Set up the FLIR Blackfly S video software

Most of the software setup can be done within Shogun Live.

We recommend that you do not run any FLIR utilities or other software that uses USB3 video cameras at the same time as Shogun Live, as this takes up the USB bandwidth.

The steps for setting up the software are:

Install FLIR drivers

Ensure that the latest FLIR drivers are installed (which you can download from the FLIR website). These drivers can be installed as part of the Vicon Shogun Live setup.

If the device drivers are correctly installed, the camera(s) are displayed in Windows Device Manager.

Set the system frame rate

Set the frame rate for the Vicon system.

The Vicon system frame rate determines which frame rates are listed for the video camera.

The system frame rate must be multiples of the video frame rate. For example, for a 30 Hz video, set the system rate to a multiple of the video frame rate, such as 60 Hz, 90 Hz, or 120 Hz, etc.

Set the GPO for Vicon Lock

The GPO setting is necessary for the Lock unit to provide a sync signal to the FLIR camera.

Set the GPO for the Lock unit.

Ensure that the chosen value in the software matches the physical cable connection. If you select the wrong GPO, the camera does not receive any trigger signals resulting in the video being initially blank or frozen on the last frame received.

Choose the pixel format

The camera performs better in its native pixel format. This is usually a Bayer format, such as BayerRG8.

If you choose another format, the camera may be restricted to lower frame rates, for the following reasons:

• It takes time to process from one pixel format to another (e.g., converting 8-bit Bayer to 8-bit grayscale).
• The new pixel format results in larger images and needs more bandwidth to transmit (e.g., converting 8-bit Bayer to 24-bit RGB triples the size of an image).

Occasionally, a different pixel format may be appropriate. Such examples include:

• The camera's onboard conversion may be better than some software conversions.
• The camera is running at a low frame rate and there is plenty of spare bandwidth.

However, these cases are unusual and we recommend selecting the native Bayer format during the initial camera setup.

Choose the frame rate

The frame rates available in the drop-down menu are determined by the following factors:

• The frame rate of the Vicon system. The video rate must have a simple mathematical relationship to the system rate.
• The limits of the camera or sensor. These are fixed and cannot be changed.
• The current pixel format of the camera.
• The region of interest (window) set on the camera.

Usually, the system rate should be the same or higher than the video frame rate. For example, if the system frame rate is 120 Hz, then the permitted video frame rates include 30 Hz, 60 Hz, and 120 Hz, (if the camera supports these rates).

Set appropriate video image parameters

Ensure you set the video image parameters appropriately.

• Exposure: The exposure time is given in microseconds. The exposure is limited to the length of the frame period. If the exposure is set too high, the camera might not be ready for the next frame before the trigger is received and the software inserts black frames to maintain synchronization. This is usually undesirable behavior, so to avoid this, decrease the exposure slightly until the warning disappears.
• Gain: If the image is too dark, adjust the gain to compensate. Avoid using too much gain when using a longer exposure time as this will require a better lighting setup. Excessively high gain results in a noisy image.
• Black Level: This property controls how dark the darkest areas of the image will appear. Adjust the level as desired.
• Gamma (Camera): The gamma property affects the actual data sent from the camera and is fixed and cannot be losslessly changed in software later.
• Gamma (Display): The gamma correction property is applied on the PC and affects the display. When data is captured as VVID/Uncompressed, the gamma correction value is saved in the file and can be modified later as part of subsequent transcoding. However, when the data is saved as a compressed MOV/JPEG, the gamma correction value is applied to the data and cannot be losslessly changed later.
• Saturation (Camera): This property affects the actual data sent from the camera and is fixed. This is only relevant when the camera converts from its native pixel format to 24-bit or 32-bit RGB. Saturation is disabled when using the camera's native Bayer format to increase performance. We recommend using the camera's native Bayer format, so this option is disabled by default.
• Saturation (Display): When data is captured as VVID/Uncompressed, the video saturation value is saved in the file but can be modified later as part of subsequent transcoding. When the data is saved as a compressed MOV/JPEG, the saturation value is applied to the data and cannot be losslessly changed later.
• Auto White Balance: This property uses an algorithm on the camera to improve the appearance of color in the image. If you require a more predictable color, disable this setting as required.