Camera Frame rate in different trigger modes

Answered

Asaf Pipman

• January 18, 2023 16:09

Hi!
I wanted to double check that the frame rate specified in the data sheet specifications is the frame rate for a full frame, and in any trigger mode. Specifically I'm interested in the BFS-U3-120S4C-CS model, but the question remains relevant for all camera models.

Please be aware I ask because on a previous FLIR camera model (FL3-U3-xxx), FLIR support informed me after many hours of debugging, that the frame rate when using trigger from one of the physical input lines is always the full frame capture rate.
This means that when using a hardware trigger, the frame rate is constant (and low) regardless of the AOI of the image currently being captured.

At any rate, I want to make sure I understand the frame rate I should be able to achieve with this camera, for full frame AOI, with say 50ms exposure time.

Thanks!

0

• Official comment

  

  TDY_Demos

  Community team

  • January 18, 2023 20:07
  • Edited

  

  Hello Asaf,

  I am not sure which camera you are looking at specifically, but you can trigger a camera via a hardware line at the framerate the camera can run in free run, assuming the camera support overlap readout.  As you reduce your region of interest, if your max free-run framerate increases, you max trigger rate will also increase to match. 

  You may be referencing some of the FL3 variants where the framerate did not increase with ROI change, in which case you could not trigger quicker either.  These would be the exception though.

  I can use our documentation for the BFS-U3-19S4 for example:

  1.  You can find if the camera framerate increases with ROI by looking at our datasheet or spec table in our camera reference.  For example the table at http://softwareservices.flir.com/BFS-U3-19S4/latest/Model/spec.html shows the framerates for different resolutions at different pixel formats.

  2.  Max trigger rate should match the free run rate assuming the camera supports overlap readout.  You can find if it does by looking this up in the camera reference as well, for example: Acquisition Control - BFS-U3-19S4 Version 1910.0.120.0 (flir.com).  Most cameras support overlap readout, but checking the manuals is a good was to make sure.

  

  Specifically if you are running a camera at full frame with an exposure time of 50ms, then your max framerate would but 20fps (1/exposure time) or the max framerate of the camera as per the spec table, whichever is smallest.

  I hope this helps explain what you can expect.  If you have a specific model and settings in mind, we can help verify it for you, but in general you can trigger as fast as the camera can run in free run for the resolution of the camera, as long as the camera supports overlap trigger mode.

  Demos
• 

  TDY_Demos

  Community team

  • January 25, 2023 20:39

  

  Hello Asaf, did the above information help answer your questions?  We can help test a specific model and settings to verify maximum trigger rate for your resolution if you would like.

  Thank you,

  Demos

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• 

  Asaf Pipman

  • January 26, 2023 07:24

  Hi!
  
  Yes, thank you for the answer!
  We're in the process of testing maximum frame rates for one of the BFS cameras as we speak.

  We'll likely test full frame and cropped images, hardware and software trigger with different exposure times.

  If anything doesn't add up, I'll post an update.

  Thanks again!

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