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Dalsa Linea – GigE 80kHz LineScan @ $1100

Dalsa’s newest innovation is cost!



Introducing Linea, a CMOS line scan camera that can help you improve your imaging and lower your costs. Linea starts with an advanced CMOS sensor with high quantum efficiency and low noise for better images. Linea is also packed with advanced features to make your machine vision job almost effortless.


Linea uses Teledyne DALSA’s own advanced CMOS line scan sensors which are available in resolutions from 2k to 16k.



Extensive Feature Set


TurboDrive™ technology allows Linea GigE to deliver its full image quality at line rates up to 80 kHz—several times faster than competitors—with no changes to your GigE network.






    Multiple Regions of Interest to let you reduce your data transfer and processing load — all of which not only help boost performance but also reduce your system cost.







      Burst Modes can take advantage of its high speed sensor by capturing and buffering high speed bursts faster than GigE allows.

      HDR (High Dynamic Range) lets you combine short and long exposures to see details in bright and dark areas at the same time.



      Cycling Mode lets you change your settings every line and cycle through up to five different user-controlled configurations.  This allows use of different light sources, lighting angles, exposure time and gain from a single pass.



      Trigger to Image Reliability framework gives you data reliability peace and of mind by controlling and monitoring the entire image capture process from trigger through image capture and transfer to host memory, protecting you from data loss and improving the reliability of your inspection system.




        Suited for applications in postal, pharmaceutical, print, material and food inspection, Linea is a smart choice with low cost and excellent performance. 

        Full data sheets for linear are available HERE

        For all your imaging needs, you can visit www.1stvision or contact us! to discuss your application in further detail.  

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        Demystifying Lens performance specifications

        Machine vision lenses from various manufacturers may look similar, have identical focal lengths, but perform different… but why?

        The images above were taken with the same 5MP CCD GigE camera, identical iris and focus setting BUT with two different $250 class “Megapixel” C-mount lenses.  What lens would you choose?  

         

        The correct selection would be the lens that resolves the sensor pixel size and provides you with crisp images.  Too many times we have seen lenses paired incorrectly providing blurred images as seen on the right image even if they are classified as “Megapixel” lenses.  

        This can be avoided by understanding the lens performance in terms of the modulation transfer function also known as MTF which gives you the performance of light through a medium. It compares the intensity of the light before the optics vs. the intensity of the light after it goes through the optics. This is not a single number, but rather it varies as light hits the lens on or off axis, and is also dependent upon wavelength of the light. MTF is normally given in line pairs/mm or lp/mm vs. % transmission. Essentially, it tells you how well the lens can resolve a certain size spot. If you draw lines that get closer and closer together, at some point the optics system is going to see the 2 lines as a single blurred line. This is basically where the lens breaks down, and this is just past the limit of its resolving power.

        In the diagram below you can see as the lines get closer together the intensity fades. (picture courtesy of Schneider Optics)

        Note: Some lens manufacturers give MTF as only lp/mm and not vs. % transmission. E.g 60
        lp/mm. This does not mean that you cannot see objects smaller than this MTF, it is just that the intensity of the image is lower than 100% at this rating. As the intensity drops at some point your eye or the processing SW can not distinguish between line pairs.



        Ideally, the total MTF is derived from a multiplying all the MTFs of the system. This would include the MTF of the lens, the filter, the camera, the electronics, etc.

        So if you have a megapixel sensor with a high MTF, but put a low cost lens in front, you have degraded the MTF of the system.  Garbage in, garbage out!  


        The bottom line is to know the pixel size of the given sensor in which you can then derive the lens resolving power in terms of lp/mm.  In some cases, curves are available to plot lp/mm versus contrast providing the MTF of the lens.   You are now in a position to select a lens matched to your sensor!

        For a comprehensive understanding on “How to Choose a Lens”, download our whitepaper HERE.  

        For all your imaging needs, you can visit www.1stvision or contact us! to discuss your application in detail.  

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