Cameras FAQ
How to resolve dark image issue
If you are experiencing a very dark or completely black image display, even though the frame rate appears normal, please follow these steps to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:
- Check Lens Aperture
Ensure the lens iris (aperture) is open and correctly adjusted to allow sufficient light through.
- Switch to Manual Exposure Mode
Set your camera to manual exposure mode, then increase the exposure duration to allow more light to reach the sensor.
- Adjust Gain Settings
Increasing Analog Gain can help in low-light conditions but may also add noise, so find a balance that suits your needs.
Increasing Digital Gain will boost image level by multiplication factor.
- Adjust Black Level Settings: We do not recommend adjusting it.
Analog Black Level is a sensor-specific black level compensation performed internally by the sensor. The default value is set according to the sensor manufacturer's recommendation.
Black Level Auto is an automatic noise compensation based on the sensor’s black pixels, which are not exposed to light and therefore represent fixed sensor noise. The compensation is applied on a per-line basis.
Digital Black Level will affect base value of image data but may impact on dynamic range.
When using the Vision Point API in your custom application, it is important to ensure that the camera’s output pixel format aligns with your post-processing tool. For example, if the camera outputs Mono12, it should be processed accordingly as a 12-bit image to maintain data integrity and image quality.
High acquisition frame rate might require more light
How to achive max. camera frame rate
There are numerous reasons why a camera might not achieve its maximum frame rate.
Refer to the camera's datasheet and verifying that all connectivity requirements are met, specifically:
- Connection topology
Ensure all connection links are properly connected according to the master-slave channel topology.
Verify the CoaXPress version in use—for example, CoaXPress 2.0 offers double the bandwidth of CoaXPress 1.0.
- Check for bandwidth limitations
Make sure there are no bandwidth restrictions in your setup, including improper connection topology and/or system hardware limitations, such as PCIe version and number of available lanes
- Check for CRC\FEC errors
Check for CRC errors in the CoaXPress connection
If using CoaXPress over Fiber or CLHS, monitor for FEC packet errors, which can impact throughput and stability.
If the connection quality, topology, and protocol versions are verified and no issues are found, check the camera’s configuration, including:
- Resolution
- Bit depth
- Exposure time
- Binning settings
These parameters directly affect the achievable frame rate and should be configured according to the expected performance.