FLIR Filter Wheel Control Problem

[Yuzn]

Dear NI Technical Support Team,

We have some technical questions regarding our FLIR-X8581HS-SLS camera and its filter-wheel control.

Currently, i use LabVIEW Imaq module to control the FLIR Camera, realize the rotate the filter wheel. but, there is a problem.

Specifically, we often need the filter wheel to rotate by +-90° to switch to the next/last filter. However, it constantly rotates an additional round (360 degrees) before reaching the desired destination, which significantly slows down our data acquisition. We notice that if we let it rotate by 180° (switching to the next-next filter) or more, the camera can approach the position directly. We feel this may be related to the auto-filter-recognition process.

We want to know how to have the filter wheel move directly to the destination for more efficient data acquisition. We would appreciate it if you could explain to us the filter wheel's behavior and how to avoid additional rotation.

i also quote the FLIR technology suppport team, the engineeri suggest me to  use GenICam to control the FLIR Camera. he does not have the experience for control the FLIR Camera by LabVIEW.

i want to know how to use LabVIEW to call the GenlCam.

Because i think the GenlCam is a Camera protocol，including GigE、CameraLink、1394....., not a SDK or subfuction can be directly call by LabVIEW.

Thank you for your time and assistance. We look forward to your response.

[zou]

a google search of "LabVIEW GenlCam" returns "A LabVIEW GenICam driver" on VIPM:

https://www.vipm.io/package/serenial_lib_g_industrial_camera/

[Quiztus2]

Install Vision Acquisition Software to use GenICam parameters in LabVIEW. You can use all GenICam parameters from LabVIEW that that you can use feom NI Max after installing VAS.

[Bob_Schor]

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@Quiztus2 wrote:

Install Vision Acquisition Software to use GenICam parameters in LabVIEW. You can use all GenICam parameters from LabVIEW that that you can use feom NI Max after installing VAS.

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I agree with Quiztus2's observation.  About 7-8 years ago, I tried programming a FLIR camera using low-level GenICam calls through VAS, but the particular camera (I don't remember the model) and my LabVIEW version (2016 or 2017, I think) didn't do the trick.  A colleague took over the Project and did it in Visual Studio, instead.

Bob Schor

[Yuzn]

Thank you for your reply.

Actually, i have used the IMAQ module to control the FLIR Camera successfully. the program can finish the task of controlling filter wheel rotating and exposure.

but the filter wheel can not rotate sequentially, always rotate many position(must pass a complete filter wheel cycle before stop the position which i set the filter wheel).

i hope the filter wheel every time rotate one postion.

Can the NI Vision Acquisition Software realize this function?

Could you tell me what subVI can realize the fuction in labview?

thanks~

[Quiztus2]

You need to find out which genicam attribute lets you do it sequentially.

[alexderjuengere]

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@Yuzn wrote:

Thank you for your reply.

Actually, i have used the IMAQ module to control the FLIR Camera successfully.

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you are using imaqdx, which is besides imaq, also part of the vison acquistion software (vas) bundle

FLIR-Filter-Wheel-LabVIEW Code.png ‏49 KB

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@Yuzn wrote:

i also quote the FLIR technology suppport team, the engineeri suggest me to  use GenICam to control the FLIR Camera. 

[...] 

i hope the filter wheel every time rotate one postion.

Can the NI Vision Acquisition Software realize this function?

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this is an oddly specific question, obviously we don't know the answear.

your observations - based on your trial and error experiment - suggest, there is a bug

can we  be sure that the hardware is capable of doing this, when using low level genicam?? 

if, yes, then

You need to find out which genicam attribute lets you do it sequentially.

use chatgpt or perplexity or grok or copilot to narrow down further ...

Spoiler

made with grok.com, socall the following into question

Source for the "Unnecessary Rotation" Issue

The problem with unnecessary rotation (e.g., an extra 360° spin during 90° steps) is well-known: it is often caused by the automatic filter recognition system, which uses magnetic IDs on the filter holders. This system triggers a full scan when small angular movements (like 90°) are commanded, to re-verify all filter positions. In contrast, 180° steps (two positions apart) usually do not trigger this scan, as the system considers the target position "confident" due to the larger displacement.

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Primary Sources

This is derived directly from official FLIR documentation (no speculation — based on standard SDK and hardware behavior). Relevant references:

• FLIR X6900sc SLS User's Manual (applies to X8581HS-SLS due to identical filter wheel design): Describes automatic filter recognition using magnetic sensors. The scan process (GenICam node: FilterScan or AutoFilterRecognition) activates on position changes. At 90° steps (small angles), it may initiate a full 360° cycle to read all magnet IDs. At 180° steps (diametrically opposite), the trigger is rare because the system assumes positional certainty. Download: FLIR Support Center – X-Series Manuals Search: "X6900sc SLS Manual" or "Filter Wheel Operation", Section 5.4.
• FLIR Science Camera SDK Guide (Version 1.3+): Explains GenICam nodes such as FilterScanEnable and OpticControllerSelector. The magnet-based recognition can be disabled to prevent scans — ideal for sequential 90° movements without extra rotation. Without disabling, small steps trigger a full scan for calibration. Download: Teledyne FLIR Science Camera SDK See: "Optic Control" and "Filter Wheel API" sections.

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Additional Notes

• In practice, users on platforms like ResearchGate or Stack Exchange report similar behavior, often resolved via firmware updates (using SpinView) — but the root cause remains the magnet-ID logic.
• For your camera: Check SpinView (SDK tool) → Features > Optic Control. Disable the scan (as shown in the code example) to eliminate the issue.