Industrial cameras, also commonly known as video cameras, are an important component of machine vision systems. Compared with traditional civilian cameras, they have high image stability, high transmission capabilities, and high anti-interference capabilities. Most of the industrial cameras on the market are based on CCD cameras or CMOS chip cameras.
Although most industrial camera manufacturers currently have launched a full range of industrial camera products, each brand has its own strengths. The star products of this industrial camera brand are often cost-effective and reliable.
When choosing an industrial camera, you need to understand the following aspects
- Resolution
Resolution refers to the number of pixels contained in the image sensor, usually expressed as length * width. We often say that the number of megapixels in a camera is calculated by its resolution. For example, the resolution is 1280pixel*1024pixel, 1280*1024=1310720, which is a 1.3 million pixel camera. Resolution, to a certain extent, determines the accuracy that a machine vision system can achieve.
- Frame rate
The frame rate refers to the number of frames of image collection per second, such as 30 fps. It can be calculated that the theoretical time required to collect a picture is 1000 ms/30fps=33.3 ms. This time must be included in the overall detection beat.
- Shutter
The shutter is a device in a camera that controls the time it takes for light to hit the photosensitive element. There are generally two shutter methods in industrial cameras: global shutter and rolling shutter. The key point is that if you need dynamic imaging, you must choose the global shutter. The rolling shutter can only be used for static imaging.
- Image sensor
The image sensor is the photosensitive element in the camera, which can convert optical images into electronic signals. It is mainly divided into CCD and CMOS.
- Interface for connecting the lens
The camera's interface is used to connect the camera and lens, mainly including C port, CS port, and F port. Just choose a matching industrial lens interface. Be sure to take this issue into consideration when selecting the lens. If the interface is different, add an adapter ring.
- Transmission interface
The transmission interface refers to the way the camera transmits pictures. Currently, commonly used ones include GigE, USB3.0, CameraLink, etc. Different interfaces will also affect the collection speed.
- Camera color
Cameras are divided into color cameras and black-and-white cameras. Usually, you only choose a color camera when you need to identify colors. Otherwise, always choose a black-and-white camera. Because many visual tools process black and white images, if you choose a color camera, you need to convert the image into black and white and then perform calculations. This process will often reduce the image quality. It is better to simply choose a black and white camera from the beginning.
- Camera dimensions
According to the dimension, cameras can be divided into 2D cameras and 3D cameras. 3D cameras can obtain height information, and other situations can be solved with 2D cameras.
- Camera system
There are two types of camera systems: smart camera system and Xinxiwang vision system. The smart camera system integrates image collection and image processing. It has a compact structure, is easy to use, and is slightly expensive. The Xinxiwang vision system uses industrial cameras to collect images and a PC to process the images. It can integrate multiple cameras into one vision system at the same time, and can develop customized software for the second time.
So when choosing an industrial camera, people often ask whether it is better to choose CCD or CMOS? This starts with their history. In the beginning, the imaging quality of CCD was indeed significantly better than that of CMOS. However, after a few years of development, CMOS has reached the same imaging quality as CCD and has lower manufacturing costs, so the future must belong to CMOS.
Regarding the image sensor, the main thing we need to know is the size of the chip, which will be used when choosing a lens. The structure of the chip determines whether the camera is a line scan camera or an area scan camera. The model of the chip is also crucial. A good chip camera has good image quality.
In addition, you need to pay attention to choosing the accessories of the industrial camera:
- Choose an image capture card with the same interface. GigE is equipped with a Gigabit network card, and CameraLink is equipped with a CameraLink card.
- The connected cables and interfaces must match and the length must be determined. If the tank chain is required for wiring, it must be equipped with a highly flexible cable that is resistant to bending, and must be locked with screws on the interface to prevent it from falling or poor contact after long movement.
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