Charge Coupled Device (CCD)
Reference: QCam API reference manual document version
1.68.6
[1]
CCD ?
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[2]
A charge-coupled device (CCD) is an image sensor, consisting of an
integrated circuit containing an array of linked, or coupled, capacitors
sensitive to the light. Under the control of an external circuit, each capacitor
can transfer its electric charge to one or other of its neighbours. CCDs are
used in digital photography and astronomy (particularly in photometry,
optical and UV spectroscopy and high speed techniques such as lucky
imaging).
CCD ?(cont’d)
• A CCD uses a thin silicon wafer chip. The chip is divided into
thousands or millions of tiny light sensitive squares (or sometimes
rectangles) called photosites. Each photosite corresponds to an
individual pixel in the final image and photosites are often
referred to simply as pixels. For this discussion, "photosites" will
refer to the CCD chip and "pixels" will refer to an image. Each
photosite is surrounded by a non-conductive boundary which
contains the charge collected by the photosite during an
exposure.
Specifications
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Features
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[4]
High quantum Efficiency
1.4 Million pixel, 1360×1036
110 fps 8×8 binning mode, 10fps @ full resolution
External sync and trigger
Peltier cooling
Binning 2×2, 4×4, 8×8
IEEE Fast1394
Digital output: 12Bit
Exposure control 40μs~17.9 min
Gain control
Offset control
Powered from IEEE1394 cable, 11watts(Cooled), 6watts(Uncooled)
Micro beads observation through CCD
Bright field imaging
Lamp
Condenser
4.45um bead
Objective
lens
100X
NA
1.4
TL
CCD
M
Fluorescence imaging
Excitation
Emission
Objective lens
Fluorescent
filter set
CCD
Fluorescent
lamp
[5]
CCD API
PC
qcamera.h
qcamdriver.lib
API
IEEE 1394
Interface
CCD
[6]
Function List, type and Flow chart
•
Functions
QCam_ListCameras();
QCam_OpenCamera();
QCam_CloseCamera();
QCam_LoadDriver();
QCam_ReleaseDriver();
QCam_BayerToRgb();
QCam_CalcImageSize();
QCam_GrabFrame();
QCam_ReadDefaultSetting
s();
– QCam_SendSettingsToCa
m();
– QCam_SetParam();
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Types
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[7]
QCam_CamListItem
QCam_Err
QCam_Frame
QCam_Handle
QCam_ImageFormat
QCam_Settings
QCam_LoadDriver()
QCam_OpenCamera()
QCam_GrabFrame()
Acquisition
Complete?
Y
QCam_CloseCamera()
QCam_ReleaseDriver()
N
Example code
[8]
High Speed CMOS Camera
Mikrotron EoSens CL MC-1362
Specifications
• Features
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Monochrome
Maximum Photo Sensitivity (2500 ASA Monochrome, 700 ASA RGB)
1280(H) x 1024(V) CMOS-Sensor
Pixel size : 14x14um
Active area: 17.92mm x 14.34mm
Spectral response: 400~720nm
Up to 500 Frames per Second (fps) at Full Resolution
Up to 120,000 fps at Reduced Resolution
Base or Full Camera Link® Interface with 700/160 MB/Second
Serial data link: RS-644 in base camera link, 9.6-115KBd, 8bits
Extended Dynamic Range up to 90 dB
Multiple Frame Exposure
Multiple RoI
X- and Y-Mirroring of Image Data
Small and Compact Design
Optional C-/F-Mount Lens Mount
How to interface with a computer?
PC
NI IMAQ Vision Library
API
niimaq.h
imaq.lib
Full link (High speed
image acquisition)
Base link (Camera control)
NI PCIe-1429 Digital
Frame Grabber
CMOS Camera
Frame grabber (NI PCIe-1429)
Frame grabber is used to acquire images at highest speeds, resolutions,
and bit depths available for the CMOS camera.
• Features
– Image acquisition for base, medium,
and full-configuration Camera Link
cameras
– Four-lane (x4) PCI Express interface
– Standard Camera Link cabling
– Data format: 24 bits
– Maximum camera link rate: base(340
MB/s), full(680 MB/s)
– Optional digital I/O expansion card for
extra triggering and isolation
– Driver Software (included): NI-IMAQ 3.1
NI Imaq Vision Library
•
Interface functions
To set up and close the interface and session
Ex) imgInterfaceOpen, imgSessionOpen, imgClose
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Acquisition Functions
To configure, start, and abort an image acquisition.
Ex) imgSessionStartAcquisition, imgSessionStopAcquisition, imgRingSetup
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Utility functions
To display an image in a window, save an image to a file, or get detailed error
information. Ex) imgPlot, imgSessionSaveBufferEx
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Serial Communication Functions
For devices that support serial communication
Ex) imgSessionSerialWrite, imgSessionSerialRead, imgSessionSerialFlush
imgInterfaceOpen
imgSessionOpen
imgSessionStartAcquisition
imgSessionStopAcquisition
imgClose
imgRingSetup
imgPlot
imgSessionSaveBufferEx
Example code
imgInterfaceOpen()
imgSessionOpen()
imgRingSetup()
imgSessionStartAcquisition()
imgSessionExamineBuffer2()
Acquisition
Complete?
N
Y
imgSessionStopAcquisition()
imgClose()
Example code (cont’d)
All acquired frames are saved in the format of
“*.jpg files”
1.jpg