My camera does not enumerate or start in FlyCapture

Last Revision Date: 1/19/2018

This article applies all FLIR machine vision cameras with a serial number 17000000 or higher. See also Product Errate 2017001.

Problem: Cameras built in 2017 or later, denoted by a serial number 17000000 or higher, may not enumerate as expected with software initializing cameras by serial number.

The following table gives details on the behaviour of the cameras depending on the FlyCapture SDK version being used.

 

FlyCapture 1.X

 FlyCapture 2.0 - 2.1

Flycapture 2.2 to 2.5.3.4

FlyCapture 2.5.3.5 to FlyCapture 2.10

FlyCapture 2.11 or greater

Firewire

Getting camera from Serial Number fails.

FlyCap and other prebuilt GUIs have errors on startup, and after starting the camera the GUI shuts down.

 OK

Camera shows up with the incorrect serial number, but can be run fine.

GetCameraFromSerialNumber() Fails.

FlyCap2 and other prebuilt GUIs have errors on startup, and after starting the camera the GUI shuts down.

OK

GigE

Interface not supported.

TBD

FlyCapture 2.2 - 2.3.3.20 - Camera shows up with the incorrect serial number and can not be started.

 

FlyCapture 2.4.3.13 - 2.5.3.4: FlyCap2 and other prebuilt GUIs enumerate 2 cameras, one with the correct serial number and one with an incorrect serial number.  The incorrect SN will stream fine.

GetCameraFromSerialNumber() fails

FlyCap2 and other prebuilt GUIs enumerate 2 cameras, one with the correct serial number and one with an incorrect serial number.  The incorrect SN will stream fine.

OK

USB2

Getting camera from Serial Number fails.

FlyCap and other prebuilt GUIs have errors on startup, and after starting the camera the GUI shuts down.

 OK

 

Failure enumerating by serial number, and demo GUIs/Utilities can not start cameras.

OK

OK

USB3

Interface not supported.

OK

Failure enumerating by serial number, and demo GUIs/Utilities can not start cameras.

 

OK

OK


Cause: Due to the camera serial numbering scheme, with the first two digits representing the year of manufacture, any future cameras built must have a serial number starting from 17 or greater.  It is not possible to ship new cameras with older serial numbers.  Therefore, the GetCameraFromSerialNumber() FlyCapture2 API call (or flycaptureIntitializeFromSerialNumber in FlyCapture1) will not properly find new cameras. This would also affect all our sample GUI applications such as FlyCap2, DriverControlGUI, and UpdatorGUI as they initialize by serial number. 


Solution: If you find yourself having enumeration issues with these cameras the recommended solution would be to use FlyCapture 2.11 or newer from the website, or change your source code to initialize by node id rather than serial number if possible.

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