Knowing the camera's timings and delays can help you to optimize your imaging system for maximum performance.
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The following figure shows a timing chart for image acquisition and transmission.
The diagram is based on a camera with the following settings:
The exposure start delay is the amount of time between the point where the trigger signal is detected and the point where exposure actually begins.
The exposure start delay depends on the camera model and is extended when the camera operation mode is set to LongExposure.
If the Exposure Start, End, and Active triggers are available for your camera model, you can set up your camera to avoid the exposure start delay.
You may have to add additional delays to the exposure start delay:
Example: Assume that the exposure start delay for your camera is 18 µs. Also assume that you have configured the camera for hardware triggering, that the input line's propagation delay is 1.5 μs, that you set the LineDebouncerTimeAbsLineDebouncerTime parameter to 5 μs, that you set the trigger delay for the Frame Start trigger to 200 μs, that no image ROI exposure start delay applies, and that the camera operation mode is set to Standard.
In this case:
Total Start Delay = Exposure Start Delay + Input Line Response Time + Frame Start Trigger Delay = 18 μs + 6.5 μs + 200 μs = 224.5 μs
The sensor readout time is the amount of time it takes to read out image data from the sensor. You can determine the amount of time using the Sensor Readout Time camera feature.
When the camera has determined that a sufficient amount of data has accumulated in the buffer, the camera begins transmitting the data from the camera to the host computer.
The frame transmission time is the amount of time it takes to transmit an acquired frame from the buffer in the camera to the host computer.
The frame transmission time can vary between frames and partly depends on when the host computer calls for data transmission.
The transmission start delay is the amount of time between the point where the camera begins reading out the acquired frame data from the sensor to the point where it begins transmitting the data for the acquired frame to the host computer.
The transmission start delay can vary between frames and largely depends on when the host computer starts calling for data transmission.
Camera Model |
Exposure Start Delay [µs] | |
---|---|---|
Non-Overlapping Image Acquisition | Overlapping Image Acquisition | |
a2A1920-51gmBAS | tbd | tbd |
a2A1920-51gcBAS | tbd | tbd |
a2A1920-160umBAS | tbd | tbd |
a2A1920-160ucBAS | tbd | tbd |
acA640-90gm | 21.48 | 21.48 |
acA640-90gc | 21.48 | 21.48 |
acA640-120gm | 17.62 | 17.62 |
acA640-120gc | 17.62 | 17.62 |
acA640-121gm |
|
|
acA640-300gm | 3 | 3–9 |
acA640-300gc | 3 | 3–9 |
acA720-290gm |
|
|
acA720-290gc |
|
|
acA780-75gm | 24.5 | 24.5 |
acA780-75gc | 24.5 | 24.5 |
acA800-200gm | 3 | 3–10 |
acA800-200gc | 3 | 3–10 |
acA1280-60gm | 190–200a | 190–200a |
acA1280-60gc | 190–200a | 190–200a |
acA1300-22gm | 34.5 | 34.5 |
acA1300-22gc | 34.5 | 34.5 |
acA1300-30gm | 34.5 | 34.5 |
acA1300-30gc | 34.5 | 34.5 |
acA1300-60gm |
|
|
acA1300-60gmNIR |
|
|
acA1300-60gc |
|
|
acA1300-75gm | 3 | 3-15 |
acA1300-75gc | 3 | 3-15 |
acA1440-73gm |
|
|
acA1440-73gc |
|
|
acA1600-20gm | 45.54 | 45.54 |
acA1600-20gc | 45.54 | 45.54 |
acA1600-60gm |
|
|
acA1600-60gc |
|
|
acA1920-25gm |
|
|
acA1920-25gc |
|
|
acA1920-40gm |
|
|
acA1920-40gc |
|
|
acA1920-48gm | 5 | 5–23 |
acA1920-48gc | 5 | 5–23 |
acA1920-50gm | 47.4 | 47.4 |
acA1920-50gc | 47.4 | 47.4 |
acA2000-50gm | 0.2 | 0.2–17.2 |
acA2000-50gmNIR | 0.2 | 0.2–17.2 |
acA2000-50gc | 0.2 | 0.2–17.2 |
acA2040-25gm | 0.2 | 0.2–17.2 |
acA2040-25gmNIR | 0.2 | 0.2–17.2 |
acA2040-25gc | 0.2 | 0.2–17.2 |
acA2040-35gm | 35 | 35 |
acA2040-35gc | 35 | 35 |
acA2440-20gm | 40 | 40 |
acA2440-20gc | 40 | 40 |
acA2500-14gm |
|
|
acA2500-14gc |
|
|
acA2500-20gm | 5 | 5–28 |
acA2500-20gc | 5 | 5–28 |
acA2500-20gmMED | 5 | 5–28 |
acA2500-20gcMED | 5 | 5–28 |
acA3088-16gm | 2526 | 2526 |
acA3088-16gc | 2526 | 2526 |
acA3800-10gm |
|
|
acA3800-10gc |
|
|
acA4024-8gm | 2031d | 2031 |
acA4024-8gc | 2031d | 2031 |
acA4096-11gm | 66.3 | 66.3 |
acA4096-11gc | 66.3 | 66.3 |
acA4112-8gm | 66.3 | 66.3 |
acA4112-8gc | 66.3 | 66.3 |
acA4600-7gc |
|
|
acA5472-5gm |
|
|
acA5472-5gc |
|
|
acA640-750um | 3.6 | 8.4 |
acA640-750uc | 3.6 | 8.4 |
acA640-90um | 22 | 22.7 |
acA640-90uc | 22 | 22.7 |
acA640-120um | 18 | 18.4 |
acA640-120uc | 18 | 18.4 |
acA720-520um |
|
|
acA720-520uc |
|
|
acA800-510um | 3.6 | 8.4 |
acA800-510uc | 3.6 | 8.4 |
acA1300-200um | 3.6 | 8.4 |
acA1300-200uc | 3.6 | 8.4 |
acA1300-30um | 35 | 34.8 |
acA1300-30uc | 35 | 34.8 |
acA1440-220um |
|
|
acA1440-220uc |
|
|
acA1600-20um | 46 | 46.6 |
acA1600-20uc | 46 | 46.6 |
acA1920-25um |
|
Rolling shutter mode: 1200 |
acA1920-25uc |
|
Rolling shutter mode: 1200 |
acA1920-40um |
|
|
acA1920-40uc |
|
|
acA1920-40umMED |
|
|
acA1920-40ucMED |
|
|
acA1920-150um | 3.4 | 13.5 |
acA1920-150uc | 3.4 | 13.5 |
acA1920-155um |
|
|
acA1920-155uc |
|
|
acA1920-155umMED |
|
|
acA1920-155ucMED |
|
|
acA2040-90um | 0.9–1.3c | 0.9–20.3c |
acA2040-90umNIR | 0.9–1.3c | 0.9–20.3c |
acA2040-90uc | 0.9–1.3c | 0.9–20.3c |
acA2000-165um | 0.9–1.3c | 0.9–20.3c |
acA2000-165umNIR | 0.9–1.3c | 0.9–20.3c |
acA2000-165uc | 0.9–1.3c | 0.9–20.3c |
acA2040-55um | 36 | 36 |
acA2040-55uc | 36 | 36 |
acA2040-120um |
|
|
acA2040-120uc |
|
|
acA2440-35um | 42 | 42 |
acA2440-35uc | 42 | 42 |
acA2440-35umMED | 42 / 11143g | 42h |
acA2440-35ucMED | 42 / 11143g | 42h |
acA2440-75um |
|
|
acA2440-75uc |
|
|
acA2440-75umMED |
|
|
acA2440-75ucMED |
|
|
acA2500-14um | 848 | 848–883 |
acA2500-14uc | 848 | 848–883 |
acA2500-60um | 3.4 | 13.5 |
acA2500-60uc | 3.4 | 13.5 |
acA3088-57um |
|
1761 |
acA3088-57uc |
|
1761 |
acA3800-14um |
|
Rolling shutter mode: 5560 |
acA3800-14uc |
|
Rolling shutter mode: 5560 |
acA4024-29um |
|
581 |
acA4024-29uc |
|
581 |
acA4096-30um | 43 | 43 |
acA4096-30uc | 43 | 43 |
acA4096-30umMED | 43 / 11059g | 43h |
acA4096-30ucMED | 43 / 11059g | 43h |
acA4096-40um |
|
|
acA4096-40uc |
|
|
acA4096-40umMED |
|
|
acA4096-40ucMED |
|
|
acA4112-20um | 43 | 43 |
acA4112-20uc | 43 | 43 |
acA4112-20umMED | 43 / 11807g | 43h |
acA4112-20ucMED | 43 / 11807g | 43h |
acA4112-30um |
|
|
acA4112-30uc |
|
|
acA4112-30umMED |
|
|
acA4112-30ucMED |
|
|
acA4600-10uc |
|
Rolling shutter mode: 11000 |
acA5472–17um |
|
N/A |
acA5472–17uc |
|
N/A |
boA4096-93cm | tbd | tbd |
boA4096-93cc | tbd | tbd |
boA4112-68cm | tbd | tbd |
boA4112-68cc | tbd | tbd |
All dart BCON for LVDS camera models | N/A | N/A |
All dart BCON for MIPI cameras models | N/A | N/A |
All dart USB 3.0 camera models | N/A | N/A |
All pulse USB 3.0 camera models | N/A | N/A |
aValue depends on the exposure time set.
bValue depends on the exposure time and the pixel format set.
cThe shortest delays apply when maximum bandwidth is available. The delays increase as available bandwidth decreases.
dIn addition to the exposure start delay, the image ROI exposure start delay applies.
eStandard exposure time mode / Ultra Short exposure time mode
f8-bit pixel format / 12-bit pixel format
gStandard camera operation mode / Long Exposure camera operation mode
hOverlapping image acquisition is only possible in Standard camera operation mode.