Important Information
Warranty
The NI PCI-1405 is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment, as evidenced
by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace equipment that proves to be defective during the
warranty period. This warranty includes parts and labor.
The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming instructions, due to defects in
materials and workmanship, for a period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments
will, at its option, repair or replace software media that do not execute programming instructions if National Instruments receives notice of such defects
during the warranty period. National Instruments does not warrant that the operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error free.
A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and clearly marked on the outside of the package before any
equipment will be accepted for warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping costs of returning to the owner parts which are covered by
warranty.
National Instruments believes that the information in this document is accurate. The document has been carefully reviewed for technical accuracy. In
the event that technical or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves the right to make changes to subsequent editions of this document
without prior notice to holders of this edition. The reader should consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National
Instruments be liable for any damages arising out of or related to this document or the information contained in it.
EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMER’S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF NATIONAL
INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING
FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. This limitation of
the liability of National Instruments will apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or tort, including negligence. Any action against
National Instruments must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues. National Instruments shall not be liable for any delay in
performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty provided herein does not cover damages, defects, malfunctions, or service
failures caused by owner’s failure to follow the National Instruments installation, operation, or maintenance instructions; owner’s modification of the
product; owner’s abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power failure or surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third parties, or other events outside
reasonable control.
Copyright
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of National
Instruments Corporation.
National Instruments respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. NI software is protected by copyright and other
intellectual property laws. Where NI software may be used to reproduce software or other materials belonging to others, you may use NI software only
to reproduce materials that you may reproduce in accordance with the terms of any applicable license or other legal restriction.
Trademarks
National Instruments, NI, ni.com, and LabVIEW are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation. Refer to the Terms of Use section
on ni.com/legal for more information about National Instruments trademarks.
Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.
Members of the National Instruments Alliance Partner Program are business entities independent from National Instruments and have no agency,
partnership, or joint-venture relationship with National Instruments.
Patents
For patents covering National Instruments products, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file
on your CD, or ni.com/patents.
WARNING REGARDING USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS
(1) NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH COMPONENTS AND TESTING FOR A LEVEL OF
RELIABILITY SUITABLE FOR USE IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH SURGICAL IMPLANTS OR AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN
ANY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS WHOSE FAILURE TO PERFORM CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT
INJURY TO A HUMAN.
(2) IN ANY APPLICATION, INCLUDING THE ABOVE, RELIABILITY OF OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS CAN BE
IMPAIRED BY ADVERSE FACTORS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FLUCTUATIONS IN ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY,
COMPUTER HARDWARE MALFUNCTIONS, COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE FITNESS, FITNESS OF COMPILERS
AND DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE USED TO DEVELOP AN APPLICATION, INSTALLATION ERRORS, SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE
COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS, MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING OR CONTROL DEVICES,
TRANSIENT FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS (HARDWARE AND/OR SOFTWARE), UNANTICIPATED USES OR MISUSES, OR
ERRORS ON THE PART OF THE USER OR APPLICATIONS DESIGNER (ADVERSE FACTORS SUCH AS THESE ARE HEREAFTER
COLLECTIVELY TERMED “SYSTEM FAILURES”). ANY APPLICATION WHERE A SYSTEM FAILURE WOULD CREATE A RISK OF
HARM TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS (INCLUDING THE RISK OF BODILY INJURY AND DEATH) SHOULD NOT BE RELIANT SOLELY
UPON ONE FORM OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DUE TO THE RISK OF SYSTEM FAILURE. TO AVOID DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH,
THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER MUST TAKE REASONABLY PRUDENT STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST SYSTEM FAILURES,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BACK-UP OR SHUT DOWN MECHANISMS. BECAUSE EACH END-USER SYSTEM IS
CUSTOMIZED AND DIFFERS FROM NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS' TESTING PLATFORMS AND BECAUSE A USER OR APPLICATION
DESIGNER MAY USE NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER PRODUCTS IN A MANNER NOT
EVALUATED OR CONTEMPLATED BY NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER IS ULTIMATELY
RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING AND VALIDATING THE SUITABILITY OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS WHENEVER
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE INCORPORATED IN A SYSTEM OR APPLICATION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, THE APPROPRIATE DESIGN, PROCESS AND SAFETY LEVEL OF SUCH SYSTEM OR APPLICATION.
Compliance
Compliance with FCC/Canada Radio Frequency Interference
Regulations
Determining FCC Class
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules to protect wireless communications from interference. The FCC
places digital electronics into two classes. These classes are known as Class A (for use in industrial-commercial locations only)
or Class B (for use in residential or commercial locations). All National Instruments (NI) products are FCC Class A products.
Depending on where it is operated, this Class A product could be subject to restrictions in the FCC rules. (In Canada, the
Department of Communications (DOC), of Industry Canada, regulates wireless interference in much the same way.) Digital
electronics emit weak signals during normal operation that can affect radio, television, or other wireless products.
All Class A products display a simple warning statement of one paragraph in length regarding interference and undesired
operation. The FCC rules have restrictions regarding the locations where FCC Class A products can be operated.
FCC/DOC Warnings
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in strict accordance with the instructions
in this manual and the CE marking Declaration of Conformity*, may cause interference to radio and television reception.
Classification requirements are the same for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Canadian Department
of Communications (DOC).
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by NI could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment under the
FCC Rules.
Class A
Federal Communications Commission
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated
in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user is required to correct the interference
at their own expense.
Canadian Department of Communications
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.
Compliance with EU Directives
Users in the European Union (EU) should refer to the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for information* pertaining to the
CE marking. Refer to the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for this product for any additional regulatory compliance
information. To obtain the DoC for this product, visit ni.com/certification, search by model number or product line,
and click the appropriate link in the Certification column.
*
The CE marking Declaration of Conformity contains important supplementary information and instructions for the user or
installer.
Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
»
The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options
to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options
from the last dialog box.
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.
This icon denotes a caution, which advises you of precautions to take to
avoid injury, data loss, or a system crash. When this symbol is marked on a
product, refer to Getting Started with the NI PCI-1405, for information
about precautions to take.
bold
Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such
as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes parameter
names.
italic
Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross-reference, or an introduction
to a key concept. Italic text also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word
or value that you must supply.
monospace
Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the
keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames, and extensions.
NI 1405
NI 1405 refers to the NI PCI-1405 image acquisition device.
Chapter 1
Software Overview ........................................................................................................1-2
NI-IMAQ Driver Software..............................................................................1-2
National Instruments Application Software....................................................1-3
Vision Builder for Automated Inspection.........................................1-3
Chapter 2
Trigger Control and Mapping Circuitry ..........................................................2-2
Acquisition and ROI Circuitry ........................................................................2-3
Bus Master PCI Interface ................................................................................2-3
Start Conditions...............................................................................................2-3
Signal Connections
Connectors .....................................................................................................................3-1
Signal Descriptions........................................................................................................3-2
Appendix A
Introduction to Color
Appendix B
Technical Support and Professional Services
© National Instruments Corporation
vii
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Contents
Glossary
Index
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
viii
ni.com
1
Introduction
This chapter describes the NI PCI-1405 (NI 1405) and the software
programming choices.
About the NI 1405
The NI 1405 is a PCI monochrome and color image acquisition device that
supports a diverse range of analog cameras from many camera companies.
The NI 1405 acquires images in real time and can store these images in
onboard frame memory or transfer these images directly to system
memory.
The NI 1405 is easy to configure, which allows you to begin acquiring
images quickly. The NI 1405 ships with NI Vision Acquisition Software,
which includes NI-IMAQ, the National Instruments driver software
you can use to directly control the NI 1405 and other National Instruments
image acquisition hardware products. Using NI-IMAQ, you can quickly
and easily start your applications without having to program the device at
the register level.
The NI 1405 features a precision color analog video decoder ideal
for industrial and scientific environments. The NI 1405 supports
both NTSC and PAL color standards as well as the RS-170 and CCIR
monochrome standards. The NI 1405 also provides one external
input/output (I/O) line that you can use as a trigger or digital I/O line. If you
require more advanced triggering or digital I/O lines, you can use the
NI 1405 and NI-IMAQ with the National Instruments data acquisition
(DAQ) product line.
© National Instruments Corporation
1-1
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Chapter 1
Introduction
Software Overview
Programming the NI 1405 requires the NI-IMAQ driver software for
controlling the hardware. National Instruments also offers the following
application software packages for analyzing and processing your acquired
images:
•
Vision Builder for Automated Inspection (AI)—Allows you to
configure solutions for common inspection tasks.
•
Vision Development Module—Provides customized control over
hardware and algorithms.
The following sections provide an overview of the driver software and
application software. For detailed information about individual software
packages, refer to the documentation specific to the package.
NI-IMAQ Driver Software
The NI 1405 ships with NI Vision Acquisition Software, which includes
the NI-IMAQ driver software. NI-IMAQ has an extensive library of
functions—such as routines for video configuration, continuous and
single-shot image acquisition, memory buffer allocation, trigger control,
and device configuration—you can call from your application development
between the computer and the image acquisition device, such as
programming interrupts and camera control.
NI-IMAQ performs all functions required for acquiring and saving images
but does not perform image analysis. For image analysis functionality, refer
to the National Instruments Application Software section of this chapter.
NI-IMAQ is also the interface path between the NI 1405 and LabVIEW,
LabWindows™/CVI™, or a text-based programming environment. The
NI-IMAQ software kit includes a series of image acquisition libraries
for LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, and Measurement Studio, which
contains libraries for Microsoft Visual Basic.
NI-IMAQ features both high-level and low-level functions. Examples
of high-level functions include the sequences to acquire images in
multi-buffer, single-shot, or continuous mode. An example of a low-level
function is configuring an image sequence, which requires advanced
understanding of the image acquisition device and image acquisition.
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
1-2
ni.com
Chapter 1
Introduction
National Instruments Application Software
This section describes the National Instruments application software
packages you can use to analyze and process the images you acquire
with the NI 1405.
Vision Builder for Automated Inspection
NI Vision Builder for Automated Inspection (AI) is configurable machine
vision software that you can use to prototype, benchmark, and deploy
applications for use in LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, and Measurement
Studio. Vision Builder AI does not require programming, but it is scalable
to powerful programming environments.
Vision Builder AI allows you to easily configure and benchmark a
sequence of visual inspection steps, as well as deploy the visual inspection
system for automated inspection. With Vision Builder AI, you can perform
powerful visual inspection tasks and make decisions based on the results of
individual tasks. With Vision Builder AI, you can migrate the configured
inspection to LabVIEW, extending the capabilities of your applications if
necessary.
Vision Development Module
The Vision Development Module is an image acquisition, processing, and
analysis library of more than 270 functions for common machine vision
tasks, such as:
•
•
•
•
•
Pattern matching
Particle analysis
Gauging
Taking measurements
Grayscale, color, and binary image display
You can use the Vision Development Module functions individually or in
combination. With the Vision Development Module, you can acquire,
display, and store images, as well as perform image analysis and
processing. Using the Vision Development Module, imaging novices and
experts can program the most basic or complicated image applications
without knowledge of particular algorithm implementations.
© National Instruments Corporation
1-3
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Chapter 1
Introduction
NI Vision Assistant is included with the Vision Development Module.
Vision Assistant is an interactive prototyping tool for machine vision and
scientific imaging developers. With Vision Assistant, you can prototype
vision applications quickly and test how various vision image processing
functions work.
Vision Assistant generates a Builder file, which is a text description
containing a recipe of the machine vision and image processing functions.
This Builder file provides a guide you can use for developing applications
in any ADE, such as LabWindows/CVI or Visual Basic, using the
Vision Assistant machine vision and image processing libraries. Using the
LabVIEW VI creation wizard, Vision Assistant can create LabVIEW VI
block diagrams that perform the prototype you created in Vision Assistant.
You can then use LabVIEW to add functionality to the generated VI.
Integration with DAQ and Motion Control
Platforms that support NI-IMAQ also support NI-DAQ and a variety of
National Instruments DAQ devices. This allows for integration between
image acquisition devices and DAQ devices.
Use National Instruments high-performance stepper and servo motion
control products with pattern matching software in inspection and guidance
applications, such as locating alignment markers on semiconductor wafers,
guiding robotic arms, inspecting the quality of manufactured parts, and
locating cells.
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
1-4
ni.com
2
Hardware Overview
This chapter presents an overview of the hardware functions on the
NI 1405 and explains the operation of each functional unit making up
the NI 1405.
Functional Overview
The NI 1405 features a high-speed data path optimized for the acquisition
and formatting of video data from analog monochrome and color cameras.
The block diagram in Figure 2-1 illustrates the key functional components
of the NI 1405.
SDRAM
PCI Interface and
Scatter-Gather
DMA Controller
IMAQ SDRAM
Memory
Video
Decoder
Analog Video
Interface
Acquisition,
ROI, and
Control
External Trigger
Figure 2-1. NI 1405 Block Diagram
© National Instruments Corporation
2-1
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Chapter 2
Hardware Overview
Video Acquisition
Video Decoder
The NI 1405 can acquire analog color video in a variety of modes and then
store the images in the onboard SDRAM memory or transfer the images
directly to PCI system memory.
The NI 1405 supports NTSC and PAL video standards in composite
format. The onboard video decoder converts the incoming video signal to
red, green, and blue (RGB) data.
The video decoder allows you to control numerous parameters to optimize
an acquisition. You can independently adjust parameters, such as analog
input range, brightness, contrast, saturation, or frequency range, which is
controlled by different filters. Refer to the Measurement & Automation
Explorer Help for NI-IMAQ, which is installed with NI-IMAQ, for a
complete description of the NI 1405 video parameters.
The video decoder also strips out all necessary clock and synchronization
signals included in the video signal and controls the acquisition conditions
automatically. High-quality circuitry can generate the synchronization
signals from poor timing signals. This allows you to acquire from, for
example, a video cassette recorder (VCR).
SDRAM
The NI 1405 has 16 MB of onboard high-speed synchronous dynamic
RAM (SDRAM). The NI 1405 can use the onboard RAM as a first-in
first-out (FIFO) buffer, transferring the image data as it is acquired or
acquiring the image data into SDRAM and holding it for later transfer
to main memory.
Trigger Control and Mapping Circuitry
The trigger control monitors and drives the external trigger line. You can
configure this line to start an acquisition on a rising or falling edge and
drive the line asserted or unasserted, similar to a digital I/O line. You can
also map many of the NI 1405 status signals to this trigger line and program
the trigger line in polarity and direction.
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
2-2
ni.com
Chapter 2
Hardware Overview
Acquisition and ROI Circuitry
The acquisition and region-of-interest (ROI) circuitry monitors the
incoming video signals and routes the active pixels to the SDRAM
memory. The NI 1405 can perform an ROI acquisition on all video lines
and frames. In an ROI acquisition, you select an area within the acquisition
window to transfer to the PCI bus.
Scatter-Gather DMA Controllers
The NI 1405 uses three independent onboard direct memory access (DMA)
controllers. The DMA controllers transfer data between the onboard
SDRAM memory buffers and the PCI bus. Each of these controllers
supports scatter-gather DMA, which allows the DMA controller to
reconfigure on-the-fly. Thus, the NI 1405 can perform continuous image
transfers directly to either contiguous or fragmented memory buffers.
Bus Master PCI Interface
The NI 1405 implements the PCI interface with a National Instruments
custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the PCI MITE. The
PCI interface can transfer data at a maximum rate of 132 Mbytes/s in
bus master mode. The NI 1405 can generate 8-, 16-, and 32-bit memory
read and write cycles, both single and multiple. The interface logic ensures
that the NI 1405 can meet PCI loading, driving, and timing requirements.
Start Conditions
The NI 1405 can start acquisitions in a variety of conditions:
•
Software control—The NI 1405 supports software control of
acquisition start. You can configure the NI 1405 to capture a fixed
number of fields or frames. Use this configuration for capturing a
single frame or a sequence of frames.
•
•
Trigger control—You can start an acquisition by enabling the
external trigger line. This input can start a video acquisition on a
rising or falling edge.
Frame/field selection—With an interlaced camera and the NI 1405 in
frame mode, you can program the NI 1405 to start an acquisition on
any odd or even field.
© National Instruments Corporation
2-3
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Chapter 2
Hardware Overview
Acquisition Window Control
You can configure numerous parameters on the NI 1405 to control the
video acquisition window. A brief description of each parameter follows:
•
Acquisition window—The NI 1405 allows you to specify a particular
region of active pixels and active lines within the incoming video data.
The active pixel region selects the starting pixel and number of pixels
to be acquired relative to the assertion edge of the horizontal (or line)
enable signal from the camera. The active line region selects the
starting line and number of lines to be acquired relative to the assertion
edge of the vertical (or frame) enable signal.
•
Region of interest—The NI 1405 uses a second level of active pixel
and active line regions for selecting a region of interest. When you
disable the region-of-interest circuitry, the device stores the entire
acquisition window into onboard or system memory. However, when
you enable the region-of-interest circuitry, the device acquires only a
selected subset of the image frame.
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
2-4
ni.com
3
Signal Connections
This chapter describes cable connections for the NI 1405.
Connectors
The NI 1405 uses two BNC connectors on the front panel to connect
to video data input and the external trigger signal. Figure 3-1 shows the
position of the connectors.
VIDEO
TRIG
Figure 3-1. NI 1405 Connectors
© National Instruments Corporation
3-1
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Chapter 3
Signal Connections
Signal Descriptions
Table 3-1 describes the signal connections on the NI 1405 connectors.
Table 3-1. I/O Connector Signals
Signal Name
VIDEO
Description
Composite Video—This signal allows you to make a referenced
single-ended (RSE) connection to the video channel.
TRIG
External trigger—You can use this TTL I/O line to start an acquisition or
to control external events. You can program the triggers to be rising-
or falling-edge sensitive. You can also program the triggers to be
programmatically asserted or unasserted, similar to the function of a digital
I/O line, or to drive internal status signals by using the onboard events.
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
3-2
ni.com
A
Introduction to Color
Color is the wavelength of the light we receive in our eye when we look at
an object. In theory, the color spectrum is infinite. Humans, however, can
see only a small portion of this spectrum—the portion that goes from the
red edge of infrared light, which is the longest wavelength, to the blue edge
of ultraviolet light, which is the shortest wavelength. This continuous
spectrum is called the visible spectrum, as shown in Figure A-1.
Figure A-1. White Light and the Visible Spectrum
White light is a combination of all colors at once. The spectrum of white
light is continuous and goes from ultraviolet to infrared in a smooth
transition. You can represent a good approximation of white light by
selecting a few reference colors and weighting them appropriately.
The most common way to represent white light is to use three reference
components, such as red, green, and blue (R, G, and B primaries). You
can simulate most colors of the visible spectrum using these primaries.
For example, video projectors use red, green, and blue light generators,
and an RGB camera uses red, green, and blue sensors.
© National Instruments Corporation
A-1
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Appendix A
Introduction to Color
The perception of a color depends on many factors, such as the following:
•
Hue, which is the perceived dominant color. Hue depends directly on
the wavelength of a color.
•
Saturation, which is dependent on the amount of white light present in
a color. Pastels typically have a low saturation while very rich colors
have a high saturation. For example, pink typically has a red hue but
has a low saturation.
•
•
Luminance, which is the brightness information in the video picture.
The luminance signal amplitude varies in proportion to the brightness
of the video signal and corresponds exactly to the monochrome
picture.
Intensity, which is the brightness of a color and is usually expressed as
light or dark. For example, orange and brown may have the same hue
and saturation; however, orange has a greater intensity than brown.
Image Representations
Color images can be represented in several different formats. These formats
can contain all color information from the image or they can consist of only
one aspect of the color information, such as hue or luminance. The
following image representations can be produced using the NI 1405.
RGB
The most common image representation is 32-bit RGB format. In this
representation, the three 8-bit color planes—red, green, and blue—are
packed into an array of 32-bit integers. This representation is useful for
displaying the image on a monitor. The 32-bit integer is organized as
follows:
0
RED
GREEN
BLUE
where the high-order byte is not used and the low-order byte is blue.
Color Planes
The red, green, or blue planes can be returned individually. Each plane is
extracted from the RGB image and represented as an array of 8-bit integers.
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
A-2
ni.com
Appendix A
Introduction to Color
Hue, Saturation, Luminance, and Intensity Planes
The NI 1405 can return an 8-bit Luminance (L) plane, but not Hue (H) or
Saturation (S) planes. You can use the NI Vision Development Module or
Vision Builder AI to convert the RGB data from the NI 1405 to HSL or
Hue, Saturation, and Intensity (HSI) planes.
Luminance, intensity, hue, and saturation are defined using the red, green,
and blue values in the following formulas:
Luminance = 0.299 × Red + 0.587 × Green + 0.114 × Blue
Intensity = (Red + Green + Blue) / 3
Hue = ATN2 (Y, X)
where
Y = (Green – Blue) / 2 and
X = (2 × Red – Green – Blue) / 6
3 × Min(R, G, B)
⎛
⎞
Saturation = 255 × 1 – -----------------------------------------
⎝
⎠
R + G + B
32-Bit HSL and HSI
You can also pack the three 8-bit HSL planes or the three HSI planes
in one array of 32-bit integers, which is equivalent to the 32-bit RGB
representation.
© National Instruments Corporation
A-3
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
B
Technical Support and
Professional Services
Visit the following sections of the National Instruments Web site at ni.com
for technical support and professional services:
•
Support—Online technical support resources at ni.com/support
include the following:
–
Self-Help Resources—For answers and solutions, visit the
award-winning National Instruments Web site for software drivers
and updates, a searchable KnowledgeBase, product manuals,
step-by-step troubleshooting wizards, thousands of example
programs, tutorials, application notes, instrument drivers, and
so on.
–
Free Technical Support—All registered users receive free Basic
Service, which includes access to hundreds of Application
Engineers worldwide in the NI Discussion Forums at
ni.com/forums. National Instruments Application Engineers
make sure every question receives an answer.
For information about other technical support options in your
area, visit ni.com/services or contact your local office at
ni.com/contact.
•
•
Training and Certification—Visit ni.com/training for
self-paced training, eLearning virtual classrooms, interactive CDs,
and Certification program information. You also can register for
instructor-led, hands-on courses at locations around the world.
System Integration—If you have time constraints, limited in-house
technical resources, or other project challenges, National Instruments
Alliance Partner members can help. To learn more, call your local
NI office or visit ni.com/alliance.
© National Instruments Corporation
B-1
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Appendix B
Technical Support and Professional Services
•
Declaration of Conformity (DoC)—A DoC is our claim of
compliance with the Council of the European Communities using
the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity. This system affords
the user protection for electronic compatibility (EMC) and product
safety. You can obtain the DoC for your product by visiting
ni.com/certification.
•
Calibration Certificate—If your product supports calibration,
you can obtain the calibration certificate for your product at
ni.com/calibration.
If you searched ni.com and could not find the answers you need, contact
your local office or NI corporate headquarters. Phone numbers for our
worldwide offices are listed at the front of this manual. You also can visit
the Worldwide Offices section of ni.com/niglobal to access the branch
office Web sites, which provide up-to-date contact information, support
phone numbers, email addresses, and current events.
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
B-2
ni.com
Glossary
A
acquisition window
The image size specific to a video standard or camera resolution.
active line region
The region of lines actively being stored. Defined by a line start (relative to
the vertical synchronization signal) and a line count.
active pixel region
The region of pixels actively being stored. Defined by a pixel start (relative
to the horizontal synchronization signal) and a pixel count.
address
area
Value that identifies a specific location (or series of locations) in memory.
A rectangular portion of an acquisition window or frame that is controlled
and defined by software.
B
brightness
A constant that is added to the red, green, and blue components of a color
pixel during the color decoding process.
buffer
bus
Temporary storage for acquired data.
A group of conductors that interconnect individual circuitry in a computer,
such as the PCI bus; typically the expansion vehicle to which I/O or other
devices are connected.
C
CCIR
Comite Consultatif International des Radiocommunications. A committee
that developed standards for video signals. Also used to describe signals,
boards, and cameras that adhere to the CCIR standards.
color space
The mathematical representation for a color. For example, color can be
described in terms of red, green, and blue; hue, saturation, and luma; or hue,
saturation, and intensity.
© National Instruments Corporation
G-1
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Glossary
composite video
contrast
A type of color video transmission where synchronization, luma, and
chroma information are transmitted on one analog signal.
A constant multiplication factor applied to the luma and chroma
components of a color pixel in the color decoding process.
D
DAQ
Data acquisition. (1) Collecting and measuring electrical signals from
sensors, transducers, and test probes or fixtures and inputting them to a
computer for processing. (2) Collecting and measuring the same kinds of
electrical signals with A/D or DIO boards plugged into a computer and
possibly generating control signals with D/A and/or DIO boards in the
same computer.
DMA
Direct memory access. A method by which data can be transferred to
and from computer memory from and to a device or memory on the bus
while the processor does something else; DMA is the fastest method of
transferring data to/from computer memory.
driver
Software that controls a specific hardware device, such as an image
acquisition device.
dynamic range
The ratio of the largest signal level a circuit can handle to the smallest
signal level it can handle (usually taken to be the noise level), normally
expressed in decibels.
E
external trigger
A voltage pulse from an external source that triggers an event, such as
A/D conversion.
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
G-2
ni.com
Glossary
F
field
For an interlaced video signal, a field is half the number of horizontal
lines needed to represent a frame of video. The first field of a frame
contains all the odd-numbered lines, the second field contains all of
the even-numbered lines.
FIFO
frame
First-in first-out memory buffer. The first data stored is the first data sent
to the acceptor; FIFOs are used on devices to temporarily store incoming
data until that data can be retrieved.
A complete image. In interlaced formats, a frame is composed of two fields.
H
HSI
Color encoding scheme using Hue, Saturation, and Intensity information,
where each pixel in the image is encoded using 8 bits for hue, 8 bits for
saturation, and 8 bits for intensity.
HSL
hue
where each pixel in the image is encoded using 32 bits: 8 bits for hue, 8 bits
for saturation, 8 bits for luma, and 8 unused bits.
Represents the dominant color of a pixel. The hue function is a continuous
function that covers all the possible colors generated using the R, G, and
B primaries. See also RGB.
I
I/O
Input/output. The transfer of data to/from a computer system involving
communications channels, operator interface devices, and/or data
acquisition and control interfaces.
instrument driver
intensity
A set of high-level software functions, such as NI-IMAQ, that control
specific plug-in computer boards. Instrument drivers are available in
several forms, ranging from a function callable from a programming
language to a virtual instrument (VI) in LabVIEW.
The sum of the red, green, and blue primaries divided by three:
(red + green + blue)/3.
© National Instruments Corporation
G-3
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Glossary
interlaced
interrupt
A video frame composed of two interleaved fields. The number of lines in
a field are half the number of lines in an interlaced frame.
A computer signal indicating that the CPU should suspend its current task
to service a designated activity.
L
luma
The brightness information in the video picture. The luma signal amplitude
varies in proportion to the brightness of the video signal and corresponds
exactly to the monochrome picture.
M
MTBF
Mean time between failure.
N
NI-IMAQ
Driver software for National Instruments hardware.
NTSC
National Television Standards Committee. The committee that developed
the color video standard used primarily in North America, which uses
525 lines per frame. See also PAL.
NVRAM
Nonvolatile RAM. RAM that is not erased when a device loses power or is
turned off.
P
PAL
Phase Alternation Line. One of the European video color standards; uses
625 lines per frame. See also NTSC.
PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect. A high-performance expansion bus
architecture originally developed by Intel to replace ISA and EISA. PCI
offers a theoretical maximum transfer rate of 132 Mbytes/s.
pixel
Picture element. The smallest division that makes up the video scan line;
for display on a computer monitor, a pixel’s optimum dimension is square
(aspect ratio of 1:1, or the width equal to the height).
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
G-4
ni.com
Glossary
pixel count
The total number of pixels between two horizontal synchronization signals.
The pixel count determines the frequency of the pixel clock.
R
real time
A property of an event or system in which data is processed as it is acquired
instead of being accumulated and processed at a later time.
resolution
The smallest signal increment that can be detected by a measurement
system. Resolution can be expressed in bits, in proportions, or in percent of
full scale. For example, a system has 12-bit resolution, one part in 4,096
resolution, and 0.0244 percent of full scale.
RGB
ROI
Color encoding scheme using red, green, and blue (RGB) color information
where each pixel in the color image is encoded using 32 bits: 8 bits for red,
8 bits for green, 8 bits for blue, and 8 bits for the alpha value (unused).
Region of interest. A hardware-programmable rectangular portion of the
acquisition window.
RS-170
RSE
The U.S. standard used for black-and-white television.
Referenced single-ended. All measurements are made with respect to
a common reference measurement system or a ground. Also called a
grounded measurement system.
S
saturation
The amount of color pigment present. The lower the saturation, the more
white is present in the color. Pink is a red with low saturation.
scatter-gather DMA
SDRAM
A type of DMA that allows the DMA controller to reconfigure on-the-fly.
Synchronous dynamic RAM.
T
transfer rate
The rate, measured in bytes/s, at which data is moved from source
to destination after software initialization and set up operations.
The maximum rate at which the hardware can operate.
trigger
Any event that causes or starts some form of data capture.
© National Instruments Corporation
G-5
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Glossary
trigger control and
mapping circuitry
Circuitry that routes, monitors, and drives the external trigger line. You can
configure this line to start or stop acquisition on a rising or falling edge.
TTL
Transistor-transistor logic.
V
VI
Virtual Instrument. (1) A combination of hardware and/or software
elements, typically used with a PC, that has the functionality of a classic
stand-alone instrument (2) A LabVIEW software module (VI), which
consists of a front panel user interface and a block diagram program.
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
G-6
ni.com
Index
documentation
NI resources, B-1
drivers (NI resources), B-1
A
acquisition
acquisition and ROI circuitry, 2-3
acquisition window control, 2-4
start conditions, 2-3
acquisition window, 2-4
E
examples (NI resources), B-1
B
block diagram of NI 1405, 2-1
F
C
calibration certificate (NI resources), B-2
color overview
hardware overview
acquisition and ROI circuitry, 2-3
acquisition window control, 2-4
block diagram of NI 1405, 2-1
bus master PCI interface, 2-3
functional overview, 2-1
scatter-gather DMA controllers, 2-3
SDRAM, 2-2
definition of color, A-1
intensity planes, A-3
RGB, A-2
start conditions, 2-3
perception of color, A-2
visible spectrum (figure), A-1
color planes, A-2
configuration, acquisition window control, 2-4
connector for NI 1405 (figure), 3-1
trigger control and mapping circuitry, 2-2
video acquisition, 2-2
video decoder, 2-2
technical support, B-1
32-bit HSL and HSI, A-3
definition, A-2
hue, saturation, luminance, and intensity
planes, A-3
D
Declaration of Conformity (NI resources), B-2
diagnostic tools (NI resources), B-1
DMA controllers, scatter-gather, 2-3
© National Instruments Corporation
I-1
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
Index
NTSC video standard, 2-2
I
I/O connector (figure), 3-1
32-bit HSL and HSI, A-2
color planes, A-2
hue, saturation, luminance, and intensity
planes, A-3
post-decoding coring, 2-2
RGB, A-2
instrument drivers (NI resources), B-1
integration with DAQ and motion control, 1-4
intensity
R
RAM, SDRAM, 2-2
32-bit HSL and HSI, A-3
definition, A-2
hue, saturation, luminance, and intensity
planes, A-3
region of interest
acquisition and ROI circuitry, 2-3
configuring, 2-4
K
S
KnowledgeBase, B-1
saturation
32-bit HSL and HSI, A-3
definition, A-2
planes, A-3
L
LabVIEW, Vision Builder AI, 1-3
luminance
scatter-gather DMA controllers, 2-3
SDRAM, 2-2
signal description (table), 3-2
software
32-bit HSL and HSI, A-3
definition, A-2
hue, saturation, luminance, and intensity
planes, A-3
NI-IMAQ driver software, 1-2
M
mapping circuitry and trigger control, 2-2
memory, SDRAM, 2-2
software
NI resources, B-1
N
software programming choices
National Instruments NI Vision, 1-3
NI-IMAQ driver software, 1-2
start conditions, 2-3
National Instruments support
and services, B-1
NI 1405
overview, 1-1
support, technical, B-1
software programming choices, 1-2
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
I-2
ni.com
Index
T
technical support, B-1
Web resources, B-1
training and certification (NI resources), B-1
TRIG signal (table), 3-2
troubleshooting (NI resources), B-1
V
video acquisition, 2-2
video decoder, 2-2
VIDEO signal (table), 3-2
video standards, 2-2
© National Instruments Corporation
I-3
NI PCI-1405 User Manual
|