Knowledge Base

Camera Settings and Installation Guide for GigE Cameras in EthoVision XT

Gain and IR Filter Notes

If you need to increase the camera's Gain (Raw) setting in Pylon, do not increase it too much or you will increase camera noise. Consider adding a second IR light if that is the case (and lowering the Gain (Raw)).

As of approximately mid-July 2018, color GigE cameras (model: acA1300-30gc) purchased from Noldus after this date had the IR block filter removed, making the color camera IR sensitive like the monochrome version (model: acA1300-30gm).

If you bought a color GigE camera from Noldus prior to approximately July 2018, see the IR block filter removal instructions below to make your color camera IR sensitive.

If you require an IR pass filter, it simply screws on to the front of the lens.

Color to Monochrome

If you have a color camera, you can temporarily change it to monochrome by changing the Pixel Format setting.

Note: This does not make the camera IR sensitive. For IR sensitivity you must either remove the IR block filter from your color camera or use a monochrome GigE camera.

As of approximately mid-July 2018, color GigE cameras (model: acA1300-30gc) purchased from Noldus after this date had the IR block filter removed, making the color camera IR sensitive like the monochrome version (model: acA1300-30gm).

If you bought a color GigE camera from Noldus prior to approximately July 2018, see the IR block filter removal instructions above to make your color camera IR sensitive.

B - Mounting the Camera

This section only applies if you bought either a Dual Option Mount and/or an Autopole with Superclamp from Noldus.

Note: The items described below are NOT standard with your camera or system. Contact sales if you would like a quote to purchase.

Dual Option Mount

The item that connects to the camera uses a standard size tripod fitting screw on top, which fits the hole on the camera. The camera will also work with other mounts that accommodate this standard fitting.

There are two alternate types of mountings that screw into the bottom of the camera fitting:

• The one with three tabs is a general purpose mount that would be screwed into a wall or ceiling. This is a permanent mount.
• The other is designed to attach to suspended ceilings. There are two parts that move like scissors. Open the mount so it fits over the framework of the suspended ceiling, then close them to hold. This is a temporary mount. It is sturdy, but you can open the mount to remove it from the ceiling and place it elsewhere. If you have a suspended ceiling, this is likely the best solution.

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

Autopole

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

Autopole and Superclamp

• The camera is connected to the Superclamp with a brass stud connector.
• The Superclamp is then clamped onto the Autopole.

Vertical Installation

You can mount the Autopole vertically between the floor and the ceiling to do side view tracking if the system came with a Dual Option Mount. This allows you to turn the camera as needed.

Note: It is NOT possible to right the image in Pylon. You must have a Dual Option Mount for vertical installation.

C - Installing the Ethernet Board on a Desktop PC

Aim

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:

• One-port board: the Intel PRO/1000 CT (or its successor), to connect one camera.
• Four-port board: the Adlink PCIe-GIE74 (A), or the Basler GigE Interface Card (B) to connect up to four cameras.

Procedure

1. Turn off your computer and all connected peripherals, such as the monitor and printer. Make sure that the computer is unplugged.
2. Remove the PC's case according to the instructions provided in the PC's user manual.

3. Select a free PCIe expansion slot, and remove the corresponding extension cover.

   Different PCIe slots have different properties, resulting in different performances. When possible, choose the slot that gives maximum performance. To estimate performance, take note of the slot version and compare it with the following:

   • PCIe v1.x: 250 MB/s
   • PCIe v2.x: 500 MB/s
   • PCIe v3.0: approximately 1 GB/s
   • PCIe v4.0: approximately 2 GB/s
   • PCIe v5.0: approximately 4 GB/s

   Note that values are given per lane and should not be multiplied by the number of lanes in a slot (for example, x4) since the board has a 1x connector. For example, SLOT1-PCIe3x4 written near the slot means version 3.0 with four lanes.

   IMPORTANT: Do not insert the PCIe board in the blue or white slots.

4. Unpack the Ethernet board, place it into the slot, and press it carefully into position. If the board does not fit into place easily, remove it and repeat the operation.

   IMPORTANT: When touching the board, its electronic components can be damaged by static electricity. To avoid any such risk, make sure that you are grounded. You can ground yourself by putting on an earthing wristlet and attaching its clip to the metal frame of the computer. If you do not have an earthing wristlet, hold the metal frame with one hand while holding the Ethernet board in your other hand. Ensure also that your clothing does not touch any components while handling the board.

5. This step only applies when installing a 4-port Ethernet interface board.

   Connect the power connector on the board (Molex/IDE male 4-pin DC) to one of the power supplies inside the PC.

   Connector types vary between computers. Many computers have a SATA 15-pin power connector. Use an adapter cable with a 4-pin female Molex connector at one end and a SATA 15-pin connector at the other end.

6. Fix the board to the chassis and re-fit the computer's cover.
7. Next: Install the driver software for the GigE cameras.

IMPORTANT: Turn off Fast Startup in the Windows Power options.

How to Disable Fast Startup

1. Open the Windows Control Panel and select System and Security.
2. Under Power Options, select Choose what the power button does.
3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable. (Requires an admin password.)
4. Under Shutdown settings, de-select Turn on fast startup (recommended), Sleep, and Hibernate.

D - Installing the Pylon Driver for the GigE Camera

Aim

To install the software that enables you to configure the camera, for example to set the video frame rate or the exposure time.

Procedure via EthoVision XT 17.5 Installation

1. Insert the EthoVision XT installation USB stick into your computer. If your EthoVision XT installation stick is not available, download EthoVision XT 17.5.

2. Double-click EthoVision XT - Setup - 17.5.1718.exe. If you have already installed EthoVision XT, select Modify; otherwise select Install.

   Note: The folder where this file is stored must also contain the following files for a successful installation of EthoVision XT 17.5:

   • EthoVision XT - Package - 17.5.1718.msi
   • TrackerInterfaceNN_x64_2.0.10.msi

3. Under Drivers and tools, select:

   • Basler GigE camera driver if you have Basler GigE cameras.
   • Daheng Galaxy if you have a Daheng GigE camera.
4. Click Install/Update and continue with installation.
5. Next: Assign IP addresses.

Note: Always install the drivers from the installation USB stick or the Noldus web site. Do not install drivers from other sources unless requested by Noldus Support.

Procedure for Manual Installation of Pylon 7.1.0

1. Download Pylon 7.1.0 and double-click the downloaded EXE file.
2. Accept Terms and Conditions, then click Next.
3. Under Profiles, select Custom, then click Next.

4. Under Features, select:

   • GigE Camera Support (or USB Camera Support if using a Basler USB Camera)
   • DirectShow Support
   • Pylon Viewer
5. Complete the Pylon 7.1.0 driver installation.

E - Assigning an IP Address to the Network Card

1. In Windows, search for Network Connections.

   Alternatively, in Windows 11, from the Start menu choose Settings, then Network and Internet, then Advanced network settings (at the bottom of the screen), then More network adapter options.

2. In the Network Connections window, right-click the item that corresponds to your camera and click Properties.

   Tip: If your computer has more than one item, unplug the camera and take note of which item shows Unplugged.

   Note: You may see one or more additional items labeled Ethernet or similar. This is the standard interface board connected to your local network and internet. Do not use that board unless it is the only one available. If you choose that adapter you will not be able to connect the EthoVision XT computer to the network.

3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.

4. Select Use the following IP address and Use the following DNS server addresses and fill in the details as shown below. Also select the option Validate settings upon exit. When done, click OK and then Close.

   US and Canada customers: Use 192.168.200.101 for the computer network adaptor IP address. For multiple network cards or a single card with multiple ports, use 192.168.201.101 for the second card or port, 192.168.202.101 for the third card or port, and so on. Subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0.

5. A Windows Network Diagnostics window appears. Click Close when it is finished, then close all windows.

Note: If you purchased a 2 or 4 port network card, follow the above procedure once for each network card or port. For more information about using multiple cameras, see Section I.

F - Connecting the GigE Cameras to the PC

Aim

To make sure that EthoVision XT receives the video signal from the GigE camera.

Prerequisites

• You have followed the entire procedure in Install an Ethernet Board for GigE Cameras.
• No matter how many cameras you use, you need a 1-Gb Ethernet interface board (desktop computers only).
• When you use a 4-port Ethernet board, you can power the cameras with Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) injectors, or you can choose to connect the board to the power outlet inside the PC. See step 5 in Install an Ethernet Board for GigE Cameras.
• When you do not use a 4-port Ethernet board, you must use 1-Gb Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) injectors; use one per camera.

Procedure A - If You Have a Single or Dual Port Ethernet Board

To connect one camera, you need a single or dual port Ethernet interface board. To connect two cameras, you need a dual port Ethernet interface board. In either case you need as many PoE injectors as cameras, since the single or dual port boards are not powered.

1. Using cross-network cables (cat-5e or newer), connect the Ethernet port or board on the PC to the IN port of the PoE injector. Connect the camera to the OUT port. Use the short cable between the PoE injector and the PC. Use the long cable between the PoE injector and the camera.
2. Power up the PoE injector and make sure that the two green LEDs labeled CONNECT and ON are lit.
3. If the green LEDs keep blinking, wait a few more seconds. If you see no change, disconnect the cables, then reconnect them.
4. Next: Configure the digital camera.

You can also connect two cameras to two single-port Ethernet boards.

Procedure B - If You Have a Four-Port Ethernet Board (Maximum of 4 Cameras, Power Injector Not Required)

When you use this board, you can power the cameras without using PoE injectors. However, make sure that the board receives power from the PC. See step 5 in Install an Ethernet Board for GigE Cameras.

1. Connect each camera (up to four) to one of the ports on the Ethernet board.
2. Next: Configure the digital camera.

Notes

• Tip: Label the cameras and the Ethernet ports (for example Cam 1, Cam 2, etc.) and take note of the camera serial numbers. This may be useful when you need to know which camera is connected to which port and when you need to assign or adjust IP addresses.
• The Power over Ethernet (PoE) injector is a device that passes power along with data (in this case, video data from the camera) on twisted-pair Ethernet cabling.

G - Assigning an IP Address 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: The camera status will show as Not reachable. This is normal since the camera cannot yet communicate with the Ethernet port.

4. Under Static IP, fill in the details in the IP Address and Subnet Mask fields.

   US and Canada customers: Use 192.168.200.1 for the camera IP address. For a second camera on the same card or port, use 192.168.200.2, and so on. For multiple cameras and cards or 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. Subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0 for all cameras.

5. Click Save and then close pylon IP Configurator, or repeat the procedure for the next camera.
6. Next: Configure the digital camera.

H - Configuring the GigE Camera in 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. It is recommended to configure 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 P 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.

Always start with the general procedure below. The most common adjustments include:

• 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 rather than centered.
• White balance: Use this to correct an image with a color cast. It can especially help when using color marking in EthoVision.
• Exposure time: Increasing exposure will brighten the image, but too high an exposure results in a high proportion of missed samples, gaps in the track, and potentially trials ending prematurely.

1. Procedure (General)

1. Make sure EthoVision XT (and Media Recorder, when present on the computer) are not running.
2. Start the Basler Pylon Viewer software that comes with the camera. Note: The Basler Pylon Viewer software is installed automatically when you install the camera drivers.
3. Choose Tools, then Options, and check that the User level is set to Expert or Guru.
4. In the Devices panel, double-click the item Basler under GigE or USB depending on the camera you have.
5. To preview the camera image, click the Continuous Shot button on the toolbar. IMPORTANT: Do not use the Record button if you want to record video. This creates very large files. Always use EthoVision XT.
6. Under Features, open the Basler GigE camera chosen in Step D and choose the settings you would like to change. Follow the applicable instructions below. Note: To be able to adjust the settings, click the Stop button first.
7. Save the settings. See Item 7 below.

2. Camera Gain

This applies to both color and monochrome Basler cameras. Increasing the gain will brighten the image.

IMPORTANT: Increasing gain also increases image noise. Do this only if no other option is available to improve the image brightness. For example, make sure that the lens aperture is at its maximum and increase lighting first.

1. In the Features panel, click Analog Control.
2. From the Gain Auto list, select Off.

3. Next to Gain (Raw), select the value you require. A higher Gain results in a brighter image, but also more noise and a grainy image.

   Note: This value is typically low, often no higher than 2. Use Exposure to brighten the image further if needed.

4. Save the settings. See Item 7.

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Source: EthoVision XT 17.5 - GigE Install and Setup Guide