How to Choose the Right Industrial Cameras Lens

As a critical component of the machine vision system, the industrial camera is usually installed on the machine assembly line to replace human eyes to do measurement and judgment. Thus, choosing the right camera lens is also an essential part of machine vision system design. How should we choose the right industrial camera lens? What problems should be paid attention to when choosing an industrial camera lens? Let's learn about it.

Basic Consideration Regarding Choosing Industrial Cameras Lens

• Choosing CCD or CMOS camera according to different applications

  The CCD industrial cameras lens is mainly used in the image extraction of moving objects. Of course, with CMOS technology development, the CMOS industrial camera is also applied for many chip mounters. The CCD industrial camera is widely used in vision automatic inspection. CMOS industrial cameras are widely used because of their low cost and low power consumption.
  

• Resolution of industrial cameras lens

  Firstly, by considering the object's accuracy to be observed or measured to select the resolution accordingly. If camera pixel accuracy = single direction field of view size/camera single direction resolution, then the camera's resolution in one direction = the size of the field of view in one direction / the theoretical accuracy.

  
  

  If the single field of view is 5mm and the theoretical accuracy is 0.02mm, the single direction resolution is 5 / 0.02 = 250. However, to increase the stability of the system, not only one-pixel unit is used to correspond to one measurement/observation accuracy value. Generally, multiple four or higher can be selected. In this way, the camera needs a single direction resolution of 1000 and 1.3 million pixels.

  
  

  Secondly, considering an industrial camera's output, high resolution is helpful for posture observation or machine software analysis and recognition. If it is the VGA or USB output, It should be observed on display; thus, it also depends on the resolution of the display. No matter how high the resolution of an industrial camera lens with industrial vision technology is, it isn't very meaningful if the resolution of the display is not enough. If you use the memory card or the photo-taking function, the high resolution of an industrial camera also helps.

• Camera frame number of industrial cameras lens

  When the measured object is moving, the industrial camera lens with high frame number should be selected. But generally speaking, the higher the resolution, the lower the number of frames.
  

  
  

• The match of the industrial lens

  The size of the sensor chip should be less than or equal to the lens size, and the C or CS-mount should also match.
  

Additional Considerations over Choosing the Right Camera Lens

• C interface or CS interface. The interface distance of the C interface is 17.5mm, while that of the CS interface is 12.5mm. Only the right interface could lead to focus.

  
  

• Choosing a camera lens should also consider the size of the photosensitive device. For a 2/3-inch photosensitive chip, the industrial cameras lens corresponding to the imaging coil should be selected. If 1/3"or 1/2" is selected, there will be a large dark angle.

  
  

• Select the focal length; that is, select the industrial lens whose field of view is slightly larger than the observation range.

  
  

• Depth of field and light environment should match. For areas with enough light or light source illumination, a small aperture can be chosen to increase the depth of field, thereby improving the shooting clarity. Where there is not enough light, a slightly larger aperture or a sensitive chip with high sensitivity would be selected.

Current Trends over Industrial Cameras Lens Choices

For choosing the right camera lens, here are several popular trends nowadays. 

Firstly, image sensors have made great strides in recent years. The trend is to have more and more pixels for better resolution of industrial cameras lens, as well as a greater sensitivity (backlight image sensor). 

What's more, the CCD technology becomes more efficient and now shares more and more features with CMOS technology sensors.

In terms of communication interfaces, they transmit data faster and faster. The trend over the next few years will be to transmit data wirelessly, namely using Wifi.