Series production for new LX VisualApplets industrial cameras

Baumer LX VisualApplets cameras with integrated image preprocessing are now available. They are capable of image preprocessing straight in the camera’s FPGA without need for expensive and complex VHDL programming. The cameras utilize the graphical programming environment VisualApplets by Silicon Software, thanks to which even non-expert users without extensive programming experience are able to define complex algorithms quickly, flexibly and tailored to their application. This way, LX VisualApplets cameras allow the user to efficiently solve tasks which previously required customer-specific product developments or VisualApplets with a frame grabber.

Camera-based image preprocessing will enhance application performance, speed up processing-intensive algorithms by running them straight in the FPGA and improve stability and precision of image evaluation by using more complex algorithms. The emphases of image preprocessing are on improved image quality (e.g. noise reduction by image averaging), reduced amount of data (e.g. profile data generated by laser triangulation) or process monitoring tasks (e.g. laser welding process control). Thanks to image preprocessing, the volume of data to be transmitted and processed can be reduced so that the PC-based image processing system does not have to perform algorithms requiring considerable processor power. This allows using an interface without a frame grabber. Moreover the number of computers used in the system may be reduced. 

The new LX VisualApplets cameras integrate global shutter CMOS sensors by CMOSIS and a GigE Vision compliant interface. This ensures high sensitivity and excellent image quality coupled with quick and easy system integration. The cameras are available with 4, 12 and 20 megapixel resolutions and up to 74 frames/s sensor speed.