ECS cost efficient 3D sensor series

Automation Technology GmbH announces the ECS series, where ECS means Eco Compact Sensor. Using less expensive optics and sensors, the standardized pre-configured offering is more than good enough for many applications. And priced to pass the lower-cost component savings on to the customer.

ECS 3D sensors – Courtesy Automation Technology GmbH

Ideal for applications in food, logistics, and robot vision, the sweet spot is performance that’s good enough to add value and get the job done, without having to purchase components needed for even higher performance. ECS sensors use the principle of laser triangulation to create a 3D point cloud.

Resolution and speed.

ECS delivers 2048 points per profile, at up to 43 kHz. Compare that to AT’s higher end scanners with up to 4096 points per profile, and speeds to 204 kHz.

Field of View (FoV)

Initial ECS series members are offered at 100 or 160mm FoVs, with other options planned for release.

Compact design

At only 0.65kg, about 1lb in weight, ECS 3D compact sensors can be easily integrated into many applications.

Software integration

Automation Technology’s AT Solution package makes it easy to configure your sensor. The SDK provides options for C, C++, and Python. The GigE Vision / GenICam interface means users may also choose any software compliant with those popular industry standards.

Applications

As mentioned above, food/beverage, logistics, packaging, and robotics are just a few of the suggested application areas.

Images above courtesy of Automation Technology

Three 3D sensor families: Value, Performance, and Modular

To put it in perspective, Automation Technology GmbH has expanded its 3D sensor portfolio with price : performance offerings at each of:

  • Value: ECS Series – compact, pre-calibrated, IP54 protection class, low cost
  • Performance: C6 Series – high-performance, pre-configured, IP67 protection, mid-priced
  • Modular: MCS Series – high-performance flexible configuration, IP67 protection
Comparing 3D Sensor Series – Courtesy Automation Technology GmbH

See an expanded comparison table at our website. But at a high level think of ECS as the value series. The C6 models offer high performance at a choice of resolutions. And the MCS is a modular unbundling of the C6 products – high-performance with flexible configuration.

What matters to you of course is your own application. And that’s what matters to us, too. As an independent distributor, we work for you. Tell us about your application, and we’ll guide to to the best-fit technology for your needs. Call us at 978-474-0044.

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 lensescablesNIC cards and industrial computers, we can provide a full vision solution!

Automation Technology Solution Package

Automation Technology GmbH, or AT for short, is a leading manufacturer of 3D laser profilers, and also infrared smart cameras. As customary among leading camera suppliers, AT provides a comprehensive software development kit (SDK), making it easy for customers to deploy AT cameras. AT’s Solution Package is available for both Windows and Linux. Read on to find out what’s included!

Graphic courtesy of Automation Technology GmbH.

Let’s unpack each of the capabilities highlighted in the above graphic. You can get the overview by video, and/or by our written highlights.

Video overview

Courtesy Automation Technology GmbH

Overview

AT’s Solution Package is designed to make it easy to configure the camera(s), prototype initial setups and trial runs, proceed with a comprehensive integration, and achieve a sustainable solution.

cxExplorer

Configuration of a compact sensor can be easily done with the cxExplorer, a graphical user interface provided by AT – Automation Technology. With the help of the cxExplorer a sensor can be simply adjusted to the required settings, using easy to navigate menus, stepwise “wizards”, image previews, etc.

APIs, Apps, and Tools

The cxSDK tool offers programming interfaces for C, C++, and Python. The same package work with all of Automation Technologies 3D and infrared cameras.

Product documentation

Of course there’s documentation. Everybody provides documentation. But not all documentation is both comprehensive and user-friendly. This is. It’s illustrated with screenshots, examples, and tutorials.

Metrology Package

Winner of a 2023 “inspect” award, the optional add-on Metrology Package can commission a customer’s new sensor in just 10 minutes, with no programming required. Then go on to create an initial 3D point cloud, also with little user effort required.

Screenshot of Metrology Explorer – courtesy Automation Technology GmbH

For more information about Automation Technology 3D laser profilers, infrared smart cameras, or the Solution Package SDK, call us at 978-474-0044. Tell us a little about your application, and we can guide you to the optimal products for your particular needs.

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 lensescablesNIC cards and industrial computers, we can provide a full vision solution!

Teledyne DALSA AxCIS Contact Image Sensor Modules

Teledyne DALSA has released the AxCIS 800mm mono/HDR, and the AxCIS 400mm mono, the first two members of a new flexible and scalable product family of Contact Image Sensors (CIS). As other members are released, users can choose fields of view (FoV) in 100mm increments, e.g. 400mm, 500mm, 600mm, 700mm, and 800mm.

AxCIS 800mm lighting and scanning – Courtesy Teledyne DALSA
AxCIS Contact Image Sensor showing sensor array
– Courtesy Teledyne DALSA

Contact Image Sensor vs. Linescan

Actually that’s a trick heading! A contact image sensor (CIS) is a type of linescan camera. Conventionally, the industry calls it a linescan camera if the sensor uses CMOS or CCD. while it’s called a CIS if it bundles a linear array of detectors, lenses, and lights.

But CIS is very much a linescan type of camera, With a 2D area scan camera, a comprehensive pixel array captures hundreds or thousands of (X,Y) values in a single exposure. But a Contact Image Sensor requires either the target or the imaging unit to move, as a single exposure is a slice of Y values at a given coordinate X. Motion is required to step across the set of X values.

Two more notes:

  1. The set of X values may be effectively infinite, as with “web inspection” applications
  2. The term “contact” in CIS is a bit of a misnomer. The sensor array is in fact “very close” to the surface, which must thereby be essentially flat in order to sustain collision-free motion. But it doesn’t actually touch.

AxCIS key attributes include:

  • 28um pixel size (900dpi)
  • high speed 120KHz using Camera Link HS
  • HDR imaging with dual exposure mode
  • optional LED lighting
  • fiberoptic cables immune to EMI radiation

Application areas share the characteristics of flat surfaces and motion of either the target or the sensor, since contact image sensing (CIS) is a form of linescan imaging.

Courtesy Teledyne DALSA

HDR imaging

Some targets are inherently challenging to obtain sufficient saturation for the darker regions while avoiding over-saturation for the lighter areas. The multiline sensors used in AxCIS utilize a sensor array with:

  • One row of the sensor array that can have a longer exposure for dark scenes
  • Another row using a shorter exposure for light scenes

The camera then combines the images, as shown below. The technique is referred to as High Dynamic Range imaging – HDR.

Ilustration of HDR Imaging – Courtesy Teledyne DALSA

Want to know more about area scan vs line scan? And multifield line scan? And other Teledyne DALSA linescan products, in which they have years of expertise? See our blog “What can multifield linescan imaging do for me?“.

For details on the AxCIS CIS family, please see the product page with detailed specs.

If you’ve had enough reading, and want to speak with a real live engineer, just call us at 978-474-0044.

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 lensescablesNIC cards and industrial computers, we can provide a full vision solution!

16, 20 and 24 MP: IDS uEye+ cameras with Sony Pregius sensors

IDS Imaging will soon release new members in their uEye+ camera series, utilizing Sony’s 4th generation Pregius S sensors. Included are 16, 20, and 24 MP offerings of the compact uEye+ USB3 cameras.

XLE+ housed and board-level options – Courtesy IDS Imaging

The “S” in Pregius S stands for “stacked”, a sensor architecture that is back-illuminated as well as layered, creating a light-sensitive, low-noise, high-performance sensor. Even the first 3 generations of Sony Pregius sensors broke new ground, but Pregius S is special. Read our dedicated blog on the Sony Pregius four generation offerings, including details on Pregius S.

Sony Pregius S sensorMPFormat
IMX 532 165328 x 3040
IMX 531 204512 x 4512
IMX 530 245328 x 4608
Sony Pregius S sensors joining IDS uEye+ family

IDS peak SDK : “Configuring instead of programming”

Enhancing the ease of development and deployment for the uEye+ cameras, IDS has released update 2.6 of “IDS peak”, the comprehensive software development kit (SDK), available at no cost. Of course the cameras are Vision Standard compatible ( U3V and GenICam), for those preferring third party SDKs, but IDS peak has much to offer IDS’ camera users.

While the SDK naturally includes conventional programming interfaces, IDS includes tools such as tools such as histograms, line and pixel views, color and greyscale conversions, useful automatic functions and bandwidth management. These skew deployment helpfully towards “configuring instead of programming”.

IDS peak is available for both Windows and Linux OS. In addition, IDS peak SDK works not just with IDS USB3 cameras, but also IDS GigE cameras. So multi-camera applications with mixed interfaces are possible. Or your developers can benefit from familiarity with a single SDK across multiple applications, bringing efficiencies to your team. Download IDS SDKs here.

Call us at 978-474-0044. Tell us about your applications goals and constraints, and we can guide you to any or all of cameras, lenses, lighting, software, and accessories.

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 lensescablesNIC cards and industrial computers, we can provide a full vision solution!