Buggy GigE support + unresponsive matworks

Hi,

I am trying to use a Mako G-234 GigE camera (12 bits, 1216 X 1936 pixels) with the goal to acquire continuous images to disk at 20 fps. ( Win 10 laptop, Matlab R2016).

OK, I took the technical stand of choosing MatLab for this task. Or was it a mistake ?

Up to now, I have been failing to achieve this reportedly "Matworks documented" data acquisition goal of a GigE camera streaming to hard disk. I have explored the various pages Matworks devotes to GigE problems, but with no success.

Here below is the present state of communication between the camera and matlab.

Simple bug, right ? or simple problem easily spotted ?

Matworks, any idea or suggestion ?

Or Matworks not willing to propose anything if a user has not paid for the "support" option ?

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

TEST 1 via "videoinput"

        v = videoinput('gige', 1, 'Mono12') ;
        s = v.Source;
        s.PacketSize = 9014; % matching the ethernet adaptor packet size
        s

 s =

   Display Summary for Video Source Object:

      General Settings:
        Parent = [1x1 videoinput]
        Selected = on
        SourceName = input1
        Tag = [0x0 string]
        Type = videosource

      Device Specific Properties:
        AcquisitionFrameCount = 1
        AcquisitionFrameRateAbs = 20
        AcquisitionFrameRateLimit = 23.6435
        BalanceRatioAbs = (Currently not accessible)
        BalanceWhiteAutoAdjustTol = (Currently not accessible)
        BalanceWhiteAutoRate = (Currently not accessible)
        BandwidthControlMode = StreamBytesPerSecond
        BinningHorizontal = 1
        BinningVertical = 1
        BlackLevel = 4
        BlackLevelSelector = All
        ColorTransformationValue = (Currently not accessible)
        DecimationHorizontal = 1
        DecimationVertical = 1
        DefectMaskEnable = False
        DeviceFirmwareVersion = 00.01.54.15954
        DeviceID = 50-0536881321
        DeviceModelName = Mako G-234B
        DevicePartNumber = 6408
        DeviceScanType = Areascan
        DeviceTemperature = 61.062
        DeviceTemperatureSelector = Main
        DeviceVendorName = Allied Vision Technologies
        DSPSubregionBottom = 1216
        DSPSubregionLeft = 0
        DSPSubregionRight = 1936
        DSPSubregionTop = 0
        ExposureAuto = Off
        ExposureAutoAdjustTol = 5
        ExposureAutoAlg = Mean
        ExposureAutoMax = 500000
        ExposureAutoMin = 65
        ExposureAutoOutliers = 0
        ExposureAutoRate = 100
        ExposureAutoTarget = 50
        ExposureMode = Timed
        ExposureTimeAbs = 3994
        ExposureTimeIncrement = 25.684
        FirmwareVerBuild = 15954
        FirmwareVerMajor = 1
        FirmwareVerMinor = 54
        Gain = 0
        GainAuto = Off
        GainAutoAdjustTol = 5
        GainAutoMax = 40
        GainAutoMin = 0
        GainAutoOutliers = 0
        GainAutoRate = 100
        GainAutoTarget = 50
        GainSelector = All
        Gamma = 0.25
        Hue = (Currently not accessible)
        ImageSize = 4708352
        IrisAutoTarget = (Currently not accessible)
        IrisVideoLevel = (Currently not accessible)
        IrisVideoLevelMax = (Currently not accessible)
        IrisVideoLevelMin = (Currently not accessible)
        LensDCDriveStrength = (Currently not accessible)
        LensPIrisFrequency = (Currently not accessible)
        LensPIrisNumSteps = (Currently not accessible)
        LensPIrisPosition = (Currently not accessible)
        NonImagePayloadSize = 48
        PacketDelay = 1
        PacketSize = 9014
        PtpAcquisitionGateTime = (Currently not accessible)
        ReverseX = False
        ReverseY = False
        Saturation = (Currently not accessible)
        SensorBits = 12
        SensorType = Mono
        StreamBytesPerSecond = 115000000
        StreamFrameRateConstrain = True
        StreamHoldCapacity = 13
        StreamHoldEnable = Off
        StrobeDelay = 0
        StrobeDuration = 0
        StrobeDurationMode = Source
        StrobeSource = FrameTrigger
        SyncInGlitchFilter = 0
        SyncInLevels = 0
        SyncInSelector = SyncIn1
        SyncOutLevels = 0
        SyncOutPolarity = Normal
        SyncOutSelector = SyncOut1
        SyncOutSource = Exposing
        TimestampTickFrequency = 1000000000
        TriggerActivation = RisingEdge
        TriggerDelayAbs = 0
        TriggerMode = Off
        TriggerOverlap = Off
        TriggerSelector = FrameStart
        TriggerSource = Freerun
        VsubValue = (Currently not accessible)

        start(v)

        v

 Summary of Video Input Object Using 'Mako G-234B (6408)'.

   Acquisition Source(s): input1 is available.

Acquisition Parameters: 'input1' is the current selected source.
                         10 frames per trigger using the selected
source.
                         'Mono12' video data to be logged upon
START.
                         Grabbing first of every 1 frame(s).
                         Log data to 'memory' on trigger.

      Trigger Parameters: 1 'immediate' trigger(s) on START.

                  Status: Logging data.
                           0 frames acquired since starting.
                           0 frames available for GETDATA.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

above, even after having "started", 0 frames have been logged since starting: I have that problem unsolved ...

[Walter Roberson]

"Or Matworks not willing to propose anything if a user has not paid for the "support" option ?"

In this resource, MATLAB Answers, questions are answered by volunteers, some of whom happen to work for Mathworks, but mostly outside volunteers. The volunteers answer if they have time, and if they have an interest, and if they have experience in the topic, and if they happen to notice the question.

I missed your original question because I was rather ill that day. There is also the small problem that I do not have a GigE camera to test with. And apparently it is my turn to do a bunch of house cleaning, and to do some cooking, and to rake up more apples (I already harvested 600 apples this afternoon.)

Answer 1

[Totor1]

OK, trying below to give ample time for video initialization. Does not work either...

   vid = videoinput('gige', 1, 'Mono12') ;
   src = getselectedsource(vid); 
   src.PacketSize = 9014;    
   triggerconfig(vid, 'manual');
   vid.FramesPerTrigger = 10; 
   vid.TriggerRepeat = Inf; 
   start(vid); pause(10); % give MATLAB ample time to initialize the camera
   disp('snapshot request now ')
   m=getsnapshot(vid);

Result:

snapshot request now

Error using imaqdevice/getsnapshot (line 65) A timeout occurred during GETSNAPSHOT.

Answer 2

[Totor1]

Hello Matworks,

it's me again, one month and a half after my initial post; not seen any reaction from you to my post/help request. I feel a bit lonely with my problem, that seems to point to a bug in the Matlab GigE interface.

Okay, I have read a pile of help pages: "deactivate your antivirus, deactivate your firewall"; I did; same bug.

Should I wait for the election of the next pope, to get an eventual answer /help from matworks ?

In the meantime, googling around, I realized that I was not alone with this kind of GigE problem under matlab (and also the unresponsiveness of Matworks about it).

GOOD NEWS: I have discovered ab-soft.com and their GigE sdk "ActiveGigE" *; In a nutshell, it *allows to connect to GigE devices, and in particular FROM WITHIN MATLAB, but NOT using the failing Matlab GigE interface (via the image acquisition toolbox). I was not convinced by the talking. I tried (the sdk is freely downloadable, and the use is free for a month. Also, the tech guy there is very willing to help for eventual problem encountered.

Using this ActiveGigE sdk from ab-soft, (actually simply using a m function), I now can access my GigE camera FROM WITHIN MATLAB, get images, stream to hard disk, etc...

BINGO, IT WORKS FOR ME (WITHOUT MATNOTWORKS GigE...) :-) :-) !

Answer 3

[Madhura Suresh]

Totor1,

Can you look at the GigE Quick Start Configuration Guide ?

Also, if your firewall is enabled, read this .

-Madhura