Sumix SMX Camera for Python

API in Python that wraps Sumix SMX M8X C API.

Requires:

• Windows (32 or 64 bit)
• Python 32-bit
• Sumix SMX M8X C API

Note:

• Best to run in native Windows instead of virtual machine
• Most people rightly use 64-bit Python. However, here you will need a 32-bit Python install; it doesn't take much hard drive space.

Installation

1. Download Sumix SMX M8X C API

2. Extract ZIP file, run EXE as Administrator

3. install under C:/Sumix/, NOT C:/Program Files (x86)/Sumix

4. plug in your Sumix SMX-M8X(C) camera into a USB 2.0 port

5. be sure the camera is working properly with Sumix's demo program, get familiar with setting exposure, gain, ROI, etc.

6. Setup this program:

    pip install -e .
   

Usage

Live stream images

To see a live demosaiced display:

python sumix_demo.py -p

Note that the default is NOT to show the live preview as the preview is computationally expensive.

Write fixed number of images to file

python sumix_demo.py -n 10 -f test.h5

that is written to HDF5 (viewable with HDFView) HDF5 is a very common format in the science and engineering community and has superceded TIFF and FITS for many applications

sumix_demo.py options

• -p show live preview (for focusing camera)
• -f save multipage TIFF or HDF5 based on the file extension '.tif' '.h5'
• -e set exposure (ms)
• -x set ROI width
• -y set ROI height
• -d decimation (binning)
• -g set image amplifier gain

Troubleshooting

You might have multiple copies of Python installed. For this program be sure you're using the 32-bit Python, perhaps by manually specifying on the Command Line the full path to Python.

File description

• sumix_demo.py: Sumix SMX-M8XC camera Python image acquisition and recording test program.
• test_demosaic.py: loads TIFF or HDF5 saved files to playback video on screen (can also use ImageJ)
• demosaic.py: Bayer demosaic for 'grbg' filters.
• rgb2gray.py: RGB to gray, also RGBA to gray (discards alpha channel).
• sumixapi.py: Wraps Sumix C Windows DLL in Python.