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