Configuring a CoaXPress-over-Fiber System#

This topic helps you to set up a CoaXPress-over-Fiber system using a racer 2 XL line scan camera, an imaFlex 2 Dual 100 frame grabber, and the Framegrabber SDK^a.

概要#

The CoaXPress-over-Fiber system consists of several components. The following sections describe the main aspects of setting up the system.

The following setup is assumed:

• An imaFlex 2 Dual 100 frame grabber is installed in the system. For a data forwarding topology, repeat the steps for installing a frame grabber.
• A racer 2 XL camera is connected to the frame grabber via a fiber optic cable.
• The fiber optic cable consists of two QSFP28 modules connected by a 12-fiber MPO cable type B.

• The encoder signal (line trigger) is connected to the camera.
• The frame trigger is connected to the front GPIO connector of the frame grabber via a D-sub 26 cable (front GPIO connector).
• The Framegrabber SDK version 5.11.50 or later is installed^a.
• The driver was updated by the Framegrabber SDK installer and has version 2.5.5.0 or later.

Checking Software and Firmware Versions#

This section describes how to check software versions, driver version, and camera firmware and where to find them.

Framegrabber SDK and Driver#

In microDisplay X, you can display the version of the installed Framegrabber SDK under Help > About:

You can display the driver version in Windows under Device Manager. Frame grabbers are listed as multifunction adapters:

Camera Firmware#

You can display the camera firmware version in microDisplay X by opening the Camera tab and selecting GeniCam:

ハードウェアの取り付け#

Installing the Frame Grabber#

1. Turn off the Fast Start-Up feature under Windows, see www.windowscentral.com
2. Shut down your computer.
3. Disconnect your computer from the power supply.

4. Plug the frame grabber into a free PCIe (Gen 3.0) x16-capable slot.

   情報

   Make sure that the frame grabber is not tilted and is fully inserted.

5. Plug the female 8-pin computer power supply connector into the frame grabber. If your computer doesn't provide a matching power supply connector, use an adapter.

6. Connect the frame trigger to the front GPI0 connector of your frame grabber.
7. Re-connect your computer to the power outlet.
8. Boot your computer.

Connecting the Camera#

To connect a CoF camera to a CoF frame grabber, the workflow is as follows:

1. Connect the camera to the frame grabber using the fiber optic cable with the attached transceiver modules.
2. Connect the power supply to the camera.
3. Connect the encoder to the GPIO lines, e.g., phase A to line 2 and phase B to line 3 (see also Encoder Control).

要件#

To connect a camera to a CoF frame grabber, you need the following hardware:

• Two Basler Moduls QSFP28 100G SR4 MPO 100m
• One Basler Cable Optical, MPO, 8x PC/F
• One CoaXPress-over-Fiber camera, e.g., the Basler racer 2 XL camera r2T16416-500cm

Connecting the QSFP28 Modules to the Fiber Optic Cable#

警告 – レーザーの安全性に関する指示

負傷を避けるため、常に次の安全に関する注意事項に従ってください。

Optical fiber connections emit laser radiation in the infrared range. Laser radiation is invisible and can cause eye damage if the eyes are exposed to it directly. Never look into open fiber ends or active optical ports. Before any installation, maintenance, or cleaning, disconnect the connection or shut it down safely. Dispose of fiber remnants with care.

If you are not using a cable where the fiber optic cable is permanently attached to the transceiver modules, do the following:

1. Clean the fiber optic port of the QSFP28 modules with an appropriate tool.
2. Clean the fiber optic cable with an appropriate tool.
3. Insert the fiber optic cable into the QSFP28 modules.

imaFlex 2 Dual 100 Connectors#

Connecting the Correct Port to the Camera#

The frame grabber is in general very flexible and allows cameras to be connected also to C1 and data forwarding connection to C0. There is no enforced fixed order, a connector can be chosen depending on the user's needs. However, the applet in FPGA processor must match the chosen interconnection. The base line-scan applet of imaFlex 2 Dual 100 requires the camera to be connected to the C0 connector.

ソフトウェアのインストール#

Framegrabber SDKのインストール#

Download the Framegrabber SDK version 5.11.50^a or higher. Start the Framegrabber SDK setup by double-clicking the file name. During installation, select the following components:

• The driver
• Acquisition applet for imaFlex 2 Dual 100
• pylon Fimrware Updater
• GUI Tools

After installing the Framegrabber SDK, check the following:

• Ensure that at least the platform for imaFlex 2 Dual 100 is installed.
• Ensure that the path to the Framegrabber SDK installation directory is set as BASLER_FG_SDK in your environment variables on your computer.

Checking Whether the Frame Grabber Is in the Correct PCIe Slot#

If the required bandwidth is not reached, the frame grabber may be in the wrong PCIe slot, and only PCIe (Gen 3.0) x8 or less may be available instead of the required PCIe (Gen 3.0) x16.

To check this:

1. Start microDiagnostics.
2. Check whether PCIe Gen3 x16 is displayed. If there is a problem, it may look like the following screenshot (the required bandwidth is not reached):

Updating the Camera Firmware#

A camera firmware update may be required. To check this:

1. Connect the camera to the frame grabber and supply it with power.
2. Start microDisplay X.
3. In microDisplay X, open the Camera tab and check the Device Version:

If a newer firmware is available, use the pylon Firmware Updater tool to load the latest .guf file onto the camera.

pylon Firmware Updater#

The pylon Firmware Updater is a command line tool that you can install with the Framegrabber SDK. You can use it to update the firmware of your Basler camera.

To update your Basler camera's firmware, you need the .guf file that contains the updated firmware.

You can find the pylon Firmware Updater at <Framegrabber SDK installation directory>/bin/pylonFirmwareUpdater.exe. Run it from the command line.

The following commands are available in the pylon Firmware Updater:

To update the camera, use the update command with the following syntax:

PylonFirmwareUpdater update [options] [GUF files]

You can specify a path to one or more .guf files (wildcards * can be used) or to a directory containing .guf files.

Updates are applied to one camera after another. For each camera, the most recent applicable firmware from the provided .guf file(s) is applied.

Update Command Options#

The update command can be modified with the following options:

例：

PylonFirmwareUpdater update --dry-run daA2500_14uc_r_1.4.0.250701.guf
PylonFirmwareUpdater update daA2500_14uc_r_1.4.0.250701.guf
PylonFirmwareUpdater update --dry-run *.guf
PylonFirmwareUpdater update -f daA2500 -f puA2500 *2500*.guf

The List Command#

The list command displays a list of all connected cameras.

For two cameras, the output looks like this:

c:\PylonFirmwareUpdater.exe list
pylon Firmware Updater 11.2.2.823

Model SerialNumber DeviceUserID DevClass InUse FirmwareVersion
boA4112-68cm 40072910 GTC/Basler/CXP No
p=xc2b_imx253c/s=d/v=5511.7/i=5511.7/h=4f8c68b

boA1936-400cc 40184836 GTC/Basler/CXP No
p=xc2b_imx421c/s=r/v=1.0.0/i=6901.18/h=a7890af

Checking the TDI Stages and Aligning the Camera#

To check the TDI stages and align the camera, acquire an image across all stages. Do the following:

1. Start microDisplay X.
2. Load the Acq_SingleCoF25Line applet.
3. Configure the camera for area mode. In this mode, the camera is operated in free-run mode, i.e., untriggered.
4. Set the camera to generate test images.
5. Configure the image height to 256 lines (number of stages) by setting FG_HEIGHT = 256.
6. Start the image acquisition.

If everything is working correctly, you see an image with diagonal gray gradients:

Connecting the Trigger#

For smooth operation, the trigger is essential. Two types of triggers are used:

• Line trigger: Used to trigger a line; typically connected to the camera.
• Frame trigger: Used to assemble lines into frames; typically connected to the frame grabber.

Find detailed information about connecting triggers to the imaFlex 2 Dual 100 in the imaFlex 2 Dual 100 documentation.

Connecting the Line Trigger#

Connect the encoder to the camera as follows. For encoder operation, connect, e.g., phase A to line 2 and phase B to line 3:

Use the differential signals on pins 6 and 7 for line 2 and pins 11 and 12 for line 3. To verify that the signals are received:

1. Start microDisplay X.
2. Load the Acq_SingleCoF25Line applet.
3. Go to the Camera tab, Encoder Control category.
4. Configure the encoder as follows:
   • EncoderSelector = Encoder0;
   • EncoderSourceA[Encoder0] = Line2;
   • EncoderSourceB[Encoder0] = Line3;
   • EncoderMode[Encoder0] = FourPhase;
   • EncoderOutputMode[Encoder0] = PositionUp;
5. Observe the Encoder Control while moving the production line. This feature indicates whether forward, backward, or no motion is occurring.
   EncoderValue shows how many steps have been made in the forward direction.
   You can use this information to verify that the encoder signals are reaching the camera correctly.

Connecting the Frame Trigger#

Connect the frame trigger to the frame grabber, e.g., to the D-sub 26 front GPI0 connector.

Pin layout of the front GPIO connector:

Make sure that in addition to the frame trigger pin you are using, the GND and VCC input are also connected. For the front GPI0 connector, this means that VccIn03 and GndIn03 should also be connected to VCC and GND of the reference signal.

If you are using a 5 V signal and have no other reference available, connect the ground of both systems and connect GND to GndIn03 and 5VOutIso to VccIn03.

You can use the Signal Analyzer in the applet to check whether the front GPI0 is connected correctly. Load the applet in microDisplay X and set the following values:

• FG_SIGNAL_ANALYZER_0_SOURCE = FG_SIGNAL_FRONT_GPI_0
• FG_SIGNAL_ANALYZER_CLEAR = 1

Use your external hardware to send pulses to the input. You can use FG_SIGNAL_ANALYZER_0_PULSE_COUNT to verify whether the pulses were counted.

Use FG_SIGNAL_ANALYZER_0_PERIOD_CURRENT to analyze the period of the signals.

トラブルシューティング#

The following table summarizes typical symptoms, possible causes, and initial measures.