Evaluation Engineering - December 2008 - (Page 41)

Telecentric Lens Optimize My Machine Vision System? you can select more detailed telecentric lens information. The white paper acts like the top level of an illustrated menu. Dalsa is another good source of technical information. A series of technology primers looks particularly interesting, with titles such as 5 Critical Factors for Choosing Digital Image Capture and FPGAs Accelerate Machine Vision. In addition to white papers on cameras and sensors, there are approximately 50 application notes on frame grabber applications. Prosilica makes many types of both Firewire and GigE cameras. Detailed information on each model is available on the website; however, there doesn’t appear to be a concise selection matrix. Nevertheless, on the plus side, clicking on support on the home page immediately gives you access to approximately 25 documents that deal with all aspects of camera selection and software. Although this entry might better be described as an online book rather than a technical note, Fundamentals of Image Processing is a technically detailed description of most aspects of image processing. The text covers topics from the Fourier transform to edge detection from a mathematical point of view. ImagingProcessingPlace.com provides a list of 52 tutorials related to image processing. They deal with a wide range of topics, many of which directly relate to machine vision. A general word of warning is in order when accessing any online technical information. Although some material truly doesn’t age quickly, many cutting-edge aspects of 1999 technology aren’t interesting in 2008. Datasheets have to be updated or rewritten to correspond to new product introductions, but white papers and technical notes on some websites have been allowed to get very out of date. Selection Matrix The Vision Components website lists six camera families with 25 mod- els in total. Basic specifications are given including sensor size, resolution, frames/s, shutter speed, processing capability, number of digital I/Os, and the type of digital interface. If you have an idea of what you need, this might be sufﬁcient information to help narrow your choice of models. A small picture of each type of camera helps distinguish models, those with built-in lighting or OEM versions without enclosures as well as more conventional types. Basler has a camera selector that appears easy to use. When you move your mouse over the various selections, icons representing the available cameras stay dark, but the unavailable ones gray-out into the background. It’s easy to tell as you browse line rate, resolution, and color or monochrome whether there is a camera available that can address your combination of parameters. Basler places a lot of emphasis on interfacing because the company makes both GigE Vision and Camera Link cameras. The JAI site lists several cameras and has a good selection matrix. Rather than changing intensity or color as Basler does, the JAI matrix is redrawn each time you make a selection. So, having started with all the types of cameras presented, the monochrome ones disappear when you select color. Only the color ones are then presented and so on as you work your way through scan rate, interface type, video standard, and light spectrum choices. The result is much as with the Basler matrix, just accomplished in a different way. Leutron Vision has several cameras available, distinguished by their interfaces. There are five types, and you can list all the cameras in a matrix of features or create a smaller matrix with only those cameras having a certain interface. Navitar’s Optical Wizard is a lens selection tool that could be very helpful. From the speciﬁed object size, working distance, and camera sensor details, the Wizard determines the lenses that will satisfy or come close to meeting your requirements. The results include Continued on page 42 9 Megapixel Cameras SILICON VIDEO® 9C10 for 1 camera applications PIXCI® SI4 accommodates up to 4 cameras PIXCI® SI4 x 2 handles 8 cameras with independent resolutions, frame rates, etc. SOFTWARE for Windows & Linux epixinc.com Buffalo Grove, IL USA Tel - 847 465 1818 © EPIX, Inc. Visit www.rsleads.com/812ee-006 www. ev alua t ion e n gin e e rin g.com December 2008 • EE • 41 http://www.rsleads.com/812ee-006 http://www.rsleads.com/812ee-006 http://www.evaluationengineering.com

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Evaluation Engineering - December 2008 Contents Editorial Product Briefing Test Software C-V Measurements Nanoelectronics Test Product Guide Company Guide Machine Vision EMC Test Index of Advertisers

Evaluation Engineering - December 2008

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