1409 cannot read variable shutter KP-F2A

Question

We have a hitachi KP-F2A camera plugged into a 1409. The camera works fine in untriggered mode, and in triggered mode with fixed shutter speed. However, with fixed shutter speed not all the image is captured - the image moves randomly up and down, and some black is captured in the image, above or below the part-photo. We are driving the camera and card off separate (Synchronised) digital pulses. Adjusting this synching changes the average position of the picture but does not stop it jumping about. Does anyone know why this might be?
We are trying to use the camera in variable shutter speed mode (frame on demand on, fixed shutter slider off). When we put the camera in this mode, we get a 'cannot lock to camera' error (1074397153
). Does anyone know why this might be?
Many thanks,
TomH.

Answer 1

Hi Amaury,
I'm feeling like we must have exhausted every option by now, but we're still not having any success.
We have extracted the H and V synch from the signal, and fed them to the 1409 board. It still complains that it cannot lock to the video source, or just times out on us. We cannot run the camera in continuous mode with the board on external H or HV lock.
I have tried using the Sony XC55 example. For a while there I had it taking some sort of image, but it was rather garbled, maybe a third of a frame, and stopped working after I tried another VI before returning to it. I have tried the VSynch from the camera (one trigger mode) and the WE pulse (fixed shutter and one trigger modes) without but neither seems to work.
When the camera is in trigger mode it does not output synch signals - nor can it receive them. This was why we got the synch splitter. However, the card doesn't seem to be able to run the camera in ext lock mode, even with the camera in continuous mode.
This is some of an email sent to me by one of the Hitachi tech support people. I have also attached the KPF2A manual.
Many thanks,
TomH.
I believe the problem you are having is the frame grabber ability to lock to
the incoming video. In a triggered mode of operation, the video signal from
the camera is not constant, so the frame grabber does not have a continuous
reference of vertical sync in order to properly position the image. In the
one trigger mode, the video signal is only present after the trigger pulse.
The frame grabber sees the incoming video frame and has to quickly lock to
the vertical sync to properly frame the image on the monitor. If the frame
grabber is slow to lock or misses a couple of vertical interval pulses, the
displayed video will be shifted on the monitor.
In the case of the Fixed Shutter mode, there is no vertical sync on the
output video, so the frame grabber has a greater problem when trying to
properly position the image.
The camera has a WE (Write Enable) pulse that can be used to tell the frame
grabber when the next frame of video is coming from the camera. This pulse
is output from pin 2 of the 6 pin connector prior to the output of the video
signal. This should make it easier for the frame grabber to lock to the
single frame of video that the camera outputs in the triggered mode.
In both modes of frame-on-demand, the external sync signal inputs are not
active. The trigger pulse is always input on the VD line (pin 7). The
actual trigger for the camera always occurs at the next HD drive pulse, so
there can be a maximum 1H delay between the application of the trigger
pulse, and the time the camera begins the actual exposure. In the one
trigger mode, there can also be a maximum 1H delay between the end of the
trigger pulse and the exposure duration.
The operation of the camera cannot be changed, so it may be necessary to
work with NI concerning the timing and the capture of the video. Hitachi
can supply a camera to NI if they need one to help in solving this problem.
Attachments:
kp-f2a_b_om.pdf ‏1404 KB