World's first completely digital machine vision system and network

Citation

(1998), "World's first completely digital machine vision system and network", Sensor Review, Vol. 18 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.1998.08718aad.001

World's first completely digital machine vision system and network

World's first completely digital machine vision system and network

PPT Vision, Inc. has announced the Passport® DSL™ digital vision system, the world's first completely digital machine vision system.

Employing a unique two-way digital serial communications network (patent pending), the new system achieves unprecedented inspection speeds and accuracy. The DSL (Digital Serial Link) technology provides the first practical, real-time solution for very high speed, noise free, simultaneous image acquisition and data transfer.

Up to 16 new PPT Vision DSL 6000 digital cameras, can be easily connected to the processor over very long distances, using a simple twisted-pair cable. (Other cameras can also be used.)

"Passport DSL represents a profound advance in machine vision technology," says Joe Christenson, president of PPT Vision. "A digital system overcomes numerous limitations of conventional analogue systems and provides a perfect signal that can be transmitted faster and over greater distances without degradation. Digital serial communications, plus new accelerated image capture and data processing hardware, combine to offer a system that has much higher performance, more flexibility and is less expensive to implement, maintain and expand than any existing technology," adds Christenson.

Passport DSL is the first system that overcomes several obstacles to broad implementation of machine vision in real-time manufacturing environments.

Specifically, DSL utilises a remote processor linked to a network of digital serial hubs to facilitate easier wiring, modification and expansion.

Digital serial technology enables bi-directional communication speeds of 330 Mbps, and allows the DSL system to simultaneously operate more cameras and remote I/O devices than any other system. In addition, the DSL system can easily accommodate a variety of camera types with different operating characteristics ­ both digital and analogue at varying resolutions.

The new DSL host board (PCI-based) and the new FlashFind™ pattern recognition hardware accelerator combine to capture and process inspection data faster than any existing system.

PPT Vision's Passport DSL digital vision system

These proprietary hardware components are designed specifically to provide the processing power needed to match the high-speed image acquisition and data transfer of the digital cameras and Digital Serial Link technology.

Digital serial technology introduces many advantages for machine vision that makes the Passport DSL system not only more accurate, but more flexible and economical. Unlike existing analogue systems that use bulky, custom cables with multiple conductors to control camera and I/O operations, the DSL network allows bidirectional transmission of packets of control information and acquisition data at higher speeds through inexpensive twisted-pair wiring.

Additionally, while analogue systems require cameras and processors to be in close proximity, due to inherent susceptibility to noise, distortion and signal degradation, the repeatability of digital serial communications greatly increases the transmission distance between cameras and processor and allows for easy expansion of the system by adding additional hubs and cameras at will.

For further information, please contact: Keith Hill, Simac Masic. Tel: 0118 983 3347; Fax: 0118 983 1440.