Rapidly evolving, high-quality imaging technology is ushering in a new world of vision guided robotics (VGR) for manufacturers in diverse industries. 

A machine vision interface connects a camera to a computer, transferring image data for processing and analysis. What you choose will impact your application, your system component options, and your results for a long time to come.

Vision systems provide peace of mind when it comes to production quality but they can also generate valuable data that tracks process variability. Diving into the world of vision data can seem overwhelming, but with the right tips and tricks you can set up a system to work for you.

The electronics industry is driven by the trend for more GOPS (Giga-Operations per Second) per mm3. This requires smaller technology nodes in wafer manufacturing, a drive to advanced packaging, as well as back-end inspection of the smaller interfacing components like micro-bumps, distribution layers, etc.

Two interfaces—GigE and USB—have been dominating the machine vision industry for the last five years. One supports long cable lengths and easy integration of multiple cameras, while the other offers higher bandwidth and true plug-and-play convenience. 

The machine vision industry is primed for continued growth in the coming decade. Built on the rapid advancement of smarter, smaller, faster and cheaper sensors and processors, the industry was estimated at about $7.9 billion in 2017. By 2023, it could grow to about $12.29 billion, according to according to a study by Research and Markets, growing at an annual rate of almost 8%.

USB Type-C, also known as USB-C, is the latest USB connector developed by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). It was designed to gradually replace all previous USB connector types¹, including USB Type A, Type B, Mini and Micro USB. Since 2015, USB Type-C has been widely adapted in a great number of laptops, mobile phones, and storage devices in the consumer electronics market.

Due to the vast number of imaging lenses that are available on the market, actually choosing a lens for a given application can be a daunting task. Part one of this article covered the most common types of lenses used for machine vision.

When several devices need to be accurately sequenced in a machine vision system, the usual solution was to program a PLC to generate the necessary signals. However, a PLC is a significant investment and requires specialist knowledge to program the Relay Ladder Logic.