What is the significance of buffers in Image Acquisition

[Asad_Tirmizi]

I think the question is self explanatory. I select the IMAQ1394 Configure function. It has a control for setting the number of buffers, Usually they buffers are more than one in video acquisition and 1 in Image acquisition (i am quoting examples). but when i modify these examples by deleting the buffer wire altogether yet the image is acquired fine. This prompted me to ask the importance or significance of buffers in image acquisition.

[srikrishnaNF]

hi,

  Always a buffered acquisition will be fast and reliable,as the buffer which you will mention and once the buffer is fill up on the FIFO of your daq device ,the data in the buffer will be just transferred to the PC as is...This buffered is valid to any kind of data...whether image or anything..

Thanks and regards,

srikrishnaNF

[Asad_Tirmizi]

Thanks a lot for your help but i am sorry the concept is still not very clear. I think whether i select a buffer or not, the transfer is not possible without the daq device using its buffers. it would have to use the buffer whether i select that option or not. Without buffer the transfer would not be possible. Isnt that the case ? My intuition before the question was that perhaps my selection of a buffer would specify a set of buffers to be employed for the transfer.

I would be thankful if you can help me clear the concept.

[Tejinder_G. · Accepted solution]

Hi Asad,

If you look at the detailed help, the buffer parameter for a configure VI is defined as follows:

Number of Buffers For a one shot acquisition, this parameter specifies the number of images to acquire. For a continuous acquisition, this parameter specifies the number of buffers the driver uses internally.

By default this is set to one, so you will still be able to acquire without specifying this input.  For a one shot acquisition, you will be acquiring the number of images specified.  The image display, if you have one will display the last image.  For a continuous acquisition, the number of buffer is setting the size of the buffer your grab is using.  So if you set a buffer of size 1 rather than let's say 10, you have a higher chance of running across buffer overflows.

I hope this helps.