CameraBase: hardware_averaging is True, the camera averages the frames

src/pymodaq_plugins_utils/hardware/camera_base.py

@@ -146,10 +146,9 @@ class CameraBase(DAQ_Viewer_base):
 
     callback_signal = QtCore.Signal(Grab)
     live_mode_available = True
-    # The camera thread already averages Naverage frames (Grab.n_average): once the pymodaq releases that contain the fix
-    # of the live mode (PyMoDAQ #1421) are the minimum required, this should be True, otherwise the viewer averages
-    # the averaged frames a second time.
-    hardware_averaging = False
+    # The camera thread already averages Naverage frames (Grab.n_average), so the viewer must not average them again. It
+    # does not since pymodaq 5.3.9 (PyMoDAQ #1421, the live mode no longer depends on hardware_averaging).
+    hardware_averaging = True
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)

tests/test_camera_base.py

@@ -187,6 +187,12 @@ def test_optional_methods_are_harmless(self):
 
 
 class TestCameraBase:
+    def test_the_camera_averages_so_the_viewer_does_not(self):
+        """The frames are averaged by the camera thread (Grab.n_average): the viewer averaging them again would grab
+        Naverage x Naverage frames"""
+        assert CameraBase.hardware_averaging is True
+        assert CameraBase.live_mode_available is True
+
     def test_grab_a_full_frame(self, camera):
         dte = grab_and_wait(camera)
         assert dte[0].shape == (HEIGHT, WIDTH)