MAX does not affect the IEEE1394 camera file

[EMC]

Hello everybody,

i'm writing as I have little trouble with my IEEE1394 camera application.  I want to change the camera features (Hue, saturation, shutter, ...) permanently for my task. I know that this can be done with the IMAQ IEEE 1394 VIs only temporary, and thus I went to MAX to change them forever.
I start grabbing an image in MAX and adjust the parameters the way I want them to be on the feature tab. I continue by stopping the grab and pushing the save button to accept the new parameters.  As soon as I again launch a grab via the grab button, the features are set to any default values that are not the ones I saved before.

I also took a look at the camera file in the data folder of NI IMAQ for IEEE 1394. The changes had not affected the file.  I cleared the content of this folder and strated the whole process again, but with the same result. The IMAQ1394.ini shows the correct camerafile and the right camera file is selected. I also tried to modify the camera file by hand, but the changes take no effect. This behaviour anly applies to the following features:

Hue, satturation and shutter time.

Looking at the manufacturers manual I saw that the parameters can be modified within these range for this camer model (DFK31F03).

Software/Hardware configuration as follows:

- Colour progressive scan camera (1024x768) from imaging source
- IEEE 1394 compliant adapter

- NI IMAQ for IEEE 1394 version 1.5.2
- NI MAX 3.1.0.3021
- W2K SP4

Can anybody help out this misery? Maybe this is a known bug with the versions I'm using? Or maybe I'm doing wrong (hopefully not)?

Thanks a lot for any recommendations, suggestions, help.

Regards, Christoph

[DOC (-) doc]

I experienced the same problem : I think this comes from the IEEE1394 driver.

Do you have the latests version (because I thought this problem was solved) ?

[ThSa]

The newest version of the IMAQ driver is 2.0.1

I think, your problem would be solved with (with your driver version) following instruction:

• Run MAX
• Set the Hue, Saturation, etc.
• Aquire an image
• Save the file
• Aquire an image one more time

If you want to upgrade to 2.0.1, is this the link:

http://digital.ni.com/softlib.nsf/websearch/09F9367451DB38278625702D00673856?opendocument&node=132060_US 

regards,

ThSa

Message Edited by ThSa on 08-19-2005 06:25 AM

[EMC]

Hello everybody,

thanks for the information.

I already tried to fix the problem by the installation of a new driver version of IMAQ for IEEE1394 (2.0.1). It looked like everything was fine now, but regarding the features of the camera, the shutter time was not adjustable anymore (Unfortunately this feature just didn't appear in the options tab in MAX after the installation). I also tried to change it in the camera file, but it took no effect.

My workaround:

Everytime I launch my LV application I blow the complete camera configuration into the registers of my IEEE1394 camera unsing the feature get/set VIs in LV. It's not a big difference regarding the application, but I should at least keep in mind, that this configuration is only stored temporary.

Thanks again for the replies.

Regards,

Christoph

[JohannS]

There should be no need to configure your shutter speed manually in your LV application. What Imaging Source camera are you using? I have a DFK 41F02 and I can successfully change the shutter speed in MAX. My configured shutter speed will be persistent between acquisitions and plugs.

Regards

Johann

[EMC]

Hello Johann,

i'm working with an imaging source camera, type DFK31F03. After the installation of the latest driver version for NI IMAQ for IEEE1394 (2.0.1) and the reinstallation of the camera driver, everything works fine in MAX except for the shutter speed. I can select everything including hue, saturation, gain, etc., but in the options the "shutter speed" feature does not appear. I would like to have a persistent shutter speed, but if I can't set it in MAX. Same applies to the camera file. Changing the value for the shutter speed does not affect the camera.
(The shutter speed appears in the options with version 1.5.2 of IMAQ for IEEE1394)

Do you know, when the camera file is read exactly? Is this one loaded, everytime MAX is launched? Can it be called manually?

As I already said, it doesn't matter for my application, but it is some strange behaviour, and I would like to find out, wheter the driver or I am doing wrong.

Thanks for your quick answer.

Regards,  Christoph

[ThSa]

It seems that the camera file will load when you start LabVIEW.

I've tried it and it works after you restart LabVIEW.

If you want to change the camera file programmatically you have to clone the *.iid file and to change the *.icd file name. In this case it is possible to initialize the same cam with a modified .iid file

[EMC]

Hello ThSa,

I've already cloned the files, at least the camera file (*.icd, imaq camera description), but for firewire cams there is no *.iid file (imaq interface description), as i´m not working with an NI interface, eg. like the PCI 1409. I can clone the camerafile and change the settings. I also have to put this camerafile name in the imaq1394.ini file. As I launch MAX afterwards I can select the modified camerafile, but the settings from the file are not selected, but different ones.

Am I right in saying, that actually all settings made in MAX should be relevant for all applications using this source? I assumed that this is like a global setup for the camera, that can only be changed temporarily by an application. 

Regards, Christoph

[ThSa]

Sure, there are .iid files (C:\Program Files\National Instruments\NI IMAQ for IEEE-1394\data\) - it's the same directory as the .icd files.

For every cam it's possbile to save more than one icd file. The iid file is the, as you write, the interface description.

However, you can manually change in every iid file the icd file name.

In this way, it's not necessary to change the attributes of the cam during the runtime.

The normal case is to set the attributes for the cam in MAX and afterwards, if this is necessary, to change single attributes with the property node in LabVIEW or whatever.

regards,

ThSa

[EMC]

Hello ThSa,

to be honest: You have been completely right. IMAQ for IEEE1394 v1.5.2 used to have an *.ini file, now there indeed is an *.iid file with IMAQ for IEEE1394 v.2.0.1. It can be accessed like the *.ini file and a camera file can be selected. With the new version of 2.0.1 this behaviour now didn`'t occur in MAX. As soon as I save the features, they do not change anymore and they are stored in my camerafile.

BUT: Where did the "Shutter speed" feature go in MAX? It is no longer in the options menu for the same camera (DFK 31F03). Same applies to an access via the property node in LV. There is no attribute named "shutter speed" that could be assigned a value. The only place where this feature exists is the camerafile. When I change it here, it again does not take an effect on the image.

How do you change the shutter settings? Probably got the same difficulties?

Thanks a lot for your assistance and patience,

regards, Christoph