LabVIEW can be used for controlling Pixelink cameras as well as for camera application development. For interfacing Pixelink cameras with LabVIEW, a few setup approaches can be taken depending on the camera series used such as LabVIEW wrappers, LabVIEW with Pixelink .NET API, and USB3 Vision standard. These approaches are discussed in this article.


Note: The following camera models and some of their functionality are not supported with LabVIEW wrappers

- PL-D755-POL camera models

- Gain HDR functionality of PL-D753, PL-D757, PL-X957, PL-X9520, and PL-X9524 camera models



LabVIEW with PL-B Camera Series


For interfacing the PL-B camera series with LabVIEW, the following steps must be taken: 

1. Installation of Pixelink Capture or Pixelink SDK. Both of these can be downloaded from the Pixelink website at https://www.navitar.com/products/pixelink-cameras/pixelink-capture.

2. Installation of LabVIEW wrappers

or

3. Installation of LabVIEW with Pixelink .NET API, where both are included with LabVIEW Install Files and can be downloaded from the attachment below.


Note:

- After installing Pixelink Capture or Pixelink SDK, a PL-B camera can be initialized by and communicate with a host.

- For information on what LabVIEW wrappers and LabVIEW with Pixelink .NET API include, review the LabVIEW Install Files section of this article.



LabVIEW with PL-D Camera Series


The PL-D camera series can communicate with LabVIEW by using the USB3 Vision standard or the Pixelink driver. Since all cameras from the Pixelink PL-D camera series are U3V Vision complaint, they are able to communicate with LabVIEW through the USB3 Vision standard, as it is discussed in the U3V Vision compatibility with Labview article. Although, if the user decides to communicate with LabVIEW through the Pixelink driver, the installation steps 1, 2, and/or 3 provided for the PL-B camera series must be taken for the PL-D camera series as well. 


Note: 

- Please review the How to use Pixelink camera as U3V Vision camera? article to make sure that the camera uses the right driver

- The following camera models and some of their functionality are not supported with LabVIEW wrappers

- PL-D755-POL camera models

- Gain HDR functionality of PL-D753 and PL-D757 camera models



LabVIEW Install Files


The LabVIEW Install Files zip includes:


a) LabVIEW Wrappers

1. Samples folder: Debug Examples 8.6.dll and Demo Examples 8.6.dll

2. Pixelink folder

3. Installation.txt

4. PxLErrorCodes-errors.txt

5. PxLLabVIEW.dll


b) dotNET

1. Samples folder

2. dotnet3.5

3. dotnet4.5

4. Installation.txt



Pixelink LabVIEW Samples


Pixelink LabVIEW wrapper samples, the Debug Examples 8.6.dll and Demo Examples 8.6.dll, are included in the Samples folder. They provide information on how to initialize a camera, to acquire and to change feature settings, as well as include a simple GUI. Samples compatible with LabVIEW 2017 or above with Pixelink .NET API are also included in the dotNET folder of LabVIEW Install Files.


Note: To review and run Pixelink LabVIEW samples with PL-D cameras, a PL-D camera must communicate with a host system through the Pixelink driver and either the LabVIEW wrappers or Pixelink .NET API must be installed.



If you are looking for more information about application development with LabVIEW wrappers and Pixelink camera, the Software Development Kit Labview Information section of our knowledge base may provide you with additional resources. Otherwise, please review the Software Development Kit Information section.

 

For additional assistance, please contact pixelink.support@ametek.com.