Cameras Archives - 1stVision Inc. - Machine Vision Articles

April 24, 2026April 24, 2026

uEye LIVE cameras video stream/record WITHOUT a PC

Do you seek a single-device solution for process monitoring – a video streaming/recording industrial camera without needing an additional PC? IDS uEye Live SCP | SLE compact industrial cameras enable monitoring tasks to be executed directly on the camera without the need for an additional PC.

If you aren’t using these yet…

Did you miss our blog that introduced them in late 2024? Did we highlight key features well enough:

Use cases – what would one do with this?

If you need to visualize, document, or monitor processes, this camera is quick to integrate and requires no programming. No PC is needed, as it’s a system on a chip, embedded in the camera.

Just as vehicle dashcams and video doorbells capture sequences that are useful to have documented, it can be useful to capture industrial processing sequences that would otherwise have been missed.

Whether for quality control, process improvement, compliance requirements, or liability, videos of “where it went wrong” can be incredibly valuable. Using the event recording feature, one may have a lookback window of recorded streaming, in order to go back and replay the sequence, extract frames, etc.

UEye SCP is the housed version:

It’s also available in space-saving board-level options (shown below), as well as a wash-down IP69K housed version (not shown here):

Process monitoring

Here’s a video focused on process monitoring applications with IDS uEye Live cameras. It’s the logical follow on video to the introductory video above:

Going further yet – from streaming to AI: scalable process monitoring

It doesn’t have to stop with “simple” industrial dashcam applications – though there’s nothing wrong with stopping there if you are getting good value. This segment goes on to introduce the concept of scaling up your processing monitoring, even to adding AI to interpret and act upon multiple live streams.

This video introduces how IDS industrial monitoring cameras enable scalable, network‑ready process monitoring – from simple streaming to advanced AI‑based analysis. You’ll learn how compressed video streaming, remote access and built‑in intelligence support a wide range of industrial and inspection tasks.

1st Vision’s sales engineers have over 100 years of combined experience to assist in your camera and components selection. With a large portfolio of cameras, lenses, cables, NIC cards and industrial computers, we can provide a full vision solution!

About you: We want to hear from you! We’ve built our brand on our know-how and like to educate the marketplace on imaging technology topics… What would you like to hear about?… Drop a line to info@1stvision.com with what topics you’d like to know more about.

#IDS

#uEyeLIVE

#industrialdashcam

April 24, 2026April 24, 2026

AxCIS update – new models and feature callouts

We’ve provided product overviews and updates on Teledyne DALSA’s AxCIS Contact Image Sensor in prior blogs, including a recent one on applications.

New models and features

The AxCIS product family now includes color models in widths of 400mm, 600mm, and 800mm. Monochrome models are offered at 400mm and 800mm respectively. In imperial units that spans from 16 – 32 inches.

AxCIS provides selectable 28/42/56/84um pixel size and high speed 50/60/100/120kHzx3 via the Camera Link HS interface.

Lighting flexibility

While sensors and features are always big factors in machine vision, pros know that lighting is just as important. AxCIS’ designers provide users with considerable flexibility on lighting options.

AxCIS modules may be purchased either with or without lighting. The with-lighting option provides tremendous value and ease of deployment – when appropriate for your application.

Here’s a short video showing all that’s bundled into a CIS (including bundled lighting):

But lighting isn’t one size fits all

The bundled lighting referenced above would be ideal for bright-field illumination. But what if your application is best-served by dark-field lighting, or another approach? To review lighting, see our KB article on lighting techniques.

Since AxCIS modules may also be supplied without bright-field lighting, we offer coax and other lighting solutions suitable for dark field methods.

Lab testing available

If you are uncertain whether this could be your solution, or which components would be optimal, contact us to test your samples in the lab. You can send us parts and we’ll scan them, sending you the results and the optimal device recommendations and configurations. It’s a way to get proof of concept with a lot of the effort outsourced to us.

#AxCIS

#CIS

#Contactimagesensor

April 24, 2026April 24, 2026

IDS NION 3D Time of Flight camera | 1.2 MP Industrial ToF for Robotics and Automation

Next level time-of-flight – ToF. Nion combines spatial resolution of 1.2 MP (@30 fps) with reliable depth precision. Housed in a robust IP67 enclosure, Nion captures 3D for even fine structures – cost-efficiently.

Nion 3D ToF camera – Courtesy IDS Imaging

OnSemi AF0130 Hyperlux ID sensor

The AF0130 belongs to the Hyperlux ID family. It’s an Indirect Time of Flight (iToF) sensor, back side illuminated (BSI) CMOS global shutter depth and imaging solution. It calculates depth, confidence and intensity maps at high speeds from its laser modulated exposures.

Why is IDS Imaging introducing a ToF product

We’ve covered IDS evolving range of stereo vision 3D cameras previously, as recently as a few months ago, in Ensenso 3D for logistics applications.

But while powerful, stereo vision requires at least two cameras, and the corresponding electronics and software to synchronize the images and build the 3D model. So it can be overkill if you don’t need that level of performance.

With the Nion ToF product, IDS brings a more affordable 3D imaging solution to the market, which is more than good enough for many 3D applications .

The video below provides a nice overview. We tease out some of the key points in text and graphics further below, but you might like the dynamics of the video:

What’s inside that IP67 enclosure?

IP67 means dustproof and immersible in water to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. That’s pretty robust. More than good enough for even the most challenging industrial environment, outdoor or wash down context.

Besides the tight enclosure, of course there’s a lens to focus the light source onto the sensor, electronics to support the GigE Vision interface, the sensor is the heart of the matter.

Exploded view of Nion camera – Courtesy IDS Imaging

Highest resolution industrial ToF camera

As this blog is released in April 2026, this is the highest resolution industrial ToF camera on the market.

In-sensor readout/storage reduces motion artefacts

To calculate a single depth value, four coordinated exposures with different phase positions (typically 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°) are usually necessary. These four signals are then used to calculate the phase shift – and thus the distance. Thanks to its special pixel architecture and integrated on-chip processing, the AF0130 iToF sensor captures all four phase images in quick succession and stores them directly and completely in the chip’s memory – without any intermediate readout.

This significantly shortens the time between exposures and noticeably reduces motion blur. Another advantage of continuous reading: The depth information can be efficiently re-sorted and directly processed further – without time-consuming post-processing. This not only makes the camera more robust against movement, but also enables higher frame rates and reduces the load on the host system. This is a decisive advantage, particularly in dynamic applications such as robotics, logistics or pick-and-place.

Hyperlux technology by onsemi reduces motion artefacts — Courttesy IDS Imaging

Key takeaways on motion artefact reduction are:

Boiling the above section down to key takeaways, we note:

Multi-phase demodulation (four, to be specific)
Reduced motion artefacts in dynamic scences

Suggested Markets

Just to whet the appetite, we call out logistics, robotics, medical, and manufacturing as sectors where affordable ToF 3D imaging can deliver value on investment. But of course you may have 3D applications in mind in another sector.

#3D

#Nion

#ToF

#timeofflight

#IDSImaging

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

IDS uEye EVS Event Based Cameras – Use cases

We introduced these event-based cameras in a previous blog – still a great entry point and overview. In this new blog we’ll highlight use cases. They are pretty compelling.

But first we re-run a single graphic to highlight the paradigm shift from frame-based to event-based imaging:

frame-based vs event-based paradigm — XCP-E Event based cameras utilize the Sony Prophesee sensor – Courtesy IDS Imaging

If you come from a frame-based imaging background – as most of us do – it’s worth getting one’s head wrapped around the event based model. It’s that different – at the technology level and in what it enables at the applications level.

On to use cases and key takeaways…

Results instead of raw data: Per the scene-driven remark in the paradigm comparison graphic above, observe the video analysis clip below. By ONLY picking up on motion, the camera delivers exactly and only what one wants – the people and suitcases passing through the field of view.

Results instead of raw data – Courtesy IDS Imaging

A frame-based approach to such an application would require complex algorithms to identify the “moving stuff” from the “background stuff”, which is compute intensive. It may be doable the hard way, but it takes effort – and isn’t as performant.

Extremely high dynamic range

See in the dark. The Sony Prophesee IMX636 sensor recognizes contrast changes even from 0.08 lux.

Sensitive in very low light – Courtesy IDS Imaging

Detect extremely fast processes

Temporal resolution <100us. i.e. the minimum measurable time difference between two consecutive pixel events, is less than 100µs. That’s comparable to a traditional image-based frame rate of more than 10,000 FPS without motion blur.

High speed applications – Courtesy IDS Imaging

blah blah

Efficient data processing

Only changes are captured – static areas are ignored. So there is (much) less data to process than with a frame-based approach. This saves memory, data transfer volumes, and compute time.

The astute reader will have already inferred that this is a corollary on the “results instead of raw data” message and video earlier in this blog. It’s such a key point it bears repeating.

Less data generated means less data to process – Courtesy IDS Imaging

The following short video shows that the Sony Prophesee IMX636 is the key to sending less data, as it only senses “what’s changed”. Essentially it lights up a pixel exactly and only when that position senses motion – and not when it doesn’t.

Frame-based approach sends entire frame every time vs. event-based just sends each next change – Courtesy IDS Imaging

Use cases

Some of the videos above suggest certain use cases, but let’s spell out a few:

Monitoring: Compared to CCTV, the IDS uEye XCP-E cameras are more compact, and only show action as opposed to (also) steady-state. Or combine the two with event-based cameras logging the timestamps of interest.

Video analysis and Smart City people tracking: A level up from simple monitoring, people tracking doesn’t just detect motion but infers/projects trajectories, and may lead or assist in threat detection.

Drone detection: Just as with people tracking, an event-based camera finds what’s moving against a field of static clutter, as it only sees what’s moving.

Gesture recognition: UI design opportunities, whether for pupil tracking, head motions, and/or hand/finger tracking.

Industrial applications: Monitor equipment vibration to optimize preventative maintenance and/or anticipate and avoid catastrophic breakdown.

Counting: E.g. pill production and sorting, food processing, or other fast-but-small-items conveyor applications.

Takeaway: If it moves, an event-based camera will find it.

See the entire family of IDS uEye XCP-E cameras. Call us at 978-474-0044. Tell us a little about your application and we’ll help you pick the ideal camera and accessories.

#IDS #uEye #EventBased