Pixelink SDK on Labview 8.2 with PL-B741U camera. Crashes.

[tomsticklandrenishaw]

I've installed the Pixelink SDK with Labview wrappers.

I've copied the example VI from their help.

It works up until the point of "Pixelink Get Next Frame".

If I request an array output then it comes up with

"LabVIEW 8.2 Development System has encountered a problem and needs to close.  We are sorry for the inconvenience."

If I try pointer output then it comes up with error 5024

"GetNextFrame cannot be called at this time because it is in use by an overlay callback function"

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I've started reading up on overlay callback functions, but I can't see why the example doesn't work properly.

Could it be a firmware version issue or something?

Getcamera info says:

Model: B700

Description: PixeLINK PL-B771U Monochrome Camera    PiCCS 2.12.0.8          

Serial: 741002004

Firmware: 04.00.00.05

FPGA: 81.00.01.82

Camera name: PixeLINK PL-B771U

[Andy.G]

Hey tomsticklandrenishaw,

Would it be possible to see a copy of your VI? Are you using IMAQdx? Have you tried running the code in highlight execution to ascertain exactly where the error occurs?

[tomsticklandrenishaw]

Hi,

I'm not using IMAQdx.

I'm not even using IMAQ.

I am using the tool kit supplied by Pixelink which uses library calls to their dll.
I am using one of their supplied example vis, as recommended by them.

Pixelink have looked at the problem and told me that they've never seen it before and many people are using this same code on Labview 8.2.

I did try IMAQdx and it worked, but I can't justify a licence for this application.

I know where it is crashing out; it's at the "get next frame" command.

[Andy.G]

Hey tomsticklandrenishaw,

Unfortunately I don't quite have all of the sub VI's this program is trying to call, I assume they are part of the Pixelink toolkit? What I recommend that you do is use the step into function to ascertain exactly where the error is occurring, if it occurs at the dll function within the code then unfortunately there is nothing I can do about it, as it pixelink's code from there on in. 

[tomsticklandrenishaw]

Yes, it's at the library call in "get next frame" that the error occurs.

Pixelink have told me that many people are using this on 8.2 without trouble.

I'm going to try it on a few machines and on 8.5.

[Andy.G]

Hey tomsticklandrenishaw,

Im afraid there is little we can do here at NI to help you, as the error seems to be coming from their code. Could you ask pixelink if the setup they have used was the same? Is there an alternative piece of code available on their site that you could use? I would however strongly recommend the use of IMAQdx, epically seeing as it worked.

[tomsticklandrenishaw]

IMAQdx is too expensive for the application I have.

The Pixelink library is a more cost effective solution for what I need to do on several machines......well, it would be if it worked.

I'm going to try it on Labview 8.5 to see what happens.

[tomsticklandrenishaw]

I installed Labview 8.5 this afternoon and the camera worked fine.

I have a bit of a dilemma now - we've got 6 machines all using Labview 8.2.

How would we move to 8.5 License wise? I've got an 8.5 License from another project.

Would we have to move to 2010 instead?

[Andy.G · Accepted solution]

Hey Tom,

Unfortunately LV 8.5 licenses are not available anymore, you would have to buy a 2010 license. If you speak to your sales representative they can give you the disk for 8.5 and the new license purchased will work with 8.5. However if you do have a license for 2010, I recommend you use 2010 due to the additional features and compiler efficiency.

[tomsticklandrenishaw]

You'll like this; we've decided that the time has come to move onto 2010 across the board.

We've got more than 25 machine years out of 8.2 and we've been very pleased with it.