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You are here: CCD Primer PICAM Virtual Camera Library

PICAM Virtual Camera Library

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Published on Thursday, 15 December 2011 19:37
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PICAM available for Vista and Windows 7 - 64-bit

PICAM is a library of functions which can be utilized to control and acquire data from the camera when a custom application is being written. For example, in the case of Windows, PICAM is a dynamic link library (DLL). Also, it should be understood that PICAM is solely for camera control and image acquisition, not for image processing. PICAM places acquired images into a buffer, where they can then be manipulated using either custom written code or by extensions to other commercially available image processing packages. PICAM supports circular buffer or ring buffer that allows faster frame update irrespective of the operating systems' load. This is sometimes called data streaming. Images are acquired (or buffered) in to the memory and then passed on to the Operation System for display or storage.

PPK a Programmer's Developer Kit
The Professional Programmer's Kit (PPK) is designed for those who wish to develop their own custom software for all Roper Scientific camera systems. PPK consists of the necessary drivers to enable the software to run on either Windows, Macintosh and LINUX . Also included is a sample program with complete source code, documentation, applications notes, technical support. The heart of PPK is the PICAM library; the function calls enable one to access virtually every aspect of the camera operation, as well as acquire images into a buffer. PICAM provides a virtual interface to all cameras, so that the actual complexities of controlling the camera are masked. Additionally, PICAM allows the developer to work across multiple platforms with minimal modification to source code.

For 3rd Party Software Developers
PPK will be of particular use to software developers who wish to integrate a Princeton Instruments cooled CCD camera into a larger system, especially if software has already been written for that system. PPK will also benefit those who wish to control the camera along with several other instruments as part of an experimental setup.