Problem with exposure time with Basler acA2440-35uc

[geometrikal]

We are using LabVIEW 2011 to connect to a Basler acA2440-35uc camera.

Using vision assistant it just lists the camera as Basler GenICam, and only 3 properties to change: brightness, exposure and gain. 

Brightness and gain are integers, but exposure is a double (in seconds). In Basler pylon interface software however, it is an integer (microseconds). The problem is that the exposure cannot be finely controlled. For example, exposure of 0.004 - 0.011 are the same, but then there is a jump at 0.012. Having a look in MAX, the slider for exposure "jumps" between specific values, 0.00195312500, 0.00390625000, 0.0156250000, .. etc. 

I'm guessing the problem is some internal thing converting the double, any ideas?

Also, is there a way to get ALL the settings from the camera? e.g. white balance etc?

[Bob_Schor]

I asked a colleague who has used Basler cameras with IMAQdx, and he says that Basler is one of the better manufacturers, their cameras work well with LabVIEW/MAX.  He didn't have details handy, and doesn't know your camera, but noted the following:  There are "Simple" and "Advanced" sets of properties, with the "Simple" being brightness, exposure, and gain (he didn't remember how to select which set, but I'd poke around in MAX).  He said that there is probably a way (using an Invoke node, perhaps) to get the Camera to return arrays of Property Names and Settings that you can then use with Property Nodes to get/set aspects of the Camera.  He was less sure about Exposure, though he did know that exposure was in microseconds.

LabVIEW 2011 is more than half-a-decade "old", and right around that time the Vision modules were undergoing some changes.  I don't know if that might be part of your problem ...

Bob Schor

[geometrikal]

Thanks Bob,

I posted the same question in the Machine Vision sub-forum and indeed is a driver problem, as VAS 2017 made it work. (In MAX, advanced gives no changeable settings)

Looking through the feature logs you are right, the August 2013 VAS drivers (http://www.ni.com/download/ni-vision-acquisition-software-august-2013/4147/en/) are the first to mention USB3 cameras as being supported. We are using something from 2011 or earlier.

Hopefully tomorrow I can confirm that VAS 2014 (the last VAS to support 2011) works, and thus it is an easy upgrade.