--- title: "Set up the software for a Teledyne FLIR camera system" canonical: "https://help.vicon.com/space/Nexus220/897716269/Set%20up%20the%20software%20for%20a%20Teledyne%20FLIR%20camera%20system" format: markdown --- Most of the setup of the software can be done from within Nexus. We recommend that you do not run any FLIR utilities or other software that uses USB3 video cameras at the same time as Nexus. The steps for setting up the software are: > Macro (toc) > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) > Macro (anchor) ## Check FLIR drivers In Windows Device Manager, check that FLIR drivers are installed. They are normally installed as part of the Nexus installation. If the device drivers are correctly installed, the camera(s) are displayed. > ![image](media://43135148-86f6-4e02-8040-627b73e3d9ec) > Macro (excerpt) > > > Macro (anchor) > > > > > ## Check cameras are displayed in Nexus > > In the Nexus **System** panel, go to the **Video Cameras** section of the system tree, > If the cameras are connected and their drivers installed, they are displayed. > > > ![image](media://9c180507-4457-45d4-b72e-d7f21f666d92) > > Newly connected cameras are likely to be displayed with a yellow warning triangle, which indicates that they need the trigger to be set (see [Set the Trigger Source to the correct Vicon Lock output](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716269/Set+up+the+software+for+a+Teledyne+FLIR+camera+system#SetLockTriggerSource)). > > > ![image](media://7c15ae7c-3234-4932-a13b-d216349f21b1) > > > ⚠️ **Suppress warnings for shared controllers** > > ⚠️ Yellow warning triangles are also displayed by default if a FLIR camera is plugged into a shared controller (such as on the PC’s motherboard) instead of using the ports on the dedicated USB card for FLIR cameras. For information on how to turn off these warnings, see [Turn off display of warning triangles](#deactivate-warnings). > > If the camera has previously been connected, its trigger settings are remembered and its icon turns green when the Lock that is generating the trigger becomes available. > > > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) > > ## Check compressed video capture is available > > For optimum performance when capturing large amounts of FLIR video data, we recommend using the video data compression that is offered by Nexus 2.19 and later. > > > **To ensure your Vicon Nexus system can use video data compression:** > > > 1. Check that your machine meets the requirements listed in [Recommended Teledyne FLIR Blackfly S hardware for Nexus](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716203). > 2. Ensure that the **Vicon NVIDIA CUDA Redistributable** is installed. It is installed by default as part of Nexus installation. > 3. Ensure CUDA is not turned off for Nexus (it is turned on by default). > :check_mark: **Tip**: To check, ensure your environment variables do NOT include the line `VICON_NEXUS_CUDA_ENABLE_FLAGS = 0` > > > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) > > > **To check that video data compression is available:** > > > 1. In the Nexus **System** panel, select a FLIR camera. > 2. In its **Properties**, go to **Settings** and check that the **Video Payload** and **JPEG Quality** options are available: > **Video Payload** > Select from: > - **Uncompressed**: (default) Records the video frames to a .*vvid* file exactly as provided by the FLIR API, with no conversion or compression. > - **JPEG (GPU)**: Transforms and compresses the video frames to JPEG using the GPU, before writing them to a .*vvid* file. Select this option to use video data compression. > **JPEG Quality** > Leave at the default (80) or select from the range between 30 (lower quality, smaller file size) to 99 (higher quality, larger file size). > > For more information on choosing the appropriate settings for your Vicon Nexus system that includes FLIR cameras, see [Choose the settings for FLIR cameras](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716269/Set+up+the+software+for+a+Teledyne+FLIR+camera+system#SetLockTriggerSource). > > > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) > > > > Macro (anchor) > > > > > ## Set the system frame rate > > 1. On the **System** tab, select **Local Vicon System** > 2. In the **Properties** pane below, go to the **System** section and set the **Requested Frame Rate** for the Vicon system. > > The Vicon system frame rate determines which frame rates are listed for the video camera, so it makes sense to set this first. > > The video frame rate cannot be higher than the system frame rate, and must divide into the system frame rate. For example, if you want 60 Hz video, set the system rate to a value such as 60 Hz, 120 Hz, 180 Hz, etc. > > > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) > > ## Set the required trigger source or GPO for the Sync Outputs on the Lock > > 1. In the **System** tab select the Vicon Lock and in its **Properties** pane, go to the **Sync Out** section. > 2. For each **Sync Output** on the Lock that is connected to a FLIR camera, select the required trigger: > - To connect a single camera to a Sync Output (the default option), select the appropriate Trigger Output. > - To connect more than one camera to a single Sync Output on the Lock, using splitters, select the required Trigger Group. > - To use a .*gpo* file as the synchronization signal, select its filename, which is listed without the extension. > In the following example, a 4-way splitter connects to 2 GPO ports. Sync Outputs 1 and 2 are assigned Trigger Group 1 as their trigger source, Sync Outputs 3 and 4 are assigned Trigger Group 2, Sync Outputs 5 to 7 are each assigned a single Trigger Output corresponding to the physical Sync Output on the Vicon Lock, and Sync Output 8 is assigned the GPO program, DV_Half: > The following table contains a description of each of the options for this setting. > > ### Sync Output options > > | Option | Description | > | --- | --- | > | Trigger Output 1–8 | (Default) Output-specific trigger (eg, **Trigger Output 1**). The trigger source for a FLIR camera or digital device that supports triggered sync. The number corresponds to the specific Sync Output number, that is, Trigger Output 1 is only ever an option for Sync Output 1. If more than one device is assigned this as its trigger source, a warning is displayed and data is deactivated from those devices. | > | Trigger Group 1–8 | Trigger Group (eg, **Trigger Group 1**) Use this option to specify a trigger that is used by multiple FLIR cameras. You may assign trigger labels to any number of Sync Outputs. You can select a single trigger group label as the trigger source for multiple FLIR cameras but you must set them all to use the same frame rate. > :ISO_warning: **Note**: Trigger groups cannot be used by digital devices. | > | *Filename* without stem or extension | The name of a .*gpo* file that specifies the synchronization signal, eg, **DV_Half**, as shown in the above example. | > > > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) > > > > Macro (anchor) > > > > > ## Choose the settings for FLIR cameras > > To enable the Lock unit to provide a sync signal to the FLIR cameras, you must set the **Trigger Source** and other settings for the cameras. > > > **To choose the settings for the cameras: ** > > > 1. On the **System** tab, go to the **Video Cameras** section and select the FLIR camera(s). > 2. In the **Properties**, go to the **Settings** section and select the required **Capture Path**. > If you are using Nexus 2.19 or later, also select the required **Video Payload** and **JPEG Quality**. > :check_mark: **Tip**: If you can’t see Video Payload and JPEG Quality, check that your PC meets the requirements specified in *[Configure video cameras for digital video capture](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713226)* in the *Vicon Nexus User Guide*. > - **Capture Path** The location to which video data from the digital video camera is to be captured. > - **Video Payload** Select from: > - **Uncompressed**: (default) Records the video frames to a .*vvid* file exactly as provided by the FLIR API, with no conversion or compression. > - **JPEG (GPU)**: Transforms and compresses the video frames to JPEG using the GPU, producing a smaller .*vvid* file than the Uncompressed option. > :ISO_warning: **Important**: If your system includes 8 or more FLIR cameras (this functionality is available in Nexus 2.19 and later), we recommend that you select this option, particularly for frame rates of 100 Hz or higher. > - **JPEG Quality** Leave at the default (80) or select from the range between 30 (lower quality, smaller file size) to 99 (higher quality, larger file size). > 3. Go to the **Frame Rate** section, and from the **Trigger Source** list, select the option that will provide the camera’s trigger signal. > Ensure that the option that you choose in the software matches the physical cable connection. After you select the correct trigger source, the camera icon turns green after a couple of seconds. > :ISO_warning: **Important**: You can assign multiple FLIR cameras to the same Trigger Group but you must set them all to run at the same frame rate. If you do not, a warning is displayed and data from all cameras in the group is deactivated. To run FLIR cameras at different rates, assign them to different Trigger Groups (or connect them solely to an output-specific trigger, eg, Trigger Output 1). > If your selection is invalid, the camera does not receive any trigger signals and the video will be initially blank, or else frozen on the last frame received, and the warning icon continues to be displayed next to the camera. > 4. From the **Requested Frame Rate** list, select the required frame rate. The video frame rate cannot be higher than the system frame rate (see [Set the system frame rate](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716269/Set+up+the+software+for+a+Teledyne+FLIR+camera+system#SetSystemFrameRate)), and must divide into the system frame rate. For example, if you want 60 Hz video, set the system rate to a value such as 60 Hz, 120 Hz, 180 Hz, etc. Make sure all FLIR cameras in the same Trigger Group have the same frame rate as described in Step 3. > > > ℹ️ **Text color in Trigger Source list** > > ℹ️ > > ℹ️ ▪️ Black: Trigger is available to use. > > ℹ️ ▪️ Gray: Trigger is available but already in use by another device (and can't be used by multiple devices). > > ℹ️ ▪️ Red: There’s a conflict or no Sync Output on a Lock has been assigned to this trigger. > > > Macro (anchor) > > > > ### Turn off display of warning triangles > > If you connect FLIR cameras into USB ports that share a controller (for example, into the PC’s motherboard), the cameras run as expected but in the system tree in the Nexus **System Resources** panel, warning triangles are displayed next to the relevant FLIR camera(s). > > **To turn off the display of warning triangles:** > > 1. In the **System Resources** tree, select the relevant FLIR camera. > 2. In the camera's **Properties** below, ensure the **Advanced** properties are displayed (if not, click **Show Advanced**). > 3. In the Properties, go to the **Connection** section and clear the check box for **Warn If Sharing Interface**. > The yellow triangles and warnings about sharing an interface or USB controller are no longer displayed. > Macro (anchor) ## Configure and calibrate cameras in Nexus For information on adjusting the settings in Nexus and calibrating FLIR cameras, see [Configure video cameras for digital video capture](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713226) in the *Vicon Nexus User Guide*.