I. Product Introduction (Core Positioning + Features) Basic Information

Model: PCI‑8252

Type: PCI bus 3-port IEEE 1394a (FireWire 400) image acquisition card

Usage: Machine vision, industrial camera image acquisition, high-speed data transmission

Status: EOL停产， replacement： PCIe‑8252 / USB3‑Vision acquisition card

Main features

3 × IEEE 1394a ports (400 Mb/s)

Each port has a maximum of 400 Mbps， compatible with IIDC 1394 industrial cameras

Ports can be cascaded for expansion (connected to 1394 hub)， supporting multi-camera systems

Camera power supply (12 V)

Each port can output 12 V / 1 A， total power 12 W， directly powering industrial cameras

PCI bus (32-bit， 33 MHz)

Bus master DMA， low CPU usage

Size： Half-length PCI card (15.5 × 9.7 cm)

Drivers and software

Driver： NI‑IMAQ for IEEE 1394 (required)

Support： LabVIEW， LabWindows/CVI， Visual Studio (C/C++/VB)

Environment and compliance

Temperature： 0 ~ 55 °C (industrial grade)

RoHS environmental compliance

Typical applications

Industrial automation： product inspection， size measurement， defect identification

Machine vision： high-speed image acquisition， multi-camera synchronization， visual positioning

Research / laboratory： high-speed imaging， biomedical imaging， optical measurement

II. Instructions for Use (Hardware + Software + Basic Operations)

1. Hardware Installation (PCI Slot)

Shut down the system, disconnect the power, open the case.

Insert an idle 32-bit PCI slot (do not insert PCIe; physically incompatible).

Tighten the retaining screws, close the case.

Connect the camera:

Use a 1394a 6-pin cable, one end connected to the card, the other end connected to the camera.

Card end: 3 × 1394a ports (any port is fine)

Camera end: 1394a interface (note: power supply: the card can be directly powered, no additional power required)

Power on, the system recognizes the new hardware.

2. Software Driver Installation (Windows Recommended)

Supported Systems

Windows 2000 / XP / 7 (32/64 bit)

Windows 10/11 has no official drivers (compatibility mode is unstable)

Installation Steps (Official)

Download / Insert the NI-IMAQ for IEEE 1394 driver CD-ROM (available on ni.com for older versions).

Run the installation, check:

NI-IMAQ for IEEE 1394 (core driver)

LabVIEW Vision Toolkit (optional)

Reboot the computer after installation.

Device Manager Verification:

National Instruments → PCI-8252 / 1394a Controller (normal, no exclamation mark)

Imaging Device → IIDC 1394 Camera (displayed after connecting the camera)

3. Basic Usage (LabVIEW Example)

Open LabVIEW → NI-IMAQ Vision.

Initialize the camera:

Call IMAQ Init, select PCI-8252 port + camera

Capture image:

IMAQ Grab (continuous capture) or IMAQ Snap (single frame)

Display / Process:

IMAQ Display displays the image

Call vision functions: edge detection, template matching, size measurement

4. Common Problems and Precautions

PCI not PCIe: can only insert 32-bit PCI slots, PCIe is incompatible

Driver must be NI-IMAQ: the system's built-in 1394 driver cannot be used for image acquisition

Power supply limit: 1 A per port, total 12 W, pay attention to power distribution for multiple cameras

Camera compatibility: only supports IIDC standard 1394a industrial cameras (consumer-level DV is not recommended)

System Limitations: no official drivers for Windows 10/11, new projects are recommended to use PCIe-USB3 vision solution

III. Alternative Models (Recommended)

PCIe-8252: PCIe interface, new 1394b (800 Mbps) acquisition card

USB3-Vision Acquisition Card: USB3.0, no power supply required, highly compatible (preferred for new projects)