How to record from a dual-full CameraLink source on a CORE2CLMAX using image stitching
Second generation CameraLink DVRs can record from a dual-full CameraLink source using CoreView's image stitching feature. This article will summarize the steps to create a custom camera descriptor and enabling image stitching to allow a CORE2CLMAX to record from an IO Industries Flare 12M125MCL in 8-bit x 16 output mode. The steps in this article are generally applicable can be used to record from other dual-full output modes and set up image stitching for other cameras/CameraLink sources. The descriptor that is created will be saved to the system and can be selected without going through these steps after completion.
The live synchronization feature is not supported on this hardware setup and will be disabled in this example.
Hardware review is not supported when using image stitching and will be disabled in this example.
Procedure:
1. Open up the Core API Administrator (C:\Program Files\IO Industries\DVR Express\Core\Bin\core_api_administrator.exe on a default installation). Uncheck "Enable Hardware Review" in the advanced tab to disable the hardware review feature.
2. Disable automatic camera creation by opening CoreView and navigating to the settings tab. Uncheck "Automatically Scan for Cameras at Startup". This will prevent CoreView from automatically configuring the Flare camera with the existing camera descriptor.
3. Connect the CL source to the DVR. For the Flare 12M125MCL the connections are as follows:
Base1 => Port 1
Full1 => Port 2
Base2 => Port 3
Full2 => Port 4
4. Power the camera and DVR. Make sure the DVR has the 80bit x 2 firmware installed.
5. Open CoreView and manually create a camera by selecting the single "Create New Camera" icon in the top left corner of the window. After entering a camera name it is important not to pick an existing descriptor. The Flare 12M125MCL has a built in descriptor so in order to create a custom descriptor "IO Industries Inc." was picked for manufacturer and the following was entered in the model and mode fields:
Manufacturer: IO Industries Inc.
Model : Flare_test
Mode : 2x CL FULL
Make sure to select descriptive names for manufacturer, model and mode as this descriptor will be saved to your system for later use after creation.
6. Follow the wizard to completion, entering the correct settings for your camera and finally creating the camera widget.
7. Once the camera has been created it is time to configure the descriptor for stitching. The specific settings will depend on the camera being used and the CL output mode. These settings can be changed in the describe tab of the camera widget under various headings. Exact settings for creating a descriptor for the 8bit x 16 mode of the 12M125MCL have been included for this example:
Pixel Type: Pixel type should match the individual output ports of the image source. For 8bit x 16 stitching the pixel type was changed to 8bit x 8 to match the dual-full configuration of the Flare camera.
Live Synchronization: Live synchronization should be disabled as this is not supported for single Core stitching with the CORE2CLMAX
Input Count: Input count must be set to two inputs for dual input stitching.
Width/Height (inputs heading): The width and height settings under the "inputs" heading describe how the image is split between the two outputs. See the CoreView documentation on this feature for more information. The width must be set to one and height to two for the 12M125MCL.
Interlacing (inputs heading): De-interlace and stripe size indicate if the outputs are interlaced and what the size of each stripe is. De-Interlace must be enabled and stripe size must be set to one for the 12M125MCL.
8. Now that the descriptor has image stitching enabled, the ports must be specified in the connect tab. For this example ensure input 1 is set to "CAMERA LINK IN 1-2" and input 2 is set to "CAMERA LINK IN 3-4".
9. Make sure the image source is set to the correct output mode. For the 12M125MCL this can be done by opening the terminal tab of the camera widget and sending "clf 8" to the camera to enable the 8bit x 16 output mode.
The change can be verified by sending just "clf" in the terminal to query the camera link format. If no response is received change the baud rate to the maximum setting in the terminal settings and try again.
10. Make sure the resolution is correct at the top of the describe tab.
The system should now be set up for successful image stitching. After these steps have been completed to configure a 12M125MCL in 8-bit x 16 mode you should see an appropriate detected frame rate and a detected resolution of 4096 x 1536 in the video window. The display resolution (which can be enabled by right clicking on the video window and selecting status bar manager) should be the full resolution of the camera (4096 x 3072). Since live sync is disabled the live view may be slightly out of sync between the two inputs. Recorded video should not experience these same side effects and can be reviewed with hardware review disabled.
Related Articles
CameraLink Communication with DVR Express Core
CameraLink Registry Path For Serial Communication From the start menu launch "regedit" to edit registry entries. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > cameralink and look at the CLSERIALPATH variable. Programs should search for the clserio3.dll in ...DVR Express Core Timing Information
Resolution/Precision The Core DVRs apply timestamps to incoming frames regardless of whether PC Time is being used, or another timing reference (e.g. IRIG-B or GPS etc.). Regardless of the source, the timestamps have the same resolution/precision. ...Is it Possible to Use Consumer SSD Drives on a Core and Core 2?
DVR Express Core 2 Consumer SSDs will not be recognized by Core 2 devices. VidIO Drive Modules are the only storage media that will function with a DVR Express Core 2 device. These must be purchased from IO Industries. DVR Express Core Supports ...How to Check if Camera Data Rate is too High Using Storage Manager
This article will help verify if the data rate of the attached cameras is too high for the VidIO module drive set installed in your DVR Express CORE 2 recorder. Before starting make sure your DVR is set up properly, the attached cameras are ...Where is DVR Express Core video data stored when making recordings in Streams 7?
Each 'scene' in Streams 7 correlates with a recording file kept on the DVR's recording media. This means that the Streams 7 video library file (*.vl) doesn't contain the image data. By default, when you delete a scene, the corresponding reocrding ...