EXCELITAS TECHNOLOGIES pco.convert Microscope Camera User Manual

EXCELITAS TECHNOLOGIES pco.convert Microscope Camera

Specifications

• Product Name: pco. convert
• Version: 1.52.0
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0International License
• Manufacturer: Excelitas PCO GmbH
• Address: Donaupark 11, 93309 Kelheim, Germany
• Contact: +49 (0) 9441 2005 50
• Email: pco@excelitas.com
• Website: www.excelitas.com/product-category/pco

Product Usage Instructions

General Information
The pco.convert offers various functions for color and pseudo color conversion. It is important to follow the instructions provided in the user manual for optimal performance.

Convert API Function Description
The Convert API provides a set of functions for manipulating color and image data. Below are some key functions:

• *  **PCO_ConvertCreate:** Create a new conversion instance.

  • PCO_ConvertDelete: Delete a conversion instance.
  • PCO_ConvertGet: Get conversion settings.

Color and Pseudo Color Conversion
The pco.convert supports both black and white conversion as well as color conversion. Follow the specific instructions provided in the manual for each type of conversion.

FAQ

• Q: How do I perform a color conversion using pco.convert?
  

  • A: To perform a color conversion, use the PCO_ConvertGet function with the appropriate parameters as outlined in the user manual.

• Q: Can I delete a conversion instance?
  

  • A: Yes, you can delete a conversion instance using the PCO_ConvertDelete function.

user manual
pco.convert

Excelitas PCO GmbH asks you to carefully read and follow the instructions in this document. For any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us at any time.

• telephone : + 49 (0) 9441 2005 50
• fax: + 49 (0) 9441 2005 20
• postal address: Excelitas PCO GmbH Donaupark 11 93309 Kelheim, Germany
• email: pco@excelitas.com
• web : www.excelitas.com/product-category/pco

pco.convert
user manual 1.52.0
Released May 2024
©Copyright Excelitas PCO GmbH

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

General

• This convert SDK description can be used to implement the PCO convert routines in proprietary applications, which are used to control PCO cameras. It is prohibited to use the convert routines with third party cameras.

• The pco.convert sdk consists of two parts: The LUT conversion functions pco.conv.dll and the dialog functions pco_cdlg.dll .
  The conversion functions are used to convert data areas, b/w and color, with a resolution of more than 8 bit per pixel to either b/w data areas with a resolution of 8 bit per pixel or color data areas with a resolution of 24 (32) bit per pixel. The DLL also includes functions to create and fill the various convert objects.

• The second part of the API contains the dialog functions. The dialogs are simple GUI dialogs which enable the user to set the parameters of the convert objects. The dialog functions are included in the pco_cdlg.dll and are based on some functions of the pco.conv.dll.

• In the pco.sdk for pco cameras there exist two samples, which make use of the convert sdk. One is the Test_cvDlg sample and the other is the sc2_demo. Please take a look at those samples in order to ’see’ the convert sdk functions in action.

B/W And Pseudo Color Conversion
The conversion algorithm used in the b/w function is based on the following simple routine

where

• pos is the counter variable
• dataout is the output data area
• datain is the input data area
• lutbw is a data area of size 2n containing the LUT, where n = resolution of the input area in bits per pixel

In the pseudocolor function the basic routine to convert to a RGB data area is:

where

• pos is the input counter variable
• pout is the output counter variable
• dataout is the output data area
• datain is the input data area
• lutbw is a data area of size 2n containing the LUT, where n = resolution of the input area in bits per pixel
• lutred, lutgreen, lutblue are data areas of size 2n containing the LUT, where n = resolution of the output area in bit per pixel.

Color Conversion

• CCD color sensors used in PCO color cameras have filters for the colors red, green, and blue. Each pixel has one type of filter, thus originally you do not get full color information for each pixel. Rather each pixel delivers a value with a dynamic range of 12 bits for the color which passes the filter.
• All color cameras at PCO work with the Bayer-filter DE mosaicking. The color filter pattern of those color image sensors can be reduced to a 2×2 matrix. The image sensor itself can be seen as a matrix of those 2×2 matrixes.
• Suppose this color pattern

The color itself is only an interpretation of the matrix. This interpretation will be done by a so called demosaicking algorithm. The pco_conv.dll works with a special proprietary method.

Convert API Function Description

PCO_ConvertCreate

Description
Creates a new convert object based on the PCO_SensorInfo structure. The created convert handle will be used during the conversion. Please call PCO_ConvertDelete before the application exits and unloads the convert dll.

Prototype

Parameter

do not forget to set the wSize parameter.
iConvertType| int| Variable to determine the conversion type, either b/w, color, pseudo color or color 16

Return value

PCO_ConvertDelete

Description
Deletes a previously created convert object. It is mandatory to call this function before closing the application.

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_ConvertGet

Description
Gets all the values of a previously created convert object.

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_ConvertSet

Description
Sets necessary values for a previously created convert object.

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_ConvertGetDisplay

Description
Gets the PCO_Display structure

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_ConvertSetDisplay

Description
Sets the PCO_Display structure

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_ConvertSetBayer

Description
Sets the Bayer structure values of a previously created convert object. Use this functions to change the Bayer pattern parameters.

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_ConvertSetFilter

Description
Sets the filter structure values of a previously created convert object.

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_ConvertSetSensorInfo

Description
Sets the PCO_SensorInfo structure for a previously created convert object

Prototype

Parameter

Please do not forget to set the wSize parameter

Return value

PCO_SetPseudoLut

Description
Load the three pseudolut color tables of plot

Prototype

Parameter

256 * 3 bytes, or 4 bytes)
inumcolors| int| Set to either 3 for R,G,B or 4 for R,G,B,A

Return value

PCO_LoadPseudoLut

Description
Loads a pseudo color lookup table to the convert object. This function can be used to load some of the predefined or self created pseudo lookup tables.

Prototype

Parameter

Name Type        Description

ph| HANDLE| Handle to a previously created convert object
format| int| 0| lt1, 1| lt2, 2| lt3, 3| lt4
filename| char*| Name of the file to load

Return value

Name Type        Description

ph| HANDLE| Handle to a previously created convert object
format| int| 0| lt1, 1| lt2, 2| lt3, 3| lt4
filename| char*| Name of the file to load

PCO_Convert16TO8

Description
Convert picture data in b16 to 8bit data in b8 (grayscale)

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_Convert16TO24

Description
Convert picture data in b16 to 24bit data in b24 (grayscale)

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_Convert16TOCOL

Description
Convert picture data in b16 to RGB data in b8 (color)

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_Convert16TOPSEUDO

Description
Convert picture data in b16 to pseudo color data in b8 (color)

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_Convert16TOCOL16

Description
Convert picture data in b16 to RGB data in b16 (color)

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_GetWhiteBalance

Description
Gets white balanced values for color_tempand tint

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_GetMaxLimit

Description
GetMaxLimit gets the RGB values for a given temp and tint. The max value within the convert control dialog must not exceed the biggest value of the RGB values, e.g. in case R is the biggest value, the max value can increase till the R value hits the bit resolution (4095). Same condition must be met for decreasing the max value, e.g. in case B is the lowest value, the max value can decrease till the B value hits the min value.

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_GetColorValues

Description
Gets color temperature and tint for given R,G,B max values.
GetColorValuesis used only in pco.camware . It calculates the color temperature and tint based on the Rmax,Gmax,Bmax values of the old color lut. The calculated values are used to convert old b16 and tif16 images with the new convert routines.

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_WhiteBalanceToDisplayStruct

Description
Calculates the white balance and sets the values to the strDisplaystruct while maintaining the limits. Gets the struct str Display from the convert Handle internally

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

PCO_GetVersionInfoPCO_CONV

Description
Returns version information about the dll.

Prototype

Parameter

Return value

Typical Implementation

This typical step by step implementation shows the basic handling

1. Declarations
2. Set all buffer ’size’ parameters to the expected values:
3. Set the sensor info parameters and create the convert object
4. Optionally open a convert dialog
5. Set the min and max value to the desired range and set them to the convert object
6. Do the convert and set the data to the dialog if dialog is open
7. Close the optionally opened convert dialog
8. Close the convert object:

See the Test_cvDlg sample in the pco.sdk sample folder. Starting with v1.20, the range of the negative tint value has been doubled.

• postal address: Excelitas PCO GmbH Donaupark 11 93309 Kelheim, Germany
• telephone: +49 (0) 9441 2005 0
• e-mail: pco@excelitas.com
• web : www.excelitas.com/pco

References

• Deed - Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International - Creative Commons
• PCO | Excelitas
• PCO | Excelitas

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