Spinnaker ROS2 Camera Driver

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This package provides a ROS2 driver for Teledyne/FLIR cameras using the Spinnaker SDK. For hardware-synchronized cameras use the Spinnaker synchronized camera driver by following the link from the flir driver repository.

NOTE: This driver is not written or supported by FLIR.

Tested Configurations

Cameras

The following cameras have been successfully used with this driver:

• Blackfly S (USB3, GigE)
• Blackfly (GigE)
• Grashopper (USB3)
• Oryx (reported working)
• Chameleon (USB3, tested on firmware v1.13.3.00)
• FLIR AX5 (GigE)

Note: if you get other cameras to work, please report back, ideally submit a pull request with the camera config file you have created.

Platforms

• ROS2 Galactic under Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (no longer actively tested)
• ROS2 Humble/Iron under Ubuntu 22.04 LTS ROS2 Rolling/Jazzy under Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
• Spinnaker 3.1.0.79 (other versions may work as well but this is what the continuous integration builds are using)

How to install

This driver can be used with or without installing the Spinnaker SDK, but installing the Spinnaker SDK is recommended because during its installation the USB kernel configuration is modified as needed and suitable access permissions are granted (udev rules). If you choose to not use the Spinnaker SDK, you must either run the linux setup script by running ros2 run spinnaker_camera_driver linux_setup_flir or perform the required setup steps manually, see Setting up Linux without Spinnaker SDK. Without these setup steps, the ROS driver will not detect the camera. So you must either install the Spinnaker SDK (which also gives you the useful spinview tool), or follow the manual setup steps mentioned earlier.

Installing from packages

For some architectures and ros distributions you can simply install an apt package:

sudo apt install ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-spinnaker-camera-driver

The package will bring its own set of Spinnaker SDK libraries, so you don’t necessarily have to install the SDK, but it’s recommended, see above.

Building from source

1) Install the FLIR spinnaker driver. If you skip this part, the driver will attempt to download the Spinnaker SDK automatically to obtain the header files and libraries.

2) Prepare the ROS2 driver build: Make sure you have your ROS2 environment sourced:

    source /opt/ros/<my_ros_distro>/setup.bash

Create a workspace (`~/ws`), clone this repo:

    mkdir -p ~/ws/src
    cd ~/ws/src
    git clone --branch humble-devel https://github.com/ros-drivers/flir_camera_driver
    cd ..

To automatically install all packages that the `flir_camera_driver`
packages depends upon, run this at the top of your workspace:

    rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src

3) Build the driver and source the workspace:

    colcon build --symlink-install --cmake-args -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON
    . install/setup.bash

How to use

Topics

Published:

• ~/image_raw: the camera image (image_transport)
• ~/image_raw/camera_info: camera calibration

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Changelog for package spinnaker_camera_driver

3.0.2 (2025-05-25)

• avoid ament_target_dependencies
• fixed doc formatting
• PTP support for spinnaker_camera_driver
• added reverse x/y for blackfly s
• Contributors: Bernd Pfrommer

3.0.1 (2025-04-01)

• do not use user_set_selector for blackfly_s in launch file
• document software trigger
• Contributors: Bernd Pfrommer

3.0.0 (2024-11-21)

• Remove "NOT TESTED" from tested Chameleon params

  - Tested with [CM3-U3-50S5C]{.title-ref} camera model, [trigger_source: "Line0"]{.title-ref} and [trigger_selector: "FrameStart"]{.title-ref}

• Re-order Chameleon config params to match Blackfly

  • Match Chameleon param order with Blackfly config params

• Add Reverse and VideoMode Chameleon config params

  - ReverseX/Y params flip the image as expected. This changes the pixel format accordingly (e.g. BayerRG8 -> BayerBG8 for an X and Y flip)

  - Video Mode options can affect effective resolution, frame rate and brightness depending on camera model, please check the documentation.

• support brightness computation for all bayer image types

• better documentation for setting GENTL variable

• only access camera with correct serial

• better diagnostics on incomplete images

• work around compile error on Iron

• fix multiple network interface refreshCameraList

• add support for transport layer and stream params

• added option to launch blackfly type

• mention SPINNAKER_GENTL64_CTI

• updated docs for jazzy, adjust download script

• remove unnecessary debs from package

• point to new spinnaker sdk for noble

• renamed stereo_synced file and added doc

• added user set control examples for blackfly/blackfly_s

• fix broken composable node by installing in correct location

• Add FLIR-AX5 Camera (#176)

  * added config file for flir_ax5 ---------Co-authored-by: Bernd Pfrommer <<bernd.pfrommer@gmail.com>>

• add option to disable external control (default!)

• updated docs for sync driver, switch to RST

• widened the ExposureController interface

• fix build errors on rolling/noble

• added blacklevel and whitebalance support for blackfly

• use proper name for camerainfo when using sync driver

• fixes to compile on focal/galactic

• Oryx parameter file

• lint

• allow for unreadable command nodes

• Initial support for command nodes

• remove more spinnaker imports

• make Spinnaker private

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