Beware of EMVA 1288 data!

Many camera manufacturers are now putting up EMVA 1288 data. This is test suite created by the European Machine Vision Association (EMVA) that give you the characteristics and performance of cameras, e.g. S/N ratio, noise, etc. , and there are specifications on how to run the tests.

Please note that there is a significant amount of variance allowed within the tests. Each manufacturer has their own test setup, so comparing sensors or product lines from a specific manufacturer is very appropriate.

Comparing results between different manufacturers, especially looking at small details is NOT appropriate. For instance, if Manufacturer A’s test has a 5% variance on what Manufacturer B’s test is on the same sensor, but the difference between the two manufacturers is 5%, there is no valid conclusion! The result is within the variance. Do NOT get sucked into this comparison war.

The EMVA test produces a 30 page report for each specific camera test, testing is across multiple wavelengths, etc. Results that are given in tabular format with one number for each camera are not really a good picture of the test results to compare across manufacturers.

If you want further details, please contact 1stVision. We have conducted many comparison tests and can provide practical advice and discuss it in context of your application.

November 1, 2017October 6, 2021

Teledyne Dalsa TurboDrive 2.0 breaks past GigE limits now with 6 levels of compression

Teledyne Dalsa introduces TurboDrive 2.0 for their Genie Nanos

With the introduction of the Genie Nano came Turbodrive which allowed ‘faster GigE than GigE’ speeds. Turbodrive is a lossless hardware encoding scheme that potentially reduces the amount of data to be transmitted from the camera to the computer. Dalsa’s Nanos, which are priced identical to the competition, offers the users the ability to go faster at no extra cost. Note that the user can turn on or off the encoding.

However, the encoding scheme is data content dependent, and therefore if your data varies a lot within an image the compression is minimal. If your data varies a lot from image to image, then using the encoding means that only certain frames will get a speedup resulting in an inconsistent data transfer rate.

Teledyne Dalsa has just recently introduced TurboDrive 2.0, a firmware upgrade for all Nanos. The major enhancement is that now TurboDrive offers multiple levels of encoding. Level 0 is lossless, and each successive level has some potential lossy amount.

The table below indicates quality level, image compression ratio (absolute worst case scenario) and effective bandwidth gain

As you can see, at level 6, you have a worst case compression of 0.33, yet a speed up of 3. Note, this is a worst case situation so you might get a speed up of 3x, yet be at 0.8. The algorithm is data dependent! (more about this in the tech primer)

Depending on the application, various compression levels provide minimal degradation. The following images are shown for comparisons using the varying quality levels.

As you can see, even at level 4, there is very little degradation in the image. It is easy to imagine that with this image, you can still do your image processing yet get a speed up of 68%!

Level 0 “Lossless” to Level 6 indicate the quality level in the images.

Dalsa Nano Turbodrive quality level comparisons — Quality level comparisons

Learn more by clicking the icon below for the comprehensive application note!

Teledyne Dalsa Turbodrive application note — To learn more about Teledyne Dalsa TurboDrive 2.0, please download the application note for full details.

1stVision has a ton of resources to learn about TurboDrive technology in general. Please visit our dedicated Teledyne Dalsa Turbo Drive resource page HERE

Related Blog posts:

How do you get the most pixels for your money? Check out the new Dalsa Nano C4900 camera!

Teledyne Dalsa Nano XL-M4090 cameras – 16MP cameras are now faster, cheaper and smaller!

Teledyne Dalsa Nano XL-M5100 cameras providing 25MP resolution for < $6K!

October 10, 2017October 4, 2021

Advanced Illumination Eurobright Product line prices now reduced 20-50% – Learn more about these IP67 lights with built in controllers!

Advanced Illumination has reduced pricing on their EuroBright lighting product line. This IP67 lighting line provides the highest levels of strobed or continuous operation using “FlexTech” technology and does not require additional controllers.

FlexTech™ is Advanced Illumination’s exclusive technology collection which they have spent years perfecting. This consists of self-sustaining technologies for your system protection and your peace of mind.

The EuroBright Series consists of 6 styles of illuminator’s providing various lighting geometries from area illumination to back lighting. Each light style can be ordered in various wavelengths and has self contained electronics allowing continuous or strobe operation.

EuroBright Illuminators are feature rich with the following key features:

Low cost, feature-rich design
Robust IP67 enclosures
On-board smart driver – seamlessly provides strobe or continuous operation
Adaptive Overdrive – Optimized power under all strobe conditions
Adaptive Power – Optimal heat damage protection
Daisy-chain options in select models
Red, White and Blue wavelengths available.

Click here for full EuroBright Product details

What are the benefits of FlexTech technology?

In essence, FlexTech technology maximizes intensity even in varied temperature conditions ensuring the illuminator is providing maximum performance and protected.

You do not have to worry about over driving the light source.. FlexTech does this for you!

What benefits does FlexTechnology bring to EuroBright Illuminators?

Adaptive Overdrive

Adaptive Overdrive™ shapes the output pulse of the illuminator to maximize the intensity seen in the image. This technology allows for a very flexible on-board driver where the output is always performing at its peak with any camera exposures.

Adaptive Power

Adaptive Power allows for the user to “train” the light to operate in varied external temperatures. This was designed primarily for the EuroBrite™ Series of lights. Training allows the controller to identify the correct operational current such that the light does not overheat. Adaptive Power guarantees maximum brightness and lifetime regardless of the installation.

Smart Power Allocation

Smart Power Allocation performs load-balancing to be sure each individual channel on a controller is always being utilized to its fullest. Rather than relying on a fixed “current” for a light, factors such as voltage and string combination are considered in determining the correct operating range. Standard products have up to a 30% higher output with this feature enabled.

Packed with features, EuroBright illuminators are one of the most advanced lights on the market for a great price!

Email us with your contact details for a quote.

Need help to ID the correct lighting for your application? We have a lighting expert on staff to discuss how to solve your application!

Contact us to start a lighting consultation !

1st Vision has extensive knowledge in industrial imaging and can help answer any questions. We have over 100 years of combined knowledge and look forward to discussing your application.

Please do not hesitate to Contact us! 1st Vision can provide a complete solution including cameras, lenses, lighting and cables.

Ph: 978-474-0044
info@1stvision.com
www.1stvision.com

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September 27, 2017February 7, 2018

Allied Vision’s high-resolution Prosilica GT now with 12, 16 and 25MP ON Semi PYTHON sensors

Allied Vision extends its Prosilica GT Large Format camera platform with three high-resolution ON Semi PYTHON image sensors (Python 12K, Python 16K & Python 25K)

Combined with robust thermal housing designed to operate in extended temperature ranges and fluctuating lighting conditions, the new Prosilica GT Large Format cameras are ideal for high-definition imaging applications with demanding requirements of robustness and design-in flexibility. They provide a great option for high-quality imaging for anyone looking to switch over from existing CCD cameras to CMOS cameras with similar resolutions and optical formats.

Features include:

Extended temperature range (-20 deg. C to + 50 deg. C)
NIR sensitivity up to 1100nm
Modular concept providing various lens mounts (M58, M42, and EF-mount)
Fixed Pattern noise correction, Defect Pixel Correction, and Trigger over Ethernet.

Prosilica GT5120, Prosilica GT4096, and Prosilica GT4090 at a glance

See full specification for the series below:

Prosilica GT5120, 5120 x 5120, 25MP

Prosilica GT4096, 4096 x 4096, 16MP
This is a great replacement for the KAI-16000 CCD sensors!

Prosilica GT4090, 4096 x 3092, 12MP

Now that you have a great high resolution camera, what lens works best?

High resolution cameras with the ON Semi Python sensors are great, but only as good as the lenses you use! It is imperative to have the sensor sizes matched with the lens formats. Additionally, we need to make sure the lens resolution is adequate for the image sensor pixel size.

To aid in the lens selection, we have the following recommendation on lens series. Recommendations as follows

Prosilica GT5120, 5120 x 5120, 25MP: This camera has a 32.58mm diagonal image sensor, so a F-mount lens is required. Two options are Kowa and Schneider
KOWA – F mount series
Schneider – F mount series

Prosilica GT4096, 4096 x 4096, 16MP: This camera has a 26.06mm diagonal image sensor, also requiring a F-mount lens.
KOWA – F mount series
Schneider – F mount series

Prosilica GT4090, 4096 x 3092, 12MP : This camera has a 23.09mm diagonal image sensor which falls into a 4/3″ format.
KOWA 4/3″ lens series

As a note, as the pixel size is 4.5um, this is not as demanding on the lens resolution and will only require 111 line pairs/mm (lp/mm) making these adequate selections.

Need more help in understanding lens terminology and format sizes? Here are some related links

1stVision has experienced engineers to help you develop and further understand the best camera and lens combination for your application.