In most cases, Pixelink software can be installed by following these steps:

  • Disconnect any Pixelink cameras from the system, by unplugging the cables from the cameras.

  • Uninstall any installed Pixelink software, including any previous versions of Pixelink Capture or the SDK.

  • Run the Pixelink Capture or Pixelink SDK installer, by double clicking the .exe file.

  • Finally, connect a Pixelink camera, and open Pixelink Capture.


However, in some cases an additional adapter card may be required to provide an interface connector for the camera, or additional installation steps may be required. The installation guide below provides more information on the installation process, in these cases.


Note:

This article explains the procedure for installing Pixelink Capture on your Windows system. For information on installing the Linux SDK, see: Installing the Pixelink SDK on your Linux System



Installing an Interface Adapter Card

If your desktop computer already has a suitable interface connector, please proceed to Installing the Software.


Installing a Gigabit Ethernet or USB2.0 Adapter Card

For Gigabit Ethernet and USB2.0 interface adapters, follow the manufacturer's installation instructions for both the hardware and software prior to installing any Pixelink software.


Installing a FireWire Adapter Card

  • Shut down Windows.

  • Disconnect the PC’s power cord.

  • Ground yourself by using an antistatic mat, grounding cord or other grounding device, then open the cover of the computer.

  • Locate an available PCI slot and remove the corresponding slot cover (if present) located at the back of the chassis.


  • Insert the card into the selected PCI slot. Make sure that the card is fitted securely. Replace the cover screw to ground the card firmly to the PC chassis.

  • Replace the cover and switch on the computer.

  • Login to the computer, using an account with "administrator" See Windows Help for instructions on how to determine if your account has administrator privileges.

  • Windows will automatically detect the card and run the "Add New Hardware Wizard". This wizard will search for a "Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller". Click “Next”.

  • Select “Search for the best driver for your device.” Click “Next”.

  • The wizard will then ask for locations to search for the drivers. Clear all of the check boxes and click “Next”.

  • When asked “What do you want to install?” select “The updated driver.” Click “Next”.

  • When the wizard finds the driver, check that the driver location is <Windows path>\inf\1394.inf, where <Windows path> is the location of your Windows program files. Click “Next”.

  •  If the wizard does not find the driver, check the documentation included with the card, or the website of the card manufacturer.

  • Click “Finish” to complete the installation of the card.


Installing Pixelink Camera Software

  • To install or uninstall Pixelink Camera Software, you must be logged in to a Windows user account with administrator privileges. Admin privileges are only required for installation; and should not be required for day-to-day use of the camera. If your account does not have administrative privileges, please contact your system administrator for details.

  • Exit all applications.

  • Download our Capture software from the following link, after filling out a short form – https://pixelink.com/products/software/. After downloading the Pixelink Capture or SDK, run the Pixelink_Capture or Pixelink_SDK executable. The interactive installation program will run automatically.


When installing Pixelink Capture or the SDK, the installer will open a window similar to the following:



  • Follow the instructions given by the Installation Wizard. At one point, the wizard will give you the option to select the component options to install. Only those options selected will be installed.  


Note:


For GigE cameras, be sure to select the option to install GigE drivers. 

For Version 10.7 and above, this option can be found on the first window of the installer. For earlier releases, you will need to click on "Options" to select this option, or to change which features are installed.



Installing the Pixelink Camera


FireWire and USB2.0 or 3.0 Cameras

  • Connect the camera to the computer using a suitable cable. The camera's status LED should blink orange then turn to steady green.

  • Depending on your operating system, you will receive a notification that the operating system has "Found New Hardware". In a short period of time, you should receive a second notification that the new hardware is ready for use.

  • To confirm that the installation worked correctly, run Pixelink Capture once before logging out of the administrator account

  • Start => PixeLINK => Pixelink Capture (or the path specified in the installation procedure). The application should start streaming the connected Pixelink camera and display its serial number.  This indicates that the installation was successful. If the application shows “No Cameras Connected” instead of the serial number, please see the Troubleshooting page.

It is not necessary to run the application under administrator privileges during subsequent sessions.

  • If you have more than one camera, initialize the remainder of them while still using Administrator privileges. Detach the interface cable from the current camera and re-connect it to the next uninitialized camera.  Repeat as required. Administrator privileges are not required for subsequent use of a camera.


Gigabit Ethernet Cameras

 

Connect the camera to the computer or network using a suitable Cat5E or Cat6 cable and apply power to the camera. The LEDs on the network connector should be lit.


Note:

The host computer will not display a "Found New Hardware" notification with a GigE camera. 

In a point-to-point connection, unplugging the camera may cause the host to display a "network connection unplugged" message.


Prior to utilizing a GigE Camera, an IP address must be assigned to the GigE NIC card and the GigE camera. Typically, this will happen automatically using either DHCP or LLA.


To manually set the IP address, use the Pixelink Camera IP Address Tool. This tool can be found in the Start menu under Start => PixeLINK => Tools (or the path specified in the installation procedure).  


Note:

In this dialog, IP Engine refers to the network hardware and firmware on-board the camera.




Note:

It can take several minutes for the Network Interface Card to recognize a newly connected camera. 

During this time, the list of available IP Engines will be blank.  In this case, cancel the dialog, wait approximately 30 seconds and try again. 


Make note of the IP Address of the NIC in the NIC Settings section of the dialog. The IP Engine Settings section should have an IP Address similar to the NIC card. Complete the IP Engine IP Address using numbers that are different than the IP Address of the NIC. For example, in the dialog above, the IP Engine IP Address could be set to 169.254.110.152. Click Update and close/cancel the Pixelink  Camera IP Address Tool dialog. Your Pixelink GigE camera is now ready for use.

 

To confirm that the installation worked correctly, run Pixelink Capture once before logging out of the administrator account:


Start  => PixeLINK => Pixelink Capture (or the path specified in the installation procedure). The application should start streaming the connected Pixelink camera and display its serial number. This indicates that the installation was successful. If the application shows “No Cameras Connected” instead of the serial number, see the Troubleshooting page.


It is not necessary to run the application under administrator privileges during subsequent sessions.