RAM on BFS-PGE-31S4M-C.

Answered

Ricardo S Barroso

• March 26, 2024 17:43

Hello, 

I am currently developing an application that will use the blackfly-s gigE camera as a pass-thru node (transferring firmware data). I have been able successfully to read a full .txt file and divided in chunks, packetize the data with different bit fields and transferred the data through the serial port (opto lines). In my test, I used a 93KB file and I was able to load the full size and packetized in a buffer, I would like to know what would be size of the RAM in the camera ???? I saw on the data sheet there's a image buffer spec with a 240MB, would this be it ???? 

 

 

thanks,

RB

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• Official comment

  

  TDY_Ifeanyi

  Community team

  • March 28, 2024 12:44

  

  

  Hi Ricardo,

  We do have example code SerialRxTx http://softwareservices.flir.com/Spinnaker/latest/_serial_rx_tx_8cpp-example.html that explain how serial communication works with our camera. Is it similar to what you implemented?

  Please note, serial communication utilizes file access node features of camera to transmit/receive data via host pc or device connected to GPIO line. The maximum buffer size (i.e file access buffer node length) for each operation is 4096 bytes. So, if you intend to transmit "93KB" file size, you would require to divide it and iterate in mulitples of 4096 bytes.

  240MB is buffer camera uses to store frames during capture, and this is not accessible for serial communication. Camera has 6MB non-volatile memory, if you just want to store some information in user file memory.  

  Please let me know if the provided information answered your question.

  Thanks,

  Ifeanyi
• 

  Ricardo S Barroso

  • March 28, 2024 16:12

  Hello Ifeany,

  got it, but the 93kB file data is store in the 240 MB ???? because, I been able to transfer this data successfully and the code is storing data in a buffer, is this buffer allocated in the device or is allocated in my pc ? I can share the code thru private channel.

  thanks, 

  Ricardo B.

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• 

  TDY_Ifeanyi

  Community team

  • April 03, 2024 08:01

  

  

  Hi Ricardo,

  As mentioned 240 MB is used by the camera to temporary store images during capture before transmitting to host pc, and this buffer is not accessible during serial communication. 

  It seems we are mixing two things up here. Storing data on camera flash memory is different operation from transmitting data via serial communication with camera as intermediate device. How did you determine the data was transfered successfully?

  I presume that you just want to transfer data (via serial communication) to device connected to camera GPIO port, right? In that case, what is important is that this destination device receives transmitted data. 

  Yes, feel free to open support ticket using our contact form at https://flir.custhelp.com/app/ask and share a sample code to take a look.

  Thanks,

  Ifeanyi

   

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• 

  Ricardo S Barroso

  • April 03, 2024 15:20

  It seems we are mixing two things up here. Storing data on camera flash memory is different operation from transmitting data via serial communication with camera as intermediate device. How did you determine the data was transfered successfully?
  
  I probed with my o-scope the opto lines (configured as tx/rx pair), and also used PuTTY to mirror the transfer data to visually confirm the transfer of the whole file. At the end, I split the whole .txt into several parts (93kB / 4096B = 22ish packets) and transfer them through the opto pins, as mentioned before.

  I am still developing the receiving end (target mcu) to send an ACK/NACK packet every time the bfs camera finishes transferring a packet.  

  I will open the ticket right no, thanks, 

  RB.

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