Common Vision Blox 14.0
CVB Configurator

Table of Contents

User Guide for Common Vision Blox configuration with your Acquisition Hardware.


Acquisition Hardware
GigE Vision Devices
USB3 Vision Devices
CoaXPress Devices
CameraLink Devices

CVB Installation

To be able to acquire images from acquisition devices CVB and the appropriate hardware drivers have to be installed on your system.

The hardware independent architecture of CVB requires a video interface file (vin) to be loaded when an image acquisition device is used (e.g. CVB GenICam driver (GenICam.vin) for GenICam compliant devices.) The *.vin format is proprietary to CVB and supports a wide variety of interfaces for acquisition, line scan acquisition, triggered acquisition and many more.

Following CVB downloads are available:
CVB Download
Installation and Setup

GigE Vision Devices


USB3 Vision Devices


  • Connect Camera to USB3 Port

    Your USB3 Vision Device must be connected into an USB external or on-board Host controller card with USB 3.0 ports (usually marked blue).
    Use therefore an USB 3.0 cable:
    - maximum length 5m,
    - we highly recommend the use of machine vision validated USB cables
  • Start the CVB GenICam Browser and search for available devices
    For details refer GenICam Browser User Guide.
  • Configure Device Driver parameters
    For details refer GenICam Browser User Guide.
  • Configure Camera Features using the Nodemap in Property Grid
    For feature availability and options refer to the camera manuals

CoaxPress / Camera Link

Manufacturer specific Hardware with CVB driver

The video interface (vin) file format is used for all Common Vision Blox drivers. There are vin-files available for a vast range of different image acquisition devices like frame grabbers, cameras or vision systems.

Please refer to the CVB Download area for driver download matching the CVB versions.

  • Install board and connect camera using appropriate cables.
  • Install Manufacturers Software and set Up the board
  • Download and Install the CVB Driver for this Hardware.
    A detailed documentation can be found in the CVB GenICam Driver User Guide.
  • Search for Device Driver and configure it according to the CVB GenICam Driver User Guide.
  • Start CVB Viewer (Windows Start Menu > Stemmer Imaging > Common Vision Blox).
  • Load the *.vin driver.
  • Configure Camera Features using a Camera Control Tool (vendor specific configuration tool, e.g. CamExpert, Jai Control Tool,...).
    For feature availability and options refer to the hardware manual.

Applications and Tools

Get a Quick Start with:

GenICam Browser Search and configure GenICam compliant hardware

CVB Viewer Access to hardware over different *.vin drivers.

License Manager Manage the CVB Licenses.

Find applications and tutorials:

  • for Windows in Start Menu or under %CVB%Applications and %CVB%Tutorial
  • for Linux tools in /opt/cvb/bin and tutorials under /opt/cvb/tutorial

Refer also Installation and Setup

System Browser

The System Browser can be used for GenICam compliant devices to:

  • get an overview of the vision system components: computer, interfaces, cameras, CVB software, licenses
  • get a simple live view with the detected cameras
  • save diagnostic information.

Start the System Browser from: %CVB%Tutorial\Image Manager\Cvb.Net\bin\Release\SystemBrowser.exe

License information:


Network information:


Diagnostic data:


Live view:

Get a live view by double clicking the camera and use the Node Map camera configuration options, Statistics and Discovery information.


GenICam Browser


The GenICam Browser can be used to:

Start the GenICamBrowser.exe from Windows start menu or from %CVB%Applications.

For details refer GenICam Browser User Guide and CVB GenICam Driver User Guide.

Search for Available Devices


Configure IP Address


Configure the Driver Options for devices



Add and Store configuration in Configured Devices



Open Device / Get a live Device View



Save images and image sequences

1) Define the destination directory:


2) Select the type:


If activated new images are saved automatically to an *.emu file after starting the Grab. This should only be used with a continuous acquisition when the frame rate is very low. Otherwise the system is not able to save every image. Logging messages indicate lost images.


If activated new images are saved manually to a *.bmp file after starting the Grab.


Logging and Statistcs




CVB Viewer


Use the CVB Viewer to get access to *.vin driver hardware.

The Video INterface (VIN) driver files are used in Common Vision Blox to access different frame grabbers, cameras and other real or virtual devices. These driver files are installed to the %CVB%Drivers directory.

The set of CVB hardware drivers that is available for a given release can be found on the Common Vision Blox setup in CVB download area.

Configure the VIN Driver settings first (using GenICam Browser for GenICam hardware or Driver Configuration as described in the CVB GenICam Driver User Guide).

Start CVB Viewer over Windows start menu or in %CVB%Applications : CVSysTay.exe

Start CVB Viewer and load the needed VIN driver

Load the matching *.vin Driver file from cvbDrivers directory:


Menu Items


Access GenICam Devices





White Balance


Some cameras do not support white balance, other cameras can only use white balance with RGB output with a reduced frame rate. For such cases it is necessary to transfer the Bayer image and execute white balance in extra software programs. CVB provides the white balance functionality in the library with the Image Manager functions CalculateWhiteBalance and ApplyWhiteBalance.

  • Click on "Set" to adjust the White Balance. Afterwards you can show the results by checking the "Apply" caption.
  • If the determined scale factors for the different colors should be shown or changed, use the "Edit Scale Factors" caption.

Save images and image sequences

1) Define the directory:


2) Select the type:


If activated new images are saved automatically to an *.emu file. This should only be used with a continuous acquisition when the frame rate is very low. Otherwise the system is not able to save every image.


If activated new images are saved manually to a *.bmp file. This should only be used with a continuous acquisition when the frame rate is very low. Otherwise the system is not able to save every image.


License Manager


Configure/Request your licenses using the Options from License Manager.

Start the LicenseManager.exe from Windows start menu or from %CVB%Applications.


Order Trial License to get full functionality of CVB Tools and SDK for 30 days:


A detailed description of the different license methods can be found in section Licensing.

Documentation

Following documentations and information sources are available:

Service

Updates

Please check the CVB Web pages for updates to this driver in form of a CVB service pack or a hotfix. Therefore please visit CVB User Forum Download area and choose the CVB Version or Operating System.

For any kind of problem you encounter with CVB GeniCam driver it is very helpful to record the error logging (Log window in GenICam Browser or LogGUI.exe in %CVB%Applications). Please have also a look at the description of Acquisition Statistic, Trouble Shooting and Error logging.

Technical Support

Before contacting the Technical Support please review the

  • configuration hints in sections before,
  • Trouble Shooting section,
  • save logs and hardware configuration settings. Report also the versions of Common Vision Blox, Operating System and the devices serial numbers.

Request Hotline Support
Discuss in User Forum