Allied Vision Karmin 3 Stereo Camera User Guide
- June 1, 2024
- Allied Vision
Table of Contents
Allied Vision Karmin 3 Stereo Camera
Product Information
Karmin3 is available in two different baseline distances: 10 cm and 25 cm. The 10 cm model is intended for close-range measurements, while the 25 cm model is intended for long-range measurements. Both baseline distances are available with either monochrome or color image sensors.
General Specifications
- Sensor resolution
- Sensor format
- Lens mount
- Chroma
- Shutter
- Interface
- Trigger-input
- Stereo baseline distance
- Mounting bottom side
- Mounting top side
- Weight without lenses
- Conformity
Dimensions and Mounting Holes
The dimensions of the available models are shown in Figures 1a and 1b. The
figures also include the spacing of the available mounting holes. All
measurements are provided in millimeters.
Trigger Port
The camera features a trigger port on the backside, which uses a male 4 pin
Binder 718/768 series connector. This connector matches the female trigger
connector on SceneScan and SceneScan Pro.
Lenses
Information about lenses used with the Karmin3 stereo camera.
Pixel Binning and Bayer Pattern Downsampling
Details on pixel binning and Bayer pattern downsampling settings.
Other Camera Settings
- Analog Control
- Image Format Control
- Acquisition Control
Interfacing Karmin
Connecting to SceneScan
Instructions on how to connect the Karmin3 camera to SceneScan.
Connecting to a PC
Steps to connect the Karmin3 camera to a PC for data transfer.
Support
Information on where to seek support for the Karmin3 stereo camera.
Warranty Information
Details regarding the warranty coverage for the Karmin3 stereo camera.
FAQ
-
Q: How to change camera settings?
A: To change camera settings, access the camera configuration menu through the provided software interface. Make adjustments as needed and save the settings for them to take effect. -
Q: Can I use third-party lenses with Karmin3?
A: It is recommended to use lenses compatible with the Karmin3 stereo camera to ensure optimal performance and image quality. Compatibility with third- party lenses may vary, so it is advisable to consult with the manufacturer before use. -
Q: What is the purpose of the trigger port?
A: The trigger port allows external devices to synchronize actions with the camera, enabling precise timing for capturing images or initiating specific functions based on external signals.
Available Models
Karmin3 is available in two different baseline distances: 10 cm and 25 cm. The 10 cm model is intended for close-range measurements, while the 25 cm model is intended for long-range measurements. The covered measurement range also depends on the selected lenses and on the processed disparity range, which is the image overlap range that is searched during image processing. Both baseline distances are available with either monochrome or color image sensors. When used in combination with SceneScan, the monochrome versions can achieve higher image resolutions and frame rates. Using the monochrome models is hence recommended if color information is not important for subsequent processing.
When using identical lenses and a constant disparity range, the 10 cm models will have a lower minimum depth when compared to the 25 cm models. The depth error increases approximately quadratically with the measured depth, starting at the minimum depth. Hence the 25 cm models will have a lower depth error for all points that fall within its measurement range. If the minimum depth of the 25 cm models is sufficient, then these models should be preferred over the 10 cm models. Detailed characteristics, including the minimum depth, are available on the Karmin3 product page1 for the most common configurations.
Specifications
General Specifications
- Sensor resolution 2048 × 1536 pixels
- Sensor Sony Pregius IMX265
- Sensor format 1/1.8″
- Lens mount C/CS-mount
- Chroma mono / color
- Shutter global shutter
- Interface USB 3.0
- Trigger-input 4-pin Binder M8 connector
- Stereo baseline distance 10 cm / 25 cm
- Mounting bottom side 4× M3 threaded hole 1× 1/4″ UNC threaded hole (tripod mount)
- Mounting top side 2× M3 threaded hole
- Weight without lenses 350 g for 10 cm baseline 470 g for 25 cm baseline
- Conformity CE, FCC, RoHS
See: https://nerian.com/products/karmin3-3d-stereo-camera/
Dimensions and Mounting Holes
Dimensions of the available models are shown in Figures 1a and 1b. The figures
also include the spacing of the available mounting holes. All measurements are
provided in millimeters.
The top side features two threaded mounting holes with M3 metric threads. The
bottom side features four additional mounting holes with M3 threads, and one
mounting hole with a 1/4″ UNC thread for use with tripods. The drill depth of
all mounting holes is 6 mm.
Trigger Port
The camera features a trigger port on the backside, which uses a male 4 pin Binder 718/768 series connector. This connector matches the female trigger connector on SceneScan and SceneScan Pro. The following manufacturer part numbers correspond to matching connectors, and should be used for custom trigger cables:
- 99 3376 00 04 Matching connector with solder termination, not shielded.
- 99 3376 100 04 Matching connector with screw termination, not shielded.
- 99 3376 500 04 Matching connector with cutting clamps termination, not shielded.
- 99 3362 00 04 Matching connector with solder termination for 3.5 – 5 mm2 cable cross section, shielded.
- 99 3362 25 04 Matching connector with solder termination for 2 – 3.5 mm2 cable cross section, shielded.
- 99 3362 100 04 Matching connector with screw termination for 3.5 – 5 mm2 cable cross section, shielded.
- 99 3362 100 04 Matching connector with screw termination for 6 – 8 mm2 cable cross section, shielded.
The pin assignment of the trigger port is shown in Figure 2. There is one
opto-isolated trigger line named Trigger 0, which correspond to the equally
named trigger signal provided by SceneScan. By default, Karmin3 is configured
such that image acquisition only happens upon a positive edge of Trigger 0. It
is thus necessary to connect Karmin3 to 
SceneScan’s trigger port or to an equivalent trigger source. The trigger
signal will ensure that image acquisition of both cameras is synchronized,
which is necessary for processing the acquired image data. The relevant
voltage ratings for the trigger line are listed in Table 1. The absolute
maximum voltage must not be exceeded in order to avoid damages to the device
.
Lenses
On the front side, Karmin3 features two lens mounts for its two image sensors.
The lens mounts are compatible to the CS-mount standard. By using a 5 mm
spacer ring, it is possible to connect a C-mount lens. Karmin3 is shipped with
two spacer rings pre-mounted.
When mounting a lens, the lens mustn’t intrude farther than the maximum
allowed lens intrusion. If the lens intrudes farther, it can scratch the dust
protection window. The maximum allowed intrusions for C-mount and CS-mount
lenses are listed in Table 2.
Camera Configuration
Pixel Binning and Bayer Pattern Downsampling
For many applications, a high frame rate is more important than a high image
resolution. To cover such use cases, the monochrome Karmin3 models can be
configured to use a 2 × 2 pixel binning. In this setting, four sensor pixels
are combined to form one image pixel. Using pixel binning allows the cameras
to operate at a higher frame rate. When used with SceneScan Pro, a maximum
frame rate of 38 fps is possible.
For the colour models, SceneScan can perform a combined demosaicing and down- sampling, which also results in the image width and height being halved. This is the default operation mode when a color Karmin3 camera is connected to SceneScan, or when a Bayer pattern pixel format is selected. The combined demosaicing and down-sampling reduces artifacts from the Bayer pattern, which improves the image processing quality.
Switching the camera configuration between full resolution and pixel binning / down-sampling mode will also affect the covered depth range, if the disparity range is kept constant. A constant disparity range will cover a larger percentage of an image that was acquired with active pixel binning, compared to an image acquired at the native camera resolution. Hence, the disparity range should be adjusted when changing the pixel binning configuration.
Other Camera Settings
The cameras provide a multitude of different settings that can be configured
when connected to SceneScan or SceneScan Pro. For a full documentation of all
settings we recommend to consulting the GenAPI standard2. The most common
camera settings are described in the following.
Analog Control
- Gain: Gain factor for the image sensor.
- Gain auto: Sets the mode for automatic gain control.
- Black level: Controls the analog black level as an absolute physical value.
- Gamma: Controls the gamma correction of pixel intensity.
Image Format Control
- Width: Width in pixels of the selected Region-Of-Interest (ROI).
- Height: Height in pixels of the selected ROI. Offset X: Horizontal image coordinate of the top-left corner of the selected ROI. When configured through Scene- Scan, this coordinate is measured relatively to the image center.
- Offset Y: Vertical image coordinate of the top-left corner of the selected ROI. When configured through SceneScan, this coordinate is measured relatively to the image center.
- Binning horizontal: Number of horizontal photosensitive cells that are combined for one image pixel.
- Binning vertical: Number of vertical photosensitive cells that are combined for one image pixel. There is a conditional dependency to the binning horizontal parameter, which has to be adjusted first.
- Pixel format: Desired pixel encoding mode.
Acquisition Control
- Exposure time: Sets the exposure time.
- Exposure auto: Sets the mode for automatic exposure control.
- Trigger selector: Selects the trigger that shall be configured.
- Trigger mode: Controls if the selected trigger is active.
- Trigger source: Specifies the internal signal or physical input line to use as the trigger source.
- Trigger activation: Specifies the activation mode of the trigger.
- Exposure mode: Sets the operation mode of the exposure.
Interfacing Karmin3
Connecting to SceneScan
Karmin3 is intended for use with the SceneScan or SceneScan Pro image
processing systems. Karmin3 should be connected with a Micro USB 3.0 cable to
one of SceneScan’s USB ports. It is highly recommended to secure the Micro-
USB-connector with lock screws. This requires a locking USB3 cable. In
addition to the USB connection, Karmin3 also requires a connection to
SceneScan’s trigger port. A suitable trigger cable can be obtained from Allied
Vision. It is alternatively possible to use a trigger source other than
SceneScan.
In this case please make sure that SceneScan is configured appropriately and
that the trigger source obeys to the voltage levels listed in Section 3.
Figure 3 shows Karmin3 connected to SceneScan Pro with a USB and trigger cable
.
The trigger signal must provide an appropriate trigger frequency that can be
matched by the cameras and the selected SceneScan model. The possible
frequencies for different system configurations are listed in Table 3. In low-
light situations the desired frame rate might not be achieved if the sensor
exposure time is too high. In these cases, an appropriate exposure time upper
limit should be configured in the SceneScan settings.
SceneScan will load a suitable camera configuration for Karmin3 after the initial connection. Please refer to the SceneScan / SceneScan Pro user manual for information on the possible configuration options.
Connecting to a PC
When connected to a PC, Karmin3 will appear as two individual USB3 Vision
cameras. Using Karmin3 with a PC is not officially supported. This is why an
official API or example programs are not available. However, Karmin3 is
compatible to machine vision software that supports the USB3 Vision standard.
Support
If you require support with using Karmin3 then please contact our support team
at https://www.alliedvision.com/en/about-us/contact-us/technical-
supportrepair-/-rma/
Warranty Information
The device is provided with a 2-year warranty according to German federal law (BGB). Warranty is lost if the housing is opened by others other than the official Allied Vision service staff. In case of warranty please contact our support staff.
Revision History
Allied Vision Technologies GmbH
Taschenweg 2a
07646 Stadtroda
Germany
WEEE-Reg.-Nr. DE52901569
Email: [email protected]
www.alliedvision.com
References
- Allied Vision - industrial cameras for machine and embedded vision - Allied Vision
- Karmin3 3D Stereo Camera – Allied Vision Technologies: Nerian
- Allied Vision Technical Support and Repair requests / RMA - Allied Vision
- Downloads – EMVA