Matlab bindings for the QHYccd SDK

For cameras produced by QHYccd.

This package has been tested with the combinations

Matlab 2015b/Ubuntu16/SDK v19.1.22.0 and a QHY367c camera connected on USB2,
Matlab 2018b/Ubuntu16/SDK 6.0.1 and QHY600 camera connected on USB2,
Matlab 2018b/Ubuntu16/SDK 6.0.4 and QHY600 camera connected on USB2,
Matlab 2018b/Ubuntu18/SDK v19.1.22.0, QHY367c camera connected on USB3.
a forum user has reported success with QHY163M under Matlab2018a/Deepin15.11.

Instructions:

install the SDK. See the file InstallingQHYsdk.md for specific experiences
in matlab, addpath() this directory and wrappers

Directory contents:

.md files: ramblings and rants about usage
QHYccd.m Matlab class, for integration with MAAT (in development)
headers/: modified qhy headers, so that Matlab's loadlibrary() is happy with them
wrappers/: bindings for calling QHYccd SDK functions with Matlab syntax, and definition of the enumeration qhyccdControl (QHY names of the controllable parameters).
Examples/: a set of demo scripts for acquiring images in Matlab, vaguely reproducing the calling sequences of the .cpp examples provided by QHY.
mex-demo/: a trimmed down and adapted version of the Matlab demo provided by QHY, so that it compiles on Linux. This is added here for reference, but is not part of the bindings project.

Examples:

See the contents of the folder Examples. In short: sequence script way:

addpath(genpath('.')); cd Examples/DirectCalls/
LiveTest

Class usage:

addpath wrappers
QC=QHYccd(1);
QC.temperature=-10;
QC.expTime=2;
QC.gain=1000;
QC.color=true;
QC.sequence_frames=5;
ImgStruct=take_sequence_blocking(QC)
imagesc(ImgStruct(3).img)

Typical class program flow:

QC=QHYccd  %instantiate the class object and open the camera
% set camera parameters (don't rely on the defaults - they are wrong!)

Then either:

Blocking acquisition of a single frame:
```
  ImageStruct=take_single_exposure(QC);
```
this way the prompt is available only after QC.expTime + t_readout. On the other hand, there is no limitation on short expTime, and no framebuffer pipeline involved

Split acquisition of a single frame

  start_single_exposure(QC)
   % do something else inbetween
  ImageStruct=collect_single_exposure(QC);

Blocking aqcquisition of a live sequence:
```
  ImageArray=take_sequence_blocking(QC)
```
the prompt will be available only approximately after QC.sequence_images*QC.expTime + t_readout. However, at least on the QHY367c, QC.expTime must be larger than t_readout (otherwise only the first two images can be retrieved, the following ones overfill the framebuffer); and moreover, acquisition goes through a framebuffer which acts as a FIFO (capacity ~ two full frame images on the QHY367c). The first images retrieved may be old ones still in buffer.
Split acquisition of a live sequence
```
  start_sequence_take(QC)
  % do something else, then periodically, for QC.sequence_images times
  ImageArray=poll_live_image(QC,ImageArray);
  % finally,
  stop_sequence_take(QC)
```
This has the same limitations as the previous, but leaves the prompt free inbetween, for tasks which don't last more than QC.expTime (some tolerance permitted by the presence of the framebuffer). An example of this pattern, by means of a timed callback, is in Examples/Class/timed_acquisition_example.m.

At the end,

close_camera(QC)

or all together clear QC.

Note: by quirks of the SDK, it seems that single exposure images are messed up on the QHY367 if acquired after acquisition in live mode. Better close_camera(QC); open_camera(QC); when changing mode. Take care also not to open_camera(QC) more than once without closing, that can hang or crash matlab.

EastEriq/QHYccd-matlab

Matlab bindings for the QHYccd SDK

Instructions:

Directory contents:

Examples:

Typical class program flow: