Eight elements for selecting industrial cameras

1. 1. Recognize analog cameras and digital cameras

   (1) The analog camera must be equipped with a digital capture card, which converts it into digital signals for transmission and storage. Generally, the resolution of analog cameras is very low, and the frame rate is also fixed. Analog signals can be distorted by electromagnetic interference from other equipment in the factory, such as electric motors or high-voltage cables. As noise levels increase, the dynamic range (ratio of raw signal to noise) of the analog camera decreases. Dynamic range determines how much information can be transferred from the camera to the computer.

   (2) Digital cameras collect digital signals, which are not affected by electrical noise. Therefore, digital cameras have a higher dynamic range and can transmit more accurate signals to the computer. This should be chosen based on actual needs.

2. 2. Select the camera resolution according to your needs

   The higher the resolution, the better. The resolution should be selected based on the actual application requirements of the system. Different product sizes, required resolutions and the performance of the software used can calculate the resolution of the required industrial cameras; in addition, the most important factors to consider in the on-site environment are temperature, humidity, interference and lighting conditions to select different industrial cameras.

3. 3. How to choose between CCD and CMOS photosensitive devices?

   If the object to be photographed is in motion and the object to be processed is also an object that moves in real time, it is of course best to choose a TEO TECH full-frame exposure CCD chip camera. However, if the CMOS cameras produced by some manufacturers adopt frame exposure, they can also be used as CCDs. And if the object moves very slowly, within the camera exposure time range we set, the distance the object moves is very small, and the pixel size is only within one or two pixels, then it is also appropriate to choose a CMOS camera. Because within the exposure time, the deviation of one or two pixels cannot be seen by the human eye (if it is not used for measurement), but if the deviation exceeds 2 pixels, the image taken by the object will have smear, so you cannot choose a CMOS camera.

4. 4. How to determine color and black and white?

   If what we want to deal with is related to the color of the image, then of course we should use a color camera. Otherwise, it is recommended that you use a black and white camera, because a black and white camera with the same resolution has higher accuracy than a color camera, especially when looking at the edges of the image, the black and white camera has better results.

5. 5. Frame rate selection is critical

   According to the speed to be detected, the frame rate of the selected camera must be greater than or equal to the detection speed. If equal, the time you need to process the image must be fast, and it must be completed within the exposure and transmission time of the camera.

6. 6. The transmission interface is determined like this

   Choose cameras with USB, 1394, Camerlink, BNC, Gigabit network, and HDMI interfaces based on the transmission distance, stability, and transmitted data size (bandwidth).

7. 7. CCD target surface

   The size of the target surface will affect the focal length of the lens. Under the same viewing angle, the larger the size of the target surface, the longer the focal length. When selecting a camera, especially when there are strict requirements for the shooting angle, the size of the CCD target surface and the cooperation between the CCD and the lens will directly affect the size of the field of view and the clarity of the image. Therefore, when selecting the CCD size, it must be selected in conjunction with the focal length and field of view of the lens. Generally speaking, the selection of the CCD target surface must be combined with the physical installation space to determine whether the working distance of the lens is within the installation space. It is required that the size of the lens must be greater than or equal to the target surface size of the camera.

8. 8. The price of the camera

   Different manufacturers have different prices for cameras with the same parameters. This depends on everyone communicating and negotiating with the manufacturers. Generally speaking, if you have the quantity, the overall price is very different from the price of buying one individually.

The above are the eight characteristic factors that should be paid attention to when selecting industrial cameras. I hope the above content will be helpful to everyone. The selection of the camera not only directly determines the resolution and image quality of the collected images, but is also directly related to the operating mode of the entire system. Therefore, choosing a suitable industrial camera is crucial.