Triggered Image Acquisition#
Most modern imaging applications work with triggered image acquisition.
If you want to acquire images continuously without having to trigger acquisitions, see free run image acquisition.
Info
- On some cameras, enabling hardware or software triggering disables overlapping image acquisition and therefore lowers the camera's maximum frame rate. This applies to all cameras in this table where "Overlapping Image Acquisition Availability" is specified as "Only when the camera is configured for free run image acquisition".
-
Don't trigger the camera at a rate that exceeds one or both of the following limiting factors:
- The maximum allowed frame rate for the current camera settings. If you apply Frame Start trigger signals to the camera when it is not ready to receive them, the signals will be ignored.
- The host computer's capacity limits for data transfer, storage, or both. If you try to acquire more images than the host computer is able to process, frames may be dropped. For more information about bandwidth optimization, see the Network Configuration topic.
-
To check whether the camera is ready to receive trigger signals, monitor the camera's Trigger Wait signals or use the Acquisition Status feature.
Hardware Triggering#
If your camera supports hardware triggering, an electrical signal applied to one of the camera's input lines can act as a trigger signal.
To configure the camera for hardware triggering:
- Select the trigger type that you want to configure, e.g.,
FrameStart. - Set the trigger mode of the selected trigger to
On. - Set the trigger source to one of the available hardware trigger sources.
- If desired, use the Trigger Activation and the Trigger Delay features to further configure hardware triggering.
- Repeat the steps above for all trigger types that you want to control with an electrical signal.
Now, you can trigger the camera by applying electrical signals to the selected input line.
Software Triggering#
When the camera is configured for software triggering, a software command acts as a trigger signal. The software command can be executed using the pylon API.
On some camera models, multiple software commands are available to perform software triggering.
To configure the camera for software triggering:
- Select the trigger type that you want to configure, e.g.,
FrameStart. - Set the trigger mode of the selected trigger to
On. - Set the trigger source to one of the available software trigger sources.
- Repeat the steps above for all trigger types that you want to control with a software command.
Now, you can trigger the camera by executing the appropriate software command, e.g., TriggerSoftware.
Specifics#
| Camera Model | Hardware Triggering Supported? |
|---|---|
| a2A640-240gmSWIR | Yes |
| a2A640-240umSWIR | Yes |
| a2A1280-80gmSWIR | Yes |
| a2A1280-125umSWIR | Yes |
| a2A1920-51gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A1920-51gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A1920-51gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A1920-51gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A1920-160ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A1920-160ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A1920-160umBAS | Yes |
| a2A1920-160umPRO | Yes |
| a2A1920-165g5cBAS | Yes |
| a2A1920-165g5mBAS | Yes |
| a2A2448-23gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A2448-23gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A2448-23gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A2448-23gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A2448-75ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A2448-75ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A2448-75umBAS | Yes |
| a2A2448-75umPRO | Yes |
| a2A2448-105g5cBAS | Yes |
| a2A2448-105g5mBAS | Yes |
| a2A2590-22gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A2590-22gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A2590-22gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A2590-22gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A2590-60ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A2590-60ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A2590-60umBAS | Yes |
| a2A2590-60umPRO | Yes |
| a2A2600-20gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A2600-20gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A2600-20gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A2600-20gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A2600-64ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A2600-64ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A2600-64umBAS | Yes |
| a2A2600-64umPRO | Yes |
| a2A2840-14gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A2840-14gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A2840-14gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A2840-14gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A2840-48ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A2840-48ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A2840-48umBAS | Yes |
| a2A2840-48umPRO | Yes |
| a2A2840-67g5cBAS | Yes |
| a2A2840-67g5mBAS | Yes |
| a2A3840-13gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A3840-13gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A3840-13gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A3840-13gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A3840-45ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A3840-45ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A3840-45umBAS | Yes |
| a2A3840-45umPRO | Yes |
| a2A4096-9gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A4096-9gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A4096-9gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A4096-9gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A4096-30ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A4096-30ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A4096-30umBAS | Yes |
| a2A4096-30umPRO | Yes |
| a2A4096-44g5cBAS | Yes |
| a2A4096-44g5mBAS | Yes |
| a2A4200-12gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A4200-12gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A4200-12gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A4200-12gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A4200-40ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A4200-40ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A4200-40umBAS | Yes |
| a2A4200-40umPRO | Yes |
| a2A4504-5gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A4504-5gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A4504-5gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A4504-5gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A4504-18ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A4504-18ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A4504-18umBAS | Yes |
| a2A4504-18umPRO | Yes |
| a2A4504-27g5cBAS | Yes |
| a2A4504-27g5mBAS | Yes |
| a2A5320-7gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A5320-7gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A5320-7gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A5320-7gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A5320-23ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A5320-23ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A5320-23umBAS | Yes |
| a2A5320-23umPRO | Yes |
| a2A5320-34g5cBAS | Yes |
| a2A5320-34g5mBAS | Yes |
| a2A5328-4gcBAS | Yes |
| a2A5328-4gcPRO | Yes |
| a2A5328-4gmBAS | Yes |
| a2A5328-4gmPRO | Yes |
| a2A5328-15ucBAS | Yes |
| a2A5328-15ucPRO | Yes |
| a2A5328-15umBAS | Yes |
| a2A5328-15umPRO | Yes |
| a2A5328-22g5cBAS | Yes |
| a2A5328-22g5mBAS | Yes |
| acA640-90gc | Yes |
| acA640-90uc | yes |
| acA640-121gm | Yes |
| acA640-300gc | Yes |
| acA640-300gm | Yes |
| acA640-750uc | Yes |
| acA640-750um | Yes |
| acA720-290gc | Yes |
| acA720-290gm | Yes |
| acA720-520uc | Yes |
| acA720-520um | Yes |
| acA800-200gc | Yes |
| acA800-200gm | Yes |
| acA800-510uc | Yes |
| acA800-510um | Yes |
| acA1280-60gc | Yes |
| acA1280-60gm | Yes |
| acA1300-60gc | Yes |
| acA1300-60gm | Yes |
| acA1300-60gmNIR | Yes |
| acA1300-75gc | Yes |
| acA1300-75gm | Yes |
| acA1300-200uc | Yes |
| acA1300-200um | Yes |
| acA1440-73gc | Yes |
| acA1440-73gm | Yes |
| acA1440-220uc | Yes |
| acA1440-220um | Yes |
| acA1600-20gc | Yes |
| acA1600-20uc | Yes |
| acA1600-60gc | Yes |
| acA1600-60gm | Yes |
| acA1920-25gc | Yes |
| acA1920-25gm | Yes |
| acA1920-25uc | Yes |
| acA1920-25um | Yes |
| acA1920-40gc | Yes |
| acA1920-40gm | Yes |
| acA1920-40uc | Yes |
| acA1920-40ucMED | Yes |
| acA1920-40um | Yes |
| acA1920-40umMED | Yes |
| acA1920-48gc | Yes |
| acA1920-48gm | Yes |
| acA1920-50gc | Yes |
| acA1920-50gm | Yes |
| acA1920-150uc | Yes |
| acA1920-150um | Yes |
| acA1920-155uc | Yes |
| acA1920-155ucMED | Yes |
| acA1920-155um | Yes |
| acA1920-155umMED | Yes |
| acA2000-50gc | Yes |
| acA2000-50gm | Yes |
| acA2000-165uc | Yes |
| acA2000-165um | Yes |
| acA2040-25gc | Yes |
| acA2040-25gm | Yes |
| acA2040-25gmNIR | Yes |
| acA2040-35gc | Yes |
| acA2040-35gm | Yes |
| acA2040-55uc | Yes |
| acA2040-55um | Yes |
| acA2040-90uc | Yes |
| acA2040-90um | Yes |
| acA2040-90umNIR | Yes |
| acA2040-120uc | Yes |
| acA2040-120um | Yes |
| acA2440-20gc | Yes |
| acA2440-20gm | Yes |
| acA2440-35uc | Yes |
| acA2440-35ucMED | Yes |
| acA2440-35um | Yes |
| acA2440-35umMED | Yes |
| acA2440-75uc | Yes |
| acA2440-75ucMED | Yes |
| acA2440-75um | Yes |
| acA2440-75umMED | Yes |
| acA2500-14gc | Yes |
| acA2500-14gm | Yes |
| acA2500-14uc | Yes |
| acA2500-14um | Yes |
| acA2500-20gc | Yes |
| acA2500-20gcMED | Yes |
| acA2500-20gm | Yes |
| acA2500-20gmMED | Yes |
| acA2500-60uc | Yes |
| acA2500-60um | Yes |
| acA3088-16gc | Yes |
| acA3088-16gm | Yes |
| acA3088-57uc | Yes |
| acA3088-57ucMED | Yes |
| acA3088-57um | Yes |
| acA3088-57umMED | Yes |
| acA3800-10gc | Yes |
| acA3800-10gm | Yes |
| acA3800-14uc | Yes |
| acA3800-14um | Yes |
| acA4024-8gc | Yes |
| acA4024-8gm | Yes |
| acA4024-29uc | Yes |
| acA4024-29um | Yes |
| acA4096-11gc | Yes |
| acA4096-11gm | Yes |
| acA4096-30uc | Yes |
| acA4096-30ucMED | Yes |
| acA4096-30um | Yes |
| acA4096-30umMED | Yes |
| acA4096-40uc | Yes |
| acA4096-40ucMED | Yes |
| acA4096-40um | Yes |
| acA4096-40umMED | Yes |
| acA4112-8gc | Yes |
| acA4112-8gm | Yes |
| acA4112-20uc | Yes |
| acA4112-20ucMED | Yes |
| acA4112-20um | Yes |
| acA4112-20umMED | Yes |
| acA4112-30uc | Yes |
| acA4112-30ucMED | Yes |
| acA4112-30um | Yes |
| acA4112-30umMED | Yes |
| acA4600-7gc | Yes |
| acA4600-10uc | Yes |
| acA5472-5gc | Yes |
| acA5472-5gm | Yes |
| acA5472-17uc | Yes |
| acA5472-17ucMED | Yes |
| acA5472-17um | Yes |
| acA5472-17umMED | Yes |
| boA1936-400cc | Yes |
| boA1936-400cm | Yes |
| boA2448-250cc | Yes |
| boA2448-250cm | Yes |
| boA2832-190cc | Yes |
| boA2832-190cm | Yes |
| boA4096-93cc | Yes |
| boA4096-93cm | Yes |
| boA4096-180cc | Yes |
| boA4096-180cm | Yes |
| boA4112-68cc | Yes |
| boA4112-68cm | Yes |
| boA4500-45cc | Yes |
| boA4500-45cm | Yes |
| boA4504-100cc | Yes |
| boA4504-100cm | Yes |
| boA5120-150cc | Yes |
| boA5120-150cm | Yes |
| boA5120-230cc | Yes |
| boA5120-230cm | Yes |
| boA5320-150cc | Yes |
| boA5320-150cm | Yes |
| boA5328-100cc | Yes |
| boA5328-100cm | Yes |
| boA6500-36cc | Yes |
| boA6500-36cm | Yes |
| boA8100-16cc | Yes |
| boA8100-16cm | Yes |
| boA9344-70cc | Yes |
| boA9344-70cm | Yes |
| daA720-520uc | Yes |
| daA720-520um | Yes |
| daA1280-54uc | Yes |
| daA1280-54um | Yes |
| daA1440-220uc | Yes |
| daA1440-220um | Yes |
| daA1600-60uc | Yes |
| daA1600-60um | Yes |
| daA1920-15um | Yes |
| daA1920-30uc | Yes |
| daA1920-30um | Yes |
| daA1920-160uc | Yes |
| daA1920-160um | Yes |
| daA2448-70uc | Yes |
| daA2448-70um | Yes |
| daA2500-14uc | Yes |
| daA2500-14um | Yes |
| daA3840-45uc | Yes |
| daA3840-45um | Yes |
| puA1280-54uc | No |
| puA1280-54um | No |
| puA1600-60uc | No |
| puA1600-60um | No |
| puA1920-30uc | No |
| puA1920-30um | No |
| puA2500-14uc | No |
| puA2500-14um | No |