Digital Video Camera Eyes High Resolution Machine Vision Applications

With fast frame rates and global shuttering capabilities, the CDC-200 digital, CMOS-based CDC camera is said to bring high-resolution image acquisition to high-speed machine vision applications. And at roughly half the size and weight and twice the speed of typical CCD-based hi-res cameras, the CDC-200 is well-suited for use where space is constrained. The new camera can handle mixed-resolution applications using a configurable Region of Interest (ROI) acquisition feature, which allows the camera to deliver SXGA images (1,280 x 1,024) at frame rates of up to 26 frames/s, standard VGA images (640 x 480) at up to 100 fps, or a 320 x 240 image at up to 340 fps. Tuning image resolution in this way allows the frame rate to be maximized while minimizing the amount of data that must be acquired and transferred across the PCI bus. In addition, users can specify ROI size and location to change image resolution on the fly, eliminating the need for multiple cameras to view parts of different sizes under different magnifications. The CDC-200 camera is designed to work with the company's VS-8100D frame grabber and performs a direct, 1:1 conversion of the digitized image to reportedly provide low noise images with no pixel jitter. Availability is scheduled for Q3. COGNEX CORP., Natick, MA. (508) 650-3000.