Triggers
Picolo Alert provides a number of means to start and stop the acquisition of images. Different I/O lines and different conditions can be configured to trigger the beginning and the end of acquisitions.
On Picolo Alert, only channels created on camera connectors 1, 2, 3 or 4 can have a hardware trigger line. If used, the trigger input lines are dedicated to each connector. Channels created on any camera connector can use software triggers.
MultiCam Parameters
- The TrigMode parameter can be set to IMMEDIATE, HARD, SOFT or COMBINED.
- The NextTrigMode parameter can be set to PERIODIC, REPEAT, HARD, SOFT, COMBINED or SAME.
- The EndTrigMode parameter can be set to AUTO or HARD.
- The BreakEffect parameter is to be set to FINISH.
- The trigger line is associated to an I/O line with the parameters TrigLine and EndTrigLine. On Picolo Alert, they both refer to the same input line, and must be set to the same value. The only valid values for these parameters are:
- NOM or IN1 for video input VID1,
- NOM or IN2 for video input VID2,
- NOM or IN3 for video input VID3,
- NOM or IN4 for video input VID4.
- The TrigCtl and EndTrigCtl parameters define electrical interface of the trigger line. On Picolo Alert, they both refer to the same input line, and must be set to the same value. They can be set to:
- AUTO,
- 5V for a TTL compliant input line,
- 12V for a 12 or 24 V-logic input line,
- RELAY for a closed-contact input line.
- The polarity of the electrical signal that activates a trigger is selected with the TrigEdge and the EndTrigEdge parameters. These parameters can be set to GOHIGH, GOLOW or GOOPEN.
- A noise removal filter is available for all trigger lines. Its time constant is selected with the TrigFilter and EndTrigFilter parameters. On Picolo Alert, they both refer to the same input line, and must be set to the same value. These parameters can be set to OFF, FILTER_10MS or FILTER_100MS.
- A delay can be inserted before the start of the acquisition. The delay (expressed in μs) is specified with the TrigDelay_us parameter. On Picolo Alert, this delay ranges between -20,000 and 10,000,000 μs in PAL, and between -16,683 and 10,000,000 μs in NTSC.
Notes
If one of the channels sets the TrigMode or the NextTrigMode parameter to HARD, SOFT or COMBINED, the time-out mechanisms are disabled on this channel.
To set to HARD or COMBINED the TrigMode or NextTrigMode parameter, together with the EndTrigMode parameter, then:
TrigCtl and EndTrigCtl must be equal.
TrigFilter and EndTrigFilter must be equal.
TrigEdge and EndTrigEdge must be different.