MATRIX VISION - mvBlueLYNX-M7 Technical Documentation
About this manual

Table of Contents

Composition of the manual

The mvBlueLYNX-M7 manual is based on a modular concept and contains several individual books. That means like in many object-oriented programming languages you have for each functionality your own "class". Instead of classes, you have books. For example, if you want to know anything about the GUI based applications, then you have to go to the Application Usage book. If you want to know how images are acquired with the mvBlueLYNX-M7, have a look in the respective programming language chapter.

Here is a short summary about all books of the mvBlueLYNX-M7 manual:

Afterwards, you will find the different books:

Note
For C, C++, .NET developers, there are separate mvIMPACT Acquire manuals
  • "mvIMPACT_Acquire_API_CPP_manual.chm",
  • "mvIMPACT_Acquire_API_C_manual.chm", and
  • "mvIMPACT_Acquire_API_NET_manual.chm"
available as downloads from our website https://www.matrix-vision.com. The manuals contain chapter about
  • how to link and build applications using mvIMPACT Acquire,
  • how the log output for "mvIMPACT Acquire" devices is configured and how it works in general,
  • how to create your own installer packages for Windows and Linux, and
  • the general mvIMPACT Acquire API documentation.

How to get started?

Introduction

This chapter gives you a short overview, how to get started with mvBlueLYNX-M7and where to find the necessary information in the manual. It will also explain or link to the concepts behind developing with mvBlueLYNX-M7

Basics

System architecture

Please have a look at the following figure. It will give you a general survey about which programs you have to install, where the programs are placed and work in the system:

Figure 1: System architecture

You have to differ between programs running on

The standard transfer protocol GigE Vision is the interface between host PC and camera.

Host PC

To work with GigE cameras, which transfer the images and data via GigE Vision protocol, it is necessary to install a GigE Vision filter driver and an interface to this driver. For this, MATRIX VISION offers the mvIMPACT Acquire interface, which is part of the mvBlueLYNX-M7 standard installation The mvIMPACT Acquire interface internally uses the GenICam runtime libs, so that it can be considered as an user application written with the GenICam interface For more information please have a look at chapter

A program is named as host program, when it runs on a host PC and interacts with the camera (via GigE Vision). In the standard installation of mvIMPACT Acquire the program wxPropView represents the host program. wxPropView is used to control the camera, acquire and display the images.

To create a host program there are no further installations necessary, given that the standard installation installs all needed libraries, header files as well as code examples. For compiling the host program, you will need an up-to-date Win32 or Win64 compiler like MS Visual Studio® or a Borland IDE.

mvBlueLYNX-M7

The camera mvBlueLYNX-M7sends the images (and optionally additional data) via Ethernet connection and GigE Vision protocol to the PC. This protocol is part of the camera.

The camera can be used as a standard camera without preprocessing. In this case, the image data is transferred from the sensor to the GigE Vision interface directly and will be sent to the host PC. If a preprocessing of the image data is needed, you can create a local application, which "operates" between the sensor and the GigE Vision interface. The local application takes over the image acquisition and the transfer.

To create a local application you cannot use a normal Win32 or Win64 compiler, but you have to use a cross compiler supplied by MATRIX VISION. For this, you have to install the complete preconfigured development environment from the DVD on your host PC.

Image acquisition concept

The image acquisition is based on queues to avoid the loss of single images. With this concept you can acquire images via single acquisition or triggered acquisition. For detailed description of the acquisition concept, please have a look at "How the capture process works" in the "mvIMPACT_Acquire_API" manuals.

Installation for developing host programs

If you want to use the mvBlueLYNX-M7as an image streaming device and want to control the camera and handle the images, you will have a good introduction by reading the main pages of the "mvIMPACT Acquire" interface references. Additionally, please have a look at the example programs. Several basic examples are available. The separate mvIMPACT Acquire manuals

  • "mvIMPACT_Acquire_API_CPP_manual.chm",
  • "mvIMPACT_Acquire_API_C_manual.chm", and
  • "mvIMPACT_Acquire_API_NET_manual.chm"
    are available as downloads from our website http://www.matrix-vision.com.

Requirements

  • PC with current architecture (dual-core processor, min. 2 GB RAM, GigE port)
  • Windows 7 or above or Linux
  • Suitable power supply, e.g. power supply 12 to 48 VDC secondary- Network cable, patch or peer-to-peer at least standard CAT 5 e
  • "mvSDK for intelligent cameras" DVD with development environment V0.10.2b or higher
  • mvIMPACT CD-ROM CD2008B or later if you want to work with mvIMPACT SDK
  • sensor heads and lenses according to the application

Installation

To setup the development environment for host programs, please follow these steps:
(The hyper-links lead to the detailed descriptions in the manual.)

For more information about the core (software) components of the mvBlueLYNX-M7, please have a look at the System software chapter.

Installation for developing local applications

The normal strength of the mvBlueLYNX-M7is its intelligence. With the PowerPC processor and an embedded Linux OS it is possible to run local image processing applications on the camera. MATRIX VISION supplies the necessary cross compiler in a preconfigured development environment free of charge. This environment can be found on the DVD. The development environment represents a complete Linux operating system optimized for developing and based on Kubuntu. To avoid time-consuming installations, the development environment is embedded in a virtual machine (VMware).

Requirements

Installation

See also
Programming local applications to get an overview how to start programming own local applications.