Compact LabView-Based System Brings Vision To Industrial Sites

Aug. 4, 2003

Making cameras smarter by extending LabView's power into low-cost, rugged machine-vision applications is the idea behind the NI CVS-1454 industrial compact vision system from National Instruments. It features three IEEE 1394 (FireWire) ports for connectivity to a variety of imaging sensors, including Sony and Basler cameras. Developers can take advantage of FireWire technology while choosing the resolution and speed of their cameras to match specific application needs.

Two application development software options are on tap: NI Vision Builder for automated inspection (an interactive software environment that simplifies the task of developing inspection systems), and the LabView graphical development environment to create more customized vision applications. LabView code generation in Vision Builder gives developers the power to easily migrate between these two software programs.

The system's integrated I/O architecture delivers 15 digital input lines, 14 digital output lines, and RS-232 and Ethernet connectivity to more than 20 of the distributed I/O measurement modules in the NI FieldPoint family. Developers also can use the RS-232 and Ethernet connectivity to communicate with planar light-wave circuit (PLC) and motion-control devices and quickly link the vision system and the data it collects to a network for information sharing. In addition, a VGA connection makes it easy to monitor inspection results in real time.

The system operates from 0°C to 55°C and has no fans or external vents. A built-in LabView real-time engine and 128 Mbytes of memory ensure a completely deterministic and reliable system ideal for packaging, assembly, robotics, and industrial inspection. Available now, the system costs $2995.

National Instrumentshttp://ni.com/swf/compact_vision/us/launch.htm (800) 258-7019

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.