1. SILICON VIDEO® 1514CL Video Adjustments

 

1.1. Video Resolution

Reducing the video resolution (the number of lines captured) allows capturing more video frames in a given size of frame buffer memory. From the PIXCI® Image Viewer, click:

    Capture
    Adjustments
    Res(olution)
Click:
    Set Video Window
and draw the new desired area to be captured by left clicking and dragging over the displayed image. Click:
    OK
to accept the new capture resolution. Note: Changing the capture resolution will destroy any images previously captured in the frame buffers!

The

    Capt(ure)
    Frame Buffers
shows the number of frame buffers available with the current selections.

 

1.2. Saving the Video Configuration

The selections under the PIXCI® Image Viewer:

    Adjustments
are automatically saved when the PIXCI® frame grabber is closed, and/or XCAP is exited. When the PIXCI® frame grabber is next opened, clicking (from the XCAP Main Window):
    PIXCI®
    PIXCI® Open/Close
    Camera & Format
Choose:
    Open w. last used Video Setup
to use the previous video setup, or choose:
    Open w. default Video Setup
to start afresh with the default video format and resolution.

 

1.3. Camera Controls

XCAP integrates controls for both the PIXCI® frame grabber and the SILICON VIDEO® 1514CL camera within the Capture & Adjust window. The left side of the Capture & Adjust window contains controls for the PIXCI® frame grabber. The right side of the Capture & Adjust window provides camera specific controls.

The Gain allows adjusting the camera's analog gain. Increased gain allows capturing dark scenes, but at the expense of slightly decreased image quality (increased random noise); Whenever possible, increase illumination or increase exposure instead of increasing gain. Use of Gain less than 0 dB is not recommended, as the full range of pixel values may not be usable regardless of illumination and exposure settings. The Digital Gain allows adjusting the camera's post A-D digital gain.

For the SILICON VIDEO® 1514CL, individual controls for Red (Digital) Gain, GreenB (Digital) Gain, GreenR (Digital) Gain, and Blue (Digital) Gain are also provided; these are normally disabled and under the control of the white balancing feature (below).

The Exposure allows adjusting the camera's exposure (shutter) period. When using AC powered lighting, use of an Exposure which is a multiple of half of the power line's period (i.e. 16.6/2 msec. in the U.S. and other locations using 60 Hz, 20.0/2 msec. in Europe and other locations using 50 Hz) is suggested to prevent varying image brightness due to the illumination's cyclical change of brightness. Selecting Exp. Mult. of 1/50 or Exp. Mult. of 1/60 automatically forces the Exposure to a multiple of the corresponding period. The Enable Long Exposure alters the range of the Exposure to allow extended exposures; otherwise, the allowable exposure is limited by the selected Frame Rate (i.e. its inverse, frame period). The Max (Frame Rate) forces the maximum allowable frame rate, as per the Data Mode, AOI Width, AOI Height, and Subsampling, below.

The AOI Left, AOI Width, AOI Top, and AOI Height allow selecting an area of interest which is read-out and captured. Capturing fewer columns or fewer lines decreases the image size and allows a faster frame rate. If Center Aoi L(eft)-R(ight) or Center Aoi T(op)-B(ottom) is selected, the AOI Left or AOI Top, respectively, is automatically adjusted so as to center the capture AOI (the AOI Width or AOI Height) within the camera's field of view. The AOI Max forces the maximum area of interest, but does not disable Subsampling, below.

The Scan Direction allows adjusting the direction in which pixels are read-out, allowing inversion and mirroring of the image. The Subsampling allows selecting subsampling (decimation) of the AOI by a factor of ×2 or ×4 horizontally and by a factor of ×2, ×4, ×8, (mu16, or ×32 vertically, producing an image of lower resolution with smaller size, and allows a faster frame rate. The H(orizontal) & V(ertical) Binning allows selecting whether the Subsampling uses averaging of pixels in each subsampled group rather than decimation, so as to reduce random noise. Further, the V Summing allows selecting whether binning uses column summation rather than averaging, for increased sensitivity. These binning and summation options are only available with selection of 2×2 or 4×4 subsampling.

The Data Mode allows selecting the number of bits per pixel, the number of taps used (i.e. number of pixel values output per clock), and the Camera Link mode. Any Data Mode selections not supported by the current PIXCI® frame grabber are replaced with a different selection.

The Video Mode allows selecting Free-Run or Controlled frame mode. In Free-run mode the camera exposure and read-out is free-running; continuously exposing and sending frames to the frame grabber at a constant frame rate without need of a trigger. In Controlled mode the Controlled Frame Rate, Trigger Input, Continuous, Single Shot, and Min(imum) Retrigger Period provide frame rate and triggering control through the PIXCI® E1, E1DB, E4, E4DB, E4G2-2F, E4G2-4B, E4G2-F2B, E4TX2-2F, E4TX2-4B, E4TX2-F2B, E8, E8DB, e104x4-2f, e104x4-4b, e104x4-f2b, EB1, EB1G2, EB1-PoCL, EB1G2-PoCL, EB1mini, miniH2B, miniH2F, miniH2x4F, mf2280, EC1, ECB1, ECB1-34, ECB2, EL1, or EL1DB frame grabber.

 

1.4. Color Cameras

For color cameras with so-called ''Bayer format output'', it is XCAP software which performs color adjustments and white balancing, not the camera, as part of the (post)capture process.

From the PIXCI® Image Viewer, click:
    Capture
    Adjustments
    Color (or Clr)
For most common conditions:

  1. Select one of the pre-defined correlated color temperatures, either based on best appearance, or matching the color temperature of the current illumination. The 6500°K selection is average daylight, the 5000°K selection is average overcast daylight, the 4100°K selection is a typical cool white fluorescent bulb, and the 2800°K selection is a typical 60 to 100 watt tungsten bulb.

  2. Choose one of the predefined color qualities, trading quality for speed.

  3. If none of the predefined settings is satisfactory, start with the best setting and click:
        Customize
    
    Cover the camera's lens and click:
        Black Balance
    
    Finally point the camera at a white target (but preferably not a target using fluorescent brighteners) and click:
        White Balance
    

 

1.5. Automatic Gain & Exposure Control

The AGC controls provide automatic adjustment of the camera's gain or exposure as the image intensity changes. From the PIXCI® Image Viewer, click:
    Capture
    Adjustments
    AGC
Select whether gain, or exposure, or both, should be modified to darken a too-bright image or brighten a too-dark image:
    AGC Adjusts Gain
    AGC Adjusts Dig. Gain
    AGC Adjusts Exposure
Using only gain adjustments avoids increased blur due to moving objects when exposure is increased. Using only exposure adjustments avoids increased pixel noise at high gain settings. If using both gain and exposure adjustments, the
    AGC Adjust Priority
allows selecting whether gain or exposure should be adjusted first for an image which is too dark (the opposite is done for an image which is too bright); again trading off image blur versus noise. Finally click:
    AGC On
to enable AGC.

 

1.6. Image Quality

 

1.7. Image Quality

The SILICON VIDEO® 1514CL cameras, as does virtually all high resolution CMOS sensors (as well as most CCD sensors), has several pixels which are totally or partially unresponsive. The number and pattern of pixels is unique for each camera and sensor. Software can compensate for the unresponsive pixels. While some cameras hide the unresponsive pixels' existence, the SILICON VIDEO® 1514CL defaults to showing all pixel values as output by the sensor, so that the user can be aware of these unique pixels.

To enable software compensation for the most common, bright, unresponsive pixels, from the PIXCI® Image Viewer, click:

    Capture
    Adjustments
    FFC
Select
    Pixel Normalization: Offset
Close the lens' aperture or install the lens cap. Click:
    Extract Offset Ref.
and select
    Normalization On

To also correct for the less common and less visible dark unresponsive pixels, instead select:

    Pixel Normalization: Offset & Defect
Close the lens' aperture or install the lens cap. Click:
    Extract Offset Ref.
Uncover and open the lens and point the camera at an even grey or white (but not saturated) target. Click:
    Extract Defect Ref.
and select
    Normalization On