ThorLabs Scientific Camera

Pieces for interacting with Thorlabs scientific cameras using the puzzlepiece framework.

Example usage (see Getting started for more details on using Pieces in general):

import puzzlepiece as pzp
from pzp_hardware.thorlabs import camera

app = pzp.QApp()
puzzle = pzp.Puzzle(debug=False)
puzzle.add_piece("camera", camera.Piece, row=0, column=0)
puzzle.show()
app.exec()

Installation

• Install ThorCam (not ThorImageCam) from https://www.thorlabs.com/software_pages/ViewSoftwarePage.cfm?Code=ThorCam

• Locate Scientific_Camera_Interfaces.zip (usually in C:\Program Files\Thorlabs\Scientific Imaging\Scientific Camera Support)

• Unzip the file to a convenient location

• In the unzipped folder, go to SDK/Python Toolkit and install the provided package zip file in your Python environment, for example with pip install "<path to thorlabs_tsi_camera_python_sdk_package.zip>"

• In the unzipped folder, locate SDK\Native Toolkit\dlls\Native_64_lib and copy its full path (starting with C: or another drive letter)

• When running the Piece for the first time, you will be asked for the DLL directory - provide the one you copied above.

Requirements

This Piece has additional requirements. You will be asked to install them at runtime, or you may choose to install them ahead of time.

• PIL – pip install pillow – Instructions

• thorlabs_tsi_sdk – Instructions

Available Pieces

class pzp_hardware.thorlabs.camera.Base(puzzle=None, custom_horizontal=None, param_defaults=None, *args, **kwargs)

Bases: Piece

Base camera Piece without a preview. Can be used to get images and show settings without an explicit image view in the UI.

debug_image()

Override to change the image the Piece returns in debug mode. Random numbers by default. Should return a numpy array of shape (1080, 1440), with values between 0 and 1023.

class pzp_hardware.thorlabs.camera.Piece(puzzle=None, custom_horizontal=None, param_defaults=None, *args, **kwargs)

Bases: ImagePreview, Base

Like Base, but includes a preview for the captured image. Can be made to run live.

live_toggle = True

Display a toggle that lets the user refresh the image live

autolevel_toggle = True

Display a toggle that makes the image brightness range adjust automatically

max_counts = 1023

Adjust the default range of the image view, this is the white point

class pzp_hardware.thorlabs.camera.LineoutPiece(puzzle=None, custom_horizontal=None, param_defaults=None, *args, **kwargs)

Bases: LineoutImagePreview, Base

Like Piece above, but the preview includes two movable lines (horizontal and vertical), and plots that show the image profile along these lines. These can also act as a crosshair for alignment, and a circle is shown where they cross.

live_toggle = True

Display a toggle that lets the user refresh the image live

autolevel_toggle = True

Display a toggle that makes the image brightness range adjust automatically

max_counts = 1023

Adjust the default range of the image view, this is the white point