Framegrabber Specifications for the NI Camera File Generator

Overview

This document provides the framegrabber specifications needed when using the NI Camera File Generator.

Contents

Introduction

The specifications for your camera must be compatible with an NI framegrabber. The specifications for each NI framegrabber are indicated in the following table. Timing signal requirements and tap configurations are also listed below.

 

 

PCI/PXI 1422

PCI/PXI 1424

PCI 1426

PCIe 1427

PCI/PXI 1428

PCIe 1429

PCIe 1430

PCIe 1433

PXIe 1435

PCIe 1437

Electrical Standard

LVDS /RS-644, RS-422

LVDS /RS-644, RS-422, TTL

Camera Link

Camera Link

Camera Link

Camera Link

Camera Link

Camera Link

Camera Link

Camera Link

Pixel Clock Frequency

Up to 40 MHz

Up to 40 MHz

Up to 50 MHz

Up to 80 MHz

Up to 50 MHz

Up to 85 MHz

Up to 85 MHz

Up to 85 MHz

Up to 85 MHz

Up to 85 MHz

Data Width

Up to 16 bits

Up to 32 bits

Up to 24 bits

Up to 24 bits

Up to 32 bits

Up to 80 bits1

Up to 24 bits

Up to 80 bits

Up to 80 bits

Up to 80 bits

1 PCIe 1429 supports 10 tap acquisition (up to 8 bits per tap) for a pixel clock rate of 67 MHz or less.

 

Timing Signal Requirements

A camera must meet the following timing signal requirements to be supported by a framegrabber. The Line Enable and Frame Enable signals must be active for all valid pixels.

 

Timing Signal Requirements

PCI/PXI-1422, PCI/PXI-1424, PCI-1426, PCI/PXI 1428

PCIe-1427, PCIe-1429, PCIe-1430, PCIe-1433, PXIe-1435,PCIe-1437

Time for Line Enable (LVAL) - Time between Lines

At Least 4 Pixel Clock Counts

At Least 1 Pixel Clock Count

Time for Frame Enable (FVAL) - Time Between Frames

At Least 100 Pixel Clock Counts

At Least 20 Pixel Clock Counts

Blank Lines Between Frames

At Least 4 Lines Between Signals (or Use Non-Continuous Enable)

None

 

Tap Configurations

A tap is defined as a channel of data from the camera. A camera with a one-pixel output on each clock is referred to as a 1 tap camera. Some cameras output multiple pixels on the same pixel clock. If a camera outputs two pixels on the same pixel clock, it is a 2 tap camera.

The tap configuration of your camera is an important factor to consider when choosing a compatible framegrabber because the device must be able to support the pixel depth of your camera multiplied by the number of taps. Pixel depth is measured in bits.

NI framegrabbers have a data bus that is divided into 8-bit ports. Each port can hold up to 8 bits of image data. If the pixel depth of a camera is greater than 8 bits, the pixel will require the use of more than one port. Each pixel must be aligned to a port boundary.

 

*Note: The PCIe 1429 supports 10 tap acquisition (up to 8 bits per tap) for a pixel clock rate of 67 MHz or less.

 Number of Taps

 Bit Depth

PCI/PXI 1422

PCI/PXI 1424

PCI 1426

PCIe 1427

PCI/PXI 1428

PCIe 1429

PCIe 1430

PCIe 1433

PXIe 1435

PCIe 1437

1 Tap

8 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 bit RGB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Tap

8 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 bit RGB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 Tap

8 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 bit RGB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 Tap

8 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 bit RGB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Tap

8 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 bit RGB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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