What are the parameters that you must understand when purchasing an industrial camera?

1. Resolution: The number of pixels the camera collects each time the image is collected. For digital industrial cameras, it generally corresponds directly to the number of pixels of the photoelectric sensor. For analog cameras, it depends on the video format. The PAL system is 768*576 and the NTSC system is 640*480.
2. Pixel Depth: The number of bits per pixel of data. Generally, 8Bit is commonly used. For digital industrial cameras, there are generally 10Bit, 12Bit, etc.
3. Maximum frame rate (Frame Rate)/line rate (Line Rate): This is the rate at which the camera collects and transmits images. For area array cameras, it is generally the number of frames collected per second, and for line array cameras, it is the number of lines collected per second.
4. Exposure method (Exposure) and shutter speed (Shutter): For line array cameras, both are line-by-line exposure methods. You can choose the acquisition method of fixed line frequency and external trigger synchronization. The exposure time can be consistent with the line period, or you can set a fixed time; area array industrial cameras have several common methods such as frame exposure, field exposure, and rolling line exposure. Digital industrial cameras generally provide the function of externally triggered image acquisition. The shutter speed can generally reach 10 microseconds, and high-speed industrial cameras can be even faster.
5. Pixel Size: The pixel size and the number of pixels jointly determine the size of the camera target surface. At present, the pixel size of digital industrial cameras is generally 3-10μm. Generally, the smaller the pixel size, the more difficult it is to manufacture and the harder it is to improve the image quality.
6. Spectral response characteristics (Spectral Range): refers to the sensitivity characteristics of the pixel sensor to different light waves. The general response range is 350-1000nm. Some cameras add a filter in front of the target to filter out infrared light. If the system needs to be sensitive to infrared light, the filter can be removed.

Machine vision can be said to be the window to the soul of industrial automation systems. From object/barcode recognition, product inspection, appearance size measurement to robotic arm/transmission equipment positioning, these are all stages where machine vision technology can play its role. In order to cope with the endless new application requirements, the design of industrial cameras has also emerged in new development directions.