Error -1074397153 occurred at IMAQ Get Buffer

[orelb]

Update-

I've managed to take a picture and save it on the computer without a trigger.  Adding the "configure trigger vi", however, returns an error immediately when I send a TTL.

It seems as though the camera might be configured correctly, but that the trigger feature is somehow ruining everything...  The camera is also connected to a monitor, and when the TTL is sent, the picture on the monitor jumps a bit, so maybe the trigger actually turns the camera off for a very short amount of time, and when Labview tries to contact it at that time, it errors out because the camera is not responding.  Is this a possibility?

Any help would be really appreciated.

[The_Chancenator]

I'd double check to ensure whatever video mode you are in allows for triggering.

[orelb]

How do I know which video mode I'm in and how do I check that it allows triggering?

I might have something with the entire triggering configuration wrong altogether.

Right now I have the camera connected to an adapter (DC-700CE), the trigger is connected to the TRIG input of the adapter, and the video out is connected to the framegrabber (1410).  When trying to connect the trigger to the framegrabber (without triggering the camera) it works, but I'm afraid my camera's frame rate isn't good enough to get the precise timing I need...  So it seems that triggering the camera is a must...

[The_Chancenator]

First, are you using a shipping example, or the code that you posted earlier?  While I don't see anything wrong at first glance, I'd like to eliminate software from the equation and either do this in Measurement & Automation Explorer or in a shipping example.

Second, what video mode are you using?  Does your camera's documentation make any reference to these various modes (Standard, HLOCK, etc?)  You should be able to find this in there.  The PCI 1410 manual also has some information on these signals. 

Also, check this link about Standard Video Signals

Where is the trigger signal coming from?  Are we sure that this is valid? 

[orelb]

Thanks again Marti!

I think I'm on the right track...

The vi I'm using is an example from Labview called "LL Triggered Snap" (now with a few additions), so I think that shouldn't be the problem.

I've looked at The PCI-1410 manual and my camera's user manual and decided to use the CSYNC external video mode.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but that means I trigger the camera via the TRIG input on my DC-700CE camera adapter.  The adapter then sends a WEN signal to the 1410 which ensures both the camera and framegrabber are in sync.  No external HD or VD signals necessary, as far as I'm concerned... hopefully.

The camera manual (attached) has a timing chart on page 28 showing how to acquire an image using an external trigger.  The sequence includes 3 TLL pulses in different widths, because this also determines the exposure time (which is how I would like it to be).  Sending the first pulse exactly when calling the "IMAQ Start" vi seems to work, but I think I have the other timings are wrong, because I get an Error -1074397154 at the IMAQ Get Buffer vi- "No acquisition in progress".  

I assume I'm in the right direction, because I think I've finally managed to set up my camera to receive external triggers and by doing that I might have generated a different error.  I've tried the link you sent me a while ago for solving IMAQ errors, but no go...

I'd really appreciate it if you could take a look and tell me what you think.  Right now I generate a 50 usec hi pulse, then wait for 50 usecs.  The next step in the sequqnce is to generate a long pulse (I don't really understand how long from the manual) and then wait 50 ms before generating another 50 usec pulse.  This doesn't seem to work.

Any thoughts?

[The_Chancenator]

Hi Orel,

Hopefully new errors = progress.  1074397154 is a new one to me--are you getting this in Measurement & Automation Explorer or in your LabVIEW program?  If its LabVIEW, try using a shipping example?  It does seem like more of a software issue.

[orelb]

I've tried a shipping example (all the LL and HL triggered snap vis that are included with Labview), but I still get the same errors.

I don't get the these errors in MAX.  If I set the camera to standard video mode in MAX, I get a perfect picture.  On the other hand, setting the video mode to External H or CSYNC yields a "cannot detect recognizable video" error. I'm assuming this is because the camera is set to trigger mode and no video is output because no trigger has been sent.  Is this normal?

In Labview, I try to solve this by sending a trigger synced with the "IMAQ start" vi.  The problem is that when I send another trigger, the "IMAQ get buffer" vi returns the aforementioned error time after time.

Still no luck...

[The_Chancenator]

This is a normal response in MAX if you are not sending it a trigger.  How are you asserting the trigger?  Any chance you could do this while trying the grab in MAX?  This would be the simplest way to test this out.

[orelb]

I can't do this on MAX, because once I set the video mode to External H or CSYNC, it always returns a "cannot detect recognizable video source" error without giving me enough time to send a manual trigger, even though I set the frame timeout to be 10 seconds...  

On external mode I get the time I need to send a trigger, but when I send it nothing happens and the process eventually times out.

On standard video mode I get a good image.

[orelb · Accepted solution]

I would like to thank everyone who helped me out over the past 2-3 weeks.

I've finally figured out the problem!  It was hardware, just as I suspected...

The problem was that the camera (Sony XC-EI50) didn't properly go into triggered mode, because the voltage it was getting (when the trigger was lo) was apparently not low enough.  So the monitor was getting a continuous image, while the computer wasn't getting anything (for some odd reason).

I solved this by connecting a 2 kilo-ohm resistor to the TRIG line, which is connected to the TRIG input of my DC-700 camera adapter.  That did the trick!  Now I have a properly triggered camera which I can time accurately.

Now I have a problem with saving the image.  I use the "IMAQ write PNG file" vi, and I get a "not an image" error.

Attached is a jpg of my vi.

Any ideas?

Thanks again