches +80 °C.

Quick, Simple Steps to Acquire an Image •19
Quick, Simple Steps to
Acquire an Image
For users who are familiar with Camera Link cameras, have a basic understanding of their
imaging requirements, and who are primarily interested in evaluating the camera, an
overview of the steps required to get this camera operational and acquiring images quickly
can be found in Appendix C: Quick Setup and Image Acquisition.
Software and Hardware Setup
Recommended System Requirements
To achieve best system performance, the following minimum requirements are
recommended:
•High bandwidth frame grabber, e.g. Xcelera-CL PX8 Full Camera Link frame grabber
(Part # OR-X8CO-XPF00): www.teledynedalsa.com/imaging/products/fg/OR-X8C0-
XPF00/.
•Operating systems: Windows XP / Vista / 7, 32 / 64-bit.
Setup Steps: Overview
Take the following steps in order to setup and run your camera system. They are described
briefly below and in more detail in the sections that follow.
Step 1: Install and Configure Frame Grabber and Software
(including GUI)
If your host computer does not have a PX8 full Camera Link frame grabber then you will
need to install one. Follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
We recommend the Xcelera-CL PX8 Full frame grabber or equivalent, described in detail on
the teledynedalsa.com site here.
A GenCP (Generic Control Protocol) compliant XML device description file is embedded
within the camera firmware allowing GenCP-compliant applications to know the camera’s
capabilities immediately after connection. Installing SaperaLT gives you access to the
CamExpert GUI, a tool that supports GenCP-compliant devices.
Step 2. Connect Camera Link and Power Cables
•Connect the Camera Link cables from the camera to the computer.
•Connect a power cable from the camera to a +12 V to +24 V DC power supply.
WARNING! Grounding Instructions
Static electricity can damage electronic components. It’s critical that you
discharge any static electrical charge by touching a grounded surface, such as
the metal computer chassis, before handling the camera hardware.

20 •Software and Hardware Setup
Note: the use of cables types and lengths other than those specified may
result in increased emission or decreased immunity and performance of
the camera.
Step 3. Establish communicating with the camera
Start the GUI and establish communication with the camera. Refer to Step 2: Connect
Camera Link and Power Cables for a description on communicating with the camera.
ASCII Commands
As an alternative to the CamExpert (or equivalent) GUI, you can communicate with this
camera using ASCII-based commands. A complete list of the commands can be found in
ASCII Commands section, Appendix B: ASCII Commands.
Step 4. Operate the Camera
At this point you will be ready to start operating the camera in order to acquire images, set
camera functions, and save settings.
Step 1. Install and configure the frame grabber
and software (including GUI)
Install Frame Grabber
Install a Full configuration Camera Link frame grabber according to the manufacturer’s
description.
We recommend the Xcelera-CL PX8 frame grabber or equivalent, described in detail on the
teledynedalsa.com site here.
Install Sapera LT and CamExpert GUI
Communicate with the camera using a Camera Link-compliant interface. We recommend
you use CamExpert. CamExpert is the camera interfacing tool supported by the Sapera
library and comes bundled with SaperaLT. Using CamExpert is the simplest and quickest
way to send commands to and receive information from the camera.
Camera Link Environment
These cameras implement the Camera link specification, which defines the device
capabilities. The Camera link XML device description file is embedded within the camera
firmware allowing Camera Link-compliant applications to recognize the cameras’ capabilities
immediately after connection.