USB 2.0 Industrial Cameras in Ultra-Compact Design

Mini-made, easy to use thanks to USB 2.0 connection, fast with high-speed resolution – hardly any other industrial camera currently combines the high demands of modern industrial image processing with such an ultra compact design as the uEye® series from IDS Imaging Development Systems. The miniaturised cameras easily fit into a box with a side length of only 35 mm and provide rapid frame refresh rates of up to 86 frames per second and high resolution up to 3.1 megapixel.

As one of the first manufacturers, machinevision specialists IDS of Obersulm near Heilbronn in Germany are backing the high-speed USB 2.0 interface for industrial image processing and offer on this basis a whole range of industrial cameras, accessories and software tools for all forms of application. The uEye® family has now grown to 33 different basic models to date.

Housing and connecting system

Weighing in at just 60g, the uEye® camera has a rugged housing measuring just 24 x 32 x 27.4 mm – and it also has a modular design. This means that individual requirements from OEM's can also be taken into account and customised cameras manufactured at short notice. The "minis" also have a C-mount lens connection and fastening points on all four sides of the housing.

From the first quarter 2006, all models of the uEye® family will be available as an RE version with a robust housing which is specially developed for use in harsh industrial environments. Dustproof and protected against the effects of temporary immersion in water the IP67 compliant housing is similarly compact to the standard housing.

Thanks to the USB 2.0 connection, the cameras do not need any additional hardware and can be connected immediately to any modern industrial PC, laptop or embedded computer.

With maximum data rates of 480 MB per sec. and a high bandwidth, the bus allows simultaneous recording and displaying of images from several cameras on a computer without problem. Power supply to the uEye® models is also via the Universal Serial Bus; the permitted cable length of up to 5 metres is adequate for most optical testing systems. If necessary, this distance can be extended without problem using USB hubs.

The cameras are available with two varieties of USB connections. On the one hand, the standard type Mini-B x and y direction. Depending on model, resolution ranges from the other hand, there is a screw-on micro-SubD version. The latter is particularly suitable for industrial use and includes not only a USB 2.0 port but also trigger signal and flash/strobe drive.

Models of the uEye® series

The uEye® range includes various monochrome and colour cameras (with Bayer mosaic colour conversion) with rolling or global shutters and optional memory. All cameras operate using high-quality CMOS or CCD sensors with, and also offer functionalities such as windowing, binning, sub-sampling and image mirroring in the as known from digital cameras; and on 640 x 480 pixel to 2048 x 1536 pixel. The frame refresh rate is up to 86 frames per second in full-frame mode – and even a frame rate over 100 frames is possible in the so-called "Area-of-Interest" (AOI) and Partial-Scan modes. All models are fitted with a universal, opto-decoupled trigger input as well as an opto-decoupled output, e.g. for operating a flash.

Integration and software interfaces

Thanks to the excellent software support, a software development package and universal drivers, USB 2.0 industrial cameras can be integrated into all standard applications without any problem.

The current Windows operating systems and Linux are supported. A free collection of software is supplied with each camera. This includes a software development kit (SDK) with demonstration programs for image recording and analysis, as well as the corresponding source codes written in C/C++. Developers can adapt the source codes rapidly to meet specific requirements and integrate them into own programs.

The SDK allows control of all camera-related parameters and, along with memory management with ring-buffer and double-buffer administration, also offers a direct draw interface. With the latter it is possible achieve non-flicker insertion of individual information (e.g. date, time, graphics) in the live video. The uEye® SDK is also compatible with the software development kit of the successful FALCON series from IDS. This means that applications basing on the framegrabber board can be adapted for using USB 2.0 cameras quickly and easily.

A TWAIN driver, an ActiveX component and a Direct Show Driver (WDM) are also provided for users of standard software solutions. Direct interfaces are also available for a wide range of other standard machinevision programs such as ActivVision Tools, Common Vision Blox, HALCON or NeuroCheck.