BOA Smart Camera: smart; small; flexible: in one tiny camera

Perfect, if you need an intelligent, highly-integrated optical inspection tool

Delivering the next generation in smart camera technology
Comprising all the elements of an industrial machine vision system in one tiny camera, Dalsa's easy-to-use and inexpensive BOA smart camera leverages the full breadth and depth of DALSA’s impressive design, engineering, and manufacturing expertise in their sensor, camera, image-processing and vision software development. Specifically designed for harsh factory floor environments, BOA is an exceptional, all-in-one, intelligent vision system.

Packaged complete with application software in a compact "smart" camera format, BOA offers scalable vision solutions to satisfy a wide range of application needs from positioning robotic handlers to complete assembly verifications.

ABOUT BOA: Quick summary of specifications
IMAGE Sensors and lenses	ENCLOSURE Small and Rugged	RESOURCES Multiple Processing	INTEGRATION Flexible communications options	SOFTWARE Simple and embedded	VISION TOOLS Ready-to-apply tool box
* Mono * 640 X 480 * CCD Sensor * 60 fps * High Res * C-mount	* Ruggedized * Ultra small * IP67 rated * Runs Cool	* Multiple processing engines * On-board DSP * 256 MB memory	* Direct wiring to control devices * Ethernet * RS-232 link * Integrated lamp connector * M12 connectors	* Access via browser * No sofware to install * One-click navigation * Runtime editing	Tools to: * Positon * Verify * Identify * Measure * Detect

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Revolutionising machine vision lighting

Flexibility and choice are the keys

Adept Electronic Solutions has recently been appointed the Australian / New Zealand distributor for Spectrum Illumination products; products designed to complement the existing ranges of lights we offer our clients.

Spectrum Illumination manufactures a comprehensive range of lighting equipment and controllers, including:
*** Backlights *** Diffused axial lights *** Dome lights *** Linear lights *** Oxy lights *** Ring lights *** Spot lights
*** Tripod lights... [more] *** Washdown lights *** Controller driver

An added benefit is that should Spectrum Illumination's range of products not suit your specific application, they also offer to build tailored solutions for individual customers, on request.

What are some examples of Spectrum Illumination's product range?

Backlights	Dome lights	Ring lights	Spot lights	linear lights
Typical Installations

Worthy of special mention is the TRIPOD MODULAR LIGHTING SYSTEM, the result of 12 months' research and development

The end user can control a light system that is more advanced than any other machine vision light available. The Tripod's unique triangular design makes it possible for the end user to configure the lights to meet their specific needs. Each Tripod Module incorporates the latest high output LED technology available including an internal Micro Driver with burst. The Tripod Modules can be used separately as a spot light or they can be used together to create single, double or multiple row linear lights. The modules can also be used to create large area lights, ring lights, rectangular ring lights or even lights in the shape of an "L", "U" or "S" (see example below). Every Tripod Module can be configured as the Master or Slave and up to 50 modules can be run on a master. The end user can decide if all of the modules need to be strobed together or separately. They can also decide if they would like to control the analog signal intensity all together or separately. Deploying a Tripod Modular system provides flexibility, simplicity and cost-saving benefits.

Examples of how Tripod modules can be configured.

Tripod Modules are available in white, red, blue or green HB LEDs

Adept Electronic Solutions are "The Machine Vision and Imaging Specialists" and distributor of SPECTRUM ILLUMINATION products in Australia and New Zealand. To find out more about any SPECTRUM ILLUMINATION machine vision product please email us at: adept@adept.net.au or call us at Perth (08) 92425411 / Sydney (02) 99792599 / Melbourne (03) 95555621 or use our online contact us page.

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	Achieving outstanding sensitivity with 3-Gen CMOS technology

The MV1-D1312i-40-CL and MV1-D1312i-160-CL: Photonfocus' two new monochrome cameras are equipped with all standard features needed for common applications while offering an outstanding image quality.

What's interesting about the MV1-D1312i-40-CL and MV1-D1312i-160-CL?
About the sensor
Especially developed for NIR applications of up to 1100nm, the new A1312i image sensor series is designed and fabricated in a 0.35µm CMOS technology optimized for image sensors to achieve an outstanding sensitivity and peak efficiency. Excellent image quality is achieved with sensor resolution of 1312 x 1082, 8µm x 8µm square pixels and over 60% fill factor.

The A1312i CMOS sensor has an extended spectral range covering 350nm to 1100 nm and, worth noting, is the remarkably high Near Infra Red responsively (Quantum Efficiency ca. 30% at 1000nm).

About frame rate
Delivering at up to 110 fps at full resolution, a major benefit of the new camera is the possibility of further increasing the speed to thousands of frames-per-second by reducing the Region of Interest (ROI) by horizontal and vertical windowing. Irrespective of the frame rate, applications requiring sharp and smear-free images are possible with the fast global shutter of the new MV1-D1312i cameras.

About capturing
The cameras are able to start capturing a new image whilst outputting the current and so maximising the available exposure time and/or frame rate.

About avoiding reflections
Not having a cover glass on the new A1312i sensor makes it possible to reduce the number of elements in the optical path leading to a maximisation of the sensitivity, while avoiding internal reflections and associated image artefacts.

About Extended Dynamic Range
The new MV1-D1312i cameras like the other Photonfocus cameras feature Linlog - a sensor characteristic that offers a very high 120dB dynamic range. Ideal for applications where it is requred that very bright features in the field of view do not saturate while also allowing detail to be seen in the dark areas. Excellent for example in intelligent traffic applications where the high NIR capability is important at night time but with the ability to handle oncoming headlights and still read number plates. Other applications in include day/night imaging, welding, railway track analysis and many others.

	What are the key features of the MV1-D1312i series ?
	1312 x 1082 pixel resolution Excellent NIR response Global shutter Dynamic range up to 120 dB vial LinLog Up to 110 fps at full resolution Sensor without cover glass Region of interest CameraLink interface 12-bit greyscale

Adept Electronic Solutions are "The Machine Vision and Imaging Specialists" and distributor of PHOTONFOCUS products in Australia and New Zealand. To find out more about any PHOTONFOCUS machine vision product please email us at: adept@adept.net.au or call us at Perth (08) 92425411 / Sydney (02) 99792599 / Melbourne (03) 95555621 or use our online contact us page.

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High performance vision appliances for multi-camera applications: from Dalsa

Announcing the "new look" VA40-41, VA50-51 and VA61

Dalsa has announced their plan to move away from the "silver" style VA enclosure to a newer style "blue" enclosure and use the opportunity to add more features to their VA40-41, VA50-51and VA61 suite of vision appliances.

While the size, performance and connector specifications have remained unchanged, an additional feature has been added to the software specification.

Improvements incorporated in the new-look VA40-41, VA50-51and VA61 vision appliances include:
*** New image restore feature in the software specification
*** Thermal superiority
*** More efficient and quieter exhaust fan
*** Improved internal assembly
*** Protection on VA40E display against transients
*** Protected disk partition for image restore feature
*** New DIN bracket supported on either axis

What is Dalsa's Vision Appliance Suite?
Dalsa’s Vision Appliances suite are compact machine-vision controllers for multiple camera-automated inspection applications.

Originally dubbed "smart cameras", these products are designed to offer flexibility, speed and choice of camera to match the performance needs of end users and system integrators. Dalsa has chosen to call these Smart camera products 'appliances' as they are simple to use and can be used, easily, by both new and experienced operators.

The suite consists of three units, the VA40-41, VA50-51 and VA61. All have a small footprint, will accept multiple camera inputs and are robust, embedded computers designed specifically for machine vision.

What are the vision capabilities for these appliances?
	***	Positioning
	***	Identification
	***	Verification
	***	Measurement
	***	Flaw Detection

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Special tools for demanding imaging applications

Increased production speed, more complex tasks and high-resolution, high-speed cameras need more and more computing power for imaging applications.

The Common Vision Blox GPU processing tool is the perfect solution

GPU and CPU - Perfect teamwork maximises performance.
In order to increase system performance it is mandatory to use optimised algorithms and to distribute computing between more processors or processor cores. Since its first release Common Vision Blox supports multi-threading and multiprocessor systems and, thanks to its open architecture, offers the developer full control of how the application distributes its processor load.

	As graphics cards are designed especially for image processing and have gone through tremendous improvements to follow the requirements of the gaming industry, the logical consequence is to use the GPU also for imaging. Thanks to their vast use in the mass market, GPUs are available at an incredible price/performance ratio and are therefore the perfect solution for many tasks in imaging applications.
	In addition the graphics processors out-perform other imaging acceleration
methods in many technical aspects, even compared with the fastest available FPGAs. The Common Vision Blox GPU processing tool is the perfect solution, enabling the power of graphics processing units (GPUs) to be used for imaging applications:
*** Use the graphics card as additional independent CPU *** Works asynchronous to acquisition *** Allows pipelining of several tasks *** Based on High Level Shader Language (part of Microsoft DirectX) *** Predefined modules for standard tasks *** Own algorithms can be developed flexibly using HLSL *** Manufacturer independent

Why use the CVB GPU Processing tool?
As both processors have their individual strengths, it is the perfect teamwork of GPU and CPU that makes the difference. In addition it has to be noted that not every algorithm is suitable for transfer to the GPU and of course the acceleration has to offset the additional transfer. The big advantage of CVB; however, is that several algorithms can be executed on the image before it is transferred back.

The CVB GPU Processing tool offers maximum performance by:
s*** Freeing the programmer from the complex programming of DirectX *** Taking care for the memory management on the host computer and the graphics board *** Organising the data transfer between host and graphics board *** Allowing image access before and after GPU processing *** Processing image data at full camera speed *** Supporting all common acquisition technologies

Maximum flexibility is secured as the GPU is programmed by uploading the HLSL code modules upon program start or even during runtime.

Skillful use of GPU image processing avoids the need for special hardware even in applications with extremely high data throughput.

The CVB GPU processing tool combines the DirectX-API and the High Level Shader Language (HLSL) compiler from Microsoft together with functions in the Common Vision Blox software library. It enables developers of imaging software to transfer images between the host and the GPU and therefore use all processors in the system in an optimum way. Functions for GPU processing can be called from a CVB application without any additional GPU programming experience.

Multiple predefined GPU functions implement tasks such as image filtering, point operations between two images, parallel processing of four monochrome images, transformations from RGB to HSI and Bayer to RGB formats, flat field corrections, rotation and scaling of images.

Experienced HLSL programmers can also implement their own code on the GPU. To optimise the image data transfer between main memory and GPU it is also possible to combine several algorithms within the graphics card by using the open programming possibilities of the HLSL language.

Adept Electronic Solutions are "The Machine Vision and Imaging Specialists" and distributor of Stemmer products in Australia and New Zealand. To find out more about any Stemmer machine vision products, please email us at: adept@adept.net.au or call us at Perth (08) 92425411 / Sydney (02) 99792599 / Melbourne (03) 95555621 or use our online contact us page.

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