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Machine-vision guides

How to choose and set up lenses, lights, cameras and controllers: the numbers that decide, worked examples, calculators and the parts that fit. Written by our applications team.

CalculatorsWork out the numbers before you pick the parts: focal length, resolution, depth of field, motion blur, bandwidth and line rate.

Latest

System design · Troubleshooting Work area index initialization errors in vision picking Diagnose work area index initialization errors by tracing destination assignments, queue creation and mapping readiness before enabling vision picking. System design · Troubleshooting Vision target selection mapping: diagnose rejected requests Troubleshoot vision target selection mapping by checking sampled product and format values, grouped inputs, work-area recipes and startup timing. System design · Explainer Vision queue conveyor speed control for continuous picking Use vision queue conveyor speed control with valid target counts, hysteresis, acceleration limits and stale-data handling for continuous picking. System design · Troubleshooting Vision project controller mapping: diagnose transfer failures Diagnose vision project controller mapping failures by checking online identity, saved addresses, software versions and authorized access. System design · Troubleshooting Vision cell network isolation from a busy plant LAN Diagnose vision cell network isolation faults with packet captures, switch counters and controlled tests before changing switches, VLANs or routing. System design · Explainer RS232 vision recipe selection with unique command codes Use RS232 vision recipe selection to map documented commands to recipe identities, verify acknowledgments, and control reliable PLC changeovers. System design · Troubleshooting Robot camera cable failures: routing and fatigue checks Diagnose robot camera cable failures by checking bend radius, torsion, snag points and strain relief, then specify and validate a replacement. System design · Troubleshooting RGB camera frame rate limits: pixel format and exposure Diagnose RGB camera frame rate limits with exposure checks, pixel-format bandwidth calculations, live feature bounds and Bayer conversion tests.

Calculators

Work out the numbers before you pick the parts: focal length, resolution, depth of field, motion blur, bandwidth and line rate.

All calculators →
Machine vision lens focal length calculatorFind the lens focal length, field of view or working distance for a machine-vision camera, with every standard lens compared at your distance.Machine vision camera resolution calculatorCalculate how many pixels a machine-vision camera needs from the field of view and the smallest feature, with the pixels-per-feature rules for each task.Machine vision depth of field calculatorCalculate the depth of field of a machine-vision lens from F-number, pixel size, allowed blur and magnification, and see where diffraction starts to cost sharpness.Line scan camera line rate calculatorCalculate the line rate a line scan camera needs from conveyor or web speed, field of view and pixels per line, plus the longest exposure and encoder setting.Camera bandwidth calculator: data rate and frame rateCalculate a machine-vision camera's data rate from resolution, pixel format and frame rate, and see which interfaces carry it: GigE, USB3, 10GigE, CoaXPress.Motion blur and exposure time calculatorCalculate motion blur in pixels from part speed, field of view and exposure time, and the longest exposure that keeps a moving part sharp.

Lighting

Choosing and setting up machine-vision lights: geometry, colour, diffusion and the defects each light reveals.

Lighting guides →
Lighting · Guide Dome lights for shiny, curved and wrinkled parts Why a dome light stops glare on shiny, curved and wrinkled parts in machine vision, how large it must be, and how to handle the camera hole.

Lenses & optics

Focal length, field of view, telecentric optics, mounts and resolution: picking the lens that makes the measurement possible.

Lenses & optics guides →
Lenses & optics · Guide When you need a telecentric lens for gauging Why a standard lens mis-measures parts that move or vary in height, how a telecentric lens fixes it, and how to choose magnification, field and lighting. Lenses & optics · Guide How to choose a machine vision lens focal length Work out the focal length from sensor width, field of view and working distance, then check close focus, resolution and distortion. With a calculator.

Cameras & sensors

Area scan and line scan cameras, sensors, interfaces, shutters and exposure: how many pixels you need and how to move them.

Cameras & sensors guides →
Cameras & sensors · How-to Packed Bayer 12-bit conversion to a 16-bit image Convert packed Bayer 12-bit buffers to a 16-bit image by checking pixel format, byte layout, row stride, buffer ownership and test patterns. Cameras & sensors · Explainer Monochrome color sorting under changing ambient light Evaluate monochrome color sorting for red and yellow parts, compare illumination, measure grayscale separation, and control changing ambient light. Cameras & sensors · Explainer Camera exposure and gain units: interpreting raw values Interpret camera exposure and gain units, distinguish raw values from decibels, and verify brightness scaling without assuming a conversion. Cameras & sensors · Troubleshooting Per-frame exposure and gain: verifying camera metadata Verify per-frame exposure and gain with frame IDs, timestamps and controlled tests, separating capture metadata from current camera setting readbacks.

Code reading

Fixed and handheld code readers: 1D, 2D and direct part marks, reader set-up and fixing no-reads.

Code reading guides →
Code reading · Explainer Industrial 2 of 5 barcode support in fixed readers Check Industrial 2 of 5 barcode compatibility, decoder settings and label tests before choosing a fixed reader for legacy production labels. Code reading · Troubleshooting 1D barcode preprocessing for rotation, blur and glare Diagnose failed 1D barcode preprocessing with rotation tests, quiet-zone checks and thresholding, then identify blur or glare that needs acquisition changes. Code reading · Explainer USB barcode scanner data capture in your application Set up USB barcode scanner data capture by identifying keyboard or serial input, framing complete scans, and testing focus, buffering and errors.

3D vision

Laser profilers and 3D sensors: when height data beats a 2D image, and how to set them up.

3D vision guides →
3D vision · Explainer Visual servoing feature selection for perpendicular approach Visual servoing feature selection explained: combine image centers, depth and surface normals to constrain centering and perpendicular approach. 3D vision · Troubleshooting Stereo disparity map troubleshooting after rectification Stereo disparity map troubleshooting: measure vertical alignment, verify image order and search range, and separate matching faults from depth errors. 3D vision · Explainer Multi-camera point cloud synchronization for mobile robots Separate multi-camera point cloud synchronization into exposure timing, clock alignment and calibration, with motion-error and bandwidth examples. 3D vision · Explainer Bounding box depth: mapping image pixels to 3D points Find bounding box depth from aligned images or organized point clouds, with checks for changing point counts, calibration, timing and invalid samples.

System design

Putting a station together: PCs, triggers, cables, mounting and the parts list for a working system.

System design guides →
System design · Troubleshooting Work area index initialization errors in vision picking Diagnose work area index initialization errors by tracing destination assignments, queue creation and mapping readiness before enabling vision picking. System design · Troubleshooting Vision target selection mapping: diagnose rejected requests Troubleshoot vision target selection mapping by checking sampled product and format values, grouped inputs, work-area recipes and startup timing. System design · Explainer Vision queue conveyor speed control for continuous picking Use vision queue conveyor speed control with valid target counts, hysteresis, acceleration limits and stale-data handling for continuous picking. System design · Troubleshooting Vision project controller mapping: diagnose transfer failures Diagnose vision project controller mapping failures by checking online identity, saved addresses, software versions and authorized access.

Applications

Worked inspection tasks by industry: the set-up, the numbers and the parts that solved them.

Applications guides →
Applications · How-to Two-camera sheet alignment with coordinated gripper moves Calibrate two-camera sheet alignment in machine coordinates, calculate coordinated gripper moves, and diagnose residual errors and mechanical limits. Applications · Application note Screw thread inspection camera selection for robot handling Specify a screw thread inspection camera from defect size, field of view and motion, with backlighting, gripper tilt and multi-view checks. Applications · Application note Coated rod inspection for diameter and core eccentricity Plan coated rod inspection at 1,000 parts per minute, separating outside diameter from hidden-core eccentricity and validating a 0.04 mm measurement target. Applications · Application note Camera lens scratch detection with controlled image tests Separate camera lens scratch detection from image-quality testing, with lighting choices, reference targets, practical metrics and validation checks.
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The configurator matches a camera, lens, light, controller and cables to each other, step by step.

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