Camera Cycle Concatenation Rules

This topic explains the rules that MUST be observed by the frame grabber to avoid Camera Trigger overrun when requesting successive camera cycles to an asynchronous reset camera.

Rule for cameras not allowing overlapping

The next camera cycle may NOT begin before the completion of the readout phase.

Shortest possible cycle period achievable by cameras NOT allowing the cycle overlapping

Min. cycle period_n = EXP_n + RDO_n

Only a minority of industrial cameras are NOT allowing the cycle overlapping!

Rules for cameras allowing overlapping

The exposure phases of two consecutive camera cycles may NEVER overlap.

The readout phases of two consecutive camera cycles may NEVER overlap

Shortest possible cycle period achievable by cameras allowing the cycle overlapping

In the first case, the duration of the exposure phase of the second cycle is shorter than the duration of the readout phase of the first cycle. The next camera cycle may start (EXP_n+1 - RDO_n) period of time after the completion of the exposure phase. The minimum cycle period is

Min. cycle period_n = EXP_n + RDO_n - EXP_n+1

In the second case, the duration of the exposure phase of the 2nd cycle is longer than the duration of the readout phase of the first cycle. The next camera cycle may start immediately after the completion of the exposure phase. The minimum cycle period is:

Min. cycle period_n = EXP_n

The majority of asynchronous reset cameras used in the machine vision industry supports the overlapping of the camera cycles!