1stVision Inc. - Machine Vision Articles - Page 2 of 64

July 6, 2026July 6, 2026

KOWA Innovations: New LF Large Format ruggedized lenses

Kowa LF high-resolution large-format machine vision lenses are engineered for rigorous industrial imaging. With a 46.0mm image circle, these optics are optimized for 4K line scan cameras and large-sensor area scan systems.

Rugged large format lenses – Courtesy Kowa

Two mount options

F-mount or TFL-II mount

Large image circle options up to approximately 43.3mm to 46mm depending on model.
For sensors with pixel sizes from 7.5µm on LF line scan models and 3.1µm on CLS color line scan model.
Very low distortion for web, print, packaging and materials inspection
Manual focus and iris control.

Noteworthy features

Anti-Rattle F-Mount: Ensures the lens stays locked in place to eliminate image shake in vibration-prone installations.

Enhanced Thumb-Screw Retention: Specialized slide mechanisms prevent thumb screws from working loose, yet allow swift lens removal or changeout as needed.

4K-Ready Optics, Multiple Focal Lengths: Designed for 4K line scan and high-resolution imaging, the LF Series is available in 28 mm, 35 mm, and 50 mm focal lengths for a range of applications.

Industrial reliability: The new ruggedized LF prototypes set a new standard for stability and service life, delivering secure imaging performance under the most demanding circumstances.

Lens selection

If you are a seasoned imaging professional, you may know exactly how to choose the optimal lens, from the large range of available lenses.

Or you may prefer a guided approach.

Or a hybrid approach, using your own review of key considerations in machine vision lens selection, together with our guidance.

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.

#Largeformat

#F-mount

#TFL-II

July 6, 2026July 6, 2026

What is TDI? Time Delay Integration?

TDI is based on the concept of accumulating multiple exposures of the same (moving) object, effectively increasing the integration time available to collect incident light. The object motion must be synchronized with the exposures to ensure a crisp image.

Line scan sensors are available for diverse applications – Courtesy Teledyne DALSA

Context

If an object were stationary, and one wasn’t in a hurry, one could just do a longer exposure in order to achieve an ideally saturated image. But the object in question is in fact moving. And it’s a line scan application. Each line exposure is extremely fast, so there’s not much opportunity to accumulate sufficient light into the sensor.

Candidate solutions

Use “faster” sensor that is more sensitive in low light situations? Conceptually plausible but not always available relative to speed of motion and available light.

Introduce artificial light? Usually one already adds concentrated light with line scan, but for challenging applications it may not be sufficient… relative to the speeds one hopes to attain.

Use Time Delay Integration (TDI) to build up final image as composite from multiple exposures carefully synchronized to object’s motion. Key concept: the object is moving anyway, so take advantage of that movement as an opportunity to get multiple “looks” at the same slice of the object. A variation on “when given lemons make lemonade”.

See the video below for an illustrative simulation. The conceptual application is mail processing, where the goal is to read whether a letter is stamped, with which denomination of postage, all while the letter is moving at continuous speed along a conveyor belt, lit only by ambient or low intensity light.

Courtesy Teledyne DALSA

The memory summing of the successive exposures builds the readout image.

Benefits

Speed: You can increase the speed of the target object or inspection web, improving overall throughput. This alone may be a huge competitive advantage.

Lower lighting costs: Get by with just one instead of two lights, and perhaps just a modest light rather than a high-intensity one.

Signal to noise ratio: SNR is improved. Since multiple exposures are summed, useful image signal increases while random noise is reduced. This gives cleaner images and better defect detection.

Tradeoffs

Clearly sufficient synchronization must be achieved for TDI to work effectively. Thankfully the synchronization doesn’t have to be perfect – a TDI device can comfortably tolerate a 2-4% velocity mismatch between inspection web and imager. This is not difficult to achieve using a web-mounted encoder to supply a sync signal to the camera, even with webs that change speed. There are thousands of successful implementations.

For a wide range of line scan products, the the Teledyne DALSA Linea families. For TDI in particular, drill in on the Linea HS and Linea HS2 products.

Applications

Typical applications include, but are not limited to:

Semiconductor wafer inspection
High-density interconnect inspection
Quality control on flat panel displays
Some life science applications

In a nutshell, if it’s “light starved” and line scan, TDI can be the answer.

#Timedelayintegration

#TDI

#Linescan

June 1, 2026June 1, 2026

Computar LensConnect Motorized Telecentric Lenses

Optical metrology is an application area within machine vision focused on precise measurement using controlled optics, lighting, cameras, and calibration. Telecentric lenses are designed to maintain constant magnification over a defined depth range, reducing perspective error.

Computar LensConnect telecentric motorized lenses are the first in the industry to combine these features. That brings precision telecentric optics with intelligent remote focus control for high-accuracy industrial imaging and measurement applications.

LensConnect USB powered motorized telecentric lenses – Courtesy Computar

Example application: PCB Inspection

Consider the following application:

The application needs to BOTH measure the height of all three indicated components AND to OCR read/verify/record the markings on the components. That requires both telecentricity and focus control.

Motorized automated focus is key differentiator

In the short 35 second video below, one can see how lens controls are parameterized to automatically optimize focus, adapting to variable conditions.

Four different magnification options

There are 4 different lens models in the series, with magnifications of:

0.25 <—— just click for full specs
0.5 <—— just click for full specs
1.0 <—— just click for full specs
2.0 <—— just click for full specs

Key benefits include:

Supports high-resolution machine vision cameras
Reduces downtime and manual recalibration
Precise stepper motor focus positioning
Ideal for metrology, semiconductor, and electronics inspection
Simplifies remote setup and multi-camera calibration systems

1stVision is pleased to have these LensConnect motorized telecentric lenses in our portfolio, along with all the other Computar lenses. Call us at 978-474-0044.

#Computar

#LensConnect

#telecentric

June 1, 2026June 1, 2026

FLIR Blackfly S now available through 1stVision

New to the 1stVision portfolio, FLIR Blackfly S are available in compact housed and board-level models, with lossless compression, achieving both high speed and high image quality.

Features and Benefits

USB3 Vision and GigE Vision interface models

Sony Pregius S and ON Semi CMOS sensors for high sensitivity, low noise image quality

Compact 29 × 29 mm “ice cube” form factor simplifies integration in tight spaces

Wide resolution range (<1 MP to 20+ MP) supports speed or precision optimization

Advanced on-camera image processing include color correction, lossless compression, lens shading correction

Advanced camera controls (sequencer, timers, counters, events) enable precise automation

Develop Once, Deploy Everywhere

With tens of different models of FLIR Blackfly S, cameras, Teledyne Vision Solutions emphasizes “develop once, deploy everywhere”. Since each housed model has the same form factor, varying only by sensor, from < 1MP to > 24MP, the same SDK, software, and interface deploys seamlessly. Whether you want to increase resolution at an existing camera position, or roll out cameras at new positions and new applications, the breadth of this camera series really helps customers scale easily.

Per the video below, board-level cameras can be deployed in diverse configurations, but share the same board dimensions, SDK options, and interfaces.

Video courtesy of Teledyne

Typical Applications

Automated optical inspection (AOI)
Industrial machine vision inspection systems
Robotics guidance and pick-and-place
Electronics and semiconductor inspection
Medical and life sciences imaging
Barcode reading and logistics automation
Embedded vision and OEM integration

Intelligent traffic systems and transportation imaging
Electronics and semiconductor inspection
Food and packaging inspection
Scientific and laboratory imaging

Additional benefits

Lens costs typically low: Thanks to many Blackfly S cameras using Sony Pregius S sensors, small pixel sizes enable high resolution packed into a small sensor. This means lenses can be physically smaller, which saves weight and materials, and typically translates to lower costs.

Reduced lighting requirements: Another benefit of highly-responsive sensors is that ambient light may be all that’s needed. Or less ambitious artificial lighting. Another possible cost advantage.

Synchronize by PTP: For multi-camera applications, often it’s required to synchronize two or more cameras. Precision Time Protocol (PTP) allows that to happen through the camera network cabling, without additional cable costs or complexity management.

Can be used with Sapera LT (Teledyne Dalsa SDK), so if you’re using DALSA Nano and find a model from the FLIR line up, you can make an easy switch.

Series extended – new models

Even if you thought you knew the Blackfly S series, new models joined the family. For example the BFS-PGE-50Y2 is available in both monochrome and color, with Sony AR0521 1/2.5″ CMOS sensor, 2.2 um pixels, and 24 FPS at 5 MP. With a CS-mount it’s ideal for flexible optics choices and system integration.

Call us at 978-474-0044. We can guide you to the optimal sensor, camera, and interface for your application requirements. We’ve also got you covered for lensing, lighting, software, and accessories.

#FLIR

#Blackfly

#TeledyneDALSA

#TeledyneVisionSolutions

1stVision Inc. – Machine Vision Articles

Posts