Camera Software and Drivers
Select your Camera and Operating System to access the appropriate driver.
Imaging Software Downloads
Windows
PVCAM
Installs the PVCAM driver for Windows 10, 8, and 7
- Programmable Scan Mode for Iris and Prime BSI sCMOS cameras
- Faster frame rates with Bit-packing for Standard Mode on Prime BSI
- Improved stability of USB 3.0 driver
PVCAM SDK
The PVCAM Software Development Kit allows you to integrate Teledyne Photometrics PVCAM based cameras into other software packages.
Mac OS-X
PVCAM / RS Image
Mac OS-X Driver Support
Moving forward, Teledyne Photometrics will focus driver development and support on the Windows and Linux platforms and have discontinued updates to PVCAM Drivers for Mac OSX. Existing PVCAM Drivers for Mac OSX will continue to be available for legacy products. Users are welcome to test this configuration for suitability on their systems. Please contact your sales representative or a Teledyne Photometrics service professional with questions or to provide feedback.
Linux
PVCAM & PVCAM SDK
This driver is provided as is. Teledyne Photometrics is not able to provide support for this version of PVCAM. Ubuntu 16.04, Kernel 4.10.0 recommended.
If you are running the Prime BSI Express or the Moment, you will need Ubuntu 18.04 and at least kernel 4.18 and above.
Additional Downloads
Ocular
Ocular 2.0 Imaging Software for PVCAM Cameras
- Simple design and customization
- Easy Camera Control
- Numerous Movie Capture options
- User-oriented Explore and adjust
QCapture Pro
- Supports legacy camera series
- Windows XP SP3, Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate (32- and 64-bit)
- Requires hardware dongle for operation
Please note this product is no longer formally supported.
IEEE-1394
Thesycon Stack
In recent updates, Microsoft released two hotfixes which updated their FireWire stack file. However, these updates cause performance drops in the functionality of Texas Instruments (TI) FireWire Controllers which ship with Teledyne Photometrics cameras. These performance drops manifest with the following symptoms:
- Image Tearing
- Interference Lines
- Black Images
- Reduced Frames-per-second
Installing the Thesycon 1394 stack fixes these problems by replacing the default Microsoft stack. This remedies any problems caused by the updates.
The Thesycon FireWire stack has been thoroughly tested and does not cause any other conflicts or problems with any devices.
RSConfig
Allows PVCAM 2.7.7 users to run multiple cameras simultaneously
(NOTE: DO NOT USE this version of RSConfig with Princeton Instruments cameras.)
Legacy Drivers and Software Downloads
PVCAM 3.8.0.6
PVCAM 3.8.0.6 Highlights:
- Programmable Scan Mode for Iris and Prime BSI sCMOS cameras
- Faster frame rates with Bit-packing for Standard Mode on Prime BSI
- Improved stability of USB 3.0 driver
PVCAM 3.7.5.7
PVCAM 3.7.5.7 Highlights:
- Added support for Iris USB cameras
- Bug fixes for Iris PCIe cameras
PVCAM 3.7.3.3
PVCAM 3.7.3.3 Highlights:
- Adds support for Prime BSI cameras
- PCI-Express driver improvements for Prime and Iris cameras
- USB 3.0 driver improvements
PVCAM 3.7.1.0
PVCAM 3.7.1.0 Highlights:
- Supports the New Iris family of sCMOS cameras.
- Includes PCIe device driver version 3.26.404 that improves the reliability of Prime-95B data transfers over sequences longer than 10,000 frames. Requires Prime-95B firmware 19.27 or newer.
- PVCamTest application now supports latest cameras and latest camera features.
- Fixed an acquisition timeout for cameras that support Variable Timed Mode on USB interface. (Retiga R-series).
- Improved RsConfig tool, no longer requires administrator rights.
- No new PVCAM SDK is required for use with the new PVCAM runtime.
PVCAM 3.6.7.2
PVCAM 3.6.7.2 Highlights:
- Required for use with Prime 95B
- Improved USB 3.0 functionality for the Prime 95B
- Corrected triggering bug with USB 3.0 cameras
- Compatibility update for Windows 10 Anniversary Edition
- PVCamTest Imaging software for PVCAM cameras is included (version 3.3.105)
PVCAM 3.6.5.1
PVCAM 3.6.5.1 Highlights:
- Added new parameters to retrieve various camera timing information related to frame rates (select camera models)
- Added interface detection parameters for USB3.0 and PCI-Express (select camera models)
- Bug fixes and stability improvements in the USB device driver.
PVCamTest 3.2.99
PVCamTest Executable Package 3.2.99 Highlights:
- Basic imaging software for PVCAM cameras
- PVCam SDK 3.6.5.1 contains the PVCamTest 3.2.99 source code and binaries.
- PVCam 3.6.5.1 runtime installer is required.
PVCamTest 3.2.85
PVCamTest Executable Package 3.2.85 Highlights:
- Basic imaging software for PVCAM cameras
- PVCam SDK 3.6.5.1 contains the PVCamTest 3.2.85 source code and binaries.
- PVCam 3.6.5.1 runtime installer is required.
PVCAM 3.3.1.3
PVCAM 3.3.1.3 Includes:
- Improved support for the Prime and Prime 95B cameras
- Improved driver stability
PVCAM 3.1.9.1
PVCAM 3.1.9.1 Includes:
- Added support for Prime sCMOS camera
- Windows 10 supported
- Added new post-processing features
- PrimeEnhance
- PrimeLocate
- Multi-ROI
- Improved USB 3.0 stability
PVCAM 3.0.9.2
PVCAM 3.0.9.2 Includes:
- Improved support for USB3.0
- Windows 8 support
- Camera reliability and robustness improved
- Added new post-processing features
PVCAM 3.0.5.2
PVCAM 3.0.5.2 Includes:
- Improved Time stamp functionality
- Improved USB interface robustness
PVCAM 3.0.3.8
PVCAM 3.0.3.8 Includes:
- Adds Official Windows 8 support
- Other robustness improvements
PVCAM 3.0.1.3
PVCAM 3.0.1.3 Includes:
- Updated PCIe device driver
- Added support for High Speed PCIe x4 interface
- Other Fixes and Improvements
PVCAM 2.9.11
PVCAM 2.9.11 Includes:
- PCI-Express Fixes
- Improved USB Performance
- Other Fixes and Performance Improvements
PVCAM 2.9.5
PVCAM 2.9.5 Includes:
- PCI-Express Fixes
- Improved USB Performance
- Other Fixes and Performance Improvements
PVCAM 2.9.3
PVCAM 2.9.3 Includes:
- Support for CoolSNAP MYO and CoolSNAP KINO cameras
- Support for PCI-Express LVDS Interface Card
PVCAM 2.8.0
This new version includes several enhancements:
- Support for SMART Streaming
- Improved Variable Timed Mode performance
- Improved compatibility with FireWire cameras (eliminating Image Tearing)
- Includes new Frame Counters
- Includes new Time-Stamping
PVCAM 2.7.10
- Automatic Thesycon Stack Installation – Ensures seamless FireWire integration
- Improved memory management
- Banding Issue Correction
- Increased overall driver stability
PVCAM 2.7.9.1
Version Update: v2.7.9.1
- Update includes support for 64-bit Operating Systems
- Enhanced performance and stability across all camera platforms
- New events available from PVCAM API. See Manual for details
PVCAM 2.7.8.5
Version Update: v2.7.8.5
- Update includes stability fixes for all Teledyne Photometrics FireWire cameras
- Application programming interface for Teledyne Photometrics digital cameras supports Windows 2000/XP, Vista x32
PVCAM 2.7.6
PVCAM 2.7.5.7
PVCAM 2.6.9.3
PVCAM 2.6.9
PVCAM 2.5.8
QCAM 2.0.13.1
Application Software
Camera Updates
HQ2 Camera Updates
This update is required for people who are experiencing a power-up problem with their CoolSNAP HQ2.
NOTE: Make sure that no other program is open while the camera is being updated.
FireWire Updates
Update includes stability fixes for all Teledyne Photometrics FireWire cameras.
NOTE: Do NOT use with Evolve 512 or Evolve 128 cameras.
Recommended PC Specifications
PVCAM and Teledyne Photometrics cameras will generally work on any hardware that supports the camera interface and PVCAM installation. If unsure, we recommend two specific configurations from Dell and HP below. These configurations are used in-house when testing currently supported cameras.
Custom Built System
Operating System
- Windows 10 64-bit
Processor
- Intel Xeon or Intel Core i5 with 4 or more cores
- 3.0 GHz or faster
Please note that most consumer-grade Intel processors have an insufficient number of PCIe lanes which may result in sub-optimal performance with PCI-Express based cameras. We recommend verifying the number of available PCI-Express lanes on the CPU prior to the purchase and making sure at least 8 lanes can be dedicated to the camera interface.
RAM
- 16 GB DDR3 or better
For optimal performance, we recommend matching the number of memory modules with the number of CPU supported memory channels.
Storage
- 256GB or larger SATA SSD drive for the operating system
- Additional PCI-Express or NVME SSD drive for streaming image data to disk
We recommend the Samsung 960 Pro or 970 Pro series MLC NVME drives due to their ability to sustainably write large amounts of data over extended time periods.
Graphics Adapter
- 1GB PCI-Express or CPU-integrated graphics card
Unless GPU processing is required, a graphics adapter performance is not important for camera functionality.
USB Ports And Adaptors
- Intel USB 3.0 or 3.1 Gen 2 ports, depending on camera model used
We highly recommend Intel Thunderbolt controller for USB 3.1 Gen 2 cameras.
PCI-Express
- PCI-Express Gen 3 x8 slots for both PCI-Express and USB 3.1 Gen 2 add-in cards
For specific cameras with a lower specification requirement:
- PCI-Express Gen 2 x4 slot for Prime and Iris family of PCI-Express camera adapters
- PCI-Express 1X slot for use with the Evolve Delta FireWire interface card
Dell Precision Tower 5820
Operating System
- Windows 10 64-bit
Chassis
- Precision 5820 Tower 950W Chassis CL
Processor
- Intel Xeon W-2245 or better
6 cores or more recommended, higher base clock preferred to core count.
RAM
- 32GB 4x8GB DDR4 2933MHz RDIMM ECC or more
Four or more modules recommended to fully accommodate all memory channels supported by the CPU.
Storage
- 2.5″ 256GB SATA Class 20 Solid State Drive or larger for the operating system
SATA drive recommended to keep PCIe slots unoccupied
Graphics Adapter
- NVIDIA Quadro P1000 4GB
PCIe I/O Cards
- Thunderbolt 3 PCIe card – 2 Type C Ports, 1 DP in
HP Z4 G4 Workstation
Operating System
- Windows 10 64-bit
Chassis
- HP Z4 G4 90 750W Chassis
Processor
- Intel Xeon W-2245 or better
6 cores or more recommended, higher base clock preferred to core count.
RAM
- 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-2933 DIMM Registered Memory or more.
Four or more modules recommended to fully accommodate all memory channels supported by the CPU.
At the time of writing, HP does not allow a 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) option for the selected CPU. For this reason, the 4 x 16 GB option is recommended.
Storage
- 256 GB SATA 2.5″ SSD or larger for the operating system
SATA drive recommended to keep PCIe slots unoccupied
Graphics Adapter
- NVIDIA Quadro P400
Accessories
- HP Dual-port Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Add-in Card
Front I/O Ports
- Premium – 2 x USB 3.1 Type C; 2 x USB 3.0 Type A
Please note that the HP Z4 G4 computer (as of June 2020, BIOS 02.54 Rev.A) is known to experience a sudden shutdown if a PCIe camera is powered off while the operating system is running. If this scenario is required when operating the camera, we recommend the Dell configuration above.