Free Gardasoft Application Software
Gardasoft Vision provides five free pieces of application software to assist using Gardasoft controllers in machine vision environments. If you are a new user of Gardasoft controllers we recommend downloading Gardasoft Maint which will help you discover the Gardasoft controllers on your Ethernet network. If you are ready to integrate Gardasoft controllers into your application software, the Gardasoft SDK provides ready-written software functions to discover and control all key Gardasoft functions. The Gardasoft Vision Utility provides a simple method of configuring a development machine vision system, including setting the timing of the camera and light.
More information on the compatibility of Gardasoft application software with Gardasoft controllers and industry standards can be found in APP986: Application Software Guide
The Software Development Kit for Gardasoft TrinitiTM and non-TrinitiTM controllers contains a C# API with additional abstraction layers for C++ and VB and example applications. The SDK contains ready-to-use software functions for adjusting key parameters within Gardasoft triniti ‘TR’ enabled controllers and support for Gardasoft RT and RC controllers. The ‘discover’ and ‘send command’ functions support communications with all ethernet controllers by ASCII command system.
The GardasoftMaint Maintenance Application is an essential application for supporting Gardasoft Controllers. The application is a tool for discovering all the controllers connected via a network or serial ports. It is used to access the controller web-interface, send RS232 and ethernet commands, update firmware, and configure the IP address.
App note 979 – Updating Firmware with GardasoftMaint gives a full explanation of how to download, install and run GardasoftMaint and explains how to update controller firmware.
The Gardasoft Vision Utility provides a simple, visual timing diagram of the machine vision system lighting and camera timing and dynamically displays the timing of the trigger, camera and light. This utility allows the user to select a camera or lighting controller on the system and adjust a variety of parameters, including:
- Trigger type
- Trigger source
- Trigger delay
- Camera exposure timing
- Light Strobe Timing
- Pulse width
- Brightness
The system can be configured with either an external trigger to both camera and lighting or with the camera directly triggering the lighting. The utility has an image viewing window which shows the actual image produced by the camera with the current settings. This makes it very easy to see the instant effect of adjusting parameters. Once the image has been optimised the settings can be saved and the configuration repeated on every controller channel.
Lens control
The Vision Utility also works with Optotune liquid lenses which are controlled using the Gardasoft CL-180 Liquid Lens Controller. The Vision Utility allows the focal power of the lens to be selected and adjusted, with the effect of the adjustments being immediately visible in the image viewer.
The Cognex In-Sight Explorer snippets have been produced to allow simple communication and control of the Triniti range of Gardasoft controllers from within the In-Sight Explorer application. The “snippets” are compatible with In-Sight Explorer version 4.9.0 onwards.
Gardasoft-In-Sight-Comms-Configuration-Snippet-Release-vx.x
This “snippet” is used once in each job spreadsheet to allow configuration of the communication with the Gardasoft controller.
Gardasoft-In-Sight-Channel-Configuration-Snippet-Release-vx.x
An instance of this “snippet” is used for each channel to be configured within the Gardasoft controller to allow configuration of the lighting/pulses.
The Gardasoft Controller Snippets for Cognex In-Sight Explorer User Guide gives details on how to download, install and to communicate with Gardasoft controllers using In-Sight Explorer.
The Gardasoft Plugin for Teledyne Dalsa Sherlock allows control of Gardasoft trinitiTM and GigE Vision controllers direct from the Sherlock machine vision software interface.
