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Additional Functions (COM Port)

uEye Camera Manual Version 3.80

Additional Functions (COM Port)

The Additional functions dialog box allows installing virtual COM ports for communication through the serial interface of the GigE uEye HE camera. The following sections show you how to set up and use the serial interface.

Hinweis

This feature is only available for GigE uEye HE cameras.

You need administrator privileges to install a virtual COM port.

The GigE uEye HE camera you select in the Camera Manager has to be marked Free and Available.

 

Figure 88: uEye Camera Manager - Additional functions

Figure 88: uEye Camera Manager - Additional functions

Setting up the serial interface on the GigE uEye HE

Before using the serial interface on the camera, one or more virtual COM ports have to be installed on the PC. Most systems support up to 255 COM ports; COM1 to COM8 are often assigned operating system functions by default. You can check the current port assignment in the Device Manager on your computer. Some older systems may not have more than eight ports; in that case you will need to assign the GigE uEye HE camera to one of these ports.

 

COM port
In the drop down box, select the number of the port you want to install (default: 100). COM ports in use are marked (used) in the list.
Kameramanager_Button_Zusatz_COM_Installieren_EN
Click this button to install the selected virtual COM port.
During the first installation of a virtual COM port, an additional broadcast port with number 255 is installed. Data sent to this port will be forwarded to all paired cameras.
You can install any number of virtual COM ports on a single system.
Kameramanager_Button_Zusatz_COM_Loeschen_EN
With this button, you can release a COM port that is marked "used." If the port number has been saved in that camera, it will be deleted in the camera, too. To release a COM port, select it in the drop down box and then click this button.
Kameramanager_Button_Zusatz_COM_Speichern_EN
Click this button to assign the selected port number to the camera. The port number is saved in the camera's non-volatile memory and retained even when the camera is switched off. You can look up the assigned port number in the Camera Manager's expert mode. A COM port number can also be saved in a camera without a virtual COM port installed on the PC.

Hinweis

If you want to control more than one GigE uEye HE camera from a PC, each camera should be assigned a unique port number. If multiple cameras are assigned the same port number, only the port of the first camera that is opened will be used.

Hinweis

To send data via the serial interfaces of multiple cameras, you can use the broadcast port with number 255. Before connecting to the broadcast port, ensure that all the cameras that are to receive the broadcast have been opened.

Testing the serial interface on the GigE uEye HE

Hinweis

Before a camera can exchange data with a PC through the virtual COM port, the camera has to be paired with that PC (see Paired).

To avoid transmission errors, please ensure that both the camera and the receiving end use the same communication parameters (baud rate, data bits, stop bits, parity). Further information on the communication parameters is provided in the Specifications: Serial Interface chapter.

Kameramanager_Button_Zusatz_COM_Senden_EN
Clicking this button opens a dialog box for transferring data through the COM port. The dialog box is provided as the uEyeComportDemo.exe sample program together with the C++ source code and is included in the uEye SDK.
This program allows sending ASCII characters to the COM port assigned to a camera. The characters are output unchanged on the camera's serial port. To check the proper functionality, you can connect a PC to the camera's serial port and read the transmitted characters on the PC's COM port.
 
Figure 89: Data transfer through a virtual COM port

Figure 89: Data transfer through a virtual COM port

Baud
In this drop down box, you can change the data transfer rate of the serial interface.
Append
This drop down box allows appending the special characters CR (Carriage Return) and LF (Line Feed) to the ASCII text you want to transmit. Some devices with serial interface require ASCII strings to be terminated with CR/LF.
Send file
Using these functions, you can send a file in either direction (output on the camera's virtual COM port or output on the PC's COM port).

Hinweis

Since the sample program has to open the camera, please make sure the selected camera is not used by other applications at the same time.


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