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Enhancing USB Camera Image Resolution in LabVIEW

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Hello:

 

I am currently working on taking images within LabVIEW using a Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 USB camera. I have attached the simple VI I am using. For some reason, LabVIEW is only able to take a 640x480 resolution image with this camera. However, its capabilities are far beyond this. I believe it can reach a still image resolution of 1920x1080. How can I get LabVIEW to snap a picture in 1920x1080 with this camera? I have attached a jpg of the VI.

 

Thank you in advance,

Brad

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If you use IMAQdx (part of Vision Acquisition) to capture from the camera it can enumerate all the video modes supported and you can select the one with the resolution you want.

 

Eric

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Eric,

 

Thanks for the reply. I cannot seem to locate any IMAQdx functions in LabVIEW (using 8.6), as the only items I can see are IMAQ (not dx). What is the difference here, and do both IMAQ and IMAQdx come with the Vision software package? Also, if IMAQdx is not an option, is there another solution to this issue simply using IMAQ?

 

Thank you,

Brad

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Solution
Accepted by topic author brjohns

Brad,

 

The IMAQdx functions are not showing up either because you did not install IMAQdx or they are not licensed. Both come on the Vision Acquisition installer but are seperate components that can be enabled/disabled at install time. If you use Vision Development Module, you should have a license to activate IMAQdx as well. Check with the NI License Manager to verify that it is licensed.

 

You'll really like using IMAQdx much better than the IMAQ USB functions. There is a lot more functionality supported and it is fully supported in all NI software, such as Measurement and Automation Explorer. You can configure your camera settings inside MAX and then save and use them in LabVIEW automatically.

 

Eric

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Eric,

 

Under the NI License Manager, I see the Development module and it does say that it is activated, but I do not see anything about the IMAQdx driver. Am I looking in the right place?

 

Brad

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Nevermind, downloaded the latest Vision Acquisition update and installed IMAQdx. Replaced the IMAQ USB Snap image VI with the IMAQdx one and the image is exactly what I want, it snaps at a very high resolution now. 

 

Thanks for all your help,

Brad

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I am also trying to acquire images using a webcam but cannot achieve higher resolution than 0.3M pixels. Could you provide a sample VI so I can understand how you just replaced imaq usb snap with imaqdx...I keep running into refnum mismatch issue when wiring. Thanks

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Hi 7ayoraider!

 

I would suggest looking at the IMAQdx examples provided in LabVIEW to see how to use the VIs. You can get to these examples by opening LabVIEW and going to Help->Find Examples which will then open the NI Example Finder. If you navigate to Hardware Input and Output->IMAQdx->High-Level you can open any of these examples to see how to use the IMAQdx VIs. Based on the description of what you are trying to do, I would suggest the Snap.vi example. Hope this helps!

 

Mychal F

Applications Engineer
National Instruments
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imaqdx example(snap.vi) does not work with the USB camera I am using. I simply want to use the imaq usb example to init/open/*snap/close   to acquire the image, but use *snap from IMAQdx since it allows me to bump up the image resolution.. BUT by replacing the 'IMAQ USB Snap" with "IMAQdx Snap" I get "wired refnums are of different types" error...

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Hi ayoraider07,

 

You will have to replace all of the IMAQ USB calls with IMAQdx calls if you want to use the IMAQdx Snap. 

 

Can you be more specific when you say that the Snap example doesn't work with your camera? Do you get errors, don't see your camera, etc.?

 

Finally, do you know if your USB camera is direct show compliant? Can you see your camera in Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX)?

 

Mychal F

Applications Engineer
National Instruments
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