Acquire Images from Matrox Frame Grabbers

Create the matroxcam Object

To acquire images from a Matrox frame grabber, use the matroxcam function to create a Matrox object. Specify a frame grabber by the list order, using an index number, as the first input argument. The second input argument must be the name and fully qualified path of your DCF file.

Note that you cannot create more than one object connected to the same device, and trying to do that generates an error.

After you create the object, you can preview and acquire images.

Note

The Matrox support requires that you download and install the necessary files via MATLAB^® Add-Ons. The Matrox Hardware support package installs the files for both the matrox adaptor for the videoinput object and the matroxcam object. For more information, see Installing the Support Packages for Image Acquisition Toolbox Adaptors.

Create a matroxcam Object Using Device Number as an Index

Use the matroxcam function with an index as the first input argument to create the object corresponding to that index and connect it to that frame grabber. The index corresponds to the order of boards in the cell array returned by matroxlist when you have multiple frame grabbers connected. If you only have one frame grabber, you must use a 1 as the input argument.

Use the matroxlist function to ensure that MATLAB is discovering your frame grabbers.

matroxlist

ans = 

   Solios XCL (digitizer 0)
   Solios XCL (digitizer 1)
   VIO (digitizer 0)

Create an object, m, using the index number and DCF file. If you want to use the second frame grabber in the list, the Solios XCL at digitizer 1, use a 2 as the index number, since it is the second camera on the list. The second argument must be the name of your DCF file, entered as a character vector. It must contain the fully qualified path to the file as well. In this example, the DCF file is named mycam.dcf.

m = matroxcam(2, 'C:\Drivers\Solios\dcf\XCL\Basler\A404K\mycam.dcf')

m = 

Display Summary for matroxcam:

         DeviceName: 'Solios XCL (digitizer 1)'
            DCFName: 'C:\Drivers\Solios\dcf\XCL\Basler\A404K\mycam.dcf'
    FrameResolution: '1300 x 1080'     
            Timeout: 10

It creates the object and connects it to the Solios XCL with that index number, in this case, the second one displayed by matroxlist. The DCF file is specified so that the acquisition can use the properties you have set in your DCF file.

The four properties shown when you create the object are read-only properties that identify the frame grabber.

Acquire One Image Frame from a Matrox Frame Grabber

Use the snapshot function to acquire one image frame from a Matrox frame grabber.

Use the matroxlist function to ensure that MATLAB is discovering your frame grabber.

matroxlist

ans = 

   Solios XCL (digitizer 0)
   Solios XCL (digitizer 1)
   VIO (digitizer 0)

Use the matroxcam function to create the object and connect it to the frame grabber. If you want to use the second frame grabber in the list, the Solios XCL at digitizer 1, use a 2 as the index number, since it is the second board on the list. The second argument must be the name and path of your DCF file, entered as a character vector.
```
m = matroxcam(2, 'C:\Drivers\Solios\dcf\XCL\Basler\A404K\mycam.dcf')
```
```
m = 

Display Summary for matroxcam:

         DeviceName: 'Solios XCL (digitizer 1)'
            DCFName: 'C:\Drivers\Solios\dcf\XCL\Basler\A404K\mycam.dcf'
    FrameResolution: '1300 x 1080'  
            Timeout: 10     
```
It creates the object and connects it to the Solios XCL with that index number, in this case, the second one displayed by matroxlist. The DCF file is specified so that the acquisition can use the properties you have set in your DCF file.
Preview the image from the camera.
```
preview(m)
```
You can leave the Preview window open, or close it any time. To close the preview:
```
closePreview(m)
```
Acquire a single image using the snapshot function, and assign it to the variable img
```
img = snapshot(m);
```
Display the acquired image.
```
imshow(img)
```
Clean up by clearing the object.
```
clear m
```

Configuring Hardware Triggering

If your DCF file is configured for hardware triggering, then you must provide the trigger to acquire images. To do that, call the snapshot function as you normally would, as shown in step 5, and then perform the hardware trigger to acquire the frame.

Note that when you call the snapshot function with hardware triggering set, it will not timeout as it normally would. Therefore, the MATLAB command-line will be blocked until you perform the hardware trigger.