Product category:
Machine vision systems and accessories
News Release from: National Instruments | Subject: NI 1722 and NI 1742 Smart Cameras
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 14 November 2007
Smart cameras offer image processing
Offering image processing directly on the cameras makes them suitable for applications such as locating parts, inspecting packaging, verifying assembly and reading 1D and 2D codes.
The NI 1722 and NI 1742 Smart Cameras from National Instruments (NI) provide high-performance systems at a low cost The NI Smart Cameras are embedded devices that combine an industrial controller with an image sensor
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 25 Jun 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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They integrate with NI vision software to offer image processing directly on the cameras.
NI said that they ideal for applications such as locating parts, inspecting packaging, verifying assembly and reading 1D and 2D codes.
NI is shipping the cameras with National Instruments Vision Builder for Automated Inspection (AI).
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Latest version of a graphical system design platform for test, control and embedded system development significantly reduces the programming complexity of multicore and FPGA architectures.
It is an interactive software environment for configuring, benchmarking and deploying machine vision applications without programming.
Using this intuitive, menu-driven software, engineers can build complex machine vision applications incorporating not only vision algorithms but also state-based execution with looping and branching using the built-in state diagram editor.
* Advanced uses - for more advanced applications, NI Smart Cameras also integrate with National Instruments LabVIEW software and the full NI library of image processing and machine vision algorithms such as edge detection, pattern matching, 1-D and 2-D code reading and optical character recognition.
Machine vision applications can migrate between platforms with few modifications because LabVIEW and Vision Builder AI support this entire range of hardware, said NI.
NI's vice president of Industrial Product Marketing, John Hanks, said: "The NI Smart Camera represents a significant step forward for the vision industry by achieving high performance at a low cost while expanding the NI vision hardware platform beyond PC-based systems and compact vision systems to the sensor itself." He added: "From inspecting silicon wafers to packaging food products, NI Smart Cameras provide machine builders and process engineers with easy-to-use, all-in-one inspection solutions that deliver the capabilities of a full-featured vision system".
Built for use in harsh industrial environments, the cameras have the following features.
* The the NI 1722 has a 400MHz PowerPC processor and the NI 1742 features a 533MHz processor.
* The monochrome VGA (640 x 480) image sensor used in both cameras is a high-quality Sony charge-coupled device.
* The cameras also provide built-in industrial I/O, including two opto-isolated digital inputs and two opto-isolated digital outputs, one RS232 serial port and two gigabit Ethernet ports with support for industrial protocols, including Modbus TCP.
* The NI 1742 includes quadrature encoder support and a built-in controller featuring NI direct drive lighting technology.
With quadrature encoder support, engineers can easily synchronise inspections with linear and rotary drive systems.
* The NI direct drive controller features a built-in LED lighting drive that provides up to 500mA constant current and up to 1A strobed current.
Strobe lighting offers increased lighting intensity by up to four times without harming the light head.
* About National Instruments - National Instruments is transforming the way engineers and scientists design, prototype and deploy systems for measurement, automation and embedded applications.
NI empowers customers with 'off-the-shelf software' such as NI LabVIEW and modular cost-effective hardware and sells to a broad base of more than 25,000 different companies worldwide, with no one customer representing more than 3% of revenue and no one industry representing more than 10% of revenue.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA, NI has more than 4,300 employees and direct operations in nearly 40 countries.
For the past eight years, 'Fortune' magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America. Request a free brochure from National Instruments ...
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