Knowledge Base

Dual Option Mount

The item on the left connects to the camera; the screw on the top in the image is a standard size tripod fitting and will fit the hole on the camera.

• The camera will also work with other mounts that accommodate this standard fitting.

The two items on the right are alternate types of mountings, which would screw into the bottom of the camera fitting.

• The one with three tabs is a general purpose mount which would be screwed into a wall or ceiling. This would be a permanent mount.
• The other one is designed to attach to suspended ceilings. There are two parts which move like scissors. Move them to open up the mount and it will fit over the framework of the suspended ceiling, then close them to hold. This is a temporary mount, it is sturdy enough but you can always open the mount to remove it from the ceiling and place it elsewhere. If you have a suspended ceiling it's probably the best solution.

See below for how to use the Dual Option Mount with the Autopole and Superclamp.

Autopole

• Black mounting rod for camera.
• Range is 2.1–3.7m, or up to 5.7m with the extension (extension sold separately).
• Typically installed horizontally between two walls but can be installed vertically if you have a Dual Option Mount (see above and below).
• Must install horizontally if system came with a Standard Camera Mount.
• Often ships separately via UPS from the rest of your Noldus order.

Superclamp

• Camera is connected to the Superclamp with brass stud connector.
• Superclamp is then clamped onto the Autopole.

How to Attach the Camera to the Superclamp

1. Connect the camera to the Superclamp through the brass stud connector or the camera adapter.
2. The Autopole gets clamped between the jaws of the Superclamp. Turn the handle to tighten the Superclamp to the Autopole.

Horizontal installation is mainly for top view tracking. For this you need the Autopole and the Superclamp.

Vertical installation is for top view tracking and side view tracking. For this you need the Autopole, the Superclamp and a camera adapter (see Dual Option Mount above). For more flexibility you can use a variable friction arm attached between the Superclamp and the camera adapter.

Suspended Ceilings

If you need to attach the camera to suspended ceilings, you can get a special mount (i.e. Dual Option Mount) that has two parts which move like scissors. Move them to open up the mount and it will fit over the framework of the suspended ceiling, then close them to hold. Attach the camera adapter and then the camera.

This is a temporary mount, it is sturdy enough but you can always open the mount to remove it from the ceiling and place it elsewhere. If you have a suspended ceiling it's probably the best solution.

Things to Check

• Position the camera perpendicular to the plane in which the animal moves. If this is not the case, the shape of the arena and subject inside will appear distorted on the screen and calculated distances, velocities and spatial statistics will be incorrect.
• Anchor the entire setup. Secure the position of the arena, camera and illumination relative to each other, and fasten the camera zoom, focus control and aperture settings.
• Adjust the zoom setting (or select the appropriate lens) and focus the lens until the entire experimental arena is visible on the screen and is displayed in focus.
• When using multiple cameras, pay attention to the zoom settings. These should be in such a way that the apparent size of the arenas is the same since you calibrate the distance for all the cameras (Shared calibration). If that is not possible, make one calibration for each arena (Unshared calibration).
• Turn off all automatic camera settings: focus, gain, exposure (auto-iris), anti-shake.
• Adjust the camera aperture until the image shows maximal contrast. Depending on how bright your IR setup is, you might need to open the aperture on the lens all the way (do this first) and/or adjust the camera's Gain (Raw) and/or adjust the Exposure time in Pylon Viewer.

Installing Ethernet Board

To install an Ethernet (network) board that receives video from one or more GigE cameras.

NOTE: If you ordered a computer from Noldus Information Technology when you purchased EthoVision XT and Basler GigE cameras, the Ethernet interface board(s) has already been installed and tested. If you bought your computer somewhere else, you will have to install the board yourself. Follow the instructions below.

This topic applies to Ethernet interface boards that have been tested with EthoVision XT.

• Two-port board: FS X550AT2-2TP (10GB NIC). This was combined with an optical switch FS 3100-16TMS to connect 16 GigE cameras.
• Four-port board: the Adlink PCIe-GIE74 (A), or the Basler GigE Interface Card (B) to connect up to four cameras.

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