Vision Systems Resource Center

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Controls engineers need a variety of information on machine vision topics such as closed-loop vision systems and color sensing.

Machine vision systems are becoming a basic feedback sensor in many industrial applications, along with providing both online and offline inspection capability.

These machine vision systems vary from completely integrated, standalone vision sensors, to systems assembled by users, system integrators, and machine builders from components including cameras, frame grabbers, and computers.

Machine vision software allows users to customize application performance to their specific needs.

Machine vision systems often are built to support fast data handling protocols such as GigE, a gigabit Ethernet protocol for machine vision applications, and a serial Camera Link protocol. Timely news, back-to-basics primers, feature articles, technical white papers and descriptions of the latest products all provide valuable insights that can be used in designing and building machine controls.

Focus On: Retaining Automation Know-How
ControlDesign.com
This insightful look at our February 2010 cover story, "Stick to the Playbook" (www.ControlDesign.com/reuseknowhow) examines how machine builders are creating standards and reusable modular design to retain the work and the knowledge of their engineers. Control Design's editorial staff interviews Pat Phillips, engineering manager at Haumiller, which builds high-speed, automated assembly machines, and Chris Lovendahl, sales manager at Concep Machine, makers of special-purpose machine and factory-automation systems, to get a closer look at how those two companies are retaining their automation know-how.

Food Printer Adds Vision System to Handle Delicate Pastries
See More Machine Applications: Vision System Expands Capabilities of Food Decorating Printer

Market Intelligence Report: Sensors & Vision
ControlDesign.com
Control Design's Managing Editor Mike Bacidore and Rixan Associates' Director of Egineering, Mark Battisti, go over Control Design's results of its latest survey on machine sensors and vision systems. The survey asked its participants about the type of sensing they currently used in their machines including vision systems, how end-users are connecting to I/O, what they use machine vision for and whether wireless sensing is a viable option. Watch this video report to learn about the results of this survey.

Most Requested 2009 Articles
ControlDesign.com
See Which 2009 Articles You Requested the Most and Read Frequently This Past Month

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White Papers: In Depth Research

Machine Vision Academy
Author: KEYENCE
Posted: 02/08/2010
Master the Latest Application Techniques

Are you interested in image processing (inspection using a camera)? Have you thought about automating the visual inspection conducted on your production line? Have you considered implementing a vision sensor, but have given up because it seemed too diffi cult to use? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this guide provides professional image processing solutions for factory automation.

Machine vision systems have the ability to capture and evaluate targets in two dimensions, making them very useful for automating inspections once done by the human eye.

A digital camera has almost the same structure as that of a conventional (analog) camera, but the difference is that a digital camera comes equipped with an image sensor called a CCD. The image sensor is similar to the film in a conventional camera and captures images as digital information, but how does it convert images into digital signals?

The CCD stands for a Charge Coupled Device, which is a semiconductor element that converts images into digital signals. It is approx. 1 cm in both height and width, and consists of small pixels aligned like a grid.

When taking a picture with a camera, the light reflected from the target is transmitted through the lens, forming an image on the CCD. When a pixel on the CCD receives the light, an electric charge corresponding to the light intensity is generated. The electric charge is converted into an electric signal to obtain the light intensity (concentration value) received by each pixel.

Video Analytics and Security
Author: Schneider Electric
Posted: 08/21/2009
Using video data to improve both safety and ROI.

Most companies are gathering trillions of bytes of data, day after day, at no small cost, and then doing very little with it. Worse still, the data often is not serving its primary function very cost-effectively.

The "culprit," so to speak, is video surveillance data, the information captured by the video cameras that are used throughout most modern facilities.

But the situation is changing rapidly, thanks to an application called Video Analytics. This white paper looks at the new software technology, and how it can be used to leverage video data for better security and business performance.

Using the NI 17xx Smart Camera Direct Drive Lighting Controller
Author: National Instruments
Posted: 02/08/2008
The use of proper lighting is often overlooked when designing a machine vision application.

10 things to consider when choosing vision software
Author: National Instruments
Posted: 02/03/2006
The first consideration when picking vision software is to determine if it works with the hardware that is best suited for your application. This white paper outlines 10 important points to consider when choosing vision software.

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