EURESYS Grablink Collection Card Selection and Trigger Configuration Guide

EURESYS Grablink Series Camera Link Capture Card Selection and Trigger Configuration Guide

The Euresys Grablink series is a mature camera link digital image acquisition card product line, covering various models from single base configuration to dual base, full configuration (Full/80 bit), and Full XR supporting ultra long cables. It is widely used in machine vision scenarios such as electronic manufacturing AOI, flat panel inspection, print quality inspection, and high-speed motion analysis. The Camera Link interface still holds an important position in high-end visual systems due to its high bandwidth, low latency, and stable industrial characteristics. This article is based on the Grablink series technical specifications, systematically sorting out the differences between various models, hardware installation points, trigger and encoder configuration, I/O wiring, onboard processing functions, and common troubleshooting processes, to help system integration engineers quickly complete selection and deployment.

Product Family Overview and Selection Decision

The current mainstream models of the Grablink series include:

Model: Camera supports bus/bandwidth, onboard memory, I/O quantity, featured functions

Grablink Base single Base/Lite PCIe x 1200 MB/s 64 MB (image 32 MB) 10 wire (2 differential+4 isolated inputs+4 isolated outputs) ECCO (15 meter cable), PoCL

Grablink DualBase dual Base/Lite PCIe x4850 MB/s 128 MB (64 MB per channel) 2 × 10 wires (independent per channel) dual cameras for independent acquisition, PoCL

Grablink Full Single Base/Medium/Full/72-bit/8-bit PCIe x4850 MB/s 128 MB (64 MB image) 10 line support for 10 tap cameras, high bandwidth

Grablink Full XR single channel full configuration (same as Full) PCIe x4850 MB/s 128 MB 10 wire ECCO+(20 meter cable), PoCL， Standard height card

Selection suggestion:

Single Base Camera (such as common 1-tap or 2-tap black and white/color): Grablink Base offers the best value for money, with PCIe x1 occupying fewer slots.

Dual Base cameras require synchronous capture (such as stereo vision or double-sided detection): Grablink Dual Base, with two independent I/O and trigger channels that can be controlled separately.

High resolution/high-speed area or line array cameras (such as 8-tap, 10 tap, with bandwidth requirements exceeding 200 MB/s): Grablink Full or Full XR, the former with standard height and the latter supporting longer Camera Link cables (20 m) with PoCL.

Long distance cabling scenarios (over 10 meters): Prioritize Full XR (ECCO+) or Base/DualBase ECCO (15 meters) with high-quality cables.

Hardware installation and system requirements

2.1 Physical dimensions and slots

Base/DualBase/Full: Low profile, half length (167.65 mm × 68.90 mm), single slot or x4 slot (Full requires x4 or higher).

Full XR: Standard height (111.15 mm), half length, requires x4 or higher slots, pay attention to the chassis height.

2.2 Power Requirements

The board is powered through PCIe slots (3.3V and 12V), with a typical base power consumption of 3.8 W and a typical Full XR power consumption of 8.2 W.

If PoCL (Power over Camera Link) is enabled, an additional 4-pin MOLEX power socket (+12V DC) needs to be connected to power the camera. Both Base/DualBase/Full XR support PoCL and have overload, overvoltage, and short circuit protection.

Simultaneously providing non isolated+5V/1A and+12V/1A outputs (electronic fuses), which can be used for external sensor power supply.

2.3 Connector Description

Camera interface: SDR (Shrunk Delta Ribbon) MiniCL socket, Base single channel, DualBase two-way, Full/Full XR divided into BASE and MEDIUM/FULL SDR ports (Full configuration requires two ports to be connected).

External I/O: Base is a DB25 female head (standard bracket), DualBase consists of two internal 26 pin pin pins (requiring adapter), Full and Full XR are high-density HD26 or DB25.

Internal I/O: 26 pin 0.1 "pin, used for internal wiring of the chassis.

Detailed explanation of trigger and encoder configuration

The core advantage of the Grablink series lies in its flexible triggering mechanism, support for both area and line cameras, and built-in motion encoder interface.

3.1 Trigger Mode of Area Camera

Hardware trigger: Start frame acquisition through external I/O inputs (differential DIN, isolated input IIN) or orthogonal encoder signals.

Software trigger: Send instructions through API (MultiCam).

Trigger Delay: Programmable delay that adapts to the precise moment when an object reaches the field of view.

Decimation: Take one frame for every N trigger signals, used for high-speed strobe scenes.

Exposure control: It can generate precise exposure enable signals, control camera asynchronous reset, and support exposure and readout overlap to improve frame rate.

Strobe output: Trigger the light source according to the set timing (early/late pulse) after the acquisition starts.

3.2 Linear Camera Trigger and Encoder

Linear scanning is divided into two modes: continuous web scanning and discrete object scanning

Roll mode: unlimited collection, uninterrupted output, suitable for continuous surfaces such as fabrics, paper, metal strips, etc.

Object mode: Starting from "page trigger", collecting a specified number of lines or stopping upon receiving "page end trigger".

Motion encoder interface: supports A/B phase difference signals (up to 5 MHz), decoding motion direction and speed.

Direction selection: You can specify the forward direction (A → B or B → A), and you can choose to collect only in the forward direction or only in the reverse direction.

Backward Motion Cancellation: Pause the acquisition when reverse movement is detected, resume forward and backward from the breakpoint, and ensure that the image is not overlapping or missing.

Rate Converter: Programmable multiplier/divider that converts encoder pulse frequency to camera line frequency, achieving any pixel aspect ratio (including 1:1 square pixels). The frequency division factor is an integer, and the converter supports finer adjustment.

Rate Divider: Simple integer division to reduce resolution.

Typical configuration process:

Connect the encoder A/B signals to differential input (DIN) or isolated input (IIN).

Set the line trigger source to the encoder channel in MultiCam.

Configure the parameters of the rate converter (target line frequency=encoder frequency x multiplier/divisor).

Set directional filtering and reverse compensation.

Set page trigger (if necessary) and page end conditions.

3.3 Input Filter

All trigger source inputs are equipped with programmable debounce filters, with optional time constants:

Frame/page trigger: 100 ns, 500 ns, 2.5 µ s

Row trigger (encoder): 40 ns, 100 ns, 200 ns, 500 ns, 1 µ s, 5 µ s, 10 µ s

Select appropriate filtering based on the on-site noise level to avoid false triggering.

I/O interface electrical characteristics and wiring

4.1 Input Types

Differential Input (DIN): Compatible with ANSI/TIA-422/485 and complementary TTL, high-speed (up to 5 MHz), used for encoders or long line triggering.

Isolated Current Type Input (IIN): Wide voltage range (5V, 12V, 24V, up to 30V), response to 50 kHz, independent isolation of each channel (500VAC RMS). Can connect dry contacts, solid-state relays, optocouplers, or TTL/CMOS outputs.

4.2 Output Types

Isolation Contact Output (IOUT): 30V/100mA load capacity, used to drive small relays or indicator lights.

4.3 Wiring precautions

Isolation input requires external power supply (provided by the user), pay attention to polarity (common ground or common source).

Differential input requires twisted pair shielded wires to avoid interference.

The output is an open collector, and an external pull-up resistor needs to be connected to the load power supply.

The board provides non isolated+5V and+12V outputs (1A each), which can be used to power encoders or sensors. Please note that the total current should not exceed the limit.

Onboard processing and image format

The Grablink series (Full/DualBase/Full XR) has built-in lookup tables (LUTs), Bayer decoding, bit depth conversion, and other preprocessing to reduce CPU burden.

Bit depth unpacking: 10/12/14-bit unpacking to 16 bit, can be left aligned or right aligned.

Bayer conversion: 3 × 3 kernel advanced interpolation (average/median), up to 125 MPixel/s (Base) or 225 MPixel/s (Full).

Image reconstruction: Multi tap cameras (such as 2-tap, 4-tap) can be reconstructed into a complete bitmap and support tap inversion.

ROI (Window of Interest): Only collect regions of interest, reduce data volume, and increase frame rate.

Software Drivers and Development Environment

All Grablink cards use a unified MultiCam driver (Windows 10/8.1/7 and Linux, 32/64 bit), providing C/C++API and support NET, ActiveX, and other encapsulation. Key features:

CamFile: Pre defined parameter files for various models of Camera Link cameras can be downloaded from the Euresys official website or edited by oneself.

Channel concept: Each camera corresponds to a collection channel, bound to a memory buffer, and configurable trigger source, image size, format, etc.

DMA engine: hardware scatter runner, directly writes to user allocated memory (64 bit addressing), with low CPU usage.

Memento event logging tool: records errors, timeouts, trigger losses, etc. during the collection process for easy debugging.

Common troubleshooting and solutions

7.1 No image or image splash screen

Check if the Camera Link cable is secure and if qualified high flexibility or robot cables are used (ECCO compatible cables are recommended for lengths exceeding 5 meters).

Confirm that the camera configuration (Base/Medium/Full) is consistent with the board settings, and that the Camera Link clock frequency is within the range of 20-85 MHz.

Check camera power supply: If using PoCL, confirm that the board is connected to a+12V power input and that the camera supports PoCL; Non PoCL cameras require external power supply.

Check the MultiCam error code, commonly "No camera detected" may indicate a failure in serial communication. Check the serial port baud rate in CamFile.

7.2 Trigger non response or collection misalignment

Measure whether the trigger signal level meets the DIN or IIN threshold using an oscilloscope.

Check if the filter setting is too large (e.g. 2.5 µ s filtered out narrow pulses).

For the encoder, confirm that the A/B phase is correct and the direction setting is consistent with the actual motion.

If reverse compensation is used, check if the forward direction is mistakenly set to reverse, causing the collection to pause.

7.3 DMA transmission frame loss or insufficient performance

Ensure that PCIe slots meet bandwidth requirements (Base requires x1, DualBase/Full requires x4).

Check if the system BIOS has enabled PCIe high bandwidth mode and disabled energy-saving options.

Increase the user allocation buffer to avoid the queue being full due to slow processing at the application layer.

Use MultiCam's' Delivery timeout 'to monitor frame loss events.

7.4 I/O output has no action

Measure whether the external load power supply is connected (isolated output requires external VDD).

Check if the output current exceeds the limit (100 mA), as overloading may trigger protection.

Confirm that the software correctly associates the strobe or GP output channel.

7.5 Board cannot be recognized

Re insert and unplug the card, clean the golden fingers.

Check if the power plug is connected (especially the PoCL power supply).

Check for unknown devices in the Device Manager and manually install the MultiCam driver.

Precautions for cables and accessories

Standard Cable Link cable: up to 10 meters (regular), can reach up to 15 meters using ECCO technology (Base/DualBase/Full XR support), and ECCO+for Full XR can reach up to 20 meters.

Cable type: Highly flexible drag chain cable (robot type) is recommended for use in sports situations.

Attachment: DualBase provides DB25F I/O adapter cable (1625) for easy connection to external terminal blocks.

Heat dissipation: All cards are designed without fans, ensuring good ventilation of the chassis and an ambient temperature of 0-50 ° C.

Suggestions for maintenance and long-term stability

Regularly check the oxidation status of cable connectors and gold fingers, especially in humid environments.

Use MultiCam's logging function to record periodic status and provide early warning of triggering loss or high temperature.

Firmware update: Follow the Euresys official website to upgrade drivers and firmware to fix known issues.

For critical production lines, it is recommended to backup CamFile and application configuration for quick recovery.