OwlCamera C++ library
v3.1.0
Table of contents
- Overview
- Versions
- Library files
- OwlCamera class description
- OwlCamera class declaration
- getVersion method
- openCamera method
- initCamera method
- closeCamera method
- isCameraOpen method
- isCameraConnected method
- setParam method
- getParam method
- getParams method
- executeCommand method
- decodeAndExecuteCommand method
- encodeSetParamCommand method of Camera class
- encodeCommand method of Camera class
- decodeCommand method of Camera class
- Data structures
- Example
- CameraParams class description
- Build and connect to your project
- Portability
- Test application
Overview
The OwlCamera C++ library is a software controller for Raptor Owl 640 and OWL 1280 cameras. The OwlCamera library inherits the Camera interface. It depends on the following libraries: Camera interface library (provides interface and data structures to control cameras), Logger logging library (provides functions to print log information in console and files), OwlParser (provides functions for encoding commands; it is a part of this repository: folder src/parser, see src/parser/README.md) and SerialPort (provides functions to work with serial ports). The Camera library depends on the ConfigReader library. The OwlCamera library provides a simple interface to be integrated in any C++ projects. The repository of the library does not contain the other libraries it depends on: they are cloned next to the repository (see Build stand alone) or are added by the project that includes OwlCamera (see Connect to your project). The libraries do not need to be specially installed in the OS. It is developed with C++17 standard and compatible with Linux and Windows.
OwlCamera is general-purpose software: it is not tied to any sector or application, and the developer of a program decides what the program does with it.
The library code was developed by reverse engineering the serial port communication protocol of the cameras.
Versions
Table 1 - Library versions.
| Version | Release date | What’s new |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 | 30.05.2023 | - First version. |
| 2.0.0 | 07.03.2024 | - Interface updated. - Test application updated. - Documentation updated. |
| 2.0.1 | 29.03.2024 | - Code review and documentation update. |
| 2.0.2 | 23.05.2024 | - Documentation updated. - Submodules updated. |
| 2.0.3 | 07.08.2024 | - CMake updated. |
| 2.0.4 | 16.09.2024 | - Fix connection status. |
| 2.0.5 | 05.10.2024 | - Add NUC command. |
| 2.0.6 | 22.11.2024 | - Add NUC mode control. |
| 2.0.7 | 03.04.2025 | - Logger submodule update. |
| 2.0.8 | 19.07.2025 | - Fix NUC mode options control. |
| 2.0.9 | 26.10.2025 | - OwlParser submodule update. - SerialPort submodule update. |
| 3.0.0 | 21.03.2026 | - Updated OwlParser submodules. - Added new commands support. |
| 3.0.1 | 12.10.2026 | - Submodules updated. |
| 3.0.2 | 17.10.2026 | - Sub-repositories removed: the libraries OwlCamera depends on are expected in the folders next to the repository (see Build stand alone). - Values of params are checked before use: a value that is not a finite number, doesn’t fit the integer type of the param or is outside of the allowed range is rejected without any command to the camera (before, the conversion of such a value was undefined). - Data of a command (decodeAndExecuteCommand(…)) is checked: a null pointer, a size different from 7 bytes (COMMAND) or 11 bytes (SET_PARAM) and an unknown ID are rejected (before, a damaged SET_PARAM message could execute a command). - Data received from the camera can’t change the command that is sent to the camera. - A command that the serial port accepted only partly is written to the end; commands of one call are not mixed with commands of other threads. - LOG_MODE is applied to all log messages. - Compiler warning and hardening options added to CMake files. - Test application reworked: it controls camera params from the terminal only. |
| 3.1.0 | 29.10.2026 | - The OwlParser library is a part of the repository (folder src/parser) and is not a separate dependency any more. |
Library files
The library supplied by source code only. The user would be given a set of files in the form of a CMake project (repository). The libraries OwlCamera depends on, except the protocol parser OwlParser (folder src/parser), are separate repositories and are not included. The repository structure is shown below:
CMakeLists.txt ---------------------- Main CMake file of the library.
static ------------------------------ Folder with images of this document.
src --------------------------------- Folder with source code of the library.
CMakeLists.txt ------------------ CMake file of the library.
OwlCamera.cpp ------------------- C++ implementation file.
OwlCamera.h --------------------- Header file which includes OwlCamera class declaration.
OwlCameraVersion.h -------------- Header file which includes version of the library.
OwlCameraVersion.h.in ----------- CMake service file to generate version file.
parser -------------------------- Protocol parser library (former OwlParser repository).
.gitignore ------------------ Git ignore rules of the parser folder.
CMakeLists.txt -------------- Main CMake file of the parser library.
README.md ------------------- Documentation of the parser library.
src ------------------------- Folder with source code of the parser library.
CMakeLists.txt ---------- CMake file of the parser library.
OwlParser.cpp ----------- C++ implementation file of the parser library.
OwlParser.h ------------- Header file which includes OwlParser class declaration.
OwlParserVersion.h ------ Header file which includes version of the parser library.
OwlParserVersion.h.in --- CMake service file to generate version file.
static ---------------------- Folder with images of the parser documentation.
owlparser_web_logo.png -- Logo of the parser library.
test ------------------------ Folder with test application of the parser (not built by the library).
CMakeLists.txt ---------- CMake file for test application of the parser.
main.cpp ---------------- Source code file of test application of the parser.
test -------------------------------- Folder with source code of the test application.
CMakeLists.txt ------------------ CMake file of test application.
main.cpp ------------------------ Test application source code.
OwlCamera class description
OwlCamera Class declaration
The OwlCamera interface class declared in OwlCamera.h file. The OwlCamera class inherits Camera interfaces. All public methods of the class are thread-safe. Class declaration:
namespace rapidpixel
{
class OwlCamera : public rapidpixel::Camera
{
public:
/// Default constructor.
OwlCamera() = default;
/// Class destructor. Closes the serial port.
~OwlCamera() override = default;
/// Copy and move constructors and assignment operators are deleted.
OwlCamera(const OwlCamera&) = delete;
OwlCamera(OwlCamera&&) = delete;
OwlCamera& operator= (const OwlCamera&) = delete;
OwlCamera& operator= (OwlCamera&&) = delete;
/// Get Camera class version.
static std::string getVersion();
/// Open camera controller (open the serial port).
bool openCamera(std::string initString) override;
/// Init camera controller by parameters class.
bool initCamera(CameraParams& params) override;
/// Close camera serial port.
void closeCamera() override;
/// Get camera open status.
bool isCameraOpen() override;
/// Get camera connection status.
bool isCameraConnected() override;
/// Set the camera controller param.
bool setParam(CameraParam id, float value) override;
/// Get the camera controller param.
float getParam(CameraParam id) override;
/// Get the camera controller params.
void getParams(CameraParams& params) override;
/// Execute camera controller action command.
bool executeCommand(CameraCommand id) override;
/// Decode and execute command.
bool decodeAndExecuteCommand(uint8_t* data, int size) override;
};
}
getVersion method
The getVersion() returns string of OwlCamera class version. Method declaration:
static std::string getVersion();
Method can be used without OwlCamera class instance:
std::cout << "OwlCamera class version: " <<
rapidpixel::OwlCamera::getVersion() << std::endl;
Console output:
OwlCamera class version: 3.1.0
openCamera method
The openCamera(…) opens serial port to communicate with camera (baudrate 115200, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit). The serial port name is passed to the operating system as is. The method does nothing if the serial port is already open. Method declaration:
bool openCamera(std::string initString) override;
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| initString | Initialization string. The first non-empty segment before ‘;’ is the serial port name (for example “/dev/ttyUSB0” on Linux). The whole string is used if there is no ‘;’ or all segments are empty. The baudrate is always 115200. |
Returns: TRUE if the camera controller is opened (also if it is already open) or FALSE if the serial port name is empty or the serial port can’t be opened.
initCamera method
The initCamera(…) initializes controller and sets camera params (Camera interface). The method sets the params TYPE and LOG_MODE, calls openCamera(…) method with the initString field and after that sets the other camera params of the structure with setParam(…) method in the following order: NUC_MODE, EXPOSURE_MODE, EXPOSURE_TIME, GAIN_MODE, GAIN, IMAGE_FLIP, FPS (only if it is greater than 0), AGC_MODE, BRIGHTNESS, ROI_X0, ROI_Y0, ROI_X1, ROI_Y1, CUSTOM_1, CUSTOM_2 and CUSTOM_3. Method declaration:
bool initCamera(CameraParams& params) override;
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| params | CameraParams class object. |
Returns: TRUE if the serial port is opened or FALSE if not. The result of setting of the individual params is not returned: a param that is rejected (for example AGC_MODE for OWL 1280 camera) is skipped. Use getParam(…) or getParams(…) method to check the actual values.
closeCamera method
The closeCamera() method closes serial port. Method declaration:
void closeCamera() override;
isCameraOpen method
The isCameraOpen() method returns controller initialization status. Open status shows if the controller initialized (serial port open) but doesn’t show if controller has communication with equipment. For example, if serial port is open (opens serial port file in OS) but equipment can be not active (no power). In this case open status just shows that the serial port is open. Method declaration:
bool isCameraOpen() override;
Returns: TRUE if the controller initialized (serial port open) or FALSE if not.
isCameraConnected method
The isCameraConnected() shows the status of the data exchange with the equipment (camera). The library sends commands only and does not read responses of the camera, so the status is TRUE after the serial port is opened and after every command that was written to the serial port, and FALSE if the serial port is closed or the last command was not written to the serial port. The status doesn’t show if the camera is powered. Method declaration:
bool isCameraConnected() override;
Returns: TRUE if the last command was written to the serial port (or no command was sent after the serial port was opened) or FALSE if not.
setParam method
The setParam(…) method sets the camera controller parameter value. The value of a param is a float, an integer param gets the value with the fractional part dropped (truncated towards zero). A value that is NaN, infinite, doesn’t fit the integer type of the param or is outside of the range given in Table 3 is rejected: the method returns FALSE, nothing is sent to the camera and the param is not changed. Values of the params that are bit fields of a camera register (EXPOSURE_TIME, GAIN, ROI_X0, ROI_Y0, ROI_X1, ROI_Y1, CUSTOM_1, CUSTOM_2, CUSTOM_3) are not checked against the range of the register: the camera gets the least significant bits of the value that fit the register (see Table 3). The method sends one or several commands to the camera. The commands of one call are not mixed with the commands of other calls. If the camera type is not set (param TYPE) the commands of OWL 640 camera are sent. Method declaration:
bool setParam(CameraParam id, float value) override;
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| id | Camera controller parameter ID according to CameraParam enum. |
| value | Parameter value. Value depends on parameter ID. |
Returns: TRUE if the parameter was set (the commands were written to the serial port) or FALSE if not: the param is not supported, the value is rejected or the commands were not written to the serial port. The params TYPE and LOG_MODE are not sent to the camera.
getParam method
The getParam(…) method is intended to obtain a Camera parameter value. Method declaration:
float getParam(CameraParam id) override;
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| id | Camera controller parameter ID according to CameraParam enum. |
Returns: parameter value or -1 if the parameter is not supported.
getParams method
The getParams(…) method is intended to obtain Camera parameters structure. Method declaration:
void getParams(CameraParams& params) override;
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| params | Reference to CameraParams class instance. |
executeCommand method
The executeCommand(…) method is intended to execute a Camera action command. Supported commands are listed in Table 2. Method declaration:
bool executeCommand(CameraCommand id) override;
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| id | Camera controller command ID according to CameraCommand enum. |
Returns: TRUE if the command was executed (written to the serial port) or FALSE if not: the command is not supported or was not written to the serial port.
decodeAndExecuteCommand method
The decodeAndExecuteCommand(…) method decodes and executes a command on the controller side. The method will decode commands encoded by encodeCommand(…) and encodeSetParamCommand(…) methods of the Camera interface class. If the command is decoded, the method will call the setParam(…) or executeCommand(…) methods for the camera interface. A message is rejected and nothing is sent to the camera if the pointer is null, the size is not 7 bytes (COMMAND) or 11 bytes (SET_PARAM), the version or the type of the message is wrong or the ID is not supported. This method is thread-safe. This means that the method can be safely called from any thread. Method declaration:
bool decodeAndExecuteCommand(uint8_t* data, int size) override;
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| data | Pointer to input command data. Must not be nullptr. The pointer must be valid for size bytes. |
| size | Size of command. Must be 11 bytes for SET_PARAM and 7 bytes for COMMAND. |
Returns: TRUE if command decoded (SET_PARAM or COMMAND) and executed (action command or set param command) or FALSE if not.
encodeSetParamCommand method of Camera class
The encodeSetParamCommand(…) static method encodes command to change any remote camera parameter. To control a camera remotely, the developer has to design his own protocol and according to it encode the command and deliver it over the communication channel. To simplify this, the Camera class contains static methods for encoding the control command. The Camera class provides two types of commands: a parameter change command (SET_PARAM) and an action command (COMMAND). encodeSetParamCommand(…) designed to encode SET_PARAM command. Method declaration:
static void encodeSetParamCommand(uint8_t* data, int& size, CameraParam id, float value);
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| data | Pointer to data buffer for encoded command. Must have size >= 11. |
| size | Size of encoded data. Will be 11 bytes. |
| id | Parameter ID according to CameraParam enum. |
| value | Parameter value. |
encodeSetParamCommand(…) is static and used without Camera class instance. This method used on client side (control system). Command encoding example:
// Buffer for encoded data.
uint8_t data[11];
// Size of encoded data.
int size = 0;
// Parameter value.
const float outValue = 10.0f;
// Encode command.
rapidpixel::Camera::encodeSetParamCommand(
data, size, rapidpixel::CameraParam::ROI_X0, outValue);
encodeCommand method of Camera class
The encodeCommand(…) static method encodes action command for camera remote control. To control a camera remotely, the developer has to design his own protocol and according to it encode the command and deliver it over the communication channel. To simplify this, the Camera class contains static methods for encoding the control command. The Camera class provides two types of commands: a parameter change command (SET_PARAM) and an action command (COMMAND). encodeCommand(…) designed to encode COMMAND command (action command). Method declaration:
static void encodeCommand(uint8_t* data, int& size, CameraCommand id);
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| data | Pointer to data buffer for encoded command. Must have size >= 7. |
| size | Size of encoded data. Will be 7 bytes. |
| id | Command ID according to CameraCommand enum. |
encodeCommand(…) is static and used without Camera class instance. This method used on client side (control system). Command encoding example:
// Buffer for encoded data.
uint8_t data[7];
// Size of encoded data.
int size = 0;
// Encode command.
rapidpixel::Camera::encodeCommand(data, size, rapidpixel::CameraCommand::NUC);
decodeCommand method of Camera class
The decodeCommand(…) static method decodes command on camera controller side encoded by encodeSetParamCommand(…) or encodeCommand(…). Method declaration:
static int decodeCommand(uint8_t* data, int size, CameraParam& paramId, CameraCommand& commandId, float& value);
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| data | Pointer to input command. |
| size | Size of command. Must be 11 bytes for SET_PARAM and 7 bytes for COMMAND. |
| paramId | Camera parameter ID according to CameraParam enum. After decoding SET_PARAM command the method will return parameter ID. |
| commandId | Camera command ID according to CameraCommand enum. After decoding COMMAND the method will return command ID. |
| value | Camera parameter value (after decoding SET_PARAM command). |
Returns: 0 - in case decoding COMMAND, 1 - in case decoding SET_PARAM command or -1 in case errors.
Data structures
CameraCommand enum
Enum declaration:
namespace rapidpixel
{
enum class CameraCommand
{
/// Restart camera controller.
RESTART = 1,
/// Do NUC.
NUC,
/// Apply settings.
APPLY_PARAMS,
/// Save params.
SAVE_PARAMS,
/// Menu on.
MENU_ON,
/// Menu off.
MENU_OFF,
/// Menu set.
MENU_SET,
/// Menu up.
MENU_UP,
/// Menu down.
MENU_DOWN,
/// Menu left.
MENU_LEFT,
/// Menu right.
MENU_RIGHT,
/// Freeze, Argument: time msec.
FREEZE,
/// Disable freeze.
DEFREEZE
};
}
Table 2 - Camera commands description.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| RESTART | Reset command. |
| NUC | NUC (Flat Field Correction) command. |
| APPLY_PARAMS | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| SAVE_PARAMS | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| MENU_ON | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| MENU_OFF | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| MENU_SET | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| MENU_UP | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| MENU_DOWN | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| MENU_LEFT | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| MENU_RIGHT | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| FREEZE | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| DEFREEZE | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
CameraParam enum
Enum declaration:
namespace rapidpixel
{
enum class CameraParam
{
/// Video frame width. Value from 0 to 16384.
WIDTH = 1,
/// Video frame height Value from 0 to 16384.
HEIGHT,
/// Display menu mode.
DISPLAY_MODE,
/// Video output type.
VIDEO_OUTPUT,
/// Logging mode.
LOG_MODE,
/// Exposure mode.
EXPOSURE_MODE,
/// Exposure time of the camera sensor.
EXPOSURE_TIME,
/// White balance mode.
WHITE_BALANCE_MODE,
/// White balance area.
WHITE_BALANCE_AREA,
/// White dynamic range mode.
WIDE_DYNAMIC_RANGE_MODE,
/// Image stabilization mode.
STABILIZATION_MODE,
/// ISO sensitivity.
ISO_SENSITIVITY,
/// Scene mode.
SCENE_MODE,
/// FPS.
FPS,
/// Brightness mode.
BRIGHTNESS_MODE,
/// Brightness. Value 0 - 100%.
BRIGHTNESS,
/// Contrast. Value 1 - 100%.
CONTRAST,
/// Gain mode.
GAIN_MODE,
/// Gain. Value 1 - 100%.
GAIN,
/// Sharpening mode.
SHARPENING_MODE,
/// Sharpening. Value 1 - 100%.
SHARPENING,
/// Palette.
PALETTE,
/// Analog gain control mode.
AGC_MODE,
/// Shutter mode.
SHUTTER_MODE,
/// Shutter position. 0 (full close) - 65535 (full open).
SHUTTER_POSITION,
/// Shutter speed. Value: 0 - 100%.
SHUTTER_SPEED,
/// Digital zoom mode.
DIGITAL_ZOOM_MODE,
/// Digital zoom. Value 1.0 (x1) - 20.0 (x20).
DIGITAL_ZOOM,
/// Exposure compensation mode.
EXPOSURE_COMPENSATION_MODE,
/// Exposure compensation position.
EXPOSURE_COMPENSATION_POSITION,
/// Defog mode.
DEFOG_MODE,
/// Dehaze mode.
DEHAZE_MODE,
/// Noise reduction mode.
NOISE_REDUCTION_MODE,
/// Black and white filter mode.
BLACK_WHITE_FILTER_MODE,
/// Filter mode.
FILTER_MODE,
/// NUC mode for thermal cameras.
NUC_MODE,
/// Auto NUC interval for thermal cameras.
AUTO_NUC_INTERVAL_MSEC,
/// Image flip mode.
IMAGE_FLIP,
/// DDE mode.
DDE_MODE,
/// DDE level.
DDE_LEVEL,
/// ROI top-left horizontal position, pixels.
ROI_X0,
/// ROI top-left vertical position, pixels.
ROI_Y0,
/// ROI bottom-right horizontal position, pixels.
ROI_X1,
/// ROI bottom-right vertical position, pixels.
ROI_Y1,
/// Camera temperature, degree.
TEMPERATURE,
/// ALC gate.
ALC_GATE,
/// Sensor sensitivity.
SENSITIVITY,
/// Changing mode (day / night).
CHANGING_MODE,
/// Changing level (day / night).
CHANGING_LEVEL,
/// Chroma level. Values: 0 - 100%.
CHROMA_LEVEL,
/// Details, enhancement. Values: 0 - 100%.
DETAIL,
/// Camera settings profile.
PROFILE,
/// Connection status (read only). Shows if we have a response from camera.
/// Value: 0 - not connected, 1 - connected.
IS_CONNECTED,
/// Open status (read only):
/// 1 - camera control port open, 0 - not open.
IS_OPEN,
/// Camera type.
TYPE,
/// Camera custom param.
CUSTOM_1,
/// Camera custom param.
CUSTOM_2,
/// Camera custom param.
CUSTOM_3
};
}
Table 3 - Camera params description.
| Parameter | Access | Description |
|---|---|---|
| WIDTH | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| HEIGHT | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| DISPLAY_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| VIDEO_OUTPUT | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| LOG_MODE | read / write | Logging mode. Values: 0 - Disable, 1 - Only file, 2 - Only terminal (console), 3 - File and terminal. Other values are rejected. |
| EXPOSURE_MODE | read / write | Exposure mode (ALC). Values: 0 - Manual (ALC disabled), 1 - Auto (ALC enabled). |
| EXPOSURE_TIME | read / write | Exposure time raw value. OWL 640: 1 count = 25 ns (40 MHz), range [20:1073741823]. OWL 1280 low gain: 1 count = 1 µs. OWL 1280 high gain: 1 count = 10 µs. Accepted values: from 0 up to (not including) 2^31, the camera gets the 32-bit value. The value is a float: integers above 16777216 (2^24) are not represented exactly. |
| WHITE_BALANCE_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| WHITE_BALANCE_AREA | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| WIDE_DYNAMIC_RANGE_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| STABILIZATION_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| ISO_SENSITIVITY | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| SCENE_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| FPS | read / write | Frame rate in frames per second. Internally converted to period counts (OWL 640: 40 MHz, OWL 1280: 70 MHz). The value must be a finite number greater than 0. A value for which the period doesn’t fit 32 bits (less than 70000000 / 2^32 for OWL 1280 and 40000000 / 2^32 for OWL 640) is rejected. |
| BRIGHTNESS_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| BRIGHTNESS | read / write | ALC level (auto level set point). 14-bit value, range [0:16383]. 0x3FFF = White. |
| CONTRAST | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| GAIN_MODE | read / write | Gain mode. Values: 0 - Low Gain, 1 - High Gain. Note: gain mode cannot be set if ALC (OWL 1280) or AGMC (OWL 640) is enabled. |
| GAIN | read / write | Digital video gain. 16-bit value = gain × 256. Sent as two serial commands. Accepted values: from 0 up to (not including) 2^31, the camera gets the least significant 16 bits. Note: ALC must be disabled. |
| SHARPENING_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| SHARPENING | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| PALETTE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| AGC_MODE | read / write | Automatic Gain Mode Control (OWL 640 only, AGMC). Values: 0 - Disabled, 1 - Enabled. Not supported on OWL 1280. |
| SHUTTER_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| SHUTTER_POSITION | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| SHUTTER_SPEED | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| DIGITAL_ZOOM_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| DIGITAL_ZOOM | read only | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| EXPOSURE_COMPENSATION_MODE | read only | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| EXPOSURE_COMPENSATION_POSITION | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| DEFOG_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| DEHAZE_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| NOISE_REDUCTION_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| BLACK_WHITE_FILTER_MODE | read only | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| FILTER_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| NUC_MODE | read / write | Automatic NUC mode: 0 - Off, 1 - Offset corrected, 2 - Offset + Gain corrected, 3 - Offset + Gain + Dark corrected. |
| AUTO_NUC_INTERVAL_MSEC | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| IMAGE_FLIP | read / write | Image flip mode. Values: 0 - Off, 1 - Horizontal, 2 - Vertical, 3 - Horizontal and vertical. |
| DDE_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| DDE_LEVEL | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| ROI_X0 | read / write | ROI X offset. OWL 640: 8-bit value = 1/4 of X pixel offset. OWL 1280: 8-bit value = 1/8 of X pixel offset. Accepted values: from 0 up to (not including) 2^31, the camera gets the least significant 8 bits. |
| ROI_Y0 | read / write | ROI Y offset. OWL 640: 8-bit value = 1/4 of Y pixel offset. OWL 1280: 8-bit value = 1/8 of Y pixel offset. Accepted values: from 0 up to (not including) 2^31, the camera gets the least significant 8 bits. |
| ROI_X1 | read / write | ROI X size. OWL 640: 8-bit value = 1/4 of X pixel size. OWL 1280: 8-bit value = 1/8 of X pixel size. Accepted values: from 0 up to (not including) 2^31, the camera gets the least significant 8 bits. |
| ROI_Y1 | read / write | ROI Y size. OWL 640: 8-bit value = 1/4 of Y pixel size. OWL 1280: 8-bit value = 1/8 of Y pixel size. Accepted values: from 0 up to (not including) 2^31, the camera gets the least significant 8 bits. |
| TEMPERATURE | read only | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| ALC_GATE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| SENSITIVITY | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| CHANGING_MODE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| CHANGING_LEVEL | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| CHROMA_LEVEL | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| DETAIL | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| PROFILE | read / write | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| IS_CONNECTED | read only | Connection status. The library does not read responses of the camera: the status is 1 after the serial port is opened and after every command that was written to the serial port, and 0 if the serial port is closed or the last command was not written to the serial port. Values: 0 - not connected, 1 - connected. |
| IS_OPEN | read only | Controller initialization status. Shows if the controller is initialized or not but doesn’t show if the controller has communication with the equipment. For example, if the serial port is open but the equipment is not active (no power), the open status just shows that the controller has opened the serial port. Values: 0 - not open (not initialized), 1 - open (initialized). |
| TYPE | read / write | Camera type. The value 640 selects OWL 640, any other integer value selects OWL 1280. Initial value is 0: until the type is set the commands of OWL 640 camera are sent. initCamera(…) sets the type from the type field of CameraParams. |
| CUSTOM_1 | read / write | TEC set point. 12-bit DAC value. The value is sent as two serial commands. Accepted values: from 0 up to (not including) 2^32, the camera gets the least significant 16 bits. |
| CUSTOM_2 | read / write | Peak/Average mode. 8-bit value: 0 = Full Peak, 255 = Full Average. Accepted values: from 0 up to (not including) 2^32, the camera gets the least significant 8 bits. |
| CUSTOM_3 | read / write | AGC/ALC speed. Encoded as gainSpeed × 16 + expSpeed (both [0:15], default: 7). OWL 640 uses AGC speed, OWL 1280 uses ALC speed. Accepted values: from 0 up to (not including) 2^32, only the least significant 8 bits are used. |
Example
The example below demonstrates how to use the OwlCamera library. The example shows how to initialize the camera controller, set camera parameters and execute camera commands.
#include <iostream>
#include "OwlCamera.h"
int main()
{
// Init camera controller.
rapidpixel::OwlCamera camera;
if (!camera.openCamera("/dev/ttyUSB0"))
{
std::cout << "Camera controller initialization failed." << std::endl;
return 1;
}
// Select the camera type (OWL 640).
if (!camera.setParam(rapidpixel::CameraParam::TYPE, 640.0f))
{
std::cout << "Can't set camera type." << std::endl;
return 1;
}
// Set camera parameters. Enable logging to the terminal.
if (!camera.setParam(rapidpixel::CameraParam::LOG_MODE, 2.0f))
{
std::cout << "Can't set log mode." << std::endl;
return 1;
}
// Execute camera command. Restart the camera.
if (!camera.executeCommand(rapidpixel::CameraCommand::RESTART))
{
std::cout << "Can't execute command." << std::endl;
return 1;
}
return 0;
}
CameraParams class description
CameraParams class used for camera controller initialization or to get all actual params. Also CameraParams provide structure to write/read params from JSON files (JSON_READABLE macro) and provide method to encode and decode params.
CameraParams Class declaration
CameraParams interface class declared in Camera.h file. Class declaration:
namespace rapidpixel
{
class CameraParams
{
public:
/// Initialization string.
std::string initString{"/dev/ttyUSB0;9600;20"};
/// Video frame width. Value from 0 to 16384.
int width{0};
/// Video frame height Value from 0 to 16384.
int height{0};
/// Display menu mode.
int displayMode{0};
/// Video output type.
int videoOutput{0};
/// Logging mode.
int logMode{0};
/// Exposure mode.
int exposureMode{1};
/// Exposure time of the camera sensor.
int exposureTime{0};
/// White balance mode.
int whiteBalanceMode{1};
/// White balance area.
int whiteBalanceArea{0};
/// White dynamic range mode.
int wideDynamicRangeMode{0};
/// Image stabilization mode.
int stabilizationMode{0};
/// ISO sensitivity.
int isoSensitivity{0};
/// Scene mode.
int sceneMode{0};
/// FPS.
float fps{0.0f};
/// Brightness mode.
int brightnessMode{1};
/// Brightness. Value 0 - 100%.
int brightness{0};
/// Contrast. Value 1 - 100%.
int contrast{0};
/// Gain mode.
int gainMode{1};
/// Gain. Value 1 - 100%.
int gain{0};
/// Sharpening mode.
int sharpeningMode{0};
/// Sharpening. Value 1 - 100%.
int sharpening{0};
/// Palette.
int palette{0};
/// Analog gain control mode.
int agcMode{1};
/// Shutter mode.
int shutterMode{1};
/// Shutter position. 0 (full close) - 65535 (full open).
int shutterPos{0};
/// Shutter speed. Value: 0 - 100%.
int shutterSpeed{0};
/// Digital zoom mode.
int digitalZoomMode{0};
/// Digital zoom. Value 1.0 (x1) - 20.0 (x20).
float digitalZoom{1.0f};
/// Exposure compensation mode.
int exposureCompensationMode{0};
/// Exposure compensation position.
int exposureCompensationPosition{0};
/// Defog mode.
int defogMode{0};
/// Dehaze mode.
int dehazeMode{0};
/// Noise reduction mode.
int noiseReductionMode{0};
/// Black and white filter mode.
int blackAndWhiteFilterMode{0};
/// Filter mode.
int filterMode{0};
/// NUC mode for thermal cameras.
int nucMode{0};
/// Auto NUC interval for thermal cameras.
int autoNucIntervalMsec{0};
/// Image flip mode.
int imageFlip{0};
/// DDE mode.
int ddeMode{0};
/// DDE level.
float ddeLevel{0};
/// ROI top-left horizontal position, pixels.
int roiX0{0};
/// ROI top-left vertical position, pixels.
int roiY0{0};
/// ROI bottom-right horizontal position, pixels.
int roiX1{0};
/// ROI bottom-right vertical position, pixels.
int roiY1{0};
/// Camera temperature, degree.
float temperature{0.0f};
/// ALC gate.
int alcGate{0};
/// Sensor sensitivity.
float sensitivity{0};
/// Changing mode (day / night).
int changingMode{0};
/// Changing level (day / night).
float changingLevel{0.0f};
/// Chroma level. Values: 0 - 100%.
int chromaLevel{0};
/// Details, enhancement. Values: 0 - 100%.
int detail{0};
/// Camera settings profile.
int profile{0};
/// Connection status (read only).
bool isConnected{false};
/// Open status (read only).
bool isOpen{false};
/// Camera type.
int type{0};
/// Camera custom param.
float custom1{0.0f};
/// Camera custom param.
float custom2{0.0f};
/// Camera custom param.
float custom3{0.0f};
JSON_READABLE(CameraParams, initString, width, height, displayMode,
videoOutput, logMode, exposureMode, exposureTime,
whiteBalanceMode, whiteBalanceArea, wideDynamicRangeMode,
stabilizationMode, isoSensitivity, sceneMode, fps,
brightnessMode, brightness, contrast, gainMode, gain,
sharpeningMode, sharpening, palette, agcMode, shutterMode,
shutterPos, shutterSpeed, digitalZoomMode, digitalZoom,
exposureCompensationMode, exposureCompensationPosition,
defogMode, dehazeMode, noiseReductionMode,
blackAndWhiteFilterMode, filterMode, nucMode,
autoNucIntervalMsec, imageFlip, ddeMode, ddeLevel,
roiX0, roiY0, roiX1, roiY1, alcGate, sensitivity,
changingMode, changingLevel, chromaLevel, detail,
profile, type, custom1, custom2, custom3)
/// operator =
CameraParams& operator= (const CameraParams& src);
/// Encode params. The method doesn't encode initString.
bool encode(uint8_t* data, int bufferSize, int& size,
CameraParamsMask* mask = nullptr);
/// Decode params. The method doesn't decode initString.
bool decode(uint8_t* data, int dataSize);
};
}
Table 4 - CameraParams class fields description is equivalent to CameraParam enum description.
| Field | type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| initString | string | Initialization string. The first non-empty segment before ‘;’ is the serial port name, or the whole string if there is no ‘;’. The baudrate is always 115200. |
| width | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| height | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| displayMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| videoOutput | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| logMode | int | Logging mode. Values: 0 - Disable 1 - Only file 2 - Only terminal (console) 3 - File and terminal |
| exposureMode | int | Exposure mode (ALC). 0 - Manual (ALC disabled), 1 - Auto (ALC enabled). |
| exposureTime | int | Exposure time raw value. OWL 640: 1 count = 25 ns. OWL 1280 low gain: 1 count = 1 µs. OWL 1280 high gain: 1 count = 10 µs. |
| whiteBalanceMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| whiteBalanceArea | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| wideDynamicRangeMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| stabilizationMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| isoSensitivity | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| sceneMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| fps | float | Frame rate (frames per second). Converted to period counts internally. |
| brightnessMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| brightness | int | ALC level (auto level set point). 14-bit value, range [0:16383]. |
| contrast | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| gainMode | int | Gain mode. 0 - Low Gain, 1 - High Gain. |
| gain | int | Digital video gain. 16-bit value = gain × 256. |
| sharpeningMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| sharpening | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| palette | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| agcMode | int | Automatic Gain Mode Control (OWL 640 only, AGMC). 0 - Disabled, 1 - Enabled. |
| shutterMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| shutterPos | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| shutterSpeed | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| digitalZoomMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| digitalZoom | float | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| exposureCompensationMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| exposureCompensationPosition | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| defogMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| dehazeMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| noiseReductionMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| blackAndWhiteFilterMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| filterMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| nucMode | int | NUC mode: 0 - Off, 1 - Offset corrected, 2 - Offset + Gain corrected, 3 - Offset + Gain + Dark corrected. |
| autoNucIntervalMsec | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| imageFlip | int | Image flip mode. 0 - Off, 1 - Horizontal, 2 - Vertical, 3 - Horizontal and vertical. |
| ddeMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| ddeLevel | float | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| roiX0 | int | ROI X offset. OWL 640: 1/4 pixel. OWL 1280: 1/8 pixel. |
| roiY0 | int | ROI Y offset. OWL 640: 1/4 pixel. OWL 1280: 1/8 pixel. |
| roiX1 | int | ROI X size. OWL 640: 1/4 pixel. OWL 1280: 1/8 pixel. |
| roiY1 | int | ROI Y size. OWL 640: 1/4 pixel. OWL 1280: 1/8 pixel. |
| temperature | float | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| alcGate | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| sensitivity | float | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| changingMode | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| changingLevel | float | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| chromaLevel | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| detail | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| profile | int | Not supported by OwlCamera library. |
| isConnected | bool | Connection status. Shows if the last command was written to the serial port (see IS_CONNECTED). Values: 0 - not connected, 1 - connected. |
| isOpen | bool | Controller initialization status. Shows if the controller is initialized. Values: 0 - not open, 1 - open. |
| type | int | Camera type. 640 (OWL 640) or any other value for OWL 1280. Initial value is 0: the commands of OWL 640 camera are sent until the type is set. |
| custom1 | float | TEC set point. 12-bit DAC value. |
| custom2 | float | Peak/Average mode. 8-bit value: 0 = Full Peak, 255 = Full Average. |
| custom3 | float | AGC/ALC speed. Encoded as gainSpeed × 16 + expSpeed (both [0:15]). |
Note: CameraParams class fields listed above reflect params set/get by methods setParam(…) and getParam(…).
Serialize camera params
CameraParams class provides the encode(…) method to serialize camera params (fields of CameraParams class, see Table 4). Serialization of camera params is necessary when you have to send camera params via communication channels. The method doesn’t encode the initString field. The method provides options to exclude particular parameters from serialization. To do this, the method inserts a binary mask (8 bytes) where each bit represents a particular parameter and the decode(…) method recognizes it. Method declaration:
bool encode(uint8_t* data, int bufferSize, int& size, CameraParamsMask* mask = nullptr);
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| data | Pointer to data buffer. Buffer size must be >= 237 bytes. |
| bufferSize | Data buffer size. Buffer size must be >= 237 bytes. |
| size | Size of encoded data. |
| mask | Parameters mask - pointer to CameraParamsMask structure. CameraParamsMask (declared in Camera.h file) determines flags for each field (parameter) declared in CameraParams class. If the user wants to exclude any parameters from serialization, he can put a pointer to the mask. If the user wants to exclude a particular parameter from serialization, he should set the corresponding flag in the CameraParamsMask structure. |
Returns: TRUE if params encoded (serialized) or FALSE if not.
CameraParamsMask structure declaration:
typedef struct CameraParamsMask
{
bool width{true};
bool height{true};
bool displayMode{true};
bool videoOutput{true};
bool logMode{true};
bool exposureMode{true};
bool exposureTime{true};
bool whiteBalanceMode{true};
bool whiteBalanceArea{true};
bool wideDynamicRangeMode{true};
bool stabilizationMode{true};
bool isoSensitivity{true};
bool sceneMode{true};
bool fps{true};
bool brightnessMode{true};
bool brightness{true};
bool contrast{true};
bool gainMode{true};
bool gain{true};
bool sharpeningMode{true};
bool sharpening{true};
bool palette{true};
bool agcMode{true};
bool shutterMode{true};
bool shutterPos{true};
bool shutterSpeed{true};
bool digitalZoomMode{true};
bool digitalZoom{true};
bool exposureCompensationMode{true};
bool exposureCompensationPosition{true};
bool defogMode{true};
bool dehazeMode{true};
bool noiseReductionMode{true};
bool blackAndWhiteFilterMode{true};
bool filterMode{true};
bool nucMode{true};
bool autoNucIntervalMsec{true};
bool imageFlip{true};
bool ddeMode{true};
bool ddeLevel{true};
bool roiX0{true};
bool roiY0{true};
bool roiX1{true};
bool roiY1{true};
bool temperature{true};
bool alcGate{true};
bool sensitivity{true};
bool changingMode{true};
bool changingLevel{true};
bool chromaLevel{true};
bool detail{true};
bool profile{true};
bool isConnected{true};
bool isOpen{true};
bool type{true};
bool custom1{true};
bool custom2{true};
bool custom3{true};
} CameraParamsMask;
Example without parameters mask:
// Encode data.
rapidpixel::CameraParams in;
in.profile = 10;
uint8_t data[1024];
int size = 0;
if (!in.encode(data, 1024, size))
{
std::cout << "Can't encode data" << std::endl;
return false;
}
std::cout << "Encoded data size: " << size << " bytes" << std::endl;
Example with parameters mask:
// Prepare params.
rapidpixel::CameraParams in;
in.profile = 3;
// Prepare mask.
rapidpixel::CameraParamsMask mask;
mask.profile = false; // Exclude profile. Others by default.
// Encode.
uint8_t data[1024];
int size = 0;
if (!in.encode(data, 1024, size, &mask))
{
std::cout << "Can't encode data" << std::endl;
return false;
}
std::cout << "Encoded data size: " << size << " bytes" << std::endl;
Deserialize camera params
CameraParams class provides the decode(…) method to deserialize camera params (fields of CameraParams class, see Table 4). Deserialization of camera params is necessary when you need to receive params via communication channels. The method automatically recognizes which parameters were serialized by the encode(…) method. The method doesn’t decode the initString field. Method declaration:
bool decode(uint8_t* data, int dataSize);
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| data | Pointer to data buffer with serialized camera params. |
| dataSize | Size of command data. |
Returns: TRUE if params decoded (deserialized) or FALSE if not.
Example:
// Encode data.
rapidpixel::CameraParams in;
uint8_t data[1024];
int size = 0;
if (!in.encode(data, 1024, size))
{
std::cout << "Can't encode data" << std::endl;
return false;
}
std::cout << "Encoded data size: " << size << " bytes" << std::endl;
// Decode data.
rapidpixel::CameraParams out;
if (!out.decode(data, size))
{
std::cout << "Can't decode data" << std::endl;
return false;
}
Read and write camera params to JSON file
Camera library depends on ConfigReader library which provides methods to read params from JSON file and to write params to JSON file. Example of writing and reading params to JSON file:
// Write params to file.
rapidpixel::CameraParams in;
rapidpixel::ConfigReader inConfig;
if (!inConfig.set(in, "cameraParams") ||
!inConfig.writeToFile("TestCameraParams.json"))
{
std::cout << "Can't write config file" << std::endl;
return false;
}
// Read params from file.
rapidpixel::ConfigReader outConfig;
if (!outConfig.readFromFile("TestCameraParams.json"))
{
std::cout << "Can't open config file" << std::endl;
return false;
}
rapidpixel::CameraParams out;
if (!outConfig.get(out, "cameraParams"))
{
std::cout << "Can't read params" << std::endl;
return false;
}
TestCameraParams.json will look like (the params are default values of the CameraParams class):
{
"cameraParams": {
"initString": "/dev/ttyUSB0;9600;20",
"width": 0,
"height": 0,
"displayMode": 0,
"videoOutput": 0,
"logMode": 0,
"exposureMode": 1,
"exposureTime": 0,
"whiteBalanceMode": 1,
"whiteBalanceArea": 0,
"wideDynamicRangeMode": 0,
"stabilizationMode": 0,
"isoSensitivity": 0,
"sceneMode": 0,
"fps": 0.0,
"brightnessMode": 1,
"brightness": 0,
"contrast": 0,
"gainMode": 1,
"gain": 0,
"sharpeningMode": 0,
"sharpening": 0,
"palette": 0,
"agcMode": 1,
"shutterMode": 1,
"shutterPos": 0,
"shutterSpeed": 0,
"digitalZoomMode": 0,
"digitalZoom": 1.0,
"exposureCompensationMode": 0,
"exposureCompensationPosition": 0,
"defogMode": 0,
"dehazeMode": 0,
"noiseReductionMode": 0,
"blackAndWhiteFilterMode": 0,
"filterMode": 0,
"nucMode": 0,
"autoNucIntervalMsec": 0,
"imageFlip": 0,
"ddeMode": 0,
"ddeLevel": 0.0,
"roiX0": 0,
"roiY0": 0,
"roiX1": 0,
"roiY1": 0,
"alcGate": 0,
"sensitivity": 0.0,
"changingMode": 0,
"changingLevel": 0.0,
"chromaLevel": 0,
"detail": 0,
"profile": 0,
"type": 0,
"custom1": 0.0,
"custom2": 0.0,
"custom3": 0.0
}
}
Build and connect to your project
Build stand alone
The repository does not contain sub-repositories. The protocol parser library OwlParser is a part of the repository (folder src/parser, see src/parser/README.md): the main CMakeLists.txt file of the library adds it before the library itself in every build (stand alone and included in another project), so it is not cloned and not added separately; its test application (src/parser/test) is not built. The other libraries OwlCamera depends on (ConfigReader, Camera, SerialPort and Logger) must be cloned into the same folder as OwlCamera. The folder structure must be:
<work folder>
OwlCamera
ConfigReader
Camera
SerialPort
Logger
Typical commands to build the library and the test application (use the URLs of the repositories provided to you):
git clone <OwlCamera repository URL>
git clone <ConfigReader repository URL>
git clone <Camera repository URL>
git clone <SerialPort repository URL>
git clone <Logger repository URL>
cd OwlCamera
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
On Windows use cmake --build . --config Release instead of make. If OwlCamera is the top-level CMake project, the main CMakeLists.txt file adds the folders ../ConfigReader, ../Camera, ../SerialPort and ../Logger (in this order) before the library itself. If a folder does not exist CMake stops with an error.
CMake options
Table 5 - CMake options of the repository. In the options below ${PARENT} is the prefix defined by the top-level project (empty if OwlCamera is the top-level project).
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ${PARENT}_OWL_CAMERA | ON | Build the library. |
| ${PARENT}_OWL_CAMERA_TEST | ON (stand alone), OFF (included in other project) | Build the test application. |
| ${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_CACHE_OVERWRITE | ON | Forced rewriting of the options above in the CMake cache. The top-level project sets it to OFF when it includes OwlCamera as a sub-repository. |
| CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE | Release (if not specified) | Build type. |
Connect to your project
If you want connect OwlCamera library to your CMake project as source code you can make the following. For example, if your repository has structure:
CMakeLists.txt
src
CMakeList.txt
yourLib.h
yourLib.cpp
Create folder 3rdparty and copy there the folders of the OwlCamera repository and of the repositories it depends on (ConfigReader, Camera, SerialPort and Logger). OwlCamera does not add its dependencies when it is included in another project: your project must add them. Structure of your repository:
CMakeLists.txt
src
CMakeList.txt
yourLib.h
yourLib.cpp
3rdparty
OwlCamera
ConfigReader
Camera
SerialPort
Logger
Create CMakeLists.txt file in 3rdparty folder. CMakeLists.txt should contain:
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
################################################################################
## 3RD-PARTY
## dependencies for the project
################################################################################
project(3rdparty LANGUAGES CXX)
################################################################################
## SETTINGS
## basic 3rd-party settings before use
################################################################################
# To inherit the top-level architecture when the project is used as a submodule.
SET(PARENT ${PARENT}_YOUR_PROJECT_3RDPARTY)
# Disable self-overwriting of parameters inside included subdirectories.
SET(${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_CACHE_OVERWRITE OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
################################################################################
## CONFIGURATION
## 3rd-party submodules configuration
################################################################################
SET(${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_CONFIG_READER ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
if (${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_CONFIG_READER)
SET(${PARENT}_CONFIG_READER ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
SET(${PARENT}_CONFIG_READER_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
SET(${PARENT}_CONFIG_READER_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
endif()
SET(${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_CAMERA ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
if (${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_CAMERA)
SET(${PARENT}_CAMERA ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
SET(${PARENT}_CAMERA_TEST OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
SET(${PARENT}_CAMERA_EXAMPLE OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
endif()
SET(${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_SERIAL_PORT ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
if (${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_SERIAL_PORT)
SET(${PARENT}_SERIAL_PORT ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
SET(${PARENT}_SERIAL_PORT_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
endif()
SET(${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_LOGGER ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
if (${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_LOGGER)
SET(${PARENT}_LOGGER ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
SET(${PARENT}_LOGGER_EXAMPLE OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
endif()
SET(${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_OWL_CAMERA ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
if (${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_OWL_CAMERA)
SET(${PARENT}_OWL_CAMERA ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
SET(${PARENT}_OWL_CAMERA_TEST OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
endif()
################################################################################
## INCLUDING SUBDIRECTORIES
## Adding subdirectories according to the 3rd-party configuration
################################################################################
if (${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_CONFIG_READER)
add_subdirectory(ConfigReader)
endif()
if (${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_CAMERA)
add_subdirectory(Camera)
endif()
if (${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_SERIAL_PORT)
add_subdirectory(SerialPort)
endif()
if (${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_LOGGER)
add_subdirectory(Logger)
endif()
if (${PARENT}_SUBMODULE_OWL_CAMERA)
add_subdirectory(OwlCamera)
endif()
File 3rdparty/CMakeLists.txt adds the folders of the libraries in the order of their mutual dependencies and then the folder OwlCamera to your project. If a library is not added the compilation stops with an error (for example “SerialPort.h: No such file or directory”). Structure of your repository with the CMake file:
CMakeLists.txt
src
CMakeList.txt
yourLib.h
yourLib.cpp
3rdparty
CMakeLists.txt
OwlCamera
ConfigReader
Camera
SerialPort
Logger
Next you need include folder 3rdparty in main CMakeLists.txt file of your repository. Add string at the end of your main CMakeLists.txt:
add_subdirectory(3rdparty)
Next you have to include OwlCamera library in your src/CMakeLists.txt file:
target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} OwlCamera)
Done!
Portability
The library has no processor specific code (no SIMD instructions and no inline assembler) and is built with GCC for x86-64 and AArch64 (Linux). The bytes of the commands which are sent to the camera are composed by explicit shifts, so they do not depend on the byte order of the host. The integer and float fields of the messages decoded by the decodeAndExecuteCommand(…) method are read in the byte order of the host (format of the Camera library): the control system and the controller must have the same byte order.
Test application
The repository includes a test application (test/main.cpp) to control the camera parameters and to execute the camera commands from the terminal. The application sends the commands to the camera via a serial port. It doesn’t open any window, doesn’t show video and doesn’t write any file. To build and run the test application:
cd OwlCamera
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
./bin/OwlCameraTest
The application can get the serial port name and the camera type as arguments (for example ./bin/OwlCameraTest /dev/ttyUSB0 1280). Without arguments the application asks for them:
OwlCamera version: 3.1.0
Enter serial port name: /dev/ttyUSB0
Choose camera type (640 or 1280): 1280
Camera opened successfully.
After initialization, the application presents the menu:
-------------------------------------------
Choose command:
0 - Exit
1 - Restart camera
2 - NUC command (set NUC mode to 4)
3 - NUC mode
4 - Exposure mode
5 - Exposure time
6 - Gain mode
7 - Gain
8 - Image flip mode
9 - FPS
10 - AGC mode
11 - Brightness (ALC level)
12 - Custom param 1 (TEC set point)
13 - Custom param 2 (Peak/Average)
14 - Custom param 3 (AGC/ALC speed)
15 - ROI X offset
16 - ROI Y offset
17 - ROI X size
18 - ROI Y size
19 - Print camera params
20 - Log mode (0 - Off, 1 - File, 2 - Console, 3 - File and console)
Your option:
The application reads the option and the values line by line. A line that is not a number is rejected (“Invalid option.” or “Invalid number.”) and the menu is shown again. The result of every command is printed (for example “Set gain: OK.” or “Can’t set gain.”). The application exits by the option 0 or when the input is closed. The exit code is 0, or 1 if the arguments are wrong or the camera can’t be opened.