Creating Custom Adaptors

Use the Image Acquisition Toolbox™ Adaptor Kit to create an adaptor

The Adaptor Kit is a C++ framework that you use to create an adaptor to support new hardware. The kit is not necessary to use Image Acquisition Toolbox. Use it only if you are writing a custom adaptor.

Functions

`imaqhwinfo`	Information about available image acquisition hardware
`videoinput`	Create video input object
`imaqreset`	Disconnect and delete all image acquisition objects
`imaqregister`	Register third-party custom adaptor

Topics

Setting Up Your Build Environment

Custom Adaptors
Describes what an adaptor is and why you would build one.
Creating an Adaptor
Describes the design decisions required to create an adaptor and specifies a recommended procedure for creating an adaptor.
Testing Adaptors or Hardware
Describes the test procedure and automated tests for third-party adaptor developers and camera vendors to test adaptors and hardware against the toolbox.
Looking at the Demo Adaptor
Provides a quick introduction to adaptor development by examining the demo adaptor that is included with the adaptor kit.
Setting Up a Build Environment on Windows Systems
Provides a summary of the header files and libraries required to create an adaptor on Windows^® systems.
Setting Up a Build Environment on Linux and Macintosh Systems
Provides a summary of the header files and libraries required to create an adaptor on Linux^® and Macintosh systems.

Providing Hardware Information

Using Adaptor Exported Functions
Provides an overview of the five required functions that every adaptor must export, including a flow-of-control diagram.
Creating a Stub Adaptor
Describes how to create a stub implementation of your adaptor.
Creating a Stub Adaptor Test Procedure
Describes how to verify that the stub adaptor shows up in MATLAB^®.
Performing Adaptor and Device SDK Initialization
Describes how to perform any initialization required by your adaptor or by your device's SDK.
Specifying Device and Format Information
Describes how to write the function that provides the toolbox with information about the devices currently available on the user's system.
Defining Classes to Hold Device-Specific Information
Describes an optional method for storing additional device-specific information.
Unloading Your Adaptor DLL
Describes how to write the function that can perform any cleanup required when your adaptor DLL is unloaded.
Returning Warnings and Errors to the MATLAB Command Line
Describes how to return errors and warnings that are consistent with the MATLAB error format.

Defining Your Adaptor Class

Defining Your Adaptor Class
Provides an overview of the user tasks your adaptor implements in its adaptor class.
Using IAdaptor Abstract Class Virtual Functions
Lists the pure virtual functions in the IAdaptor abstract class.
Creating Stub Implementation of Your Adaptor Class
Provides a step-by-step approach to creating a stub implementation of your adaptor class.
Identifying Video Sources
Describes how to identify a video source.
Instantiating an Adaptor Object
Describes how to create your adaptor class constructor.

Acquiring Image Data

Acquiring Image Data
Provides an overview of how your adaptor acquires image frames.
Specifying the Format of the Image Data
Describes how to specify the format of the acquired image data.
Specifying Format of Image Data Test Procedure
Describes how to test specifying the format of the image data.
Opening and Closing Connection with a Device
Describes how to open a connection with a device.
Starting and Stopping Image Acquisition
Describes how to start a video input object.
Implementing the Acquisition Thread Function
Describes how to implement the main image acquisition function.
Implementing the Acquisition Thread Function Test Procedure
Describes how to test the acquisition thread function.
Supporting ROIs
Describes how to support the specification of a region-of-interest (ROI) in software and in hardware.
Supporting ROIs Test Procedure
Describes how to test region of interest (ROI).
Supporting Hardware Triggers
Describes how to support hardware triggers.
Using Critical Sections
Describes how to create and use critical section objects.
Specifying Device Driver Identification Information
Describes how to provide device driver information.
Specifying Device Driver Identification Information Test Procedure
Describes how to verify the device driver identification information.

Defining Device-Specific Properties

Defining Device-Specific Properties
Provides an overview of the process of defining device-specific properties.
Creating Device Properties
Describes how to create device-specific properties.
Defining Hardware Trigger Configurations
Describes how to create hardware trigger configurations.
Implementing Get and Set Support for Device-Specific Properties
Describes how to set up listeners to detect when users change the value of a property or request the current value.

Storing Adaptor Information in an IMDF File

Using the IMDF Markup Language
Provides an overview of the IMDF property information mechanism.
Creating an IMDF File: Toplevel Elements
Describes the basic elements in an IMDF file.
Specifying Help in an IMDF File
Describes how to create help text entries in an IMDF file.
Specifying Device Information
Describes how to store device information in an IMDF file.
Specifying Property Information
Describes how to store property information in an IMDF file.
Specifying Format Information
Describes how to store video format information in an IMDF file.
Specifying Hardware Trigger Information
Describes how to store hardware trigger information.
Specifying Video Sources
Describes how to store video source information.
Defining and Including Sections
Describes how to group IMDF elements together in collections called sections and reference sections from other elements.

Using the Test Suite for Adaptor Writers or Hardware Vendors

Testing Adaptors or Hardware
Describes the test procedure and automated tests for third-party adaptor developers and camera vendors to test adaptors and hardware against the toolbox.
Creating a Stub Adaptor Test Procedure
Describes how to verify that the stub adaptor shows up in MATLAB.
Specifying Format of Image Data Test Procedure
Describes how to test specifying the format of the image data.
Implementing the Acquisition Thread Function Test Procedure
Describes how to test the acquisition thread function.
Supporting ROIs Test Procedure
Describes how to test region of interest (ROI).
Specifying Device Driver Identification Information Test Procedure
Describes how to verify the device driver identification information.
Using the Test Suite Functions and Properties
Describes the properties and functions that can be used in the test suite.