Linear Array Camera Schafter + Kirchhoff SK series

This is a one pixel array camera. It allows one-dimensional imaging of long objects.

Note that the Linear array camera is not supported anymore by the parent company and its LabView drivers were never fully compatible with LabView 8.5. The integration of this camera with the rest of the system was never perfect.

Hardware

Schäfter + Kirchhoff

SK4096ZPD-L

SK 10680 DJR

Open Linear Array Introduction manual

Software

See VI below to download (it also works with the entire integration platform ).

Background

Azim Jinha (University of Calgary) started to integrate this camera with LabView 8.5, in 2007 or 2008.

Azim’s code for the Linear Array doesn’t exploit the full potential of this camera. The frame rate is much smaller than what can be achieved, it is 4-5 frames / second for one camera and 14 frames / second for the other. The minimum integration time is 2.15 ms for the SK 10680 DJR, and 10 µs for the SK4096ZPD-L. Moreover, Azim didn't use the DMA-Online acquisition mode, which would allow a much higher data transfer rate (see the CCD Line Scan Camera System Software package paper manual page 63). Support from the company is slow coming, and their LabVIEW tools are very rudimentary and low level.

LabView Integration

See the manual for the LabVIEW integration.

You need the : The software packages SK91PCI and SK91ISA support operation and programming of the CCD line scan camera system of Schäfter + Kirchhoff in PCs with Intel x86 and compatible processors under the operation systems Windows® 2000, NT, 9x, DOS®, and Linux®. For LabVIEW® there are special DLLs available.

You also need the New LabVIEW drivers from the company: http://www.sukhamburg.de/service/SK91PCI-LV.zip

A small VI library for line scan cameras with LVDS interface and PCI bus grabber. For start please look at the application samples AppSingleLine.vi and AppAreaScanPci.vi. The Sk91bridge.dll converts the C-call functions of the Sk91pci.dll. The chief difference is the 1st parameter of function calls - in the C-DLL this a pointer of a structure (sk_interface) in Sk91bridge.dll is this parameter a ID number (0 = 1st PCI board). You can create further VIs yourself based on functions of the Sk91bridge.dll.

Program overview

NOTE: When using the program press Control/H to have the contextual Help window. Point your mouse on something on the UI and you'll get a description.

Acquisition

There are 3 acquisition modes

Scope

This is the default acquisition mode when you start the program. This mode is used to visualize a sample. It acquires only a few frames per second. You can also apply an average to smooth the image.

The Exposure time can be adjusted on the fly.

Scan slow

Maximum number of lines is 8000 lines.

Scan fast

The Exposure time can be adjusted before running a scan. This controls how fast the acquisition is.

There is no other control on the acquisition speed than the exposure time for the moment.

Has a limited numbers of lines, something between 200 and 400.

Problems

The Sync mode (hardware triggering of acquisition) was never tested to my knowledge. Tibi unsuccesfuly tried to control acquisition rate by using the sync.

Another problem is that when the number of pixels is changed the program might crash. Perhaps only certain numbers are accepted by the camera.