IO and Projector Control¶

The IOControl module is an optional on-board module of the rc_visard and requires a separate IOControl license to be purchased. This license is included in every rc_visard purchased after 01.07.2020.

The IOControl module allows reading the status of the general purpose digital inputs and controlling the digital general purpose outputs (GPIOs) of the rc_visard. The outputs can be set to LOW or HIGH, or configured to be HIGH for the exposure time of every image or every second image.

The purpose of the IOControl module is the control of an external light source or a projector, which is connected to one of the rc_visard’s GPIOs to be synchronized by the image acquisition trigger. In case a pattern projector is used to improve stereo matching, the intensity images also show the projected pattern, which might be a disadvantage for image processing tasks that are based on the intensity image (e.g. edge detection). For this reason, the IOControl module allows setting GPIO outputs to HIGH for the exposure time of every second image, so that intensity images without the projected pattern are also available.

Parameters¶

The IOControl module is called rc_iocontrol in the REST-API and is represented by the IOControl page in the Configuration tab of the Web GUI. The user can change the parameters via the Web GUI, the REST-API interface, or via GigE Vision using the DigitalIOControl parameters LineSelector and LineSource (Category: DigitalIOControl).

Parameter overview¶

This module offers the following run-time parameters:

Table 40 The `rc_iocontrol` module’s run-time parameters¶
Name	Type	Min	Max	Default	Description
`out1_mode`	string	-	-	Low	Out1 mode: [Low, High, ExposureActive, ExposureAlternateActive]
`out2_mode`	string	-	-	Low	Out2 mode: [Low, High, ExposureActive, ExposureAlternateActive]

Description of run-time parameters¶

`out1_mode` and `out2_mode` (Out1 and Out2)¶

The output modes for GPIO Out 1 and Out 2 can be set individually:

Low sets the ouput permanently to LOW. This is the factory default.

High sets the output permanently to HIGH.

ExposureActive sets the output to HIGH for the exposure time of every image.

ExposureAlternateActive sets the output to HIGH for the exposure time of every second image.

Via the REST-API, this parameter can be set as follows.
PUT http://<host>/api/v1/nodes/rc_iocontrol/parameters?<out1_mode|out2_mode>=<value>

Note

The parameters can only be changed if the IOControl license is available on the rc_cube. Otherwise, the parameters will stay at their factory defaults, i.e. out1_mode = Low and out2_mode = Low.

Fig. 37 shows which images are used for stereo matching and transmission via GigE Vision in ExposureActive mode with a user-defined frame rate of 8 Hz.

Fig. 37 Example of using the ExposureActive mode for GPIO Out 1 with a user-defined frame rate of 8 Hz. The internal image acquisition is always 25 Hz. GPIO Out 1 is HIGH for the exposure time of every image. A disparity image is computed for camera images that are sent out via GigE Vision according to the user-defined frame rate.

The mode ExposureAlternateActive is meant to be used when an external random dot projector is connected to the rc_visard’s GPIO Out 1. When setting Out 1 to ExposureAlternateActive, the stereo matching module only uses images with GPIO Out 1 being HIGH, i.e. projector is on. The maximum frame rate that is used for stereo matching is therefore half of the frame rate configured by the user (see FPS). All modules which make use of the intensity image, like TagDetect and ItemPick, use the intensity images with GPIO Out 1 being LOW, i.e. projector is off. Fig. 38 shows an example.

Fig. 38 Example of using the ExposureAlternateActive mode for GPIO Out 1 with a user-defined frame rate of 8 Hz. The internal image acquisition is always 25 Hz. GPIO Out 1 is HIGH for the exposure time of every second image. A disparity image is computed for images where Out 1 is HIGH and that are sent out via GigE Vision according to the user-defined frame rate. In ExposureAlternateActive mode, intensity images are always transmitted pairwise: one with GPIO Out 1 HIGH, for which a disparity image might be available, and one with GPIO Out 1 LOW.

Note

In ExposureAlternateActive mode, an intensity image with GPIO Out 1 being HIGH (i.e. with projection) is always 40 ms away from an intensity image with Out 1 being LOW (i.e. without projection), regardless of the user-defined frame rate. This needs to be considered when synchronizing disparity images and camera images without projection in this special mode.

The functionality can also be controlled by the DigitalIOControl parameters of the GenICam interface (Category: DigitalIOControl).

Services¶

Each service response contains a return_code, which consists of a value plus an optional message. A successful service returns with a return_code value of 0. Negative return_code values indicate that the service failed. Positive return_code values indicate that the service succeeded with additional information.

The IOControl module offers the following services.

`get_io_values`¶

This service call retrieves the current state of the rc_visard’s general purpose inputs and outputs (GPIOs).

This service can be called as follows.
PUT http://<host>/api/v1/nodes/rc_iocontrol/services/get_io_values
This service has no arguments.

The definition for the response with corresponding datatypes is:
{
  "name": "get_io_values",
  "response": {
    "in1": "bool",
    "in2": "bool",
    "out1": "bool",
    "out2": "bool",
    "return_code": {
      "message": "string",
      "value": "int16"
    },
    "timestamp": {
      "nsec": "int32",
      "sec": "int32"
    }
  }
}
The returned timestamp is the time of measurement.

return_code holds possible warnings or error codes and messages. Possible return_code values are shown below.

Code Description

0 Success

-2 Internal error

-9 License for IOControl is not available

`save_parameters`¶

With this service call, the module’s current parameter settings are persisted to the rc_cube. That means, these values are applied even after reboot.

This service can be called as follows.
PUT http://<host>/api/v1/nodes/rc_iocontrol/services/save_parameters
This service has no arguments.

The definition for the response with corresponding datatypes is:
{
  "name": "save_parameters",
  "response": {
    "return_code": {
      "message": "string",
      "value": "int16"
    }
  }
}

`reset_defaults`¶

Restores and applies the default values for this module’s parameters (“factory reset”).

This service can be called as follows.
PUT http://<host>/api/v1/nodes/rc_iocontrol/services/reset_defaults
This service has no arguments.

The definition for the response with corresponding datatypes is:
{
  "name": "reset_defaults",
  "response": {
    "return_code": {
      "message": "string",
      "value": "int16"
    }
  }
}
Warning

By calling this service, the current parameter settings for the IOControl module are irrecoverably lost.