Cameras Archives - Page 15 of 41 - 1stVision Inc.

April 21, 2023

Release of Goldeye G/CL-008 XSWIR Cameras

Recently released Goldeye G/CL-008 XSWIR cameras with QVGA resolution extended range InGaAs sensors offer two sensitivity options: up to 1.9 µm or 2.2µm.

Goldeye SWIR camera — From SWIR into Extended SWIR. Image courtesy of Allied Vision Technologies.

The Extended Range (ER) InGaAs sensor technology integrated into the new Goldeye XSWIR models provides high imaging performance beyond 1.7 µm.

The cut-off wavelength can be shifted to higher values by increasing the amount of Indium vs. Gallium in an InGaAs compound. Corresponding sensors can only detect light below the cut-off wavelength. In the Goldeye XSWIR cameras there are four different sensors with VGA and QVGA resolution and cut-off wavelength at 1.9 µm or 2.2 µm that provide very high peak quantum efficiencies of > 75%.

Indium Gallium mix affects cutoff value — Indium : Gallium ratio determines cut-off wavelength; image courtesy of Allied Vision

The new Goldeye XSWIR models are:

Table showing 4 sensor options for Goldeye 008 XSWIR; courtesy of Allied Vision

In these cameras the sensors are equipped with a dual-stage thermo-electric cooler (TEC2) to cool down the sensor temperature by 60K vs. the housing temperature. Also included are image correction capabilities like Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC) and 5×5 Defect Pixel Correction (DPC) to capture high-quality SWIR images beyond 1.7 µm.

Goldeye XSWIR cameras are available with two sensor options. The 1.9µm version detects light between 1,100nm to 1,900nm and the 2.2 µm version from 1,200 – 2,200nm.

Response curves for two respective sensors; images courtesy of Allied Vision

Industrial grade solution for an attractive price: Other sensor technologies available to detect light beyond 1,700 nm based on materials like HgCdTe (MCT), Type-II Superlattice (T2SL), or Colloidal Quantum Dots (CQD) tend to be very expensive. The Goldeye XWIR Extended Range (ER) InGaAs sensors have several advantages including cost-effective sensor cooling via TEC, high quantum efficiencies, and high pixel operability (> 98.5%).

MCT or T2SL sensor-based SWIR cameras typically require a very strong sensor cooling using Stirling coolers or TEC3+ elements. By comparison the Goldeye XSWIR cameras are available for a comparatively low price.

The easy integrability and operation of ER InGaAs sensors makes them attractive for industrial applications, including but not limited to:

Laser beam analysis
Spectral imaging in industries like recycling, mining, food & beverages, or agriculture
Medical imaging: e.g. tissue imaging due to deeper penetration of longer wavelengths
Free Space Optics Communication
Surveillance

1st Vision’s sales engineers have over 100 years of combined experience to assist in your camera and components selection. With a large portfolio of lenses, cables, NIC card and industrial computers, we can provide a full vision solution!

Note: All images courtesy of Allied Vision Technologies.

April 14, 2023September 4, 2025

Which Z-Trak 3D camera is best for my application?

[REVISED September 2025]

So you want to do an in-line measurement, inspection, identification and/or guidance application in automotive, electronics, semiconductor or factory automation. Whether a new application or time for an upgrade, you know that Teledyne DALSA’s Z-Trak 3D Laser Profiler balances high performance while also offering a low total cost of ownership.

In this 3rd Edition release we update the Z-Trak family overview with the addition of the new Z-Trak Express series, bringing even more options along the price : performance spectrum. From low cost and good enough, through more resolution as well as fast, and all the way to highest resolution, there are a range of Z-Trak laser profilers to choose from.

The first generation Z-Trak product, the LP1, is the cornerstone of the expanded Z-Trak family; the Z-Trak2 group (V-series and the S-series), plus the LP2C 4k series; and now the Z-Trak Express family. Each product brings specific value propositions – here we aim to help you navigate among the options.

Respecting the reader’s time, key distinctions among the series are:

LP1 is the most economical 3D profiler on the market – contact us for pricing.
Z-Trak2 is one of the fastest 3D profilers on the market – with speeds to 45kHz.
LP2C 4k provides 4,096 profiles per second at resolution down to 3.5 microns.
Z-Trak Express is the newest branch of the family; up to 5k profiles per second; cost-effective and feature-rich; factory calibrated. Red or blue laser options.

To guide you effectively to the product best-suited for your application, we’ve prepared the following table, and encourage you to fill in the blanks, either on a printout of the page or via copy-past into a spreadsheet (for your own planning or to share with us as co-planners).

Compare your application’s key attributes from above with some of the feature capacities of the three Z-Trak product families below, as a first-pass at determining fit:

Unless the fit is obvious – and often it is not – we invite you to send us your application requirements. We we love mapping customer requirements, so please send us your application details in our form on this contact link; or you can send us an email to info@1stvision.com with the feedback from your 3D application’s “Key questions” above.

In addition to the parameter-based approach to choosing the ideal Z-Trak model, we also offer an empirical approach – send in your samples. We have a lab set up to inspect customer samples with two or more candidate configurations. System outputs can then be examined for efficacy relative to your performance requirements, to determine how much is enough – without over-engineering.

Note: This is the 2nd edition of a blog originally published December 16, 2022, now augmented with the Z-Trak LP2C 4k series.

February 17, 2023February 17, 2023

SVS-Vistek HR + SHR cameras: high resolution and speed

Some applications demand high resolution from 16MP or up to 151MP. Thanks to dual and 10GigE interfaces, Camera Link, and CoaXPress, getting image data from the camera to the computer can be accomplished at speeds matched to application requirements, using camera series HR and SHR from SVS-Vistek.

What kind of applications require such resolution? Detail-demanding manufacturing inspection, geo mapping, life science, film industry and other applications require, or benefit from, a high resolution image delivered from the camera directly to the PC. Prior to the convergence of high-resolution sensors and high-speed interfaces, one might have needed multiple smaller-resolution cameras to capture the entire field of view – but with complex optical alignment and image-stitching (in software) to piece together the desired image.

The HR series offers resolutions from 16 – 120MP. The SHR series ranges from 47 – 151MP. While every machine vision camera offers various features designed to enhance ease-of-use or applications outcomes, here are some particular features we highlight from one or both of the HR or SHR series:

Minimal 128 MB internal image memory, burst mode – capture sequences rapidly on the camera and transfer them to the computer before the next event
LED controller for continuous & strobe built into camera – avoids the need to purchase and integrate a separate controller
Programmable logic functions , sequencers and timers – critical for certain applications where programmed capture sequences can be pre-loaded on the camera
RS-232 serial data to control exposure, lights or lenses
Long exposure times up to 60 seconds (camera model dependent) – useful for low-light applications such as those sometimes found in life sciences or astrophysics
Camera Link, CoaXPress and 10GigE interface options (varies by model)

For pricing on the HR / HSR Series, follow the family links below to the series table, then click on “Get quote” for a specific model of interest. Or just call us at 978-474-0044 to discuss your application and let us guide you to the best fit.

SVS-Vistek HR series

SVS-Vistek SHR series

The HR series uses a range of CCD and CMOS sensors from CANON, Sony and ON Semi. The SDR series use both CCDs from ON Semi and CMOS sensors from Sony. The same sensor choices and feature sets are offered across several popular machine vision interfaces, permitting users to tailor their own need for speed to specific application requirements. SVS-VISTEK engineering and manufacturing precision mounts these high-resolution sensors, which allows users to have distortion free, high quality, high content images.

**SVS-Vistek shr661 – 127 megapixel camera**

At the time of writing, note the newest member of the SHR series, the shr661. At 127 megapixels this CMOS sensor camera has remarkably high resolution with a global shutter. With the IMX661 sensor from the Sony Pregius series, the backlight technology enables very high light sensitivity and above-average noise behavior. This enables an image quality with which even the finest structures can be resolved. The shr661 is one of the most powerful industrial cameras on the market.

Those familiar with high-resolution sensors may know about dual and quad-tap sensors, whereby higher frame rates may be achieved with electronics permitting two or more sections of the sensor’s pixel values to be read out in parallel. A traditional challenge to that approach has been for camera manufacturers to match or balance the taps so that no discernable boundary line is visible in the composite stitched image. SVS-Vistek is an industry leader with their proprietary algorithm for multi-tap image stitching.

January 16, 2023January 23, 2023

SONY IMX548 now in Alvium CSI-2, USB3, 5GigE cameras

AVT Alvium housed, board-level, and open options

Allied Vision has integrated the IMX548 into the Alvium family with the Alvium C/U/G5-511 camera models, where the prefix designator:

C is CSI-2, the Camera Serial Interface, popular for embedded systems
U is USB3, the widely available interface between computers and electronic devices
G5 is 5GigE, with up to 100 meter cable runs and 5x the throughput of GigE

SONY’s IMX548 is a member of the 4th generation Pregius sensors, providing global shutter for active pixel CMOS sensors, with low-noise structure yielding high-quality images. See our illustrated blog for an overview of Pregius-S‘ back-illuminated sensor structure and its benefits.

So why the IMX548 in particular? Readers who follow the sensor market closely may note that the IMX547 looks the same in terms of pixel structure and resolution. Correct! SONY found they could adapt the sensor to a smaller and more affordable package, passing those savings along to the camera manufacturer, and in turn to the customer. As 5.1MP resolution is the sweet spot for many applications, Allied Vision picked up on SONY’s cues and integrated the IMX548 into the Alvium family.

There are nuanced timing differences between the IMX547 and IMX548. For new design-ins, this is of no consequence. If you previously used the IMX547, please check with our sales engineers to see if switching to the IMX548 requires any adjustments – or if it’s simply plug-and-play.

As shown in the photo above, Alvium cameras are very compact, and the same sensor and features are offered in housed, board-level, and open configurations. AVT Alvium is one of the most flexible, compact, and capable camera families in the current market.

Concurrent with the release of this new sensor in the Alvium camera family, Allied Vision has also released Alvium Camera Firmware V 11.00, notably adding the following features:

Sequencer
Counters
Input Line Debouncer
Action Commands
Flow Control
Burst Mode