Photron camera

To learn more about Video module visit Video module section.

For more information about Photron cameras take a look at the Photron manual.

Features:

  • supports Photron FastCAM cameras (on PCI, Ethernet and FireWire interfaces)
  • supports multiple cameras simultaneously
  • automatic synchronization with analog data
  • supports Dewesoft triggers and external triggers

Installation

For installation and hardware setup please refer to the -> Dewesoft Web page  -> Support -> Downloads ->  Photron High speed-Camera Plugin - Manual.

Software setup

Video_Photron_Ch. setup

In the high-speed camera options section, there are two combo boxes. The first one is for Store options settings and the second one is for Frame rate settings.

With store setting you select the way camera will be triggered. You can choose between the following options:

  • Store on start of acquisition - the camera will start at the beginning of the recording.
  • Store on Dewesoft trigger - the camera will be triggered by a trigger sent from Dewesoft (fired by some analog data or forced with trigger button in Dewesoft recorder).
  • Start on external trigger - the camera will be triggered with the external trigger. Refer to Photron Manual for information on how to connect and apply external triggers.

Frame rate selected here will be applied to all cameras. If any camera does not support the selected frame rate, the closest one will be used. You can set the frame rate for every single camera in camera setup. There is no need that all cameras have the same frame rate.  

Camera setup

There are two important groups of settings in Camera setup -> Camera settings and Trigger setup. You can also find Basic settings group where you can adjust camera name and Preview group where you can see preview used for picture setup.   Video_Photron_Setup

Camera settings

Here you can set Resolution, Frame rate, Shutter speed and Sensor gain (if the camera supports hardware sensor gain) parameters. You can also calibrate the camera sensor here. The options are depending on the camera model and one from another. For example, at resolution 1024*1024 1000fps is the fastest sample rate, but at resolution 256*256, sample rates to 10000fps are possible.

PFV software can be used to change other parameters not supported by Dewesoft (if the parameter is not supported in Dewesoft, Dewesoft will leave it as it was).

The camera settings are applied to the camera as soon as something is changed, so the preview is always up to date with current settings.

Trigger setup

Synchronization channel and trigger level parameters take care of camera synchronization with analog data. If the camera is triggered with an external trigger then the same signal can be used for synchronization. If Dewesoft trigger is used then camera trigger out signal can be used for synchronization. The trigger signal is usually just 2-3us 5V pulse, so counter or high enough sample rate must be used to catch it.

Refer to Photron hardware manual for further information on camera out signals.

Pre and Post time are parameters for setting time of recording before the trigger and after the trigger. The maximum time of recording depends on Resolution, Frame rate and camera memory.

Camera sensor calibration

Each camera comes with two sensor calibration files. Here is an example how the calibration files are named (e.g. for FastCam 1024PCI with SN: 145509164):

  • PixelGainData_Default_1024PCI_1455_0009_0164.gdf
  • shadingdata_1024pci_1455_0009_0164.gdf

If you copy these files to Dewesoft Addons folder they will be used automatically. Files are optimized for 1000fps frame rate and the picture will not be optimal when other frame rates are selected. If you do not have these files or factory calibration data is not satisfying or from any other reason the picture is grainy and/or contains fixed shading pattern, you have to calibrate the sensor to get a better picture. You can do that by selecting Calibrate camera sensor from Custom setup and press the Set button. The Calibrate camera window will pop up. Just follow the instructions (Close camera lens and then press OK) and the sensor will get calibrated.

Video_Photron_Calibrate

dwsvideo_hsvideo_sensor_before-after

Recorded frames transfer

Frames data is recorded into camera memory. Downloading starts when Dewesoft recording stops. Download time depends on the recording time (Pre and Post time), resolution and frame rate and can take a lot of time. Progress is shown in the transfer window. Please wait while all data is transferred from the camera. For situations, where it is obvious that the test was not successful, there is also a Cancel button which will stop the transfer process.

dwsvideo_hsvideo_recorder_frame_data_transfer