Knowledge Base

16 Cameras

Important: When using a 16-camera configuration, we recommend using Contour-based tracking, not Deep learning. This is because Deep learning is so resource-demanding that it is unlikely to work with 16 arenas on a typical PC.

Hardware Setup and Settings

• PC: Dell Precision 3680, CPU i7-14700K 3.4 GHz, RAM memory 32GB, GPU NVIDIA T1000 8 GB; Windows 11 Pro 23H2.
• Cameras: 16 Basler GigE cameras acA1300-60gm.
• PCIe Ethernet Interface Board: FS X550-AT2, 10GBase-T Dual-Port, PCIe 3.0 x4.
• Network Switch: FS S3100-16TMS-P, 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet L2+ PoE+, 8x PoE+ Ports@125W, 2x 5Gb RJ45, with 2x 10Gb SFP+ Uplinks.
• For this switch you need an adapter (SFP+ 10GBASE-T Copper 30m RJ-45 Transceiver module) for the network cable that goes to the PC.
• We recommend using CAT6+ network cables.
• Video Resolution: Single camera view 640 x 480, merged view in EthoVision XT 2560 x 1920.
• Image Binning: 2.
• Video Frame Rate: 30 fps. Trial duration: 72 hours.
• Video Source: Live tracking; Number of subjects per arena: 1; Tracked features: Center-point, nose-point and tail-base detection; Body Point Detection Technique: Contour-based. Detection method: Dynamic Subtraction or Differencing. Acquisition mode: Track + Save video.

Connection Scheme

Follow this scheme also for PhenoTyper 2. Note that in the S3100-16TMS-P network switch, the RJ45 ports marked in yellow are powered, so eight cameras do not need PoE injectors. Connect the remaining eight cameras through PoE injectors.

Assign the IP Addresses

Connect the cameras to the switch using the ports as shown in the figure. For a good overview of the IP addresses, we recommend using Pylon IP Configurator.

1. Start Pylon IP Configurator.
2. For the port of the Ethernet board of the PC connected to the switch, specify the address 192.168.x.51. To do so, locate the Ethernet row in IP Configurator — the row with the board symbol connected to the cameras. Note that the name of the Ethernet row may vary between PCs.
3. Right-click and select Properties, then double-click Internet Protocol Version 4, select Use the following IP address, and enter the IP address in the IP Address field.
4. For cameras 1 to 16, specify addresses in the 192.168.x.x range. Note that the third number must be the same as that for the Ethernet port connected to the network switch. To assign IP addresses to a camera, select the camera row, then in the panel at the bottom of the screen choose Static IP and enter the IP address.
5. For all Ethernet ports and cameras, leave 255.255.255.0 as the Subnet Mask.

For more schemes of multiple camera configurations, see also the PhenoTyper - EthoVision XT 18 - Reference Manual.

Using Network Switches

• The network switches must be of type PoE (Power over Ethernet), meaning they must provide power to the cameras. The maximum power provided by a switch, measured in Watts (W), must be greater than the total requirements of the cameras (one Basler camera requires about 2.5 W).
• The network switches must be able to handle large packets (known as jumbo packets or jumbo frames). With jumbo frame-capable devices, the maximum packet size can be up to 16 KB. For maximum network efficiency, your camera should be configured to use the largest packet size that your network adapters and switches can handle.
• Refer to the user guide of the network switch for how to set it up.

G – Assign Camera IP → Pylon IP Configurator

Note: If you bought your camera from Noldus, the IP has already been assigned to the camera.

1. Connect the GigE camera to the PC.
2. In Windows, search for and start Pylon IP Configurator.
3. Select the camera name that appears under the Ethernet port set in the previous procedure. This is the camera physically connected to that port. Note that the camera status is Not reachable. This is normal since the camera cannot communicate yet with the Ethernet port.
4. Under Static IP, fill in the details in the IP Address and Subnet Mask fields.
5. Click Save and then close Pylon IP Configurator, or repeat the procedure for the next camera.
6. Next: Configure the digital camera.

US and Canada Customers: Use 192.168.200.1 for the camera IP address. The second camera on the same card/port should be 192.168.200.2, etc.

Multiple Cameras and Cards/Ports: The first three numbers must match the address set for the network card the camera is connected to. For example, a camera connected to a card set to 192.168.201.101 can be designated as 192.168.201.1.

Note: Subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0 for all cameras.

H – B&W Camera Settings → Pylon Viewer

If you will be using multiple GigE cameras in EthoVision XT (at the same time, in the same experiment), you need to configure each camera and they must have the same settings. Remember to save your settings for each camera.

You will know when your camera settings are optimal when there are no Missing Samples or Interpolated Samples in EthoVision XT. Please see Section L for how to check and test that.

Important: All of the settings below can also be done in EthoVision XT, but they then only apply to that one experiment, as the settings are not stored in the camera drivers. We recommend setting these settings in Pylon Viewer rather than in EthoVision XT to ensure that the settings are stored in the driver for future experiments. See Section K for more information about changing these settings in EthoVision XT.

Aim

To adjust settings in a GigE camera, such as the video frame rate, video frame resolution, and exposure time.

Important: The settings described below are stored in the digital camera, not in EthoVision XT. When working with multiple cameras, repeat the procedure for each camera.

Important: Do not use the Pylon Viewer software to record video. Always use EthoVision XT or Media Recorder.

To adjust the camera settings, always start with the general procedure. The most common adjustments include:

• Adjust the Camera Gain: Increasing the gain will brighten the image.
• Pixel Format: Change this setting if you have a color camera that is giving only a black and white image.
• Center the Camera: Change this setting if the image appears to be off to one side of the camera, not centered in front of the camera.
• Adjust White Balance: Use this setting to correct an image with a color cast (the entire image is tinted a certain color). It can especially help when using color marking in EthoVision.
• Adjust the Camera Exposure Time: Increasing exposure will brighten the image, but too high exposure results in a high proportion of missed samples, gaps in the track, and potentially trials ending prematurely.

Source: EthoVision XT 18 - GigE Install and Setup, Noldus Information Technology