Visionscape® User’s Manual - IPS sipss.co.kr/Data/VS-V35-UserManual.pdfContents viii Visionscape® User’s Manual v3.5, July 2005 Strobe Lights 7-7 Diffuse Versus Point-Source

Visionscape® User’s Manual

EM-20376-1V35

v3.5, July 2005

Visionscape User’s Manual v3.5, July 2005

RVSI486 Amherst St.Nashua, NH 03063 USA(603) 598-8400Fax (603) 577-5965

Copyright © 2005 RVSIThis manual and the software described in it are copyrighted, with all rights reserved. Under the copyright laws, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of RVSI.

Information furnished by RVSI is believed to be accurate and reliable and is subject to change without notice. However, no responsibility is assumed by RVSI for its use or any errors that may appear in this document, nor for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties which may result from its use.

Factory Authorized TrainingRVSI provides comprehensive product training. Contact the RVSI Training Coordinator at (603) 577-5802 for in-house and on-site class schedules and rates.

Getting AssistanceIf you have questions or comments, please contact RVSI at (603) 598-8400.

The Customer Service Fax number is (603) 577-5964.

Product names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies: Acuity, Automatix, Itran, ASAP, CDI, CiBOS, CiComm, CiFrame, CiMAX, CiPRO, Cloudy Day, DPM Verification, DOAL, FrontRunner, HawkEye, Image Analyst, I-Pak, IVS, MAXlite, MVi, NERLITE, OMNI, PCL, PowerBGA, Powervision, RAIL, ReadRunner, Scanstar, SCDI, ShortCut, Starnode, TALL, UID Compliance Checker, UID Compliance Kit, UID Encoder, UID Wedge, UIDChecker, UID-CK, UID-DPM, and Visionscape. Other references to trademarks are the rights of their respective owners. Products are protected under one or more of the following US patent numbers: 5,828,449; 5,926,557; 5,943,125; 5,977,994; 6,038,352; 6,041,148; 6,058,434; 6,118,524; 6, 201,892; 6,208,769; 6,208,772; 6,226,783; 6,233,369; 6,236,747; 6,308,234. Other US and foreign patents pending. European patent application numbers: 0985141, 1029270, 1031108, 1032884, 1174708.

Printed in the United States of America.

Contents

PREFACE Welcome! ix

How to Use This Manual xiGuide Conventions xi

Getting Assistance xii

CHAPTER 1 Before You Begin… 1-1

Acuity Vision Accelerator Package Contents 1-1Acuity Vision Accelerator Components 1-2

Additional Components 1-3PC Requirements 1-4

Configuration 1 — Standard 1-4Configuration 2 — Application System 1-4Configuration 3 — Software Development System 1-5

Recommended Tools 1-5Related Documentation 1-6

CHAPTER 2 Installing the Hardware 2-1

General Location Considerations 2-1Environmental Requirements 2-1

Cooling Requirements 2-2

Install Acuity Vision Accelerator 2-2Installing the Acuity Vision Accelerator Board 2-2

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Contents

Rear Port Access — I/O Port Connector/Mini Opto I/O Board 2-3Installing the Camera Power Cable 2-5Installing the Combination I/O Board & Ribbon Cable 2-6

Connecting Strobe/Sensor/Digital I/O/Analog 2-6Installing the Mini I/O Board and Ribbon Cable 2-11

Connecting Strobe/Sensor/Digital I/O 2-11Connecting Camera Cables 2-15Connecting Monitor Cables 2-16Connecting Sensor & Strobe 2-17Connecting RS-232 2-19Installing the Camera 2-19

Checklist for Mounting the Camera 2-20Ensuring Best Field Of View 2-20Allowing for Adjusting Camera Position 2-21Clamping Lens 2-21

Power Requirements 2-23

CHAPTER 3 Installing the Visionscape Software 3-1

Preparing Your Windows System 3-1Windows 2000 3-1

Installing Visionscape® 3-2Installation Summary 3-8

Acuity 1000 Vision Accelerator Settings 3-9ASIC PCI/Bandwidth Control 3-10PC Dwell Time Settings 3-11

1000 Settings 3-11Visionscape® Version Manager 3-11Visionscape® Folder Tree 3-12Generate Visionscape® Version Log 3-13Removing Versions of Visionscape 3-14Uninstalling the Software 3-16

CHAPTER 4 Visionscape® Overview 4-1

Introduction 4-1

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Contents

Visionscape® Hardware 4-2ASIC 4-2Camera I/O Card 4-2Setup and Runtime 4-3

Visionscape® Software Structure & Concepts 4-3The AvpServer and the AvpBackplane 4-3Steps & Trees 4-4Job Step 4-4Vision System Step 4-5Inspection 4-6Snapshot & Acquire 4-7

CHAPTER 5 FrontRunner™ 5-1

Overview 5-1Menus 5-2Starting & Exiting 5-3Cameras 5-3

Adding & Selecting a Camera 5-3Controlling & Releasing Control of a Camera 5-5

Taking Control of a Camera 5-5Releasing Control of a Camera 5-7Specifying the User Name / Password to Control a Camera 5-7

The Network Overview Window 5-10Changing a Camera’s Name 5-12Changing a Camera’s IP Settings 5-15

Calibrating a Camera... 5-18Using Robust Calibration 5-18Using Quick Calibration 5-25Using Previously Saved Calibration Data 5-28

Stopping a Camera 5-31

Jobs 5-32Displaying the Names of Currently Loaded Jobs 5-33Creating a New Job 5-33

Training & Untraining Tools 5-34Using Live Video 5-37Acquiring An Image 5-37

Examining the Effects of Threshold Settings on an Image 5-38Zooming 5-38

Trying Out Steps and Jobs 5-39

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Trying Out a Step on the PC 5-39Trying Out a Job Once on the PC 5-40Trying Out a Job on the PC in a Continuous Loop 5-40Pausing a Tryout 5-41

Opening an Existing Job 5-41Uploading a Job 5-42Downloading a Job 5-43Starting a Job on the Camera 5-43Saving Jobs 5-44

Saving a Job 5-44Saving an Existing Job with a Different Name. 5-45Saving a Job to Flash Memory on the Camera 5-46

Dumping a Job to a Text File 5-47Displaying Job Info 5-48Closing a Job 5-50

The Part Queue 5-50Setting Up and Starting the Part Queue 5-51

Storing Qualified Images 5-54Viewing Images in the Part Queue 5-57Saving Images and Records 5-58

Saving the Current Image From the Part Queue 5-59Saving the Current Record in the Part Queue 5-59Saving All Records in the Part Queue 5-60

Configuring Ports 5-61Serial Ports 5-61TCP Ports 5-62

Displaying... 5-63Cycle, Process, & Draw Timing 5-64The IP Address & MAC Address of a Camera 5-66The Version of Software on a Camera 5-66The Revision Level for FrontRunner™ 5-67Statistics and Reports 5-68Detailed Runtime Statistics 5-70The Debug Window 5-70

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Contents

Setting Options & Parameters 5-72Runtime Options 5-72Download Options 5-73Reports Options 5-74Startup Options 5-75Edit Parameters 5-76Runtime Parameters 5-78Timing Parameters 5-80

Resetting Timing Data 5-82

Displaying I/O Transitions 5-82Simulating Triggers 5-83

Examining I/O Transitions (Digital Soft Scope) 5-86Enabling ROI Masking 5-87Formatting Uploaded Data 5-90

Specifying Where the Uploaded Data Will Be Sent 5-90To a Log File 5-92Out the Serial Port 5-93Out TCP/IP 5-94

Specifying What the Uploaded Data Will Look Like 5-96Turning Result Output On & Off 5-101

CHAPTER 6 Visionscape® Tutorials 6-1

Tutorial 1 — Defect Detection with Flaw Tool 6-2Tutorial 2 — OCV Fontless Tool 6-17Tutorial 3 — Data Matrix Tool 6-28Tutorial 4 — Using Measurement Tools in an Inspection 6-39Tutorial 5 — Using the Trajectory Step 6-56

CHAPTER 7 Creating a Good Image 7-1

Determining the Field Of View (FOV) 7-1Selecting a Lens 7-2

Using the Lens Selection Chart 7-3

Illuminating the Part 7-4Lighting Considerations 7-5Types of Lighting 7-5

Fluorescent Versus Incandescent Lighting 7-6Lasers 7-7

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Contents

Strobe Lights 7-7Diffuse Versus Point-Source Lighting 7-8Placement of Light Sources 7-9

Front Lighting 7-9Side Lighting (dark field) 7-10Back Lighting 7-10

Polarized Light 7-11Advanced Lighting 7-11

DOAL 7-13CDI 7-14SCDI 7-15

Aperture 7-16Depth Of Field 7-16Lighting Tips 7-16

CHAPTER 8 Troubleshooting 8-1

Installation Errors 8-1Virus Protection 8-1Account Protections 8-2

PC Compatibility 8-2PC Hangs Before Boot 8-2PC Hangs During Boot 8-2

Visionscape® Issues 8-3Visionscape® Does Not See Acuity Vision Accelerator 1000 8-3Visionscape® Will Not Take A Picture 8-3Visionscape® Captures Garbled Images 8-4Visionscape® Images Missing Pixels 8-4Visionscape® Images Vary in Intensity 8-5

Hardware Issues 8-5Vision Accelerator Behaves Erratically 8-5Diagnostic Tools 8-5

PCIdentifier 8-5AVPDiagnostics 8-7

APPENDIX A Benchmark A-1

Starting Benchmark A-2

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Setting Options Before Running Benchmark A-3File Menu Commands A-4Run Benchmark Tab Controls A-4

Getting Performance Results A-5Benchmark Performance Report A-6

Job Summary Grid A-8Job Detail Grid A-8

Comparing Benchmark Log Files A-9

Index 1-1

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x Visionscape® User’s Manual v3.5, July 2005

Preface

PREFACE Welcome!

Congratulations on your purchase of the Acuity Vision Accelerator. This manual is intended to provide guidance and information to users of RVSI Acuity’s board based systems and to users of RVSI Acuity’s HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera systems.

All of Acuity’s machine vision systems can run the same vision programs and share the same programming environment. We believe that this capability is very important to our customers and provides a significant distinguishing feature for our products.

The major topics of this manual are:

• The installation of the board based products and software

• An overview of the Visionscape® Step Based Machine Vision

• Description of the FrontRunner™ application development and deployment environment

• Tutorials on the use of FrontRunner™

• A Guide to Imaging for Machine Vision

In using this manual, the reader should be aware that:

• Chapter 2 deals with the installation of PC boards and contains little to no material that is relevant to Smart Camera based systems.

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Preface

• Chapter 3 deals with software installation. It is relevant to both Smart Cameras and boards, except where it refers to device drivers and DMA settings (for boards). Users of Smart Cameras will find equivalent information in the document titled Getting Started With Your HawkEye™ 1600.

• Chapter 4 is generic with the exception of references to the Avp Server and Backplane

• Chapter 5 describes FrontRunner™, which is the common application development and control environment for Visionscape® boards and Smart Cameras.

• The tutorials and imaging guide in Chapters 6 and 7 are applicable to all products.

We’re glad to have you as a customer and we’re sure you’ll be pleased with your purchase.

The Acuity Vision Accelerator is a half-length PCI vision board for use inside a Wintel PC running Windows 2000 or Windows XP. It can be configured with different interchangeable plug-and-play Camera I/O cards. These cards utilize the latest technology by interfacing with a wide variety of cameras and integrated imagers that combine camera, lens, and lighting into a single package. This flexibility allows the use of miniature imagers in locations where access constraints are tightest.

The Acuity Vision Accelerator also features on-board accelerated vision processing, dedicated digital and analog I/O, and network connectivity. It can off-load some vision processing from the host PC, which is used for programming and running vision applications

When combined with appropriate RVSI-provided or user-developed software, the board can be used in a wide variety of machine vision applications such as inspection, dimensional gauging, guidance, or identification.

For use with the Acuity Vision Accelerator, RVSI offers a variety of complete solutions for many vertical application areas, such as mark inspection, package visual inspections, and many more. Such application or industry specific solution kits include all the necessary vision processing hardware, on-board and user interface software and, in many cases, other relevant system components, such as custom lighting and optics.

x Visionscape® User’s Manual v3.5, July 2005

The Acuity HawkEye™ Smart Camera is a self contained vision system consisting of camera, processor, non-volatile program memory, and communications sections. The HawkEye™ Smart Camera will run the same programs as the board based systems and employs the same development environment. The choice between a Smart Camera and a board based system will depend on the requirements of the application.

In addition to such dedicated vertical solutions running on the Acuity Vision Accelerator hardware, RVSI also offers more general purpose vision application and software development environments for custom application development and deployment.

How to Use This ManualThe purpose of the Visionscape® User’s Manual is to get you up and running with your system quickly and confidently.

This manual presents two major topics:

• Instructions on how to install your Acuity Vision Accelerator.

• Instructions on how to install the Acuity Visionscape User Interface software for use with your Acuity Vision Accelerator in a Windows PC.

For in-depth information about the hardware, refer to the Acuity 1000 Hardware Guide. For in-depth programmer’s information, refer to the Visionscape ActiveX Programmers Guide. For information on installation and connection of the HawkEye™ Smart Camera, please consult the Getting Started With Your HawkEye™ 1600 manual.

Guide ConventionsThe following typographical conventions are used throughout this guide.

• Items emphasizing important information are italicized or bolded.

• Keyboard entries are indicated as an italic.

• Menu selections, menu items and entries in screen images are indicated as: Run (triggered), Modify..., etc.

Note: Provides useful information about the current topic.

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Preface

Caution: Provides information for the prevention of damage to the software.

WARNING! PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR THE PREVENTION OF PERSONAL INJURY OR DAMAGE TO THE HARDWARE.

Getting AssistanceWe hope this manual is helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please contact RVSI at (603) 598-8400. For additional assistance, please refer to the inside front cover.

Indicates risk of electrical shock or damage to the product.

Indicates that you should follow the specified instructions carefully.

xii Visionscape® User’s Manual v3.5, July 2005

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CHAPTER 1 Before You Begin…

This chapter describes the Acuity Vision Accelerator board. For information on the HawkEye™ Smart Camera, please consult the Getting Started With Your HawkEye™ 1600 manual.

Before you install your Acuity Vision Accelerator, be sure you have all of the necessary Acuity Vision Accelerator components. This chapter helps you prepare for a successful installation. Chapter 2, “Installing the Hardware” describes the actual installation process.

Acuity Vision Accelerator Package ContentsUnpack your Acuity Vision Accelerator components and check them against the System Configuration Sheet. If any items are missing or damaged, contact your RVSI distributor or RVSI.

Note: Keep the System Configuration Sheet handy; you’ll refer to the part numbers and descriptions during the system installation. After the installation, keep the System Configuration Sheet for future reference and technical support questions.

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Chapter 1 Before You Begin…

Acuity Vision Accelerator ComponentsThe Acuity Vision Accelerator contains:

• Acuity Vision Accelerator — This is a half length PCI board that plugs into a single PCI slot in your PC. Specific compatibility requirements are described in “PC Requirements” on page 1-4. Major components on this base board include:

– An RVSI proprietary high-performance ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that accelerates all low-level processing operations — accelerated often by more than one or two orders of magnitude over how fast they could run on the CPU alone.

– 32MB of high-speed memory for image and processing storage.

– Connector for interchangeable Camera I/O Cards.

• Camera I/O Card — A module that plugs into the Acuity Vision Accelerator PCI card and provides:

– An interface to a variety of machine vision cameras.

– On-board digital and analog I/O.

• An I/O Port Connector bezel that plugs into one free PCI or ISA slot adjacent to the Acuity Vision Accelerator.

• A Mini Opto I/O board that plugs into one free PCI or ISA slot adjacent to the Acuity Vision Accelerator.

• Internal cabling for connecting:

– I/O connector on the Camera I/O Card to the I/O port connector.

– I/O connector on the Camera I/O Card to the Mini Opto I/O board.

– PC power to the Camera I/O Card camera power connector.

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Additional ComponentsIn addition to your Acuity Vision Accelerator, you may need the following items, which may be ordered separately from your RVSI distributor or directly from RVSI:

• Combination I/O Board — An external opto-isolator/interface board that provides:

– 4 dedicated trigger inputs (one per camera).

– 4 dedicated strobe outputs (one per camera).

– 16 user-configurable discrete I/O points.

– 8 user-configurable 0-5V or 0-10V analog outputs (eliminating the top 2 digital I/O points when enabled).

• Mini Opto I/O Board — An internal opto-isolator/interface board that provides:

– 2 dedicated trigger inputs (1 per camera).

– 2 dedicated strobe outputs (one per camera).

– 2 user configurable opto-isolated inputs.

– 2 user configurable opto-isolated outputs.

• Camera Distribution Cable — An external cable that allows multiple cameras to be connected to the single camera connector port on the Camera I/O Card.

• Modified CCD cameras for strobed applications:

– Acuity 002-CM4000.

– Acuity AS-CLRS-017.

Please refer to Chapter 3, “Cable Specifications” of the Camera I/O Card User Manuals for complete cable specifications and proper cable identification.

• Strobe and Sensor (for strobed applications).



PC RequirementsThere are three configuration requirements for a PC that support the Acuity Vision Accelerator depending on its application:

Configuration 1 — Standard

• Pentium III 600 MHz or higher

• PC BIOS manufactured after June 1995 to fully support internal PCI bridges

• 128MB RAM

• VGA display (800x600 w/65535 colors, at least)

• Disk Space — approximately 30MB free to install the software

• Windows 2000 or Windows XP

• At least 1 free PCI slot (after network and video cards are installed) to receive the Acuity Vision Accelerator

Configuration 2 — Application SystemThis configuration is tailored to users who may need to create custom user interfaces on top of the RVSI supplied Visionscape software, for example, developing and modifying ActiveX controls (i.e., SetupMgr and RuntimeMgr) in Visual Basic.



• At least 128MB of RAM

• VGA display (1024x768 w/65535 colors)

• 2GB hard disk (Enhanced IDE)



• Visual Basic 6.0 with Visual Studio Service Pack 4


Recommended Tools

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Configuration 3 — Software Development SystemThis configuration is designed for users that may need to work in C++ for more advanced programming efforts. Your software development is in Visual Basic and Visual C++.



• At least 128MB of RAM

• VGA display (800x600 w/65535 colors)

• 4GB hard disk (Enhanced IDE or SCSI)



• Visual Basic 6.0 with Visual Studio Service Pack 4

• Visual C++ 6.0 with Visual Studio Service Pack 4

Note: The Acuity 1000 Vision Accelerator supports single-CPU systems only.

Recommended ToolsYou will need the tools listed below for the basic installation. You may need additional tools for custom installations.

• Utility knife

• Small straight-edge screwdriver

• Small phillips screwdriver

• Wire cutters

• RVSI provided ESD ground strap



Related DocumentationWe suggest that you begin with this manual and then refer to the following manuals:

• Camera I/O 300 Card User Manual



• Getting Started With Your HawkEye™ 1600

• HawkEye™ 1600 Hardware Reference Manual

• Visionscape® Perl Programmers Reference Manual

• Visionscape® Programmers Reference Manual

• Visionscape® Tools Reference Manual


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CHAPTER 2 Installing the Hardware

This chapter is concerned with the installation of the Acuity Vision Accelerator board. For information on installation and connection of the HawkEye™ Smart Camera, please consult the Getting Started With Your HawkEye™ 1600 manual.

General Location ConsiderationsYou can place the Acuity Vision Accelerator in most environments without any concern for special enclosures or cabinets.

Consider the following when locating the components:

• Ensure that the camera, strobe, and any cables are long enough to reach your PC.

• Avoid severe vibrations.

• Locate the components to avoid accidental bumping.

• Protect your PC and components against dust, humidity, extreme temperatures, and extremely harsh environments.

Environmental RequirementsThe environment of your PC is important for maintaining a reliable system. You should consider the humidity, temperature, foot traffic, and fresh air flow before permanently mounting your system.


Chapter 2 Installing the Hardware

Cooling Requirements

• Fan Performance — 38 CFM minimum

• Typical Temperature Rise — 6.0oC, on every component on the Acuity Vision Accelerator

Install Acuity Vision AcceleratorTo unpack and install the Acuity Vision Accelerator, you will need the tools listed in “Recommended Tools” on page 1-5. Before proceeding with the installation, unpack the Acuity Vision Accelerator. The Acuity Vision Accelerator requires the installation/setup of the following items:

• Acuity Vision Accelerator board.

• I/O Port Connector and internal cable, or Mini Opto I/O board and internal cable.

• All Cameras and cables.

• Combination I/O Board and cable.

Installing the Acuity Vision Accelerator BoardYou can plug the Acuity Vision Accelerator into any available PCI backplane slot. Forced air cooling must be provided if the Acuity Vision Accelerator is to operate at an ambient temperature above 50oC. The Acuity Vision Accelerator requires one standard PCI slot and one port access for the I/O Port Connector or the Mini Opto I/O board. Both the I/O port connector and the Mini Opto I/O board require port access adjacent to the Acuity Vision Accelerator, as shown in Figure 2–1 and Figure 2–2.


Install Acuity Vision Accelerator

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FIGURE 2–1. Rear Port Access with I/O Port Connector
FIGURE 2–2. Rear Port Access with Mini Opto I/O Board

Rear Port Access — I/O Port Connector/Mini Opto I/O Board

1. Remove the cover of your PC.

2. Locate an open PCI slot with a free adjacent port.

3. Unscrew both Port Access Covers on the PC.

I/O Port

Camera Port

Camera Port

JSJIJO



4. Install the Acuity Vision Accelerator by aligning the gold fingers and pressing the module firmly into the slot.

5. Insert the I/O Port or the Mini Opto I/O board into the free adjacent port.

6. Fasten the I/O Port or the Mini Opto I/O board and Acuity Vision Accelerator board with the port access screws.

7. Connect the internal I/O Ribbon Cable, as shown in Figure 2–3 and Figure 2–4.

FIGURE 2–3. Internal I/O Cabling — I/O Port Connector

Power Supply

HardDrive

Red Stripe

Acuity 1000 Vision Accelerator

JIO

I/O Ribbon Cable

PCI BUS

Camera Power Cable(Not Required forDigital Cameras)



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FIGURE 2–4. Internal I/O Cabling — Mini Opto I/O Board
Installing the Camera Power CableThe installation of the Camera Power Cable applies to the Camera I/O 300 and the Camera I/O 740 only.

1. Connect the internal Camera Power Cable.

a. Connect the small connector of the internal Camera Power Cable to the Camera Power connector on the Acuity Vision Accelerator.

b. Connect the middle connector to an unused Hard Drive power cable in the PC.

c. You can daisy chain the remaining power connector to more than one internal Camera Power Cable.

Power Supply

HardDrive

Red Stripe

Acuity 1000 Vision Accelerator

JIO

I/O Ribbon Cable

PCI BUS

Mini Opto I/O Board

Camera Power Cable(Not Required forDigital Cameras)



Installing the Combination I/O Board & Ribbon CableYou can install or place the Combination I/O board anywhere within reach of its ribbon cable and your opto connections. To install the Combination I/O board:

1. Place the Combination I/O board on any flat surface. Alternatively, you can permanently mount the board to any flat surface. Secure with four customer-supplied #4 x 1” screws.

2. Connect one end of the ribbon cable into J1 of the Combination I/O Board and the other end into the I/O Port Connector at the rear of your PC, as shown in Figure 2–5, “Combination I/O Board,” on page 2-9.

Note: Be careful not to bend the connector pins.

Connecting Strobe/Sensor/Digital I/O/Analog

Strobe/SensorsThere are four Sensor/Strobe connectors, one for each camera, JSS1 thru JSS4, as shown in Figure 2–5, “Combination I/O Board,” on page 2-9. Each connector is supplied with a 6-position mating screw terminal plug and provides a strobe output labeled STROBE, a sensor input labeled SENSOR, and +12V for sensor power labeled POWER.

There is a voltage reference connector JVREF. This connector is supplied with a 4-position mating screw terminal plug and provides a reference voltage input labeled VREF, which is used to properly bias the sensor inputs and an input for sensor power labeled POWER.

For 12V sensors, supply power to your sensor using the sensor power pin POWER on the sensor strobe connectors JSS1 thru JSS4. You must connect the +12V to the reference voltage pin VREF on connector JVREF. In order to connect +12V to VREF, you must do either of the following:

1. Set jumper W2 to positions 1 and 2 (factory set).

or

2. Wire VREF to POWER on connector JVREF.

Refer to Figure 2–5, “Combination I/O Board,” on page 2-9.



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For 24V sensors, you must provide an external +24V power supply in one of two ways:
1. Connect external +24V to sensor power pin POWER on connector JVREF and supply power to your sensor using the sensor power pin POWER on the sensor strobe connectors JSS1 thru JSS4. You must connect +24V to the reference voltage pin VREF on connector JVREF. In order to connect +24V to VREF, you must do either of the following:

a. Set jumper W2 to positions 1 and 2 (factory set).

or

b. Wire VREF to POWER on connector JVREF.

2. Wire external +24V to your sensors. You must connect +24V to the reference voltage pin VREF on connector JVREF. In order to connect 24V to VREF you must wire external +24V to VREF on connector JVREF.

For TTL sensors, set jumper W2 to positions 2 and 3, VREF will default to TTL levels and remove jumper JMP1 on the Camera I/O Card.

Whenever the External Reference Voltage or the Sensor Power pins on JVREF are less than 12V, jumper JMP1 on the Camera I/O Card MUST be removed. Removing this jumper disables the analog outputs.

IF YOU CONNECT AN EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY THAT IS LESS THAN 12V TO THE SENSOR POWER PIN OR VREF PINS ON THE ON THE JVREF CONNECTOR, YOU MUST REMOVE JUMPER JMP1 ON THE CAMERA I/O CARD. FAILURE TO REMOVE THE JUMPER MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE COMBINATION I/O BOARD AND THE CAMERA I/O CARD.

You must remove the 12V Sensor Power Jumper (JMP1) from the Camera I/O Card before installing your own I/O board.



Digital I/OSixteen (16) positions are available for industry-standard G4 type, optically-isolated input or output modules. The field wiring to these modules is terminated on the barrier strip TB1. Ports 1 through 16 may be configured as either inputs or outputs.

The Combination I/O Board accepts only 5-volt-logic solid-state relays (G4 Opto modules). The I/O connector supplies the necessary +5 volts DC to operate the I/O board through the I/O cable. There is no external power supply connector.

In designing your vision application, you must decide which mix of input and output modules and which voltage and current levels you require.

To program your vision application, use FrontRunner’s user interface software. Refer to your Visionscape® Tools Reference Manual for more specific information on how to assign the I/O.

IF YOU INSTALL YOUR OWN I/O BOARD, YOU MUST REMOVE JUMPER JMP1 ON THE CAMERA I/O CARD. FAILURE TO REMOVE THE JUMPER MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE CAMERA I/O CARD.

Do not attempt to connect an external +5 volts DC power supply to the Combination I/O Board. There is no connector provided for this function. This board receives its power through the I/O cable. Connecting an external power supply will cause serious problems: the two power supplies will conflict with each other to produce unpredictable results and the external power supply’s ground may cause ground loops to occur. Contact RVSI Customer Service at (603) 598-8400 for assistance.



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FIGURE 2–5. Combination I/O Board
Each opto module has two associated screw terminals. Wire them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and your company’s electrical standards. Typically, one side of all input modules connects to the hot power terminal with input devices (e.g., switches) wired between the other contact and the common terminal. Output modules are often wired to the common terminal, with loads returning to the hot terminal.

Figure 2–6 shows four sample wiring diagrams for: Input AC, Output AC, Input DC, and Output DC Opto modules.

Note: Correct polarity is critical for DC modules. The odd numbered terminals on the I/O board are positive (+) and the even numbered terminals are negative (-).

Strobe Out

Sensor In

DACI/O OutputI/O Connection

from P.C. Connections

JVREF Analog

Connections(JSS1 thru JSS4)

J1

W2 W1



FIGURE 2–6. Combination I/O wiring examples

This gives you access to a combination of up to 16 input or output modules.

Analog OutputsThe analog outputs use a single 8-port, 6-bit DAC that is jumper-selectable for 0-5, or 0-10 Volt operation. Analog outputs 1 through 8 are located on pins 3 through 10 on connector JDAC. Analog output return (GND) is located on pin 2,

L1

L2

L1

L2

L1

L2

L1

L2

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

SWITCH

SWITCH LOAD

LOADAC

LOOPSUPPLY

ACLOOP

SUPPLY

DCLOOP

SUPPLY

DCLOOP

SUPPLY

INPUT ACUSING

STANDARDMOUNTING RACK

INPUT ACUSING


OUTPUT ACUSING


OUTPUT ACUSING


Input DC

Input DC Output AC

+

++

+

--

Output AC



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and a chassis ground connection is provided on pin 1. The JDAC connector header is supplied with a 10-position mating screw terminal plug.
The TDA8444 Octuple 6-bit DAC (U1) comprises eight digital-to-analog converters (DACs), each controlled through a two-wire I2C bus. The DACs are individually programmed using a 6-bit word to select an output from one of 64 voltage steps. The maximum output voltage of all DACs is set by the input Vmax (U1 pin 2) and the resolution is approximately Vmax/64. At power-on, all DAC outputs are set to their lowest value. The I2C-bus slave receiver has a 7-bit address, of which 3 bits are programmable through pins A0, A1, and A2 (pins 5, 6, and 7), which are all grounded for address 0.

The analog outputs are selected when switch SW1 is in the ANALOG OUTPUT position. Switch SW1 disconnects the data lines from optos 15 & 16, and connects them to the DAC’s inputs. The DAC is controlled by the Camera I/O Card through an I2C Bus [where opto 15 becomes the Serial Clock Line (SCL, U1 pin 4) from J1 pin 19, and opto 16 becomes the Serial Data Line (SDA, U1 pin 3) from J1 pin 17].

A precision voltage reference VR1 (AD581 or LH0070) and a voltage divider network R4 &R3 provide 5.0 or 10.0 volts to the DAC’s Vmax input through Jumper W1. 10.0 volts is selected when Jumper W1 is in positions 1 & 2, and 5.0 volts is selected when Jumper W1 is in positions 2 & 3. Refer to Figure 2–5, “Combination I/O Board,” on page 2-9.

The eight DAC outputs are buffered by two precision quad operational amplifiers U2 & U3 (TLC274). Each unity-gain op-amp has a 50 ohm output impedance.

Installing the Mini I/O Board and Ribbon CableTo install the Mini Opto I/O Board, refer to “Installing the Acuity Vision Accelerator Board” on page 2-2.

Connecting Strobe/Sensor/Digital I/O

Strobe/SensorsThere is a Sensor/Strobe connector JS, as shown in Figure 2–7, “Mini Opto I/O Board,” on page 2-15. This connector is supplied with an 8-position mating screw terminal plug. It provides two non-isolated sensor inputs SENSOR1 on pin 3 and SENSOR2 on pin 2, a sensor return on pin 4 and +12V for sensor power SENSOR_PWR on pin 1. Each sensor input can operate from TTL to 30V DC.



The JS connector also provides two non-isolated TTL strobe outputs STROBE1 on pin 6 and STROBE2 on pin 5, a strobe return on pin 7 and a CHASSIS GND on pin 8.

The internal voltage reference signal VREF is connected to SENSOR_PWR on the board, and is used to properly bias the sensor inputs.

For 12V sensors, supply power to your sensor using the sensor power SENSOR_PWR on pin 1 on the sensor strobe connector JS.

For 24V sensors (30 volts maximum), you must provide an external +24V power supply, which also sets the internal reference voltage VREF. Connect external +24V to sensor power SENSOR_PWR pin 1 on connector JS and supply power to your sensor using the sensor power SENSOR_PWR pin 1 on connector JS.

For TTL sensors, do not connect power to the sensor power SENSOR_PWR pin 1 on connector JS. You must remove jumper JMP1 on the Camera I/O Card. This will properly bias the sensor inputs for TTL levels.

Refer to Figure 2–7, “Mini Opto I/O Board,” on page 2-15.

Whenever the Sensor Power pin on JS is less than 12V, jumper JMP1 on the Camera I/O Card MUST be removed.

IF YOU CONNECT AN EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY THAT IS LESS THAN 12V TO THE SENSOR POWER PIN ON THE JS CONNECTOR, YOU MUST REMOVE JUMPER JMP1 ON THE CAMERA I/O CARD. FAILURE TO REMOVE THE JUMPER MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE MINI OPTO I/O BOARD AND THE CAMERA I/O CARD.

You must remove the 12V Sensor Power Jumper (JMP1) from the Camera I/O Card before installing your own I/O board.



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Digital I/OThere are two dedicated input and four dedicated optically-isolated output points. The field wiring is terminated on the two screw terminal connectors JI and JO.

There is a digital input connector JI, as shown in Figure 2–7, “Mini Opto I/O Board,” on page 2-15. This connector is supplied with a 4-position mating screw terminal plug. It provides two bi-directional opto inputs:

• IN1 on pins 3 and 4.

• IN2 on pins 1 and 2, corresponding to GPIO points 5 and 6.

Each input can operate with non-polarized DC signals from 5 to 50 volts with DC currents from 0.5 to 5ma.

There is a digital output connector JO, as shown in Figure 2–7, “Mini Opto I/O Board,” on page 2-15. This connector is supplied with an 8-position mating screw terminal plug. It provides four bi-directional opto outputs:

• OUT1 on pins 7 and 8.



• OUT4 on pins 1 and 2, corresponding to GPIO points 1 through 4.

Each output has a contact resistance of less than 20 ohms, and can operate with non-polarized AC or DC signals up to 50 volts at 100ma. Each output is protected by a current limiting foldback circuit.

The I/O connector supplies the necessary +5 volts DC to operate the I/O board via the I/O cable. There is no external power supply connector.

IF YOU INSTALL YOUR OWN I/O BOARD, YOU MUST REMOVE JUMPER JMP1 ON THE CAMERA I/O CARD. FAILURE TO REMOVE THE JUMPER MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE CAMERA I/O CARD.



In designing your vision application, you must decide which mix of input and output ports you require.

To program your vision application, use FrontRunner’s user interface software. Refer to your Visionscape® Tools Reference Manual for more specific information on how to assign the I/O.

Do not attempt to connect an external +5 volts DC power supply to the Mini Opto I/O Board. There is no connector provided for this function. This board receives its power via the I/O cable. Connecting an external power supply will cause serious problems: the two power supplies will conflict with each other to produce unpredictable results and the external power supply's ground may cause ground loops to occur. Contact RVSI Customer Service at (603) 598-8400 for assistance.



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FIGURE 2–7. Mini Opto I/O Board
Connecting Camera CablesConnect the dual-camera distribution cable to the Camera Port on your PC and connect the camera cable from the camera to the other end of the dual-camera distribution cable, as shown in Figure 2–8.

JIO

R7R8

R9R10

R11R12

R13R14

R15R16

R17R18

D1

D2

D3

D4

D15

JS

JI

JO

1

1

1

U1

U2

U3

U4

U5

U6

1

49

FL1FL2FL3FL4FL5FL6FL7

R1R2R3R4R5R6

1

8

JO

JI1

4

1

8

JS



FIGURE 2–8. Analog Camera Cabling

Do not leave a camera unconnected if it is in your vision application. Attempting to take a picture from a camera that is not connected to the Camera I/O 300 Card will result in a black image for that camera. Also, it may affect the image quality of other cameras.

For detailed information about analog cameras, refer to the Camera I/O 300 User Manual.

Connecting Monitor CablesTo get started, you only need to connect the camera and VGA monitor cables to the port access at the rear of your PC, as shown in Figure 2–9. Other cabling depends on your specific application requirements.

Rear Panel

RVSI

5.6

811

164

2.8

0.5

1.5

0.4

40.

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RVSI

5.6

811

164

2.8

0.5

1.5

0.4

40.

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5.6

811

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2.8

0.5

1.5

0.4

40.

7

RVSI

5.6

811

164

2.8

0.5

1.5

0.4

40.

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FIGURE 2–9. Rear Port Access
Secure the cables with the screw-down locking hardware and avoid pulling on the cable.

Connecting Sensor & StrobeFor continuous motion or high-speed indexing applications, a sensor and strobe are required to freeze each part before the image can be acquired. The strobe unit may include a fiber-optic light pipe.

When choosing your part sensor, you must consider the time interval between the part passing into the sensing zone and an electrical signal being generated. When there is a large variation in process speed, considerable apparent motion of the part within the FOV may result. The Acuity Vision Accelerator can compensate for this motion over a considerable range. However, the sensor should be fast enough to minimize this apparent shift.

Connect your sensor and strobe according to Figure 2–10 and Figure 2–11.

I/O Port

Camera Port



FIGURE 2–10. High-Speed sensor & strobe connections

JSS1 Disc. ColorJSS1 - JSS4 For LED Strobes

1 Flash Ch.1 Brown 2 Flash Rtn. Black 1 Flash Ch.2 Blue 6 Not Connected

Strobe Flash

Strobe GND

Sensor Power

Sensor

Sensor GND

Chassis GND

Black/Brown* FlashGND

Clear Shield

White/Orange* Flash

Blue DC Common

White SinkBrown 10-30V

JSS1 - JSS4

1

2

3

4

5

6

AS-MP50-xxx (assy.)

Xenon Strobes

Strobe Cable

Sensor Cable

Part

Red (not used)

Black (not used)

1

6

JSS1 - JSS4

SensorSM312

StrobeLightUnit



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FIGURE 2–11. Strobe unit
Connecting RS-232RS-232 communication is available through a 10-pin ribbon header. Only the transmit and receive signals are used. However, +12V (through 10 kilohms) is available to indicate Data Terminal Ready. Other signals should be left unconnected.

Installing the CameraA camera mount holds the camera in a fixed position. If the camera moves, the results of the inspection may not be valid.

Note: Mount the camera in a low-vibration environment. Otherwise, use a strobe in low ambient light.

Set up your camera (or cameras) and connect each camera cable to the appropriate port.

If you have a multi-camera system, set up all cameras in the same manner.

Fiber Optic Light

Part Sensor



Checklist for Mounting the Camera

• Ensure that the camera is grounded only through the camera cable back to the camera port on the PC.

The RVSI camera case is connected to the camera’s return circuit. This means that a camera affixed to an earth-grounded metallic fixture has the potential for creating a ground loop. A ground loop is an undesirable circuit created when grounds are connected at two or more locations. Return signals tend to flow through both ground circuits, resulting in noise and/or distortion in the camera’s video signal.

Isolate the camera’s body from grounded fixtures. You could use plastic mounting bolts in conjunction with an insulating pad or mount the camera to a non-metallic mount and then install the camera/mount assembly as a unit.

• Position the camera to get the best Field Of View (FOV), i.e., optimum viewing of the part and features.

• If the camera needs to be adjusted in the X (horizontal), Y (vertical), or Z (in and out) axis, the mount must be able to adjust in those directions.

• Provide a way to clamp the lens to minimize image movement.

• Provide strain relief for the camera cables.

• Build a shroud to prevent accidental damage to the camera and to prevent dirt or dust from getting on the lens.

• Ensure that the camera mount is strong enough to prevent bending if accidentally hit. Be sure to minimize or eliminate vibrations.

Ensuring Best Field Of ViewIt is best to mount the camera assembly so that its centerline is as near to perpendicular as possible to the desired Field Of View, as shown in Figure 2–12. This reduces the chance of errors due to:

• Poor Depth of Field — The range of distance with acceptably sharp focus in front and back of the subject that is improper for the application.

• Foreshortening — One axis of the image appears shorter than another.

The decision of where to mount your camera is important because it influences which lens you will use.



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FIGURE 2–12. Camera centerline
Allowing for Adjusting Camera PositionAfter you determine the best FOV for your application and determine the type of lens and its distance from the object being viewed, you need to determine whether there is any need to move the camera. For example, you may be viewing different parts on one line and each part may require a different X (horizontal), Y (vertical), or Z (in and out) position.

The most common change is in the X and Y position. A screw-adjusted slide on the camera mount allows the best camera adjustment.

Note: When you move the camera in or out (in the Z or optical axis), the size of the Field Of View will change and affect the focus. This will cause your inspection results to be inaccurate if you have already programmed the inspection tools.

Clamping LensAny lens movement, either by changing the focus or the f-stop, can seriously affect the results of the inspection. Ensure that the lens cannot move once it has been set. The best method to inhibit movement is to clamp the lens, as shown in Figure 2–13. Clamping ensures that the focus and f-stop will not change and should also prevent mechanical stress from being transferred to the camera.

The camera centerline is perpendicular to the object.

RVSI

5.6

811

164

2.8

0.5

1.5

0.4

40.

7



FIGURE 2–13. Lens Clamp

5.6 8 11 1642.8

0.51.5

0.44

0.7

Camera

Lens

Lens Clamp

RV

SI


Power Requirements

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Power Requirements
The Acuity Vision Accelerator is powered from the PCI bus. Refer to Table 2–1 when determining the power supply requirements for your Acuity Vision System.

There is a separate 12V power interface for analog cameras.

See Table 2–2 for the complete PCI voltage specification.

a. PCI Local Bus Specification (REV 2.1, June 1995)

Caution: Ensure that no part of the system is plugged into live current before connecting any cables or components. Failure to do so will result in damage to your system.

TABLE 2–1. Acuity Vision System Power Requirements

Component +5Vdc +12Vdc

Acuity 1000 Vision Accelerator Board 3.0A 0.25A

Per typical photoelectric sensor 0.1A

TABLE 2–2. PCIbus Voltage Specificationa

Description Allowed Variation

+5 Vdc +/–5%

+12 Vdc power +/–5%

Ground REFERENCE




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CHAPTER 3 Installing the Visionscape Software
This chapter describes how to prepare you system and install the Visionscape® software, and is equally applicable to both Acuity boards and Smart Cameras, except where boards are explicitly mentioned.

Preparing Your Windows System

Windows 2000There are no specific updates or service packs required for a Windows 2000 installation. Visionscape® works with all Windows 2000 service packs (up to SP4). If you install the Acuity Vision Accelerator before installing the software, the Plug'N'Play Manager of Windows 2000 will detect the board and display a dialog in order to install a driver for it. Cancel this dialog and proceed with the software installation.

Before installing any software, be sure to log into the computer with an account that has administrator privileges. Also, be sure to disable any virus protection software you are running.


Chapter 3 Installing the Visionscape Software

Installing Visionscape®

1. Place the CD into the CD-ROM drive. Navigate to your CD-ROM drive to view the contents of the Visionscape® Installation CD. Open the Setup folder and double-click setup.exe.

2. The installation updates Windows System libraries, if necessary, and also installs software for the HASP hardware key. A HASP hardware key is required to run Visionscape® software if no vision board is installed. If files have been updated, the installation prompts you to reboot, as shown in Figure 3–1.

FIGURE 3–1. Reboot to Continue Setup Screen

3. Select Yes and reboot the system (you must reboot the PC in order to continue). After you login, the setup program is automatically restarted.

Next, if necessary, Visionscape® Setup installs Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). This part of the installation may take up to five minutes. During WMI installation, the Installing WMI screen is displayed, as shown in Figure 3–2. WMI is required by the diagnostic tools that are installed with Visionscape®. WMI is installed with Windows 2000.



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FIGURE 3–2. Installing WMI Screen

After WMI is installed, the Welcome dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 3–3.

FIGURE 3–3. Welcome Dialog Box

4. Click Next> to continue with the installation.

5. At this point, you must choose one of the following options:

– If you are installing Visionscape® for the first time, proceed to Step 6.

– If you are upgrading, proceed to Step 7.

6. If you are installing Visionscape® for the first time, then the installation program allows you to choose where you want to install the software (Figure 3–4). The default location is C:\Vscape. If you want to change the default location, click Browse... and select another location. Click Next>, and then proceed to Step 8.



FIGURE 3–4. Choose Destination Window

7. If you have an older version of Visionscape® installed, you cannot change the destination. The Select Options Dialog Box will appear, as shown in Figure 3–5.

FIGURE 3–5. Select Options Dialog Box



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The Select Options Dialog Box (Figure 3–5) allows you to choose the following options:

a. Choose Select camera definitions, Upgrade and Reboot to copy all files and automatically reboot your machine. Choose your installed cameras.

b. If you are an advanced user, you can choose Customize Installation and manually select what components to install (see Figure 3–5). Select Customize Installation and click Next>. Proceed to Step 8.

8. The Select Components dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 3–6.

FIGURE 3–6. Select Components Dialog Box

9. By default, Visionscape® installs support for the CM4000, CM4001, JAI CV-M1, JAI CVM30, Sentech STC-1100B, and Sony XC-ES50 cameras (Figure 3–7). If you use a different camera, select “Camera Definitions” in the Components list and click “Change…”.



FIGURE 3–7. Camera List Dialog Box

10. Find your camera in the list; be sure it is checked. If your camera is not in the list, then it is not supported.

11. Click Continue.

The Start Copying Files dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 3–8.



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FIGURE 3–8. Start Copying Files Window

12. To review or change any settings, click <Back. When you are satisfied with your settings, click Next> to begin copying files.

13. When Setup is complete, you are prompted again to reboot the PC, as shown in Figure 3–9. You must reboot the PC for all changes to take effect. Select Yes so that the PC reboots.



FIGURE 3–9. Finish Setup

Installation SummaryThe installation creates a folder on your hard drive and installs the version of software in a version specific folder. For example, version 3.5.0.56 is installed into the folder 350_56. All software for the Acuity 1000 Vision Accelerator Board is installed in folders underneath this version specific folder. A version management utility, Visionscape® Version Manager, is installed in the root folder you selected in the installation wizard. This utility lets you switch versions, generate version logs, and remove versions of Visionscape®. Refer to “Visionscape® Version Manager” on page 3-11 for more information.

The following were installed and created:

• In the Programs menu — Folders were created that contain shortcuts to FrontRunner™ and other utilities:

– VsConnections Viewer — A low level diagnostic tool.

– VsNetwork Browser — The window lists PC adapters and Smart Cameras on the network that the client PC can reach.

– VsPerformance Viewer — A performance monitoring tool.


Acuity 1000 Vision Accelerator Settings

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– VsDirectory Browser — Monitors system resources that are used by the Visionscape™ framework.

• In the Drivers folder (off the root) — Copies of all driver files have been installed.

• In the Jobs folder (off the root) — Tutorial Jobs and Images have been installed.

• PCI drivers to control the Acuity Vision Accelerators and Acuity Vision Processors in the PC were also installed.

• An icon was added to the Windows Control Panel so that you can change settings for the Acuity Vision Accelerator 1000 driver.

Acuity 1000 Vision Accelerator Settings

The AVA 1000 Configuration icon allows you to change settings for the AVA 1000 driver. The icon is available through the Control Panel window, as shown in Figure 3–10.

FIGURE 3–10. Control Panel

When you double-click the icon, the Acuity 1000 Vision Accelerator Settings dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 3–11.



FIGURE 3–11. Acuity 1000 Settings

ASIC PCI/Bandwidth ControlThese options control the bursting of data on the PCI bus by the boards. If there is a lot of PCI traffic when sending images and data across the PCI bus, you may get spurious device overruns. Tune the Burst Size and Interval; in this case, usually by turning down the Burst Size and turning up the Burst Interval until the overruns are gone.


1000 Settings

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PC Dwell Time Settings

• Dwell Time (as a % of Cycle Time) — This is the percent of the Cycle time during which a Visionscape Job, running as a Real Time process, will yield control and allow other processes to run. For example, if your cycle time is 100ms, and this option is set to 10%, then the process will dwell for 10ms every cycle and allow other processes to run.

• Absolute Minimum Dwell Time (ms) — This is the absolute minimum amount of time (in milliseconds) that the Visionscape process will go idle and yield to other processes, regardless of what has been entered for the Dwell Time. So, you can be guaranteed to always dwell for at least the amount of time you enter here. For example, imagine your cycle time was 60ms, and you’ve set the Dwell Time to 5%, and the Absolute Minimum Dwell Time to 5ms. 5% of 60 = 3ms, which is less then the absolute minimum of 5, so the Dwell Time would be ignored, and you would idle for 5ms.

1000 SettingsThese settings configure the DMA memory reserved by the 1000 driver for DMA activity. This includes uploading images and graphics from the Camera I/O Card and ASIC to PC memory. You can use the default setting or customize the value in megabytes.

The total amount of physical memory to be reserved is the value selected multiplied by the number of Acuity Vision Accelerators in the system. This value is displayed at the bottom of the window, as shown in Figure 3–11.

This value should be no more than 30% of the physical RAM in the PC, or your system or your PC may become unstable.

Visionscape® Version ManagerThe Visionscape® Version Manager manages multiple versions of Visionscape® software on a PC. When you install Visionscape®, Version Manager is installed in a root folder that contains subfolder(s) with each installed version. Versions of software are marked as a four-digit number, depicting Major.Minor.Rev.Build.

When the software is installed, it is installed in a folder that identifies the version. For example, build 3.5.0.56 becomes 350_56. When Visionscape® Version



Manager is started, it reads the subfolders under its root to identify these versions and displays them in its main window. You can select any item and click Change Version to switch the system to that version. Installation date and time data are displayed at the bottom of the main window.

Visionscape® Version Manager switches versions by unregistering the current version, then registering the new version, and then rebooting the PC. You must reboot so that the drivers for the new version can be loaded.

Visionscape® Folder TreeThe Visionscape® Folder Tree is shown in Figure 3–12.

FIGURE 3–12. Visionscape® Folder Tree

Each version folder has a Drivers folder associated with it. Drivers for the current version of Visionscape® are copied to C:\Vscape\Drivers. Drivers for all versions (including the current version) live in:

C:\Vscape\<Version Folder>\Drivers

(e.g., drivers for v3.5.0.111 are located in C:\Vscape\350_111\Drivers).

Note: Because the drivers are changed, you must reboot the PC whenever you switch to another version of Visionscape®.

When you change versions in Version Manager, a window notifies you that the PC must be rebooted. You can click OK to reboot the PC, or you can press CANCEL, in which case the PC must be rebooted manually at a later time.

RootVersion Folder

Version Specific Folders


Generate Visionscape® Version Log

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Other files are transferred when switching versions. Each version has a Win32 folder. Version Manager copies files from its WIN32 folder to the Windows System folder when switching versions. It then copies all type libraries (TLB) and static libraries (LIB) to the VCKIT\LIB folder, if it exists. Visionscape® Version Manager registers/unregisters all .DLL and .OCX files in the Dll subfolder. Any shortcuts in the Programs menu are updated, as well as shortcuts on the Desktop.

Note: If you move shortcuts from the start menu (Programs => Visionscape) or from the Desktop, they are not updated. You must update these shortcuts manually.

Generate Visionscape® Version LogWhen you click Generate Version Log, Visionscape® Version Manager creates a file in the root installation folder (typically C:\Vscape) called VERINFO.TXT. The file contains information about the PC, the date and time, the current version, all installed versions, and a full directory listing of the root installation folder, as shown in the following example:

PC Summary========================================Date: 5/24/2005Time: 1:52:19 PMSystem: RVSI-DOC, Windows NT 5.0, Service Pack 4User: scritz

Current Version========================================350_133 3.5.0 Build 200, Installed on 5/24/2005 6:27:28 AM

Installed Versions========================================350_132 3.5.0 Build 198, Installed on 5/19/2005 1:23:04 PM350_133 3.5.0 Build 199, Installed on 5/24/2005 6:27:28 AM

C:\Vscape Directory Listing======================================== Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 5C27-6881

Directory of C:\Vscape...



Removing Versions of VisionscapeYou can remove Visionscape® versions using the Visionscape® Version Manager dialog box (Figure 3–13).

FIGURE 3–13. Visionscape® Version Manager Dialog Box

1. Select the version of Visionscape® you want to remove.

2. Click Remove Version. The Warning dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 3–14.


Removing Versions of Visionscape

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FIGURE 3–14. Warning Dialog Box

3. Type YES in the text box.

4. Click Remove. The Are You Sure? dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 3–15.

FIGURE 3–15. Are You Sure? Dialog Box

5. To remove the selected version, click Yes. Otherwise, click No.



Uninstalling the SoftwareTo uninstall the Visionscape® software:

1. Open the Control Panel and run Add/Remove Programs.

2. Select Acuity Visionscape and click Add/Remove to remove the component.

3. Shut down the computer and remove the vision board.


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CHAPTER 4 Visionscape® Overview

This chapter covers the basic Visionscape® concepts in terms of the hardware and vision application development. All the material except that which refers to the board, ASIC, and backplane is relevant to the Smart Camera.

IntroductionVisionscape® is a comprehensive environment for developing and deploying machine vision applications. It includes the Acuity Vision Accelerator Board, Visionscape® libraries, and FrontRunner™. FrontRunner™ is a general purpose vision editor you use to develop your vision applications.

The following terms are used throughout this manual:

• Datum — Parameters and results of a Step or Tool.

• Job — A collection of steps organized in a tree hierarchy. A Job can contain the step program for multiple Acuity Vision Processor Boards.

• Preprocessing Step — A step in the tree that executes before the one in which it is contained. For example, the Acquire step is a preprocessing step of the Snapshot step. A preprocessing step has a letter “P” in the top left of its icon.

• Setup Step — A step or tool in the tree that trains the tool in which it is contained. It has a letter “S” in the top left of its icon.


Chapter 4 Visionscape® Overview

• Step Program — A collection of steps and tools that make up the vision inspection Job.

• Step Tree — A hierarchical structure of steps that loosely represents an execution order, but more logically represents the connection of data from one step to the next. Steps in the tree can be children and parents.

• Step — A basic piece of functionality for developing vision solutions. This is usually a single tool.

Visionscape® HardwareThe Acuity Vision Accelerator is a PCI board that contains two components: the ASIC accelerator and the Camera I/O Card.

ASICThe Acuity Vision Accelerator has an ASIC used for algorithm acceleration. This ASIC has memory that is used by different vision tools. Tools allocate this memory to execute their algorithms with the ASIC. FrontRunner™ provides a means of examining the amount of ASIC memory used. Once you use up the memory, you cannot create more tools in your Job.

The Acuity Vision Accelerator also reserves memory in the ASIC called the bufferpool. A bufferpool is a set of buffers that are used specifically for image acquisition. Each time an image is acquired, a buffer is taken from this pool. Then, Vision tools run their accelerated algorithms on the buffer(s) in ASIC memory. When the tools are finished with the buffer, it is released. When no other object (display object, failure tracking object) is using the buffer, it is released and returned to the pool to be re-used. After all images are allocated from the pool, you will begin to generate process overrun errors, meaning you are essentially triggering your system too fast and the image processing cannot keep up. Buffers are released back to the bufferpool at the end of processing before the next Inspection cycle starts.

Camera I/O CardThe Camera I/O Card is the daughter card attached to the Acuity Vision Accelerator that provides I/O and camera image acquisition capability. Different Camera I/O Cards allow you to use different cameras.


Visionscape® Software Structure & Concepts

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Setup and RuntimeWhen working with Visionscape® applications, you access the Acuity Vision Accelerator in one of two modes:

• In Setup mode, the setup objects control the board’s hardware. You can train and tryout tools and debug your vision application.

• In Runtime mode, you download your vision applications to the runtime objects. Currently, the runtime objects run “in-process” or within the process space of the executing application. However, in Runtime mode, the runtime objects control the hardware, and the setup objects cannot be used to edit the job. You can start and stop vision inspections at runtime, as well as receive inspection results and runtime images.

Note: The Setup and Runtime modes are mutually exclusive. That is, only one mode can control the Acuity Vision Accelerator at a time.


The AvpServer and the AvpBackplaneThe AvpServer is an ActiveX Server that serves as the central configuration and control service of Visionscape® 3.5. It manages the set of vision boards and vision systems in the current PC. A “vision board” is an object that can use hardware to service vision through image acquisition and I/O. This object can be either hardware (Acuity Vision Accelerator, Acuity Vision Processor) or software based. A “vision system” is a software object that contains one or more vision boards and can control vision programs. A “vision program” is simply an object that executes a set of tasks that require the use of the hardware in the vision system. All of these objects are represented in Visionscape® 3.5 as objects that are accessible through the AvpServer.

The AvpServer library defines one object, the AvpBackplane. When this object is created by a Visionscape® process (e.g., FrontRunner™), the AvpServer process is started and remains active until the PC is powered off, or until you select to shut it down and no other process is using it.

For more details on the AvpServer and its user interface, see Chapter 5, “FrontRunner™”.



Steps & TreesA Step represents a piece of vision functionality in Visionscape®. Applications are a collection of steps. To provide order to this collection, the steps are arranged in a Tree. The Tree represents not only the containment of a set of steps, but also represents a data connection between these steps. In other words, a step can receive a set of data inputs, act on this data, and produce a set of data outputs. The tree represents the connection of particular data outputs to data inputs.

The most common piece of data to be passed from one step to another is a buffer. A buffer is a piece of memory that contains image data.

In Figure 4–1, a Snapshot generates a buffer that is passed to the Sobel Filter. The Sobel Filter then executes a Sobel algorithm on the buffer and generates a new buffer, which is passed to the Edge Tool. The Edge Tool finds an edge on that buffer and reports a result. A step that generates output can have other steps or tools inserted into it. The inserted tools then connect their inputs to the outputs of the parent step.

FIGURE 4–1. Sample Job Tree

Many tools also have a region of interest (ROI) which defines an area on the input buffer for that tool. In the case of the Sobel Filter, the ROI defines the area where the Sobel Filter executes its algorithm. Its output buffer (or input buffer to the Edge Tool), will be the size of its ROI.

Many steps are not vision based steps like Sobel Filter or Edge Tool, but actually represent other useful pieces of functionality like I/O, image acquisition, or a thread-of-execution. Several steps are common to every Job you will create. These are Job, VisionSystem, Inspection, and Snapshot/Acquire.

Job StepThe Job Step is the root of all steps in the Job Tree. When you create a new application, you are creating a new Job that contains Vision System Steps that represent each Acuity Vision System installed in the system. A Vision System is an object that can use hardware to execute vision. The hardware is a Vision



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Board. The board can be Acuity Vision Accelerators (1000-based), Acuity Vision Processors (2000-based), or a “software” board that has no specific hardware at all. The Job Step contains all Vision System Steps in the tree and is used as the single entry point of the tree. You can load/save Vision System steps to disk, and these VisionSystemStep files can then be loaded back into the Job.

The Job Step performs no special function and does not contain any results. Essentially, the Job Step is a collection of Vision System Steps. Each Vision System Step represents a single Acuity Vision System, but the Job Step represents a set of Acuity Vision Systems (see Figure 4–2).

FIGURE 4–2. Job Tree

In Visionscape®, you have the option of opening and saving a Job or opening and saving single vision systems. When you save a Job, you are saving all the Vision System Steps in that Job to one file called an “avp file.” The avp file, then, contains the data of multiple Vision System Step trees in one file. You can read that Job back into memory and recreate the set of Vision Systems exactly as they were when saved.

You can also open and save single Vision System Step files. This opens or saves a specific Vision System Step tree rather than all systems at once, allowing you to work with each system exclusively.

Vision System StepThe Vision System Step is the step representation of an Acuity Vision System itself. A Vision System is an object that can use hardware to execute vision programs. The hardware is a Vision Board. The board can be Acuity Vision Accelerators (1000-based), Acuity Vision Processors (2000/4000-based), a Smart Camera, or a “software” board that has no specific hardware at all. The Vision System Step can take control of a specific Vision System on the AvpBackplane, and can be changed later to assume a different Vision System. Typically, you will

Acuity Vision System #1

Job Container Step

Acuity Vision System #2

(Vision System Step)

(Vision System Step)



create a Vision System Step for each Vision System on the AvpBackplane. The Vision System Step has parameters that allow you to set the camera type to be used by the system, set the parameters of the bufferpool for this Vision System, set the general purpose I/O configuration, and enable/disable ASIC hardware acceleration. Essentially, the step provides the parameters to configure its actual hardware of the Vision System.

The Vision System Step also contains all the Inspections that are used by the Vision System on the AvpBackplane, as shown in Figure 4–3.

FIGURE 4–3. Three Inspections

The Vision System Step is used when you download the application to the runtime control objects or when you want to set up the vision application (setup control objects). In FrontRunner™, you set up each Vision System Step individually. That is, you must create all your inspections for a specific Vision System, then train the appropriate steps and tryout your inspections for that Vision System. When completed, you can download the Job to the runtime control object. Once downloaded, Inspections on the Vision System can be started and stopped individually and accessed from different processes through the AvpBackplane.

InspectionThe Inspection Step represents one thread of execution for your vision application. The Inspection is the entry point for execution whether you are setting up your application or executing your application. You can create any number of Inspections in a Vision System, and each can be started and stopped asynchronously. In a typical inspection, you use a Snapshot/Acquire to acquire an image, execute vision tools on that image, and then report results either through I/O or through the Inspection Report.

Creating multiple inspections allows you to create inspections with tools that execute either synchronously or asynchronously.

In Figure 4–4, the Job contains two Inspection steps renamed to OCV Inspection & BGA Inspection for clarity.



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FIGURE 4–4. Job With Multiple Inspection

The OCV Inspection contains two Snapshots that can be connected to any of the four cameras on the system, typically Camera 1 and Camera 2. The first Snapshot contains an OCVFontless Tool that will verify symbols on the image. The second Snapshot contains a Flaw Tool that will look for flaws on its image with its defined ROI. Results are reported on I/O in the DigitalOutputs Step. When started, this inspection creates a thread that will execute in the following order:

Snapshot/AcquireOCVFontless ToolSnapshot/AcquireFlaw ToolDigital Outputs

This inspection will execute in this manner over and over again until you command the system to stop that inspection.

Snapshot & AcquireThe Snapshot and Acquire steps work together to provide image acquisition capabilities for the Job. Acquire is the image creator; Snapshot is the image receiver.

Acquire is a special step that knows how to capture images from the Camera I/O Card or disk, utilizing triggers and strobes. You can program the camera selection, trigger, and strobe in the Acquire step. When executing, the Acquire sets up the Camera I/O Card according to your selection and captures images into



a list, called a frame list. When an image is set into the list, the Snapshot can then pull the frame from the list and turn it into a buffer that is then passed along to its contained steps.

The execution of the Acquire depends on your trigger selection. The letter “P” at the left of the Acquire step in the Job Tree means the Acquire step is a preprocessing step of the Snapshot. Though it is a child of the Snapshot, it is executed before the Snapshot. When no triggers are selected, using Figure 4–4, “Job With Multiple Inspection,” on page 4-7, the OCV Inspection tree is executed in the following order:

AcquireSnapshotOCVFontless ToolAcquireSnapshotFlaw ToolDigital Outputs Step

This changes when you select a trigger. In order to maximize image acquisition along with inspection execution, when a trigger is selected, the images are pipelined to the running Inspection. The hardware will acquire images from the camera when the trigger is fired using the appropriate acquisition definition and instruct the Acquire Step that an image frame (or buffer) is available. The Acquire Step creates a Frame Datum from the image and pushes it onto its frame list. The Snapshot, running within the Inspection thread, will remove the images from the frame list when it executes. In this way, a triggered acquisition pipelines the image to the running inspection. This allows multiple images to be captured so the vision on the system production line does not miss parts.


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CHAPTER 5 FrontRunner™

OverviewFrontRunner™ is a comprehensive vision development environment you use to create, edit, and run vision applications. It supports single or multiple Acuity Vision Systems. You can create and save vision jobs in FrontRunner™, train tools, examine Inspection reports, and monitor I/O activity. FrontRunner™ is equally applicable to Acuity board products and Smart Camera visions systems.

When Visionscape® is installed, a Visionscape® program folder is created on your Start Menu. A shortcut for starting FrontRunner™ is located there. Start FrontRunner™ using this icon, and the main window is displayed, as shown in Figure 5–1.

In edit mode, you can edit, train and tryout your vision application. You can also download your application and execute its inspections. You can use the I/O Display to examine I/O states when trying out or running your inspection(s). There is a Debug Window that displays debugging messages sent by the Visionscape® framework and by Perl scripts you can create with the Custom Tool and Custom Vision Tool.


Chapter 5 FrontRunner™

FIGURE 5–1. Main FrontRunner™ Window

MenusFrontRunner™ contains the following menus:

• File Menu contains the following menu items:

– New Job, see page 5–33

– Open Job, see page 5–41

– Close Job, see page 5–50

– Upload Job, see page 5–42

– Save Job, see page 5–44

– Save Job As, see page 5–45

– Dump Job to Text File, see page 5–47

– Show Job Info, see page 5–48

– Configure Device, see page 5–61

– Options, see page 5–72


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– Exit

• View Menu contains the following menu items:

– Debug Output, see page 5–70

– I/O Display, see page 5–82

– Digital Soft Scope, see page 5–86

– Display Tools, see page 5–38

• Help Menu contains the following menu item:

– About FrontRunner™ (“The Revision Level for FrontRunner™” on page 5-67)

Starting & ExitingTo start FrontRunner™, select Start > Programs > Visionscape > FrontRunner. FrontRunner™ displays its main window (see Figure 5–1).

To exit FrontRunner™, from the FrontRunner™ File menu, click Exit.

CamerasThis section contains information about:

• “Adding & Selecting a Camera” on page 5-3

• “Controlling & Releasing Control of a Camera” on page 5-5

• “The Network Overview Window” on page 5-10

• “Calibrating a Camera...” on page 5-18

• “Stopping a Camera” on page 5-31

Adding & Selecting a CameraYou must add and select a camera before you can create and run a job on it.

Use the following procedure to add and select a camera:



1. Start FrontRunner™ by selecting Start > Programs > Visionscape > FrontRunner.

2. Click Add Btn, which displays the Select Device dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–2.

FIGURE 5–2. Select Device Dialog Box

3. Click (to highlight) a camera name and click OK.

FrontRunner™ adds an icon for the camera you added in its main window, as shown in Figure 5–3.

Note: Notice that the button for scotts1610 is gray and that the message “no device selected” is displayed.


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FIGURE 5–3. Camera Added But Not Selected

4. To select a camera, simply click on its camera button.

Notice that the button changes from gray to blue, as shown in Figure 5–4.

FIGURE 5–4. Camera Added and Selected

Note: Selecting a Smart Camera displays and activates the Take Control button.

Controlling & Releasing Control of a CameraAfter a Smart Camera is added and selected, you have to take control of it before you can create and save jobs, etc. Taking control denies other users access to the camera while you set it up and specify parameters for a job.

Taking Control of a CameraUse the following procedure to take control of a camera:

1. Click on the camera button of the camera you want to control.

TABLE 5–1. Take Control and Release Buttons

Button Description

This is the Take Control button after a Smart Camera is selected. Click this button to control a Smart Camera to create a job, upload or download a job, and modify parameters.

This is the Release button. Click it to release control of a Smart Camera.



2. Click Take Control, as shown in Figure 5–5.

FIGURE 5–5. Take Control

FrontRunner™ displays the “Login to device” dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–6.

FIGURE 5–6. Login to Device Dialog Box

3. Enter a valid user name and password.

4. Click OK.

Note: After you take control of a camera, the Take Control button becomes the Release button.

FIGURE 5–7. Release

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In summary:

Releasing Control of a CameraTo release control of a camera, click Release, as shown in Figure 5–8.

FIGURE 5–8. Release Button

Notice that the button for the camera changes from yellow to blue after you release a camera, as shown in Figure 5–9.

FIGURE 5–9. Take Control Button

Specifying the User Name / Password to Control a CameraFrontRunner™ allows you to specify what a user must do to take control of a camera. You can specify that a user must enter:

• Both a user name and password

TABLE 5–2. Camera Buttons — What the Colors Mean

The Camera Is... Added Selected Controlled

X

X X

X X X



• Nothing

Use the following procedure to specify what a user has to type to take control of a camera:

1. Click on the camera button of the camera you want to control.

2. Click Take Control, as shown in Figure 5–10.

FIGURE 5–10. Take Control



3. Enter the current user name and password.

4. Click OK.

Note: After you take control of a camera, the Take Control button becomes the Release button.

5. Right click on the Release button to display the Change User ID and Password option, as shown in Figure 5–12.

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FIGURE 5–12. Right Clicking Release Button

6. Click Change User ID and Password.

FrontRunner™ displays the Change User Name and Password dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–13.

FIGURE 5–13. Change User Name and Password Dialog Box

7. Do one of the following:

If You Want Users to Enter: You Must:

A user name and password Specify the user name, press the Tab key, specify the password, and confirm the password you just entered by re-typing it. Click OK.

Nothing Clear the User Name field. Click OK.



The Network Overview Window

FIGURE 5–14. Network Overview Window

Note: You can also start the Network Overview window as a stand-alone application from the Visionscape Start menu, as shown in Figure 5–15.

FIGURE 5–15. Starting Network Overview from Start Menu

The Network Overview window (Figure 5–14) lists PC adapters and Smart Cameras on the network that the client PC can reach.

• Black text in the Name indicates that the client PC can reach a Smart Camera and connect to it.

• Red text in the Name indicates that the client PC can reach a Smart Camera but cannot connect to it. Such a device is on the same physical network as the client but its IP settings ( IP address and network mask) are incompatible with the client PC, preventing any point-to-point TCP communication link.


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• You can adjust the width of columns (one at a time).

• Your can sort data by clicking on a column heading.

The Network Overview window displays the following information:

• Name — The name of the HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera

• IP Address — The IP address of the HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera

• DHCP — Is either of the following:

– Y — The HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera is using dynamic IP addressing

– N — The HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera is using static IP addressing

• Status — The status of the HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera (Running, Stopped, NO JOB, NO COMM)

• Controller — The IP address of the PC that is controlling the HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera

• Job — The name of the job that is loaded on the HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera

Note: For the job name to be displayed in the Network Overview window, you must first save the job to disk, then download it to the camera, and finally save the program on the device to flash memory.

• Cycles — The number of cycles

• Passed — The number of cycles that passed

• Failed — The number of cycles that failed

• Alarms — The total number of alarms

• Connections — The number of connections to the HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera

• SW Version — The version of the software that is running on the HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera

• Subnet Mask — The subnet mask of the HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera



• MAC Address — The MAC address of the HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera

You can select a Smart Camera by clicking on it. The Network Overview window will change, displaying one of the screens in Figure 5–16 in the upper left hand corner of its main display.

FIGURE 5–16. Selectable and Not Selectable Cameras

• To change a camera’s name, see the next section.

• To change a camera’s IP settings, see “Changing a Camera’s IP Settings” on page 5-15.

Changing a Camera’s Name

Note: You will need the user name and password for the camera whose name you want to change.

From the Network Overview window, you can change the name of the Smart Camera over Ethernet without a serial connection and HyperTerminal. This change is dynamic and does not require you to reboot the Smart Camera.

Use the following procedure to change the camera name:

1. Start FrontRunner™ by clicking Start > Programs > Visionscape > FrontRunner.

2. Click Network.

Camera is reachable and

Camera is reachable but notselectable

selectable


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FrontRunner™ displays the Network Overview window, as shown in Figure 5–17.

FIGURE 5–17. Cameras on the Network

3. Click on the name of the camera whose name you want to change.

FrontRunner™ displays the Change Network Settings window, as shown in Figure 5–18.

FIGURE 5–18. Change Network Settings

4. Click Change Network Settings.



FrontRunner™ displays the Change HE1600 Network Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–19.

FIGURE 5–19. Change HE1600 Network Settings Dialog Box

5. Double click to highlight the original camera name.

6. Type in the new camera name.

7. Click OK.



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8. Enter the user name and password for the camera.

9. Click OK.

FrontRunner™ changes the original camera name to the new camera name.

Changing a Camera’s IP Settings

Note: You will need the user name and password for the camera whose IP settings you want to change.

From the Network Overview window, you can change the IP Settings (Static IP or DHCP) of the Smart Camera over Ethernet without a serial connection and HyperTerminal. This change is dynamic and does not require you to reboot the Smart Camera.

Use the following procedure to change the IP settings:


2. Click Network.

FrontRunner™ displays the Network Overview window, as shown in Figure 5–21.




3. Click on the name of the camera whose IP settings you want to change.

FrontRunner™ displays the Network Overview window shown in Figure 5–22.


4. Click Change Network Settings.

FrontRunner™ displays the Change HE1600 Network Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–23.


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FIGURE 5–23. Change HE1600 Network Settings Dialog Box

5. Do either of the following:

a. If a DHCP server is available on the same physical network as the device, then select Obtain an IP address automatically.

Note: The Smart Camera may take up to one minute to acquire a new IP address.

b. If no DHCP server is available, select Use the following IP address, and fill in the IP address and Subnet mask for the device.

Note: Make sure the IP address and Subnet mask are compatible with one of the adapters in the PC.

6. Click OK.





7. Enter the user name and password for the camera.

8. Click OK.

New settings take effect immediately after you click OK. You do not have to reboot the device.

Calibrating a Camera...Calibration provides a way for measurement values in your Job to be converted from pixels to world units (inches, millimeters, etc.). For more detail information about calibration, see Chapter 2 of the Visionscape® Tools Reference Manual.

This section contains information about:

• “Using Robust Calibration” on page 5-18

• “Using Quick Calibration” on page 5-25

• “Using Previously Saved Calibration Data” on page 5-28

Using Robust Calibration

Note: Before you begin this procedure, you need a valid calibration target similar to the one shown in Figure 5–25.

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FIGURE 5–25. Calibration Target

Use the following procedure to robustly calibrate a camera:


2. Add and select a camera (see “Adding & Selecting a Camera” on page 5-3).

3. Take control of the camera (see “Controlling & Releasing Control of a Camera” on page 5-5).

4. Create your job.

5. Place the calibration target under the camera.

6. Click Live Video. Adjust the exposure and focus. Click Live Video again.

7. Click Calibration.

FrontRunner™ displays the Calibration dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–26.



FIGURE 5–26. Calibration Dialog Box

8. Under “Calibration Method,” select Robust Calibration.

9. Under “Apply to All Snaps or Just One Snap,” select either of the following:

– I Want to Calibrate a Particular Camera, and apply it to all Snapshots that use that Camera

– I Want to Calibrate Each Snapshot Individually

10. Under “Select the Camera to Calibrate,” highlight (to select) a camera.

11. Click Next.

FrontRunner™ displays the Calibration screen shown in Figure 5–27.


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FIGURE 5–27. Robust Calibration

12. Enter the Calibration Dot locations for all targets.

13. Click Next.

FrontRunner™ displays a screen similar to the one shown in Figure 5–28.



FIGURE 5–28. Run Calibration Blob Tool

Note: You may need to enlarge the window.

14. Adjust the Calibration Blob ROI.

15. Click Acquire.

16. Click Run Calibration.


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FrontRunner™ displays a screen similar to the one in Figure 5–29.

FIGURE 5–29. Calibration Results

17. Click Next.

FrontRunner™ displays the Finished screen, as shown in Figure 5–30.



FIGURE 5–30. Calibration Finished

18. Select one of the Save options and click Finish:

– Save Calibration Data from just the Selected Snapshot — This button allows you to save the calibration data for just the Snapshot that you just calibrated. Then, this data can be reloaded into any other Snapshot step in this Job or any other Job by using the Load Calibration Data From File option on the main Calibration page.

If you select this save option, FrontRunner™ displays the Save Calibration from Current Snapshot dialog box. Type in a file name. Click Save, and then click Finished.

– Save Calibration Data for Entire Job — This button saves the calibration data from every Snapshot in your job to a single file. Then, this data can be reloaded into this Job or some other Job using the Load Calibration Data From File option on the main Calibration page, and then selecting the File Will hold Cal Data for my Entire Job.


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Note: You can only reload this data into an AVP that has the same number of Snapshots.

– If you select this save option, FrontRunner™ displays the Save Calibration for Entire Job dialog box. Type in a file name. Click Save, and then click Finished.

19. Save your job.

Using Quick CalibrationUse the following procedure to quick calibrate a camera:




4. Create your job.

5. Place the calibration target under the camera.

6. Click Live Video. Adjust the exposure and focus. Click Live Video again.






8. Under “Calibration Method,” select Quick Calibration.





11. Click Next.

FrontRunner™ displays the screen shown in Figure 5–32.


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FIGURE 5–32. Quick Calibration

12. Enter a distance in pixels.

13. Enter a distance in world units.

14. Click Update Calibration.

15. Click Next.

FrontRunner™ displays the Finished screen, as shown in Figure 5–33.



FIGURE 5–33. Calibration Finished

16. Select one of the Save options and click Finish:

– If you select “Save Calibration Data from just the Selected Snapshot,” FrontRunner™ displays the Save Calibration from Current Snapshot dialog box. Type in a file name. Click Save, and then click Finished.

– If you select “Save Calibration Data for Entire Job,” FrontRunner™ displays the Save Calibration for Entire Job dialog box. Type in a file name. Click Save, and then click Finished.

17. Save your job.

Using Previously Saved Calibration DataWhen calibration is performed, FrontRunner™ stores the data in the Snapshot step(s) of the job. This means you must save a job after calibration is completed.

You do not need to use the Save options on this page unless you want to load the Calibration Data into another avp, or unless you want to simply have a backup.


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Use the following procedure to load calibration data that was previously saved:




4. Create a new job or open an existing job.




6. Under “Calibration Method,” select Load Calibration Data from File.



Note: After you select Load Calibration Data from File, the Cal File Options are no longer grayed out.

7. Select one of the Cal File options:

– File Will Hold Cal Data for Just one Snapshot

– File Will Hold Cal Data for my Entire Job





10. Click Next.

FrontRunner™ displays the Select Cal File dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–35.


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FIGURE 5–35. Cal File Dialog Box

11. Highlight (to select) a calibration file (.cal) and click Open.

FrontRunner™ displays the Calibration Finished screen.

12. Click Finished.

13. Save your job.

Your job now contains the calibration data your saved previously.

Stopping a CameraUse the following procedure to stop a camera:

1. Select the camera you want to stop (see “Adding & Selecting a Camera” on page 5-3).


3. Click Stop Camera, as shown in Figure 5–36.



FIGURE 5–36. Stop Camera

FrontRunner™ displays the Device State Changed dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–37.

FIGURE 5–37. Device State Changed Dialog Box

4. Click Yes to upload the job on the camera to the PC; otherwise, click No.

JobsThis section contains information about the following:

• “Displaying the Names of Currently Loaded Jobs” on page 5-33

• “Creating a New Job” on page 5-33

• “Using Live Video” on page 5-37

• “Acquiring An Image” on page 5-37

• “Trying Out Steps and Jobs” on page 5-39

• “Opening an Existing Job” on page 5-41

• “Uploading a Job” on page 5-42

• “Downloading a Job” on page 5-43

• “Starting a Job on the Camera” on page 5-43

• “Saving Jobs” on page 5-44


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• “Dumping a Job to a Text File” on page 5-47

• “Displaying Job Info” on page 5-48

• “Closing a Job” on page 5-50

Displaying the Names of Currently Loaded JobsBy default, FrontRunner™ displays the name of the current job on the camera and the name of the current job on the PC (if they are different), as shown in Figure 5–38.

FIGURE 5–38. Job Names Displayed by FrontRunner™

If there is no job on the PC, FrontRunner™ displays information similar to the following:

FIGURE 5–39. Job Name on Camera Displayed by FrontRunner™

Creating a New JobUse the following procedure to create a new Job with a Vision System for each Vision System on the AvpBackplane. An Inspection with a Snapshot is created in each Vision System.


Current Job on Camera

Current Job on PC



a. Click Create New Program, as shown in Figure 5–40.

FIGURE 5–40. Create New Program

b. From the FrontRunner™ File menu, click New Job.

FrontRunner™ displays its main window in Tree View.

2. You can now begin creating your new job.

Training & Untraining ToolsSome FrontRunner™ tools, such as the Barcode tool and the Data Matrix tool, must be trained, told what to expect when reading. For example, if you train a Data Matrix tool to read a Data Matrix with 8 rows and 32 columns, that Data Matrix tool will fail when it reads something other than a Data Matrix with 8 rows and 32 columns.

If FrontRunner™ is stepping through a job and encounters a tool that requires training, FrontRunner™ will not step to the next tool until training on the tool occurs.

For example, assume that you want to read a Data Matrix that has 8 rows and 32 columns. Use the following procedure to train the Data Matrix tool:



3. If the camera is running, stop it by clicking Stop Camera.

4. Click No in the Device State Changed dialog box when asked if you would like to upload the program for editing.

5. Click Editor.

6. Highlight Snapshot.

7. Right click and select Insert Into.

FrontRunner™ displays the Insert Step window.


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8. Double click on DataMatrix Tool.

9. Highlight Acquire in the Job Tree.

10. Adjust the following Acquire properties:

– Picture Mode — Set to Load Images from File.

– File List — Click Add... to display the Open dialog box. Browse for the file dm01 from Windows. It is located at: C:\vscape\jobs\. Select dm01.tif. Click Open.

Note: This file is installed from the installation CD onto your hard drive when you installed Visionscape®. If you installed Visionscape® to a location other than C:\vscape, replace it with the appropriate drive and directory designation.

11. Close the Editor window.

12. Highlight Data Matrix in the left window pane.

13. Click Tryout Current Step on PC, as shown in Figure 5–41.

FIGURE 5–41. Tryout Current Step on PC

The Data Matrix tool fails, because it hasn’t been trained.

14. Click Train, as shown in Figure 5–42.

FIGURE 5–42. Train

15. Click Tryout Program on PC Once and then Stop, as shown in Figure 5–43.

FIGURE 5–43. Tryout Program on PC Once and then Stop



The job should run successfully.

Untraining a ToolJust as some tools (Barcode and Data Matrix) need to be trained, those same tools also need to be untrained when they are about to read a part that differs from the part they have been reading. For example, if you train a Data Matrix tool to read a Data Matrix with 8 rows and 32 columns, it will not read a Data Matrix with 16 rows and 16 columns until you untrain the tool and then retrain it to read the new part.

Use the following procedure to untrain a Data Matrix tool that is reading a Data Matrix of 8 rows and 32 columns:



3. If the camera is running, stop it by clicking Stop Camera.

4. Click Yes in the Device State Changed dialog box when asked if you would like to upload the program for editing.

5. After FrontRunner™ uploads the job, click Untrain, as shown in Figure 5–44

FIGURE 5–44. Untrain

Now you can train the HawkEye™ 1600 to read a new part (see “Training & Untraining Tools” on page 5-34).

Wizard Next and Wizard PreviousYou can use the Wizard Next and Wizard Previous buttons (Figure 5–45) to walk through the Setup List and train/execute each trainable tool.

FIGURE 5–45. Wizard Previous and Wizard Next


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Using Live VideoLive Video allows you to see exactly what the HawkEye™ 1600 is seeing in real time. This makes it easier for you to adjust focus and lighting to get the best image possible.

Use the following procedure to start/stop Live Video:



3. With an image in the camera’s field of view, click Live Video, as shown in Figure 5–46.

FIGURE 5–46. Live Video Button

4. Adjust the focus, lighting, exposure, etc., to get the best image.

5. To stop Live Video, click Live Video again.

Acquiring An Image

Use the following procedure to acquire an image:



3. Click Acquire New Image, as shown in Figure 5–47.

FIGURE 5–47. Acquire New Image



Examining the Effects of Threshold Settings on an ImageFrontRunner™ allows you to examine the effects of threshold settings on the current image using the Threshold Display Toolbar (Figure 5–48).

FIGURE 5–48. Threshold Display Toolbar

When activated, the current image is displayed using a threshold color scheme determined by the settings in the toolbar. You can use a single or dual threshold, and show colors or gray-scales below, between, or above the thresholds using the buttons in the Color Display options. The threshold(s) are displayed in the toolbar along with sliders. You can type in the thresholds directly or use the sliders to change the current values. The linear effect of the thresholds is displayed at the bottom in the appropriate colors. This can be used as a “key” to decipher the image display.

When a tool that has thresholds is selected and the toolbar is used, the thresholds in the tool are automatically updated and the tool is re-executed when you release the slider.

Note: If the tool has auto-threshold capabilities, then the tool is not updated and is not executed. This is because the auto-threshold in the tool will override any manual settings.

To display the Threshold Display Toolbar, from the FrontRunner™ View menu, click Display Tools > Threshold Helper.

ZoomingIn Edit mode, FrontRunner™ displays four zoom buttons (Figure 5–49) in the upper left hand corner of the image area.

Show Below Button

Show Between ButtonShow Above Button


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FIGURE 5–49. Zooming Buttons

• Zoom In — Click this button to make the image larger.

• Zoom Out — Click this button to make the image smaller.

• Zoom To Fit Window — Click this button to size the image to fit the window.

• Zoom 1:1 — Click this button to display the image in its actual size.

Trying Out Steps and JobsThis section contains information about the following:

• “Trying Out a Step on the PC” on page 5-39

• “Trying Out a Job Once on the PC” on page 5-40

• “Trying Out a Job on the PC in a Continuous Loop” on page 5-40

Trying Out a Step on the PCUse the following procedure to tryout a step on the PC before FrontRunner™ progresses to the next step:



3. Create your job (see “Creating a New Job” on page 5-33).

4. To tryout a step, highlight the step in the left window pane and then click Tryout Current Step on PC, as shown in Figure 5–50.

Zoom 1:1

Zoom In

Zoom Out

Zoom To Fit Window




Trying Out a Job Once on the PCUse the following procedure to tryout a job once on the PC and then stop:




4. To tryout your job once on the PC and then stop, click Tryout Program on PC Once and then Stop, as shown in Figure 5–51.


If the job runs successfully and you are satisfied with it, your next step would be to save the job (see “Saving a Job” on page 5-44) and download it to the camera (see “Downloading a Job” on page 5-43).

Trying Out a Job on the PC in a Continuous LoopUse the following procedure to tryout a job on the PC in a continuous loop:




4. Click Tryout Program on PC in a Loop, as shown in Figure 5–52.


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FIGURE 5–52. Tryout Program on PC in a Loop

5. To stop the job, click Tryout Program on PC in a Loop again.

If the job runs successfully and you are satisfied with it, your next step would be to save the job (see “Saving a Job” on page 5-44) and download it to the camera (see “Downloading a Job” on page 5-43).

Pausing a TryoutUnlike Tryout Program on PC Once and then Stop and Tryout Program on PC in a Loop, which terminate only when they are finished, Pause Tryout allows you to stop a job while it is running. Assume, for example, that you have a very large job, and that you want to see what various outputs are in the job before it gets to the end. Using Pause Tryout, you can stop the job before it reaches its end, and display the outputs you want to look at.

Use the following procedure to pause a job that you have been trying out:



3. Click Pause Tryout, as shown in Figure 5–53.

FIGURE 5–53. Pause Tryout

4. To continue, click Pause Tryout again.

Opening an Existing JobUse the following procedure to open a Job that was previously saved to disk:


a. Click Open Job, as shown in Figure 5–54.



FIGURE 5–54. Open Job Button

b. From the FrontRunner™ File menu, click Open Job.

FrontRunner™ displays the Open Job dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–55.

FIGURE 5–55. Open Job Dialog Box

2. Select a job and click OK.

Uploading a JobUse the following procedure to upload a job from the camera to FrontRunner™:



3. Click Upload Program from Device To PC, as shown in Figure 5–56.

FIGURE 5–56. Upload Program from Device To PC


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FrontRunner™ uploads the job on the camera to the PC.

Upload Program from Device To PC uploads companion files (fonts, images, and Perl scripts) for jobs with these tools. FrontRunner™ places these files under Vscape in the following locations:

• <InstallDrive>\VScape\Jobs\<SmartCamera Name>\fonts

• <InstallDrive>\VScape\Jobs\<SmartCamera Name>\images

• <InstallDrive>\VScape\Jobs\<SmartCamera Name>\perlmod

The uploaded job is reprogrammed to point these files to the new location such that the job will run in TryOut mode without further editing.

Downloading a Job

Note: To ensure that the downloaded job remains the default job on the camera, save the program to flash memory on the camera. For more information, see “Saving a Job to Flash Memory on the Camera” on page 5-46.

Use the following procedure to download a job from FrontRunner™ to the camera:



3. Click Download Program from PC to Device, as shown in Figure 5–57.

FIGURE 5–57. Download Program from PC to Device

FrontRunner™ downloads the job to the device.

Starting a Job on the CameraTo start a job on the camera, click Start Program on Device, as shown in Figure 5–58.



FIGURE 5–58. Starting the Job on the Camera

Saving JobsThis section contains information about the following:

• “Saving a Job” on page 5-44

• “Saving an Existing Job with a Different Name.” on page 5-45

• “Saving a Job to Flash Memory on the Camera” on page 5-46

Saving a JobUse the following procedure to save a job to the PC:





a. Click Save Job, as shown in Figure 5–59.

FIGURE 5–59. Save Program

b. From the FrontRunner™ File menu, click Save Job.

FrontRunner™ displays the Save dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–60.


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FIGURE 5–60. Save Job Dialog Box

5. In the File name text box, type a name for the job you want to save.

6. Click Save.

Note: If the job already resides on disk, FrontRunner™ will simply save the job without displaying the Save Job dialog box.

Saving an Existing Job with a Different Name.Use the following procedure to save the current job with a different name:



3. If the camera is running, stop it (see “Stopping a Camera” on page 5-31).

4. From the FrontRunner™ File menu, click Save Job As.



FrontRunner™ displays the Save As dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–61.

FIGURE 5–61. Save Job As Dialog Box

5. In the File name text box, type a different name for the job you want to save.

6. Click Save.

Saving a Job to Flash Memory on the CameraUse the following procedure to save a job on the camera to the camera’s flash memory:



3. Click Save Program on Device to Flash Memory, as shown in Figure 5–62.


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FIGURE 5–62. Save Program on Device to Flash Memory

FrontRunner™ saves the job to flash memory on the camera.

Dumping a Job to a Text FileUse the following procedure to create a text file containing a listing of each loaded Vision System:



3. Create a new job (see “Creating a New Job” on page 5-33) or open an existing job (see “Opening an Existing Job” on page 5-41).

4. From the FrontRunner™ File menu, click Dump Job to Text File.

FrontRunner™ displays the Save Vision System Tree As Text dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–63.



FIGURE 5–63. Save Vision System Tree As Text Dialog Box

5. In the File name text box, type a name for the text file.

6. Ensure that Save as type is “Text Files (*.txt).”

7. Click Save.

Displaying Job InfoUse the following procedure to display the header information from an AVP File:



3. From the FrontRunner™ File menu, click Show Job Info.


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FrontRunner™ displays the Select Job File dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–64.

FIGURE 5–64. Select Job File Dialog Box

4. Highlight the Job file for which you want to display job information and click Open.

FrontRunner™ displays a window similar to the one in Figure 5–65:



FIGURE 5–65. Job Info Window

Closing a JobTo close the current Job, from the FrontRunner™ File menu, click Close Job.

The Part QueueEvery Inspection Step maintains a Queue of the last n cycle images and results. You decide how large the queue will be and whether it stores results and images for every part, or just for passed parts, or just for failed parts. If you activate the Queue, the Part Queue Viewer allows you to upload it, and view any of the images and results that were stored on the device at runtime. Figure 5–66 shows the buttons on the Part Queue Viewer window.

FIGURE 5–66. Part Queue Viewer Window Buttons

Upload Part Queue (clear from camera by default)

Move forward through list of records

Move backward through list of records

Select Snapshot to View

Clear the images from device without uploading

Save current image or entire set

Zoom Buttons


The Part Queue

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• Upload Part Queue (clear from camera by default) — This button will be disabled if the Part Queue is turned off or empty for the currently active inspection. The drop down menu allows you to select just one of the entries in the queue to upload.

• Move forward / backward through list of records — Scrolls up or down through the Queue, allowing you to move from beginning to end. Typically, the Filmstrip on the left side of the dialog will show you four images, but your queue will most likely be larger than that. These keys do not affect the displayed image and results on the right side of the dialog; they simply scroll the film strip.

• Select Snapshot to View — If the active Inspection contains multiple Snapshot Steps, then use this drop down button menu to select the snapshot whose images you want to view.

• Clear the images from device without uploading — Erases all data currently in the Queue without uploading it.

• Save current image or entire set — Allows you to save the currently selected image to disk. You must use the “Select Folder” option to specify where you want the image saved. Then, the image will be saved to that folder, using the naming convention:

Inspection_CycleNumber_SnapshotNumber

For example, the image from cycle 20, snapshot 1 would be saved to the name “Inspection_000000020_01.tif”.

• Zoom Image — Zooms in or out on the selected image.

The remainder of this section contains information about:

• “Setting Up and Starting the Part Queue” on page 5-51

• “Viewing Images in the Part Queue” on page 5-57

• “Saving Images and Records” on page 5-58

Setting Up and Starting the Part QueueUse the following procedure to set up and start the Part Queue:





3. From the Edit window in FrontRunner™, open (see Figure 5–67) or maximize the Editor.

FIGURE 5–67. Editor Button

4. Highlight the Inspection step in the Step Tree.

5. Click Show Advanced Datums, as shown in Figure 5–68.

FIGURE 5–68. Show Advanced Datums Button

FrontRunner™ displays the Inspection Step properties page with the Part Queue properties displayed, as shown in Figure 5–69.

FIGURE 5–69. Inspection Step Properties Page (Partial Page Displayed)

Show Advanced Datums

Part Queue Properties


The Part Queue

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6. Click to the right of Part Queue Storage Mode and select one of the following options for storing images:

– Store All Images

– Store Failed Images

– Store Passed Images

– Store Qualified Images (see “Storing Qualified Images” on page 5-54)

Note: Clicking Store No Images (the default) stops the Part Queue.

7. Click to the right of Part Queue Size (Cycles). Specify a value to indicate the number of images to be stored by the Inspection Step.


Note: The Part Queue will not start until you download a job to the camera.


9. Click Save Job to Flash Memory on Device, as shown in Figure 5–71.

FIGURE 5–71. Save Job to Flash Memory on Device Button

10. Click Start Program on Device, as shown in Figure 5–72.

FIGURE 5–72. Starting the Job on the Camera

11. Click Part Queue, as shown in Figure 5–73.



FIGURE 5–73. Part Queue Button

FrontRunner™ displays the main Part Queue window. The status bar (Figure 5–74) will increment as each image is saved in the Part Queue.

FIGURE 5–74. Part Queue Status Bar

Storing Qualified ImagesVisionscape® allows you to store images that meet certain criteria that you specify in the Part Queue Qualifier. If Part Queue Qualifier evaluates to TRUE, then the image is saved in the Queue; if it evaluates to FALSE, then it is not. When an inspection runs and meets the image storage criteria, the inspection step saves all camera images in CPU memory for that part, which can then be stored to be reviewed at a later time.

Use the following procedure to specify the criteria for storing qualified images:



3. From the Edit window in FrontRunner™, open (see Figure 5–75) or maximize the Editor.


4. Highlight the Inspection step in the Step Tree.

5. Click Show Advanced Datums, as shown in Figure 5–76.


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FIGURE 5–76. Show Advanced Datums Button

FrontRunner™ displays the Inspection Step properties page with the Part Queue properties displayed, as shown in Figure 5–77.

FIGURE 5–77. Inspection Step Properties Page (Partial Page Displayed)

6. Click to the right of Part Queue Storage Mode and select Store Qualified Images.

7. Click to the right of Part Queue Qualifier. FrontRunner™ displays a text window and the Edit button to the right of Part Queue Qualifier, as shown in Figure 5–78.

FIGURE 5–78. Displaying Edit Button

8. Click Edit. FrontRunner™ displays the Edit Expression dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–79.

Show Advanced Datums

Part Queue Properties



FIGURE 5–79. Edit Expression Dialog Box

9. Notice the various expressions in the Edit Expressions dialog box.

10. To add an expression so that it becomes part of the criteria by which an image is evaluated, highlight the expression in the lower right panel and click Add.

FrontRunner™ adds the expression to the upper panel.

11. When you are finished adding expressions, click OK.

Note: For detailed information about expressions, see Chapter 8 of the HawkEye™ 1600 Tools Reference Manual.


The Part Queue

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Viewing Images in the Part QueueAfter setting up and starting the Part Queue, you can view images in the queue.

Use the following procedure to view images in the Part Queue:

1. Click Upload Part Queue, as shown in Figure 5–80.

FIGURE 5–80. Upload Part Queue

Note: By default, this clears the camera.

FrontRunner™ displays a screen similar to the one in Figure 5–81. This screen displays:

– A horizontal row of images in the queue

– A green/red pass/fail status for the currently selected image

– Cycle information for the currently selected image

– A larger image of the currently selected image

Upload Part Queue (clear from camera by default)



FIGURE 5–81. Image and Cycle Data

2. Click Move forward and Move backward to cycle through the images.

3. Click on the image in the filmstrip on the left that you want to display.

Saving Images and RecordsFrom the Part Queue, you can save:

• The current image

• The current record

• All records


The Part Queue

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• “Saving the Current Image From the Part Queue” on page 5-59

• “Saving the Current Record in the Part Queue” on page 5-59

• “Saving All Records in the Part Queue” on page 5-60

Saving the Current Image From the Part QueueUse the following procedure to save the current image in the Part Queue:

1. From the Save drop down menu, click Save Current Image, as shown in Figure 5–82.

FIGURE 5–82. Part Queue Save Images

FrontRunner™ saves the image in the Jobs folder using the naming convention:

Inspection_CycleNumber_SnapshotNumber.tif

For example:

FIGURE 5–83. Part Queue — Save One Image Naming Convention

Saving the Current Record in the Part QueueUse the following procedure to save the current record in the Part Queue:

1. From the Save drop down menu, click Save Current Record, as shown in Figure 5–84.




FrontRunner™ saves all records in the Jobs folder using the naming convention:

Inspection_CycleNumber.vrf

For example:

FIGURE 5–85. Part Queue — Save Current Records Naming Convention

Saving All Records in the Part QueueUse the following procedure to save all records in the Part Queue:

1. From the Save drop down menu, click Save All Records, as shown in Figure 5–86.


FrontRunner™ saves all records in the Jobs folder using the naming convention:

Inspection_CycleNumber.vrf

For example:


Configuring Ports

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FIGURE 5–87. Part Queue — Save All Records Naming Convention

Configuring Ports

Serial PortsThe COM ports are indexed to the target platform’s available UARTs. The default is NONE, which will construct the output string datum but not transmit the result on any port.

Use the following procedure to configure the serial ports:



3. From the File menu, select Configure Device.

FrontRunner™ displays the Configure dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–88.



FIGURE 5–88. Configure Serial Ports Dialog Box

4. Using the drop down menus, configure the various parameters.

5. Click Apply.

6. Click OK.

TCP PortsThe TCP ports are indexed according to the port settings specified in the Configure Device dialog box. For example, if the “Starting Serial TCP Port” is 49211, then selecting TCP1 will output on port 49211, TCP2 on port 49212, etc. The default is NONE, which will construct the output string datum but not transmit the result on any port.

Use the following procedure to configure the TCP ports:



3. From the File menu, select Configure Device.

FrontRunner™ displays the Configure dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–89.


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FIGURE 5–89. Configure TCP Ports Dialog Box

4. Click the TCP Ports tab.

5. Type in the appropriate information to configure the ports.

6. Click Apply.

7. Click OK.

Displaying...This section contains information about:

• “Cycle, Process, & Draw Timing” on page 5-64

• “The IP Address & MAC Address of a Camera” on page 5-66

• “The Version of Software on a Camera” on page 5-66

• “The Revision Level for FrontRunner™” on page 5-67

• “Statistics and Reports” on page 5-68

• “Detailed Runtime Statistics” on page 5-70



• “The Debug Window” on page 5-70

Cycle, Process, & Draw TimingThe Chart window displays graphically the cycle, process, and draw timing for the camera. FrontRunner™ displays timing data for the cycle (trigger to trigger), process time (not including Acquisition) and idle time. Each inspection sample is color coded: green dot for Pass and red dot for Fail. In addition, the background color of the chart reflects the Inspection status for that cycle in time (light green for pass, light red for fail). Toolbar control buttons allow you to zoom the graph in and out.

Use the following procedure to display the cycle, process, and draw timing for a camera:



3. Click Charts.

4. FrontRunner™ displays a screen similar to the one in Figure 5–90.


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FIGURE 5–90. Charts Window

If you click Manual Zoom (Figure 5–91), FrontRunner™ displays Min and Max windows where you can specify minimum and maximum values for the Charts window display.

FIGURE 5–91. Manual Zoom Button

Click Manual Zoom again to turn off manual zoom.

Manual Zoom



The IP Address & MAC Address of a CameraUse the following procedure to determine the IP address and MAC address of a camera:


2. Move and hover the mouse pointer over the camera name, as shown in Figure 5–92.

FIGURE 5–92. Displaying the IP Address & MAC Address of a Camera

The IP address of scotts1610 is 10.2.1.208.

The MAC address of scotts1610 is 00:60:33:E0:05:44.

The Version of Software on a CameraUse the following procedure to determine the version of software on a camera:


2. Move and hover the mouse pointer over the camera name, as shown in Figure 5–93.


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FIGURE 5–93. Displaying the Version of Software on a Camera

This camera is running version 3.5.0.126.

The Revision Level for FrontRunner™Use this procedure to display the revision level for FrontRunner™.


2. From the FrontRunner™ Help menu, click About FrontRunner.

FrontRunner™ displays the About FrontRunner™ window, as shown in Figure 5–94.



FIGURE 5–94. About FrontRunner™ Window

3. To close the window, click OK.

Statistics and ReportsUse the following procedure to display statistics and reports:


2. Click Reports, as shown in Figure 5–95.

FIGURE 5–95. Reports

FrontRunner™ displays the Statistics and Reports window, as shown in Figure 5–96.


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FIGURE 5–96. Statistics and Report Window

• Show / Hide Extended Statistics — The LED in this icon turns green if the inspection passed, and red if the inspection failed.

• Show results in World (calibrated) space — Show results in a world coordinate versus a pixel coordinate system.

• Show all statistics in World (calibrated) space — Show statistics in a world coordinate versus a pixel coordinate system.

• Reset all counters and statistics — Resets both the counters and the statistics to zero.

• Reset inspection counters — Resets only the counters to zero.

• Reset all statistics — Resets only the statistics to zero.

• Copy result data to Clipboard — Copies the data to the Clipboard as tab-delimited text.

Show / Hide Extended Results

Show results in World (calibrated) space

Show all statistics in World (calibrated) space

Reset all counters & statistics

Reset inspection counters

Reset all statistics

Copy result data to Clipboard

Turn Result Output On/Off

Open Result Output Options Dialog



• Turn Result Output ON/OFF — If you have not selected anything for Results Output, then this button has no effect.

• Open Result Output Options dialog — Allows you to choose various formatting options to be applied to your uploaded data, and then you can choose to either write that data to disk, send it out the Serial Port, or send it out an Ethernet Port via TCP/IP.

Detailed Runtime StatisticsUse the following procedure to display detailed runtime statistics:


2. Click Display Detailed Runtime Statistics, as shown in Figure 5–97.

FIGURE 5–97. Displaying Detailed Runtime Statistics

FrontRunner™ displays a screen similar to the one in Figure 5–98.

FIGURE 5–98. Detailed Runtime Statistics Displayed

The Debug WindowThe Debug window displays output messages from Perl scripts and internal messages from the Visionscape® Framework and from FrontRunner™.

Use the following procedure to display the debug window:


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1. From the FrontRunner™ View menu, click Debug Output.

FrontRunner™ displays the Debug window, as shown in Figure 5–99.

FIGURE 5–99. Debug Window

– Clear the display — Clears the Debug Output window.

– When important messages are added to the display, show this window — Automatically displays important messages when they are added to the window.

– Set the Acuity debug level — Allows you to set the importance of a message:

• None (default)

• Level x, where x is a value (1 - 6)

– Log all messages to — Starts/Stops active logging of debug messages.

Note: Active logging of debug messages can affect Visionscape’s ability to process jobs.

– Copy contents of Debug Window to Clipboard — Copies the contents to the Clipboard as tab-delimited text.

Clear the display

When important message are added to the display,show this window

Set the Acuity debug level

Log all messages to

Copy contents of Debug Window to the Clipboard



Setting Options & ParametersThe section contains information about:

• “Runtime Options” on page 5-72

• “Download Options” on page 5-73

• “Reports Options” on page 5-74

• “Startup Options” on page 5-75

• “Edit Parameters” on page 5-76

• “Runtime Parameters” on page 5-78

• “Timing Parameters” on page 5-80

Runtime OptionsUse the following procedure to set Runtime options:

1. From the FrontRunner™ File menu, click Options.

FrontRunner™ displays the Options dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–100.

FIGURE 5–100. Options Dialog Box — Runtime

From this page, you can set the following runtime options:

– PC Runtime Priority — This setting is used when FrontRunner™ is running a vision application. When the application starts, the runtime priority of the process is changed using this setting. The options are “Normal”, “High”, and “Realtime”.

Note: You must be logged into an account that has access rights to change the process setting accordingly. By default, only Administrators


Setting Options & Parameters

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and Power Users have this right. It can be changed on Windows 2000 in the Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy console. Update the Local Policies > User Rights Assignments > Increase scheduling priority setting accordingly. For more information on these settings, see the Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Resource Kit.

– Upload Runtime Images Into Setup — This setting keeps the images in Setup View synchronized with the last acquired images at Runtime. When active, it uses the Part Queue mechanism within each Inspection to save the last acquired image in memory. When you click to the Setup View, each Snapshot/Acquire in each Inspection is automatically converted to “Load Images From File” and the Part Queue image(s) are saved to disk. When downloading at Runtime, the job is automatically converted back to “Acquire From Camera”. The images are saved in the \VSCAPE\Jobs folder, separately for each job name.

Note: You can override each of these settings to force FrontRunner™ to display all images or results; however, overriding these settings can cause FrontRunner™ to become unresponsive to the mouse and keyboard.

2. When you are finished, click OK.

Download OptionsUse the following procedure to set Download options:


FrontRunner™ displays the Options dialog box.

2. Click Download.

FrontRunner™ displays the Options dialog box with the Download tab, as shown in Figure 5–101.



FIGURE 5–101. Options Dialog Box — Download

From this page you can set the required space for the ASIC banks and MIPS memory on an Acuity Vision Processor, as well as options to clear the FILESD0 and PERLD0 RAM drives on the Processor at each download:

– Require Space ASIC Bank x — Sets the amount of unused memory required by the ASIC before downloading your Job to an Acuity Vision Processor. You can use the ASIC memory display of the Edit Window to measure the amount of memory used by your Job. By default, only 1KB is required on each memory bank of the ASIC in order to download your Job.

– Require Space MIPS — Not used.

– Always Clear FILESD0 / Always Clear PERLD0 — When enabled, automatically clears all files from the /FILESD0 or /PERLD0 RAM drive on the Acuity Vision Processor, respectively. These RAM drives store image files (.tif) on the Acuity Vision Processor when you are running your acquisitions from .tif, and for storing custom Perl scripts for your Custom Vision Steps.


Reports OptionsUse the following procedure to set Reports options:





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2. Click Reports.

FrontRunner™ displays the Options dialog box with the Reports tab, as shown in Figure 5–102.

FIGURE 5–102. Options Dialog Box — Reports

From this page you can set the startup options for the report and decimal accuracy:

– Number of x decimal places — Use this option to set the decimal accuracy of floating-point values in the report. The default is 5 digits after the decimal point.

– Use Calibrated Space when activated — When this option is checked and the report is activated, by default, the report will use calibrated space. Otherwise, values are shown in the report in pixel space when the report is started.


Startup OptionsUse the following procedure to set Startup options:



2. Click Startup.

FrontRunner™ displays the Options dialog box with the Startup tab, as shown in Figure 5–103.



FIGURE 5–103. Options Dialog Box — Reports

From this page you can specify startup options for FrontRunner™:

– Load Last Job at Startup — Reloads the last job edited at startup. When checked, the options beneath are also enabled.

– Download it too — Re-downloads the last job at startup after loading it into memory.

– Start All Inspections — Starts all the inspections in the entire job at startup after download.

– Show All Reports — Activates all reports in the entire job after starting all the inspections.


Edit ParametersFrontRunner™ allows you to specify what action(s) will take place after you change a step or during tryout.

Use the following procedure to specify what action(s) will take place after you change a step or during tryout:

1. From the main FrontRunner™ window, click Settings, as shown in Figure 5–104.

FIGURE 5–104. Settings Button



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FrontRunner™ displays the Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–105.

FIGURE 5–105. Settings — Edit Dialog Box

2. Click to select any or all of the following parameters:

– Automatic Run Step after Change — When checked, FrontRunner™ automatically runs the step after a change is made to its ROI or properties.

– Acquire Images During Tryout — TBD

– Use I/O During Tryout — Enables/disables I/O during tryout.

– Use Triggers During Tryout — Enables/disables triggers when running a tryout.

– Automatic Train Step after Change — When checked, FrontRunner™ automatically trains (when appropriate) the step after a tool is inserted, moved, or resized.

– Delay Between Steps in Tryout — When checked, FrontRunner™ slows down the “action” by adding a delay between each tool so that you can see specific tool activity.



– Show Properties — Allows you to specify if and where a tool’s properties page is displayed in Tryout View:

• Hide (default)

• Below View

• Right of View

3. Close the Settings dialog box

Runtime ParametersFrontRunner™ allows you to specify how fast images are updated, and what images and graphics are displayed.

Use the following procedure to specify how fast images are updated, and what images and graphics are displayed:






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FIGURE 5–107. Settings — Runtime Dialog Box

2. Click to select any or all of the following parameters:

– Image Display Rate — Allows you to specify how fast image displays are updated

• 2 per second

• 4 per second

• 8 per second

• Maximum w/drops

• ALL Images (no drops)

– Show PC Runtime Image — Displays images on the PC while running.

– Show PC Runtime Graphics — Displays the tool graphics overlaid on the image during runtime.

– Show Device Runtime Image — Displays images on the device’s VGA output (4000 boards) while running.

– Show Device Runtime Graphics — Displays the tool graphics overlaid on the image on the device’s VGA output

– Show Device Runtime Report — Displays the tool graphics overlaid on the image on the device’s VGA output.



3. Close the Settings dialog box.

Timing ParametersFrontRunner™ allows you to enable or disable the uploading of timing data.

Use the following procedure to enable the uploading of timing data:




FIGURE 5–109. Settings — Timing Dialog Box

2. Click to select Enable Step Timing.

Note: You have to have a job loaded before you can enable step timing.




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4. Click Start Program on Device, as shown in Figure 5–111.

FIGURE 5–111. Start Program on Device



FrontRunner™ displays the Statistics and Reports window. Notice that FrontRunner™ has added the Display Timing Report button to the Statistics and Report window, as shown in Figure 5–113.

FIGURE 5–113. Statistics and Report — Display Timing Report

6. Click Display Timing Report.

FrontRunner™ displays the Timing Report window, as shown in Figure 5–114.



FIGURE 5–114. Statistics and Report — Timing Report

Note: Get Next Data updates the data in the Timing Report.

Resetting Timing DataTo reset timing data to zero:

• For Acuity 1000 boards, click this button.

• For Acuity 4000 boards and HawkEye 1600 Smart Cameras, simply download you job again.

Displaying I/O TransitionsThe I/O Display (Figure 5–115) watches I/O transitions for Physical I/O, Sensors, Strobes, and all 2048 Virtual I/O points. You can also use the green Click to record transitions to a DSS file button to record transitions over time to a DSS file and examine the transitions using the Digital Soft Scope tool. You can select the Vision System in the list at the top, then connect or disconnect the display using the green Connection button. I/O states are updated in the display


Displaying I/O Transitions

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as they occur. When an I/O point is asserted, the button turns red. You can also click the button to toggle the I/O point. For GPIO points programmed as inputs as well as for Sensors, clicking the button has no effect. You can display 128 points of the Virtual I/O at one time. Use the Range: list box to select the points you want to display.

Simulating TriggersFrontRunner™ allows you to simulate a trigger in a job for diagnostic purposes.

Use the following procedure to simulate a trigger:

1. To start FrontRunner™, select Start > Programs > Visionscape > FrontRunner.

FrontRunner™ displays its main window.



4. Create a new job (see “Creating a New Job” on page 5-33) or open an existing job (see “Opening an Existing Job” on page 5-41).

5. Click Editor to display the Step Tree.

6. Select Acquire in the left window pane.

Note: You may have to click the Acquire tab.

7. Click to the right of the Trigger property.

8. From the pull-down menu, select Virtual Point.

9. To the right of Virtual Point, select a number. For example, 0001.

10. Close the Editor window.

11. From the main FrontRunner™ window, click I/O.

FrontRunner™ displays the I/O Display window, as shown in Figure 5–115.



FIGURE 5–115. I/O Display Window

12. In the I/O Display window, select a camera (see Figure 5–115).

13. Click Connect/Disconnect (see Figure 5–115).

Note: When the Connect/Disconnect button is green, you are connected.

14. Select the Virtual I/O trigger (bottom right part of screen) you selected previously in the Acquire properties page.

15. By default, the Trigger Interval is 500 ms. Change this now if you want to.

16. Click Settings (Figure 5–116), to display the Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–117.

Select a Camera

Connect/Disconnect

Start Triggers

Click to record transitions in a DSS file


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FIGURE 5–117. Settings Dialog Box

17. Click to select Use I/O During Tryout.

18. Click to select Use Triggers During Tryout.

19. Close the Settings dialog box.

20. In the I/O display window, click Start Triggers (see Figure 5–115).

FrontRunner™ displays the Waiting for Triggers window, as shown in Figure 5–118.

FIGURE 5–118. Waiting For Trigger Window

21. To run the job with a simulated trigger, click Tryout, as shown in Figure 5–119




Examining I/O Transitions (Digital Soft Scope)Digital Soft Scope examines I/O transitions recorded in a DSS file.

Use the following procedure to examine I/O transitions recorded in a DSS file:

1. From the FrontRunner™ View menu, click Digital Soft Scope.

FrontRunner™ displays the Digital Soft Scope main window, as shown in Figure 5–120.

FIGURE 5–120. Digital Soft Scope Main Window


Enabling ROI Masking

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2. From the File menu, select Open.

FrontRunner™ displays the Open dialog box.

3. Select a DSS file (*.dss) and click Open.

The resulting signal trace can be viewed graphically as a timing diagram useful for analyzing I/O timing and interaction.

To modify the time slice of the trace view, adjust the slider bar located at the top left. This changes the number of seconds per division in the view. Adjusting the Current View slider bar to the right scrolls the view window to display the signals in different time segments. The time segment and the total time of the recorded signals are displayed above this slider. A summary of transitions, or trace statistics, of each signal can be obtained by clicking on the name of that signal in the signal list. Clicking the right mouse button provides additional capabilities including time measurement, zooming, redrawing, and removal of signals. Once a signal is removed, it can be added to the trace again by clicking on that signal name in the signal list.

One of the most useful features of the Digital Soft Scope tool is the ability to measure signal lengths and time between transitions. A click in the signal window enables the measuring tool, which appears as a pair of white dotted lines that can be moved independently. When the lines are positioned, the time difference represented by the distance between them is displayed at the bottom of the main window. This time is continuously adjusted as the tools move.

Enabling ROI MaskingTo display the ROI Masking Toolbar, from the FrontRunner™ View menu, click Display Tools > Mask Tools.

FrontRunner™ displays the ROI Masking Toolbar, as shown in Figure 5–121.



FIGURE 5–121. ROI Masking Toolbar

Using this floating toolbar, you can select different drawing tools and draw a mask in the ROI of a mask-oriented tool.

You can enable the mask capability of an appropriate tool by selecting the tool in the Step Tree. The Lightbulb button in the Masking Toolbar is enabled. When you click it, it “lights up”, enables the mask in the tool and enables the drawing tool buttons of the toolbar. You can then select any of the drawing tools, and draw the mask using the mouse or select the “pointer” to return to standard tool selection/insertion with the mouse.


Enabling ROI Masking

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FIGURE 5–122. ROI Masking Toolbar Descriptions

Enable/Disable the mask

Use normal tool insertion

1x1 square pen

2x2 square pen

4x4 square pen

Draw free-style with a brush

Draw solid lines

6x6 square pen

8x8 square pen

10x10 square pen

Draw unfilled rectangles

Draw filled rectangles

12x12 square pen

14x14 square pen

16x16 square pen

Draw unfilled circles

Draw filled circles

Fill connected areas

Erase Mask insteadof Draw Mask



• Fill ROI — Fills the entire ROI of the masked tool.

• Clear ROI — Erases the entire ROI of the masked tool.

Formatting Uploaded DataFrontRunner™ allows you to specify formatting that will be applied to the uploaded data from all inspections and all AVPs.

Note: The options you choose in this section will be stored in the Registry, and are NOT specific to the AVP you have loaded currently.

The Result Communication Configuration window contains the following tabs:

• The Result Output Options tab allows you to specify where uploaded data is sent (Log File, RS-232, or TCP/IP).

• The Formatting Option tab allows you to specify formatting for uploaded data.


• “Specifying Where the Uploaded Data Will Be Sent” on page 5-90

• “Specifying What the Uploaded Data Will Look Like” on page 5-96

• “Turning Result Output On & Off” on page 5-101

Specifying Where the Uploaded Data Will Be SentUse the following procedure to specify where uploaded data will be sent:






Formatting Uploaded Data

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FrontRunner™ displays the Statistics and Reports window.

5. Click Result Communication Configuration, as shown in Figure 5–124.

FIGURE 5–124. Result Communication Configuration

FrontRunner™ displays the Result Output Options window, as shown in Figure 5–125.

FIGURE 5–125. Result Output Options Window

6. Do one of the following:

– If you want to send data to a log file, see “To a Log File” on page 5-92.

– If you want to send data out the serial port, see “Out the Serial Port” on page 5-93.

– If you want to send data out TCP, see “Out TCP/IP” on page 5-94.



To a Log File

1. Click Log File.

2. Click Configure Output Option.

FrontRunner™ displays the Log File Options window, as shown in Figure 5–126.

FIGURE 5–126. Log File Options Window

3. Specify the log file path (path and file name) to your log file. Use the “Browse…” button as needed

4. Specify when the log file should be cleared:

– Never (the default)

– Every Time the Job is Downloaded

– Every Time the Inspections are Started

– Clear Log File Now

Note: The Log File options are global to all AVPs and are saved to the registry.



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Out the Serial Port

1. Click RS-232.


FrontRunner™ displays the Serial Port Settings window, as shown in Figure 5–127.

FIGURE 5–127. Serial Port Settings Window

3. Specify the following:



– Port — The PC serial port to use.

– Maximum Speed — The baud rate.

– Connection Preferences — The number of data bits, stop bits and polarity.

– Flow Control — The flow control that should be applied to the serial transmission.

– Send Test String — Assists with the debugging of the serial connection. Type any string in the text box and click Send to transmit it to the other computer.

– Messages — Lists various status messages including error messages (for example, if FrontRunner™ is unable to open the specified serial port). General status messages will be listed in green; error messages will be listed in red.

Note: The serial port settings are saved to the registry and are global to all AVPs.


Out TCP/IP

1. Click TCP/IP


FrontRunner™ displays the TCP/IP Connection Settings window, as shown in Figure 5–128.



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FIGURE 5–128. TCP/IP Connection Settings Window

Use this dialog box to specify how you will connect to the remote computer system. In a TCP/IP connection, one computer must be the server, and all other computers then act as clients. By default, FrontRunner™ is the client, although you have the option to make it the server if that better suits your application.

Note: If you choose to make FrontRunner™ the server, it can handle only one connection.

3. Specify the following:

– I’m the Client — Specifies that FrontRunner™ should act as the client. This is the default.

– I’m the Server — Specifies that FrontRunner™ should act as the server.



– Server Name or IP Address — When FrontRunner™ is the client, specifies the IP address of the server. If you are connecting to a network that uses DNS, then you can enter the name of the server. If FrontRunner™ is the server, this option is disabled.

– Port Number — Enter the port number to connect on.

– Connect to Server / Disconnect from Server — If not currently connected, clicking this button will cause FrontRunner™ to attempt to connect to the server. If already connected, clicking this button will disconnect you. The text box underneath this button will always display your current connection status. This will be green when you are connected, red when you are disconnected. If FrontRunner™ is the server, clicking this button will cause it to break the current connection and start listening for a new connection from the client.

– Send Test String — Sends strings across your TCP/IP connection in order to assist with debugging. Enter a string and click Send to transmit your string.

– Messages — Various error and status messages will be dumped into this scrolling message window. Status messages will be printed in green, error messages in red.

When FrontRunner™ first starts up, it will attempt to connect to the specified Server IP address (or server name if your network uses DNS) on the specified Port. If it cannot connect, an error message will be posted to the message window. It will not try to connect again unless you open this dialog and click Connect to Server. If FrontRunner™ is the server, it will automatically start listening for a client connection request when it starts up. All settings entered in this dialog are global to all AVPs and are saved to the Registry.


Specifying What the Uploaded Data Will Look LikeThe Formatting Options tab allows you to specify formatting that will be applied to all inspections and all AVPs.

Note: The options you choose in this section will be stored in the Registry, and are NOT specific to the AVP you have loaded currently.



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Use the following procedure to apply formatting to inspections and AVPs:






FrontRunner™ displays the Statistics and Reports window, as shown in Figure 5–130.

FIGURE 5–130. Open Result Output Options

5. Click Open Result Output Options.

FrontRunner™ displays the Result Output Options window, as shown in Figure 5–131.

Open Result Output Options



FIGURE 5–131. Result Output Options Window

6. Click the Formatting Options tab.

FrontRunner™ displays the Formatting Options window, as shown in Figure 5–132.

FIGURE 5–132. Formatting Options Window



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7. Specify either of the Result Output Options:

– Result Names and Data

– Result Data Only

8. Specify the prefix and/or suffix.

The Prefix string is prepended to the beginning of your output string; the Suffix string is appended to the end of your output string. There are a series of predefined values that can be included in these strings; you can also enter your own fixed text if you desire. To add a string to either the Prefix or Suffix, click Add in the appropriate window.

FrontRunner™ displays the appropriate dialog box, as shown in Figure 5–133.

Note: The Select Prefix Options dialog box is on the left; the Select Suffix Options dialog box is on the right.

FIGURE 5–133. Select Prefix / Suffix Options Windows

Each dialog box lists the options that can be included in your Prefix and/or Suffix:

– Date — Current date.

– Time — Current time.



– Inspection Step Name — Name of the Inspection step for which results are being formatted. This can be useful if you are running multiple inspections.

– Inspection Status — The pass/fail status of the inspection for which results are being formatted. The text “PASS” will be written if the inspection passes, and “FAIL” if it fails.

– Total Inspected — The count of total parts inspected for the inspection from which results are being formatted.

– Total Passed — The count of total parts passed for the inspection from which results are being formatted.

– Total Rejected — The count of total parts rejected for the inspection from which results are being formatted.

– ASCII — Select this option if you want to include non-printable ASCII characters in your prefix/suffix. Selecting this option launches a separate dialog in which you can enter the numeric value of the ASCII character you need.

– User Entered Text — Use this option to enter your own text. A dialog will pop-up that will allow you to enter the text.

After you choose an option, FrontRunner™ adds it to the list box in the main dialog. FrontRunner™ adds the values to the Prefix/Suffix string in the order they are shown in the list, from top to bottom. If you want to modify the order of the values, use the up and down arrows to the right of the list. If you want to remove a value, select it in the list, and then click Remove.

9. Specify the formatting:

– Result Formatting

• Terminator After Each Result — When this option is chosen, the selected terminator string will be appended after each result. When writing results to a text file, this option can make the results easier to read.

• Terminator at End of all Results — When this result is chosen, all results are put into one long string, and a single terminator is appended at the end. This may be more appropriate when sending results to an external computer.



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– Delimiter — Selects the character that will separate your data in the output string. The choices are:

• Comma

• Space

• Tab

– Terminator — Selects the Terminator character. The choices are:

• None

• CR & LF (carriage return & line feed)

• CR (carriage return)

• LF (line feed)

10. When you finish, click OK.

Turning Result Output On & OffUse the following procedure to enable/disable result output:






FrontRunner™ displays the Statistics and Reports window.

5. Click Turn Result Output On/Off, as shown in Figure 5–135.



FIGURE 5–135. Turn Result Output On/Off

The status of Result Output is displayed in the lower left hand corner of the Reports window, as shown in Figure 5–136.

FIGURE 5–136. Result Output Status

Note: When Result Output is on, and Log File is the destination, FrontRunner™ displays the file specification for the log file.


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CHAPTER 6 Visionscape® Tutorials

The tutorials presented here are written to provide you with a basic functional understanding of Visionscape®. The tutorials are written in a progression of difficulty. These tutorials will teach the first time user to build a Job, run the Job, and observe the results.

Visionscape® is a very powerful, complex, and infinitely configurable tool. As a result of this flexibility, it is not possible to explain and document every possible scenario of creating a Job without the aid of a factory qualified training class. These tutorials are not meant to replace a training class; rather, they are provided as a companion to the training class.

The tutorials are:

• “Tutorial 1 — Defect Detection with Flaw Tool” on page 6-2

• “Tutorial 2 — OCV Fontless Tool” on page 6-17

• “Tutorial 3 — Data Matrix Tool” on page 6-28

• “Tutorial 4 — Using Measurement Tools in an Inspection” on page 6-39

• “Tutorial 5 — Using the Trajectory Step” on page 6-56


Chapter 6 Visionscape® Tutorials

Tutorial 1 — Defect Detection with Flaw ToolFrontRunner™ Job: tutorial_flawtool.avp

Flaws are described as chips, pits, scratches, texture variations, finishing abnormalities, burrs, bumps, inclusions, dents, dings, and general imperfections.

Flaw detection, inspecting for flaws, is being able to detect and quantify a flaw. Detection of flaws requires proper lighting and a processing algorithm.

This tutorial shows how to use Visionscape’s Flaw Tool to inspect flaws on I.C.s. All images used in the tutorial have the same text as the foreground. We will be inspecting for flaws in the background of the images. To inspect the background requires that we use a masking tool to mask out (hide) the mask in the foreground and apply the Flaw Tool algorithm on the background. The tools we use to solve this inspection problem are a Flaw Tool, a StaticMask Tool and a ThreePt Locator. The ThreePt Locator locates, or finds, the mask on the I.C. in the image. The part coordinates make sure the vision tools are run at the correct locations on the part. This is called Dynamic Location. Visionscape® re-samples the image and moves the relevant section into place to accomplish this.


This displays the main FrontRunner™ window.


a. For a camera already added to FrontRunner™, simply click the camera button.

b. For a camera that has not been added to FrontRunner™, click Add Btn, which displays the Select Device dialog box, as shown in Figure 6–1.


Tutorial 1 — Defect Detection with Flaw Tool

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c. Select a camera and click OK.

3. If the camera is running, click Take Control, as shown in Figure 6–2.


FrontRunner™ displays the Login to Device dialog box, as shown in Figure 6–3.

Note: You will not see this screen if no login parameters are set.


4. Enter your username and password (if applicable).

5. Click OK.

Default is hawkeye

Default is vision



6. Stop the camera by clicking Stop Camera, as shown in Figure 6–4.




7. Because we’re creating a new job, click No.

8. Start creating a new job by clicking Create New Program, as shown in Figure 6–6.

FIGURE 6–6. Create New Program Button

The camera will change to Edit Mode (indicated by the pencil next to the camera icon).

9. Click Editor (see Figure 6–7) to display the Job Tree. This allows you to view your Job as you create it.

Note: Maximize or minimize the Editor as needed to accomplish the steps in this procedure.



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10. Highlight Acquire in the Step Tree.

Note: You may have to click the Acquire tab in the properties window.

FrontRunner™ displays the Acquire properties page, as shown in Figure 6–8.

FIGURE 6–8. Acquire Properties Page

11. Adjust the following settings:


– File List — Click <empty>, and then Add... to display the Open dialog box. Browse for the file, rvsi01.tif, from Windows. It is located at: C:\vscape\jobs\. Select rvsi01.tif and click Open.

Note: This file was installed from the installation CD onto your hard drive when you installed Visionscape®. If you installed Visionscape® to a location other than C:\vscape, replace it with the appropriate drive and directory designation.

12. Click Acquire New Image (Figure 6–9) to view rvsi01.tif, as shown in Figure 6–10.




FIGURE 6–10. RVSI01.tif

13. Right click Snapshot in the Tree Browser or click the down arrow.

14. Select Insert Into to display the Insert Step window, as shown in Figure 6–11.



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FIGURE 6–11. Insert Step Window

15. Select ThreePt Locator and click OK. FrontRunner™ inserts the selected step or tool into the Job. In our Job, you inserted the ThreePt Locator step into the Snapshot step.

16. Right click ThreePt Locator, select Insert Into, and click the Image/PreProcessing tab. Insert a Rect Warp into the ThreePt Locator. The Rect Warp and ThreePt Locator dynamically relocate the region to be inspected.

17. Right click Rect Warp, select Insert Into, and click the Analysis Tools tab. Insert a Flaw Tool into the Rect Warp.

18. Highlight Flaw Tool in the Step Tree.

19. Adjust the following parameters for the Flaw Tool:

– Tool Method — Count Pixels within Range of Intensity.

– Min Intensity Value to Include — 135.



– Max Intensity Value to Include — 255. These numbers may be adjusted after we have learned about our parts.

– Graphics Level — Show Details and Mask.

20. Right click Flaw Tool, select Insert Into, and click the Image/PreProcessing tab. Insert a StaticMask Tool into the Flaw Tool. StaticMask Tool eliminates the foreground text in the image.

21. In the StaticMask Tool properties page, adjust the following parameter:

– Number of Adjustments — 2.

22. The Job you created should look like the example shown in Figure 6–12.

FIGURE 6–12. Job Tree — Tutorial Complete

The Tryout Current Step on PC button (Figure 6–13) allows you to step through your Job as you set up and train each tool. A green check mark will appear next to each tool when you click Tryout Current Step on PC.


23. Minimize the Editor.

24. Highlight Inspection in the Step Tree.

25. Click Tryout Current Step on PC.



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Visionscape® automatically moves to the next trainable but untrained tool (in this case, the ThreePtLocator). Snapshot acquires the image and displays it in the Setup Window.

26. Click Tryout Current Step on PC. This will highlight ThreePt Locator, as shown Figure 6–14.

FIGURE 6–14. Snapshot to ThreePt Locator

27. To set up the ThreePt Locator, you will move and size its components called Find Pin 1, Find Pin 2, and Find Pin 3. The outer box is the Find Pin ROI. The inner box is the Template Find Pin. Click on the Template Find Pin 1 center handle and place it around the R of RVSI. Click on the center handle of Template Find Pin 2 and Template Find Pin 3 and place them as shown in Figure 6–15.



FIGURE 6–15. Find Pin Locations

28. Move and size the Find Pin ROI for the three Points. Your setup for ThreePt Locator should appear as shown in Figure 6–16.

Find Pin 1

Template Find Pin 1

Center Handle

Find Pin 3

Find Pin 2



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FIGURE 6–16. Setting Up the ThreePt Locator

The ThreePt Locator step and the Train button will display a red box until you have trained the tool. Also, the boxes around the untrained tool will remain dotted lines until trained.

29. Train the ThreePt Locator by clicking Train (Figure 6–17).

FIGURE 6–17. Train Button

30. Click Tryout Current Step on PC, as shown in Figure 6–18.




A trained ThreePt Locator will appear as shown in Figure 6–19.

FIGURE 6–19. ThreePt Locator — Trained

Observe that the ThreePt Locator has been green check marked.

31. Highlight Rect Warp.

32. Move and size the Rect Warp ROI so that it encloses the area to be inspected, as shown in Figure 6–20.



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FIGURE 6–20. Rect Warp ROI Positioned

33. Click Tryout Current Step on PC. Observe that Rect Warp has been green check marked; click on the Flaw Tool, as shown in Figure 6–21.



FIGURE 6–21. Flaw Tool ROI

34. The rvsi01.tif image is reduced to the size of the of the Rect Warp ROI. The Flaw Tool is not a trainable tool. However, it becomes trainable when the StaticMask Tool is inserted into it. Move and size the Flaw Tool ROI to enclose the area shown in Figure 6–22.

Note: You could also right click in the image and select Maximize ROI.



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FIGURE 6–22. Flaw Tool ROI Sized

35. Click Train. Notice that the foreground, the text, which is the mask pixels, are highlighted green, as shown Figure 6–22.

36. Click Tryout Current Step on PC to complete your Job. The masked parts will be red and then yellow.

37. Click Run the Inspection Once and then Stop (Figure 6–23).


This will run your Job once to verify your setup and settings. The inspection should pass. This is indicated by a green check mark next to the inspection.

Now is the time to add more images to the inspection. The images rvsi01.tif, rvsi02.tif, and rvsi03.tif are good (pass). The image rvsi06.tif is bad (fail). This tutorial is designed to catch bad parts. This will enable you to see the



bad image that the inspection failed because it was outside of the limits that were set.


39. Adjust the following setting:

– File List — Click to the right of File List, and then click Add... This displays the Open window. Browse for the files rvsi02.tif, rvsi03.tif, and rvsi06.tif from Windows. They are located at: C:\vscape\jobs\. Select rvsi02.tif, rvsi03.tif, and rvsi06.tif and click Open.

Note: These files were installed from the installation CD onto your hard drive when you installed Visionscape®. If you installed Visionscape® to a location other than C:\vscape, replace it with the appropriate drive and directory designation.

40. Click Tryout Program on PC in a Loop, as shown in Figure 6–24.


This will run a continuous loop of all the images and display a red square next to the steps that fail. You can also click Tryout Program on PC Once and then Stop to run each image, one after the other, one at a time, to view their results.


Tutorial 2 — OCV Fontless Tool

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Tutorial 2 — OCV Fontless ToolFrontRunner™ Job: tutorial_ocvfontless.avp

The OCV Fontless Tool is very useful in detecting font discrepancies.















5. Click OK.







Default is hawkeye

Default is vision



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9. Click Editor (Figure 6–31) to view the Job Tree. This allows you to view your Job as you create it.











– File List — Click <empty>, and then Add... This displays the Open window. Browse for the file, ocv1.tif, from Windows. It is located at: C:\vscape\jobs\. Select ocv1.tif and click Open. This will load the file and its path into the File List.

Note: This file was installed from the installation CD onto your hard drive when you installed Visionscape®. If you installed Visionscape® to a location other than C:\vscape, replace with the appropriate drive and directory designation.

12. Click Acquire New Image (Figure 6–33) to view ocv1.tif, as shown in Figure 6–34.


FIGURE 6–34. OCV1.tif



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13. Highlight Snapshot in the Step Tree. Right click Snapshot and click Insert Into. FrontRunner™ displays the Insert Step window, as shown in Figure 6–35. Highlight OCVFontless Tool and click OK.


Before the OCV Fontless Tool is trained, the characters in the image should be the proper size. The average character width for the characters should be approximately 20 pixels in width.

14. Close or minimize the Editor window.

15. Highlight OCVFontless Tool in the Step Tree.

The OCVFontless Tool has two boxes. The outer box is the AutoFind. The inner box is the OCV Fontless Tool.

16. Move and size the OCV Fontless Tool (inner box) around the characters to be inspected (L2A0693).

Note: If preferred, zoom the image to make it easier to adjust the box.



After sizing the OCV Fontless tool, select the AutoFind box (larger box). This box graphically shows you where the system will search for the code in the image. Move and size this box so that the inspected characters will stay inside this box when the inspection is run. After both boxes are adjusted, the OCV Fontless Tool will look similar to the graphic shown in Figure 6–36.

FIGURE 6–36. OCV Fontless Tool

17. Click Train (Figure 6–37) to train the OCV Fontless tool.

FIGURE 6–37. Train Button

The symbol boxes are placed around the characters based on the space between the characters. If any characters are touching, the characters will be grouped in one symbol box. The trained tool will be displayed as shown in Figure 6–38.



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FIGURE 6–38. OCV Fontless Tool — Trained

18. Test the inspection by clicking Tryout Program on PC Once and then Stop, as shown in Figure 6–39.


The inspection graphics for the OCV Fontless tool are shown in Figure 6–40.



FIGURE 6–40. OCV Fontless Tool — Inspection Graphics

The two large green boxes represent the AutoFind search area. Once the AutoFind has located the code, the character verification boxes are placed over each of the characters in the code. When the tool passes, the box will turn green. When the tool fails, the box will turn red.

19. After the Job has been tested and saved, you can download it to the camera and then run it.

Debugging TechniquesThe OCV Fontless tool has debug capabilities that can be used in the Edit window. After the OCV Fontless tool has been run, you can view the inspection graphics. When you move the mouse over an inspected character in the code, the original template of the character is displayed, as shown in Figure 6–41.



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FIGURE 6–41. OCV Fontless Tool — Inspected Character Code

When the shift key is held and the mouse is moved over an inspected character in the code, the inspection results for that character are displayed, as shown in Figure 6–42.



FIGURE 6–42. OCV Fontless Tool — Inspection Results

This Inspection Results Window displays the current values for the character and the tolerances set for the character. With this information, the tolerances can be set in the OCV Fontless tool to detect the types of failures you require. The readings take the form value/tolerance. If the value exceeds the tolerance, then that test has failed. A negative one (-1) means individual tests are disabled in the OCV Fontless datum page.



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Properties SettingsClick Editor (Figure 6–43) to display the OCVFontless tool properties page.


Some of the most commonly used parameters in the OCVFontless Tool are:

• Apply Automatic Min Sharpness — When enabled, verifies that the inspected characters are clear and in focus. By default, the tolerance for this inspection is determined to be 65% of the trained character.

• Apply Automatic Min Contrast — When enabled, verifies that the inspected characters have the proper contrast. When disabled, the OCVFontless Tool will still pass even if the characters are very dark. By default, the tolerance for this inspection is determined to be 50% of the trained character.

• Group Final Res Limit — The primary setting for the OCVFontless Tool. When this is set higher, it allows the characters to have more variation from the trained characters and still pass the inspection. You must click Apply Symbol Group Settings before these changes are made to the previously trained symbols. This button is located at the bottom of the properties page.



Tutorial 3 — Data Matrix ToolFrontRunner™ Job: tutorial_dmr.avp

This tutorial uses a saved image to demonstrate Data Matrix tool utilization. The goal is to set the image so the Data Matrix Tool sees the matrix with five pixels per matrix cell. This optimizes the Data Matrix reading process.










Tutorial 3 — Data Matrix Tool

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5. Click OK.






Default is hawkeye

Default is vision






9. Click Editor (Figure 6–50) to display the Job Tree. This allows you to view your Job as you create it.



10. Right click Snapshot in the Tree Browser or click the down arrow.

11. Select Insert Into to display the Insert Step window, as shown in Figure 6–51.



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12. Click the Imaging/PreProcessing tab.

13. Highlight Rect Warp and click OK.

14. Right click Rect Warp, select Insert Into, click the Analysis Tools tab, and highlight Data Matrix Tool.

15. Click OK.

The Job Tree should look similar to the one displayed in Figure 6–52.



FIGURE 6–52. Data Matrix Job Tree







– File List — Click <empty>, and then Add... This displays the Open window. Browse for the file, dm01.tif, from Windows. It is located at: C:\vscape\jobs\. Select dm01.tif and click Open. This will load the file and its path into the File List.

Note: This file was installed from the installation CD onto your hard drive when you installed Visionscape®. If you installed Visionscape® to



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a location other than C:\vscape, replace with the appropriate drive and directory designation.

18. Click Acquire New Image (Figure 6–54). This displays the dm01.tif image, as shown in Figure 6–55.


FIGURE 6–55. Data Matrix Displayed

19. Highlight Rect Warp in the left window pane.

20. Size the Rect Warp ROI to enclose the entire image, as shown in Figure 6–56.

Note: Leave plenty of space between the ROI and the Data Matrix.



FIGURE 6–56. Size Rect Warp ROI

21. Set the following scaling parameters for the Rect Warp:

– X ScaleFactor — 60.

– Y ScaleFactor — 60.

22. Click Tryout Current Step on PC (Figure 6–57) to highlight the DataMatrix Tool and green check mark to Rect Warp.


23. Highlight DataMatrix Tool in the left window pane. Notice that the image has reduced in scale factor to 60% of the original size.

24. Zoom in to enlarge the image before proceeding with this tutorial.



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25. Right click and select Maximize ROI. You should see a screen similar to the screen shown in Figure 6–58.

Note: Leave plenty of space around the Data Matrix for a quiet zone.

FIGURE 6–58. Sizing DataMatrix Tool

26. Click Train. If the DataMatrix Tool fails to train, perform the alphabetic steps below. Otherwise, go to Step 28.

a. If the DataMatrix Tool did not train, as indicated by the red square placed next to the tool, display the DataMatrix Tool properties page.

b. Enable (check) Assisted Learn. This displays a green ROI box.

c. Click on this ROI box and size it as close to the DataMatrix as possible, as shown in Figure 6–58. Zoom in to enlarge the image if you need to. This will help when sizing the ROI box.

d. Click Train to train the DataMatrix Tool. The Train button box will turn green when trained. In case the DataMatrix Tool does not train, scroll down the DataMatrix Tool properties page and set the following parameters:

• No. of Matrix Rows — 8.

• No. of Matrix Columns — 32.

• Matrix Polarity — Light on Dark.

27. Zoom so that you can see the entire image area.

28. Click Tryout Program on PC Once and then Stop, as shown in Figure 6–59.



FIGURE 6–59. Tryout Program Once on PC and then Stop

This will display the Data Matrix code read and place a green check mark next to all of the successfully trained and run tools, as shown in Figure 6–60.

FIGURE 6–60. Run Once Successfully

29. Click Download Program from PC to Device to download your Job to the camera, as shown in Figure 6–61.




31. Click Start Program on Device to run your Job.

The differences between this tutorial job and a typical real application are:

• Real world applications are usually triggered by real world inputs

• Most applications are strobed



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The important properties on the DataMatrix Tool properties page to consider are described below:

General

• Cell Size — For optimal performance, the calculated value should be set to five upon a successful learn.

• Tool Time Out (ms) — This value is the time the tool will use to process. If you set Search Direction to Horizontal, Vertical, Horizontal then Vertical or Vertical then Horizontal, the time used by each probe direction will be half the time set by this parameter. Furthermore, when Robust Locate is enabled (checked), the system may use up to three times the timeout value before timing out.

Optimizations for Speed

• Minimum Edge Strength — Increasing this parameter may speed performance if the image contains edges of less strength than the Data Matrix edges.

• Samples per Matrix Cell — This will be set to the lower of five or the number of pixels per cell. Lowering this number will speed the algorithm processing.

• Search Speed — This parameter can be increased to Turbo to increase algorithm speed. Typically, this will adversely affect robustness.

• Warp Method — If the Data Matrix is perpendicular to the camera and there is little optical distortion, then the Fast option may be safely selected here without affecting robustness.

Optimization for Robustness

• Finetune Method

– Selecting Intensity Enhance will increase robustness for matrices of very low (<40 gray scales between foreground and background) contrast.

– Selecting No Quiet Zone Clutter will enhance the performance of the tool should there be little quiet zone around the matrix.



– Selecting Position Enhance is advisable for matrices created by ink jet or dot peen where the center of the matrix varies greatly from the ideal center location.

• Robust Locate — When enabled, this algorithm will retry up to two additional times with slightly different parameters. This will generally increase the time the algorithm runs and may cause the tool to run longer than the timeout value.

• Threshold Method — Selecting all three threshold methods will generally increase the robustness of the matrix readings and will typically only marginally affect speed.


Tutorial 4 — Using Measurement Tools in an Inspection

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Tutorial 4 — Using Measurement Tools in an InspectionFrontRunner™ Job: tutorial_meastool.avp

This tutorial guides you through solving an inspection problem using Visionscape® measurement tools.

The inspection checks that all good parts maintain the relative positions among the tips of the two prongs and the center of the circular shape, and maintain the radius of the circular portion of the part.


This displays the main FrontRunner™ window.














5. Click OK.




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– File List — Click <empty>, and then Add... This displays the Open window. Browse for the file, clipgood1.tif, from Windows. It is located at: C:\vscape\jobs\. Select clipgood1.tif and click Open. This will load the file and its path into the File List.


12. Click Acquire New Image (Figure 6–71) to view clipgood1.tif, as shown in Figure 6–72.




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FIGURE 6–72. Show clipgood1.tif

13. Right click Snapshot in the Tree Browser and select Insert Into.

FrontRunner™ displays the Insert Step window, as shown in Figure 6–73.




14. Highlight TwoPt Locator and click OK. The TwoPt Locator tool locates the tips of the two prongs on the part.

15. Right click TwoPt Locator and select Insert Into. Highlight Edge Tool and click OK. The Edge Tool locates edge points that will fit the circle shape on the part.

16. Right click Edge Tool and select Insert Into. Click the Measurements tab. Highlight LeastSquaresCircle Fit and click OK.

17. Right click LeastSquaresCircle Fit and select Insert Into. Highlight Tolerance Meas and click OK.

Rename Tolerance Meas to Circle Radius tolerance. To rename the step, place the cursor on Tolerance Meas and right-click. This displays the Step Context Menu. Select Rename and type Circle Radius tolerance.

18. Right click TwoPt Locator and select Insert Into. Click the Measurements tab. Highlight Dist2Pts Meas and click OK.



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Rename Dist2Pt Meas to Pin to Pin Distance. This will identify the proper use of the tool to measure the distance between the tips of the prongs.

19. Right click Pin to Pin Distance and select Insert Into. Click the Measurements tab. Highlight Tolerance Meas and click OK.

Rename Tolerance Meas to Pin to Pin Distance tolerance. This will be used to tolerance the measured pin-to-pin distance.

20. Right click TwoPt Locator and select Insert Into. Click the Measurements tab. Highlight Dist2Pts Meas and click OK.

Rename Dist2Pts Meas to Left to Center. This will measure the distance between the tip of the left prong and the center of the circle.

21. Right click Left to Center and select Insert Into. Click the Measurements tab. Highlight Tolerance Meas and click OK.

Rename Tolerance Meas to Left Pin to Center Distance tolerance.

22. Right click TwoPt Locator and select Insert Into. Click the Measurement tab. Highlight Dist2Pts Meas and click OK.

Rename Dist2Pts Meas to Right to Center. This will measure the distance between the tip of the right prong and the center of the circle.

23. Right click Right to Center and select Insert Into. Click the Measurements tab. Highlight Tolerance Meas and click OK.

Rename Tolerance Meas to Right Pin to Center Distance tolerance.

24. The Job you created should appear similar to the example shown in Figure 6–74.



FIGURE 6–74. Job Tree — Tutorial Complete

During the setup, the Tryout Current Step on PC button (Figure 6–75) will run the currently highlighted tool/step and move on to the next tool/step. A green check mark will appear next to the tool successfully tried when you click Tryout Current Step on PC.


25. Highlight Snapshot and click Tryout Current Step on PC. This will place a green check mark next to Snapshot.

26. Highlight TwoPt Locator and click Tryout Current Step on PC.

27. To set up the TwoPt Locator, enlarge the search areas Find Pin 1 (left boxes) and Find Pin 2 (right boxes) so that the tips of the prongs will always fall into them respectively for all images. The outer box of each Find Pin is its search area; the inner box is the template pin. Click on the Template Find Pin 1 box and place its center at the tip of the left prong. Place the center of the Pin2 template at the tip of the right prong. Your setup for Two Pt Locator should appear as shown in Figure 6–76.



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FIGURE 6–76. Find Pin Setup

Two Pt Locator and the Train button will display a red box until you have trained the tool. Also, the boxes around the untrained tool will remain dotted lines until trained.

28. Train the Two Pt Locator by clicking Train. A trained Two Pt Locator will appear, as shown in Figure 6–77.



FIGURE 6–77. TwoPt Locator — Trained

29. Highlight Edge Tool.

30. Set the following Edge Tool parameters:

– EdgeSign — Any settings.

– PointType — Maximum Transition on Line.

– Minimum Gradient — 48.

– Maximum Gradient — 255.

– Gradient Sparseness — Sharp Edges.

– Projection Width — 3.

Note: Click Show Advanced Datums to display the Projection Width property.

– Graphics Level — Show Details.



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31. Size and place the Edge Tool ROI to enclose the curved edges, as shown in Figure 6–78.

FIGURE 6–78. Edge Tool Setup

32. Click Tryout Current Step on PC. Observe that the Edge Tool has been run successfully, as is indicated by the green check mark.

33. Highlight the LeastSquaresCircle Fit.

34. Click Tryout Current Step on PC. Observe that LeastSquaresCircle Fit has been run successfully, as indicated by the green check mark. Observe also that a circle fitted from the edge points has been displayed on the buffer.

35. Highlight the Circle Radius Tolerance tool.

36. Set the following Circle Radius Tolerance parameters:

– Input Datum — LeastSquaresCircleFit.Radius

– With Tolerance — 5% Nominal

37. Click Train. Observe that on the properties page (Figure 6–79), the Nominal Distance is set to be the radius value calculated by the LeastSquaresCircle



Fit step. The Tolerance +/- is set to the value that is 5% of the Nominal Distance. This is because the parameter With Tolerance is set at 5% Nominal.

FIGURE 6–79. Circle Radius Tolerance — Trained

38. Highlight Pin to Pin Distance. Click Tryout Current Step on PC. Observe that Pin to Pin Distance is highlighted and Circle Radius tolerance has run successfully, as indicated by the green check mark.

39. Set up the Pin to Pin Distance step.

40. Set the following Pin to Pin Distance parameters:

– Point1 — Find Pin1.PointofBestMatch

– Point2 — Find Pin 2.PointofBestMatch

– Graphics Level — Show Basic Graphics

41. To select the reference for Point1, click in the area to the right of the blue arrow (Figure 6–80), which displays the Select Reference window, as shown in Figure 6–81.



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FIGURE 6–80. Select Reference Button

FIGURE 6–81. Select Reference Window

42. Click FindPin 1:FindP1 to expand the tree view. Select PointofBestMatch:PointofBestMatch, as shown in Figure 6–81.



43. Select the reference for Point2 the same way you selected it in the preceding step.

44. Click OK.

45. Click Tryout Current Step on PC. Observe that Pin to Pin Distance tolerance is highlighted and Pin to Pin Distance has been green check marked.

46. Train Pin to Pin Distance.

47. Set the following Pin to Pin Distance parameters:

– Input Datum — Pin to Pin Distance.Pt-Pt Distance

– With Tolerance — 5% Nominal

48. Click Train. Observe that the Nominal Distance is set to the output value of the above Pin to Pin Distance, the Tolerance+/- is set to be the value that is 5% of the Nominal Distance.

49. Highlight Left to Center. Click Tryout Current Step on PC.

50. Set up the Left to Center step the same way as described in Step 39 on page 6–50. Make sure that this step’s Point1 refers to the tip point of the left prong and Point2 to the center point of the circle fitted by the LeastSquaresCircle Fit. In particular, the settings should be as follows:


– Point2 — LeastSquaresCircleFit.Fit Point

Train the Left To Center Distance tolerance the same way as described in Step 46 on page 6–52. Leave default settings of all properties unchanged.

51. Click Tryout Current Step on PC. Observe that the Nominal Distance is set to the output value of the above Pin to Pin Distance, the Tolerance+/- is set to be the value that is 5% of the Nominal Distance.

52. Set up the Right to Center step the same way as described in Step 39 on page 6–50. Make sure that this step’s Point refers to the tip point of the right prong, and Point 2 to the center point of the circle fitted by the LeastSquaresCircle Fit step. In particular, the setting should be as follows:




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– Point2 — LeastSquaresCircleFit.Fit Point

53. Train the Right To Center Distance tolerance the same way as described in Step 46 on page 6–52. Leave the default settings of all properties unchanged.

54. Click Tryout Current Step on PC. Observe that the Nominal Distance is set to the output value of the above Pin to Pin Distance, the Tolerance+/- is set to be the value that is 5% of the Nominal Distance.

FIGURE 6–82. Setup View — Setup and Training Complete

55. Click Run the Inspection Once. This will run your Job once to verify your setup and settings.

56. Highlight Acquire.

57. Add image files clipgood2.tif through clipgood7.tif and clipbad3.tif to the File List of the Acquire properties pages.

58. Click Tryout Program on PC in a Loop. This will run the Job repeatedly until you click Stop. For any step/tool that fails, a red X is displayed next to it. You can also click Tryout Program on PC Once and then Stop to run on each image, one after the other, one at a time, to view their results.



59. Select results to be uploaded at runtime.

a. Click Editor to display the Inspection properties page.

b. Scroll down to view the Select Results to Upload parameter.

c. Click to the right of Select Results to Upload to display listings.

d. Scroll through the listing and select any datums that you would like to view at runtime; for example:

• Snapshot.Status

• GainOffset.Status

• TwoPt Locator.Status

• Find Pin 1.Status

• Find Pin 2.Status

60. Download your Job, as shown in Figure 6–83.




62. After the download and save completes, you can start running the job by clicking Start Program on Device, as shown in Figure 6–85.




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63. As your Job is running, click Reports (Figure 6–86) to display the Statistics and Report window, as shown in Figure 6–87. This displays the runtime statistics and the results that have been selected to be uploaded.

FIGURE 6–86. Reports Button

FIGURE 6–87. Statistics and Report Window



Tutorial 5 — Using the Trajectory StepJob: trajectorytutorial.avp

Note: Please do not run this tutorial on the HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Camera.

This tutorial shows you how to use the Trajectory Step to inspect a grid of parts.










Tutorial 5 — Using the Trajectory Step

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5. Click OK.






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– File List — Click <empty>, and then Add... This displays the Open window. Browse for the file, TrajectoryTutorial.tif, from Windows. It is located at: C:\vscape\jobs\. Select TrajectoryTutorial.tif and click Open. This will load the file and its path into the File List.


12. Click Acquire New Image (Figure 6–96) to view TrajectoryTutorial.tif, as shown in Figure 6–97.

FIGURE 6–96. Acquire New Image Button

FIGURE 6–97. TrajectoryTutorial.tif



13. Highlight Snapshot in the Tree Browser. Right click Snapshot and select Insert Into. FrontRunner™ displays the Insert Step window, as shown in Figure 6–98. Click the Program Control tab. Highlight Trajectory Step and click OK.

FrontRunner™ automatically inserts the Data Array, With, If, and One Point Locator steps into the Trajectory Step.


14. Highlight Trajectory Step in the Step Tree. Right click Trajectory Step. select Insert Into. FrontRunner™ displays the Insert Step window. Click the Analysis Tools tab, and then highlight Blob Tool and click OK.

Note: FrontRunner™ will automatically insert the Blob Tool into the One Point Locator of the Trajectory Step.

15. Highlight Trajectory Step in the Step Tree. Right click Trajectory Step and select Insert Into. FrontRunner™ displays the Insert Step window. Click the Program Control tab, and then highlight Trajectory Grid Setup Tool and click OK.



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The job you created should look like the job displayed in Figure 6–99.

FIGURE 6–99. Trajectory Tool Job Tree

16. Highlight Trajectory Step in the Step Tree.

17. Click to the right of Result Selector, as shown in Figure 6–100.

FIGURE 6–100. Result Selector — Add

18. Click Add.

19. Navigate down the tree to the Blob Tool.



20. Highlight (to select) Status and Number of Blobs as results to upload, as shown in Figure 6–101. Click OK.

Note: Blob Tool is in the One Point Locator.

Once selected in the Trajectory Step, the results are automatically enabled in the Inspection Step results list.

FIGURE 6–101. Blob Tool Results to Upload

21. Highlight Trajectory Grid Setup in the Step Tree. FrontRunner™ displays the Trajectory Grid Setup properties page, as shown in Figure 6–102.



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FIGURE 6–102. Trajectory Grid Setup Properties Page

The Trajectory Grid Setup step tells the system the locations of the devices in the field of view. Specify the following:

– In Number of Rows, type 3.

– In Number of Columns, type 4.

The position of the upper left hand device is determined by the X Offset and Y Offset parameters. Specify the following:

– In X Offset, type 95.

– In Y Offset, type 90.

Vertical Spacing and Horizontal Spacing define the distance between devices and are measured in pixels. Specify the following:

– In Horizontal Spacing, type 150.

– In Vertical Spacing, type 150.

22. Highlight the Blob Tool in the Step Tree. The Blob Tool properties page is displayed, as shown in Figure 6–103.



FIGURE 6–103. Blob Tool Properties Page



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Specify the following:

– In Blob Polarity, select Light Parts.

– In Min Number of Blobs, type 100. This instructs the Blob Tool to find 100 blobs, no more and no less, or else it should fail.

– In Max Number of Blobs, type 100. This instructs the Blob Tool to find 100 blobs, no more and no less, or else it should fail.

– In Advanced Datums, set Process Every nth pixel to 2 (the default is 4).

23. Set up the initial location of the Blob ROI. Move the ROI to surround the top left hand device, as shown in Figure 6–104.

Note: Zooming in once will help you when surrounding the device.

FIGURE 6–104. Setup Window — ROI Move

24. Highlight Trajectory Step in the Step Tree.



25. Click Tryout Current Step on PC. Trajectory Step will display a red box and Train will be red until you train the tool.

26. Click Train to train the Trajectory Step. The trajectory ROI changes to a zig-zag pattern across all the devices with nodes at each device location, as shown in Figure 6–105. This represents the order in which the devices will be inspected. This order is English reading order.

FIGURE 6–105. Train the Trajectory Step

27. Run the inspection by clicking Tryout Program on PC Once and then Stop. The inspection proceeds by moving the Blob to each location defined by the Trajectory Step and running it there. Notice that the parts that pass have green boxes around them, and that the parts that fail have red boxes, as shown in Figure 6–106.



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FIGURE 6–106. Start Test & Test Results

28. Download your Job, as shown in Figure 6–107.




30. After the download and save finish, you can start running the job by clicking Start Program on Device, as shown in Figure 6–109.




31. As your Job is running, click Reports (Figure 6–110) to display the Statistics and Report window, as shown in Figure 6–111. This displays the runtime statistics and the results that have been selected to be uploaded.

FIGURE 6–110. Reports Button

FIGURE 6–111. Statistics and Report Vision:Inspection



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32. Run the device again in the Setup Window by clicking Start Inspection. When the inspection is complete, the report with the results will be displayed.




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CHAPTER 7 Creating a Good Image

To successfully use your Acuity Vision Accelerator, you must know how to obtain a clear, precise image of the part and features you want to inspect. Factors that contribute to obtaining a good image include:

• Determining the field of view

• Selecting a lens

• Illuminating the part

• Advanced lighting

• Aperture

• Depth of Field

• Lighting tips

Determining the Field Of View (FOV)Determining the best field of view, that is, the area viewed by the camera, is your first consideration before setting up a camera for your application. The object of interest should appear as large as possible in the field of view. The field of view should clearly show the level of detail you want to see while ensuring that the part to be inspected is always seen by the camera.

The general rule is to fill the field of view with the part you are inspecting, leaving enough space around the part to compensate for part positioning. This


Chapter 7 Creating a Good Image

provides a superior image of the part and regions of interest for the system to see. In Figure 7–1, the image on the left provides more detail and is a more desirable image than the one on the right.

FIGURE 7–1. Fields of view

Selecting a LensSelecting a lens is one of the most critical factors for obtaining a good image.

Lenses used for 35mm SLR cameras are preferable for use with the Acuity Vision Accelerator camera to standard C-mount lenses when performing accurate measurements. Lenses for 35mm SLR cameras are more optically accurate and, therefore, more expensive. However, they are larger than C-mount camera lenses and may cause a problem when mounting a camera in a particular enclosure.

To use a 35mm SLR camera lens with your Acuity Vision Accelerator camera, you need to use a C-mount to F-mount adapter.

Use the Lens Selection Chart, as shown in Figure 7–2, to determine the lens size. As a general guideline, lenses that have a longer focal length make the object appear closer (larger) and show less of the background. For example, a 50mm lens has a longer focal length than a 25mm lens.


Selecting a Lens

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FIGURE 7–2. Lens Selection Chart

Using the Lens Selection ChartThe Lens Selection Chart helps you choose the appropriate lens using approximate dimensions. For very precise measurements, you may need to use a precision, low-distortion lens. Contact RVSI Application Engineering for a recommendation that is specific to your measurement task.

First, determine the required horizontal field of view (FY). Use a dimension of .75 inches from the front of the camera to the first mounting hole, as shown in Figure 7–3.

1

1

F = 12.5mm

F = 35mm

F = 50mm

F = 75mm

F = 25mm

1

2

2

2

2

20

30

15

15

5

7 7

20

7

18 20 2216141210864

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

D = Part to Camera Distance, in inches(from the part to the front mounting holeon the camera)

Note: The number under a dotindicates the size, in millimeters, ofthe needed extension ring. If nonumber appears under the dot, anextension ring is not needed.

FY

D

FY = Horizontal Field of View, inches

F = Camera Lens in mm



FIGURE 7–3. Determining Lens Selection

Next, measure the distance from the part to the first mounting hole on the camera (D).

Select a lens using the Lens Selection Chart. The chart also indicates whether you need an extension ring, which decreases the distance from the lens to the part and causes a smaller field of view.

Illuminating the PartProper illumination of the part is a critical factor influencing the effectiveness of the inspection operation. Although, there is no absolute procedure, the following basic lighting concepts, combined with some experimentation, will help you create good lighting.

Note: Never rely solely on ambient lighting. Always use task lighting designed for your application.

Part

FY

0.4

0.7

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First Mounting Hole

D

.75 inches


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Lighting ConsiderationsConsider the following features when selecting a lighting scheme.

• Surface Characteristics — Surface characteristics, as they relate to light, are critical elements when selecting the correct lighting type. The types of surfaces listed below and their color, must be considered before purchasing your illumination style.

– Textured

– Reflective

– Diffuse

– Absorptive

– Color

• Geometry — The geometry may determine the direction of the illumination. Will the complete item require illumination?

• Size — The size of the part will determine the size of the light.

• Region of Interest (ROI) — How will the ROI compare to the rest of the part?

Types of LightingWith advances in lighting, selecting an appropriate illumination type can be confusing. Diffused, Point-source lighting and polarizers also influence lighting. Also, the placement of the light source will affect your decision on lighting types. For difficult lighting applications, contacting an illumination authority is recommended.

• Basic Illumination

– Fluorescent

– Incandescent

– Laser

– LED (Light Emitting Diode)

– Strobe



• Accessories

– Fiber Optics

– Diffusers

– Beam Splitters

• Advanced Illumination

– DOAL™

– CDI™

– SCDI™

Fluorescent Versus Incandescent LightingPreferences for using fluorescent lighting or incandescent lighting depends on several factors. However, the general rule should be to use fluorescent lighting whenever possible.

Fluorescent Lighting

• Positive Features

– Diffuse — Fluorescent lighting tends to be diffuse and not concentrated on a part. If the part is being magnified by a lens or if the lens aperture is small (stopped down), you may find the light level insufficient.

– Usually easy to mount

– Long life

– Inexpensive

– Creates little heat

• Negative Features

– Flickering light

– Lack of intensity

– Light output decays with age



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Incandescent Lighting

• Positive Features

– No flicker

– High intensity

– Inexpensive if you use home light bulbs

– Light output constant over life of bulb

• Negative Features

– Shorter life than fluorescent

– Expensive if fiber-optic lights are used

– Source of infrared light — It is usually necessary to place an infrared filter in front of the camera lens when using an incandescent light source. The camera has a high sensitivity to infrared light, which reduces the contrast and resolution found in an image.

– Creates excessive of heat — If you use fiber optics, the part being illuminated is not heated. If you use conventional bulbs, the part being inspected may get hot.

LasersA laser is an excellent source of light when you need to:

• Illuminate a small area

• Create a structured lighting effect

• Create a three-dimensional simulation, for example, measure depth

Strobe LightsUse a strobe light when you need to freeze the image of a moving part. Strobes provide a very short-duration, high-intensity light. In most cases, you should use fiber optics to project the light to the required area.



Diffuse Versus Point-Source LightingDiffuse light, as shown in Figure 7–4, casts no shadows, minimizes glare, and appears to originate from no particular direction. Most inspection applications work best with diffuse light.

FIGURE 7–4. Diffuse light

Good sources of diffuse light include:

• Fluorescent ring lights

• Long fluorescent bulbs with or without diffusers

Point-source lighting, as shown in Figure 7–5, casts very strong shadows. This is desired when the presence or absence of a shadow can reveal information about the presence of depth. Points sources are effective for revealing surface defects.

FIGURE 7–5. Point source light

Fluorescent Bulb

Light Diffuser



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Good point-source lights include:

• Incandescent spot lights

• Fiber-optic sources

• Unfrosted incandescent light bulbs

• Strobe lights

Placement of Light SourcesThere are three basic light source positions: front, side, and back.

Front LightingFront lighting is good for the inspection of flat, two-dimensional surface features, such as a label, as shown in Figure 7–6.

FIGURE 7–6. Front lighting

Exp.

1FEB9565590AF21

Lot.

02-7250-8/R12 Store below 770F(250C.)



Side Lighting (dark field)Side lighting helps to highlight three-dimensional features and surface imperfections, and reveals subtle details, as shown in Figure 7–7.

FIGURE 7–7. Side lighting

Back LightingBack lighting helps in the inspection of silhouettes, for example, the outer edges of a part. It enhances the contrast between the part and the background. Think of contrast as the gray-scale difference between two areas. Back lighting is helpful in the inspection of holes, cutouts, and outline dimensions, as shown in Figure 7–8.

FIGURE 7–8. Back lighting



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Polarized LightPolarized light helps reduce glare on an object when the glare interferes with a visual inspection, such as when attempting to read a label.

To polarize light, place polarizing material over the light source, as shown in Figure 7–9. Another piece of polarizing material (an analyzer) is placed in front of the camera lens and rotated until the glare, or mirror-like reflection, is minimized.

FIGURE 7–9. Polarized light

For some applications, glare may be helpful and you would not want to eliminate it. For example, a hole in an object may be more easily seen on a surface that has glare. In all cases, you will want to adjust the rotation of the polarizing material to maximize the image contrast of the features you wish to inspect.

Advanced LightingNortheast Robotics, Inc. is a recognized leading provider of lighting systems designed specifically for machine vision applications. These products allow machine vision systems to perform reliably in difficult imaging applications involving highly reflective or uneven surfaces. NER is the inventor of:

• DOAL™ — Diffused On-Axis Lighting. Refer to “DOAL” on page 7-13

• CDI™ — Cloudy Day® Illumination. Refer to “CDI” on page 7-14

• SCDI™ — Square Continuous Diffuse Illumination. Refer to “SCDI” on page 7-15

Polarizer

Analyzer

5.6

811

16

42.

8

(rear view)(side view)

1.0GAMMA

VIDEO

POWER

IRIS

AGCGAIN FLD

0.45 MGC FRM

CM4000



Figure 7–10 illustrates these lighting types and their applications.

FIGURE 7–10. Lighting Solutions for Image Absorptive Features

To address your lighting issues, contact Northeast Robotics at:

Northeast Robotics, Inc.15 Twin Bridge RoadWeare, NH 03281Tel. 603-529-2385Fax 603-529-2405

DOALSCDI

CDI

WHITEBOARD

SEMICONDUCTORWAFER/DIE

BEVERAGECONTAINER

SURGICALINSTRUMENTS

DIMPLED FOIL

SHRINKWRAPPEDPLASTIC

WRINKLEDPAPER

WHITELABELON

BOTTLE

GEOMETRYINDEPENDENT

LIGHTING

COPY PAPER

DIFFUSE MIRROR-LIKESURFACE SPECULARITY

PLANAR

CURVED

UNDULATING

FACETED

SURFACEGEOMETRY

(General Solution)



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DOALIdeal for flat specular surfaces. Diffused On-Axis Lighting provides more than 300% greater angular coverage of the lighting envelope than a similarly sized fluorescent ring light. DOAL can be used at a distance to provide uniform wide-angle colluminated illumination for imaging highly specular flat surfaces. Refer to Figure 7–11.

• Superior uniformity

• Significantly enhances image quality

• Improves the accuracy and repeatability of machine vision performance on specular surfaces

• Illumination sources include LED, fiberoptic and micro-fluorescent sources

• Flexible light-field / dark-field illumination characteristics depending on distance to target

FIGURE 7–11. Diffused On-Axis Lighting

Light Source

Object

Camera

5.6 8 11 1642.8

(sid

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4000



CDIIdeal for very uneven specular surfaces. Continuous Diffuse Illumination (CDI), also known as Cloudy Day Illumination, provides a hemisphere of diffuse, uniform illumination. The complete lighting envelope has even lighting from all directions. The use of a curved beam splitter completes the horizon-to-horizon illumination. On-axis and off-axis lighting is controlled separately to ensure that uniformity remains in balance. Refer to Figure 7–12.

• Outstanding uniformity up to +/-10% maximum deviation within the lighting envelope

• Illumination sources include LED, fiberoptic and white microfluorescent sources

FIGURE 7–12. Continuous Diffuse Illumination

Object

Light Source (on-axis)BeamSplitter

Light Source (off-axis)

Camera

5.6 8 11 1642.8

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SCDIIdeal for uneven specular surfaces. Square Continuous Diffuse Illumination (SCDI) increases the uniformity of on-axis illumination by ensuring direct light from the diffuser is equally intense as light coming from the beam splitter and the lighting cavity. Increasing the diffuser width and elongating the chamber ensures any light directed to the object is uniform. Refer to Figure 7–13.

• Excellent uniformity +/-20% across the lighting envelope at close range

• Extraordinary diffuse illumination

• Illumination source include LED and microfluorescent sources

FIGURE 7–13. Square Continuous Diffuse Illumination

Light Source

Diffuser

BeamSplitter

Object

Camera

5.6 8 11 1642.8

(sid

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4000



ApertureThe aperture is the adjustable opening in a lens that varies the amount of light reaching a target.

The f-stop indicates the size of the opening. The larger the number, the smaller the opening.

As you go from a smaller number to the next larger one, e.g., 11 to 16, the amount of light reaching the target in the camera is reduced by one-half.

The best image is obtained at the higher f-stops settings; however, the aperture is smaller and less light enters the lens. You will have to experiment with the aperture setting to obtain the best image for your application and lighting.

Depth Of FieldDepth of field is the size of the front-to-back distance that is in focus. The aperture opening is the most important influence in determining the depth of field:

• When using a small aperture (high f-stop number), much of the area, both in the foreground and background of the object, will be in focus. More light is required when the aperture is small. This provides greater depth of field and reduces the effects of ambient light.

• When using a large aperture, the object is in focus, but the areas in the foreground and background of the object are out of focus.

• Many lenses come with an information sheet detailing depth of field at various f-stop settings and working distances.

Lighting Tips

• To light a round part, try using a round light source that provides even lighting on the inspected parts, such as CDI (Cloudy Day Illumination).

• Experiment with different light positions and sources until you find the best illumination for your part.

• If you place a point-source light close to the part, you will likely produce a harsh glare with black shadows.


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• To fill in (minimize) shadows, use lighting sources with a diffuser such as, CDI.

• Your lighting should be much brighter than the room in which the inspection is taking place.

• It is often best to light the environment, not the part.

• An enclosure around the inspection station will minimize the impact of ambient light, as well as protect lights and cameras.

Lighting provides a clear image that is not too bright or too dark, and that enables the Acuity Vision Accelerator to identify the desired features and characteristics. Refer to Table 7–1 for additional lighting information.

TABLE 7–1. Additional Lighting Information

Lighting Type Hardware Required Representative Applications

EVEN - FRONT (DIFFUSED)

Band Fluorescent Tube - Straight or Circular

Simplest general purpose lighting. Always try this first.

Zone Diffuser Plate or Reflecting PanelDOALCDISCDI

Detect broken microscope slides.

POINT - FRONT

Point Source Fiberlight or IncandescentDOALCDISCDI

Use where high intensity lighting is required on small area. Also for shadow fill-in and general lighting touch-up.

Multiple Point Sources

Multiple Fiberlights or IncandescentsDOALCDISCDI

Symmerical high-intensity illumination of microscopic fields-of-view such as electronic components.

EVEN - BACK

Backlighting Light Box or Uniform Surface Dimensioning highly reflective parts, inspecting contours of parts with highly variable surfaces.

STRUCTURED



On-Axis DOALBeam - Splitter

See flat dark reflective surfaces. Front-light deep holes.

Light Line Laser with Cylinder Lens Relative height measurements of surfaces. Non-contact gaging.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Polarizing Polarizing on Light Sources and Lens

Minimize glare and variable glints on top-lit reflective surfaces

Color Interference and Gelatin Filters Discriminate copper and steel. Make variable colored parts appear more similar to camera.

Strobe Strobe Source and Synch Box Use wherever the part moves more than one pixel in 17 milliseconds.

TABLE 7–1. Additional Lighting Information (Continued)

Lighting Type Hardware Required Representative Applications


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CHAPTER 8 Troubleshooting

This chapter contains solutions for common problems that may arise during the normal operation of your system.

If you need additional help, please call your RVSI representative. Be prepared to describe your specific circumstances. A copy of your application and several sample images will also be helpful. For Customer Service, contact RVSI at (800) 468–9503.

Installation Errors

Virus ProtectionMany virus protection programs block installations from rewriting system libraries. You may receive the following type of errors:

An error occurred during the move data process

- or -

ComponentMoveData had the following error

If your system is running one of these programs, the installation program cannot copy system libraries to the hard drive. Disable the virus protection software, reboot, then re-install. Be sure to re-enable the virus protection software when your installation is complete.


Chapter 8 Troubleshooting

Account ProtectionsWhen installing Visionscape® software, be sure you are logged into the computer with an account that has administrator privileges.

PC CompatibilityThe Acuity Vision Accelerators should operate correctly in all compliant PCs. However, many PCs have errata that may keep the board from functioning correctly in one or more PCI slots. Please check with the PC vendor for any existing errata on the hardware and drivers for the PC being used. Most vendors will publish known problems on their company websites.

PC Hangs Before BootIf the PC hangs before the operating system begins to boot, there is either a serious hardware problem with the Acuity Vision Accelerator board or a PC BIOS problem.

• Try the board in all possible PCI slots to determine if the problem is isolated to a particular slot in the PC.

• Try the board in a PC from a different vendor to see if the Acuity Vision Accelerator board is working correctly.

PC Hangs During BootIf the operating system starts to boot and then hangs before the login screen, you most likely have a resource conflict with another driver. It is possible that the BIOS or operating system has incorrectly assigned a memory address range or interrupt line. The Acuity Vision Accelerator 1000 driver will correctly share its interrupt with other PCI device drivers; however, there are PCs in which the incorrect IRQ is assigned to a PCI slot.

• Try different PCI slots in the PC.

• Check the PC vendor website for PCI slot errata.

• Check the PC BIOS settings for IRQ assignment to ensure that the four PCI interrupts are not shared with any ISA bus devices.


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Visionscape® Issues
Visionscape® Does Not See Acuity Vision Accelerator 1000

If you have logged in and started Visionscape® but do not see your board in FrontRunner™, it is possible that the driver did not load.

• Check the AvpServer interface in the system tray to verify that the board is AVAILABLE and not marked as IN_USE.

• Check the Administrative Tools > Event Viewer for messages from the “Acuity 1000 Vision Processor” driver. Some messages are informational but others report errors.

• If there are no messages in the event viewer from the driver, check the Device Applet in the Control Panel to ensure that the driver is installed and has not been disabled. The applet should have an entry for the “Acuity 1000 Vision Processor” and it should have “Started” at “System” time.

• If the event viewer reports that the driver could not connect its interrupt handler or that it got incorrect memory resources, try different PCI slots.

• If this does not help, report the event viewer messages to your customer service representative.

• Run the PCIdentifier to verify the existence of the board (see “PCIdentifier” on page 8-5). This information should be saved for the customer service representative.

Visionscape® Will Not Take A PictureSeveral things can hinder Visionscape® from taking a picture in Setup Mode:

• Verify that the small power cable is properly installed between the PC power supply and the AVA board.

• Verify that the camera cable is connected between the camera and the correct camera port. Each of the four connectors on the breakout cable is labeled as to which camera it connects.

• Verify that the AcquireStep of the selected Inspection is set to “Acquire from Camera” and that the correct camera number is selected.



• Verify that the correct camera type is selected in the VisionSystemStep.

• Verify that the camera aperture is open and that the scene is sufficiently illuminated.

• Use the AVPSVR application in the system tray to verify that DMA memory was reserved by the driver. This is also reflected in the Event Viewer messages.

• Some computer vendors have the ability in the BIOS to disable DMA on the PCI bus. Often, this is the default setting that is reverted to after a power failure. Verify that the PC does not have such a feature enabled.

• Some BIOS vendors have errata in which memory is not allocated correctly behind bridges. Try different PCI slots.

• Run PCIdentifier to verify the boards presence in the system and its assigned resources (see “PCIdentifier” on page 8-5). Save this information for your customer service representative.

Visionscape® Captures Garbled ImagesSeveral things can cause Visionscape® to take incoherent images in Setup Mode:

• Verify that the camera cable connections are not loose.

• Verify that the correct camera type is selected in the VisionSystemStep.

Visionscape® Images Missing PixelsThe digitizer on the Camera I/O 300 will drop pixels if the PCI bus does not allow it to DMA the data for extended periods of time. This results in black dashes throughout the image. PCI video cards and some PCI based SCSI controllers can tie up the bus. PCI-PCI bridges on the backplane can also add latency if not programmed correctly by the BIOS.

• Try to correlate the image problems to other activity on the PC. For example, excessive disk access, mouse movement, or network activity.

• Try different PCI slots. Moving the board out from behind a PCI bridge may change how often the device accesses the bus.

• Replace a PCI video board with an AGP video board.


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• Run PCIdentifier to verify the boards presence in the system and its assigned
resources (see “PCIdentifier” on page 8-5). Save this information for your customer service representative.

Visionscape® Images Vary in IntensityAn image will vary in intensity if it is exposed to a different amount of light or if the exposure time is increased. The cameras supported on the Camera I/O 300 have fixed exposure times. Normally, these are set to continuous exposure, meaning the shutter never closes.

• If the application is using fixed lighting, verify that a strobe has not been inadvertently selected.

• If the application is strobed, verify that the scene is completely shrouded from ambient room lighting.

• If the application is strobed and the strobe light pulse width is large, verify that the start of the dead zone is properly set in the Acquire Step. The time from the start of the dead zone to the transfer gate of the camera must be at least as long as the strobe pulse width.

Hardware Issues

Vision Accelerator Behaves ErraticallyErratic behavior may be an indication of a hardware problem. Run the AVPDiagnostics and PCIdentifier. Notify your customer service representative of any negative results.

Diagnostic Tools

PCIdentifierIf you are experiencing problems installing your Acuity Vision Accelerator or Acuity Vision Processor, the problem may be caused by a hardware conflict in your PC. PCIdentifier is a diagnostic tool that provides a graphical display of the local PCI bus and its allocation of resources.



PCIdentifier identifies all devices and bridges, including Acuity Visionscape® Accelerators (1000) and Acuity Vision Processors (2000) present on the PCI Bus. It also provides detailed system information.

If you suspect that you have a hardware conflict, you can save the PCI information to a file so that the information can be emailed to technical support. To create a text file containing your system information, start PCIdentifier using the Visionscape® programming group and the Programs menu (Start > Programs > Visionscape > Diagnostics > PCIdentifier). Once the program starts, save the information by selecting Save As… from the File menu.

You can also review previously saved information from your PC or another PC by opening the saved file with PCIdentifier. To open a PCIdentifier text file, select Open from the File menu.

The PCIdentifier user interface is shown in Figure 8–1.

FIGURE 8–1. PCIdentifier User Interface


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The PCI Bus Information tab displays a graphical layout of the PCI Bus for your PC. Acuity Vision Accelerators (1000) and Acuity Vision Processors (2000) that are installed in your PC are displayed in bold. This graphical layout of the PCI Bus makes it easy to see if your Acuity Vision Accelerator has a conflict with another device. When you click on a bridge or a device in the graphical PCI bus display, information for that bridge or device is displayed to the right of the screen.
The System Information tab can be seen in Figure 8–2. It displays system information about your PC, including processor information, BIOS information, bus information and other general information.

FIGURE 8–2. System Information Tab

AVPDiagnosticsThe AVPDiagnostics allow a user to verify the existence and correct functionality of the Acuity Vision Processor 2000, Acuity Vision Processor 4000, and the Acuity Vision Accelerator 1300 board (see Figure 8–3).



FIGURE 8–3. AVPDiagnostics

The tests are run from the Start Menu by selecting Start > Programs > Visionscape > Diagnostics > AVPDiagnostics. Tests can be individually selected and run in groups.

Once the application is started, you must choose the hardware to test. Select the vision system that you want from the “Board to Test” combo box, as shown in Figure 8–4.

FIGURE 8–4. Selection of Hardware to Test

After selecting the board to test, you must specify the test level, as shown in Figure 8–5:


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FIGURE 8–5. Selecting the Test Level
After choosing a test level, the selected tests will be shown in the MIPS Tests and PC Tests check boxes. MIPS tests are for Acuity Vision 2000 processors only. If you are running diagnostics on an Acuity Vision Accelerator (1300), MIPS tests do not apply. Also, you cannot customize tests when running diagnostics on an Acuity Vision Accelerator. If you have selected an Acuity 2000 Vision Processor, you may choose to customize the diagnostic tests. If you have selected Customize, you must select each test individually (see Figure 8–6).

FIGURE 8–6. Test Check Boxes



The testing can be further customized using the Advanced button, as shown in Figure 8–7.

FIGURE 8–7. Advanced Button

• Advanced — Displays the Advanced dialog box, as shown in Figure 8–8.

FIGURE 8–8. Advanced Dialog Box

You can choose to skip the initialization of the digitizer. The default setting is to initialize the digitizer before testing. You can also choose to run the UART test if you have a loopback cable, which connects the two serial ports together. The Manufacturing Chassis option is used for special manufacturing features not available in a standard PC.

When all test selections are complete, use the Run Test button shown in Figure 8–7 to start the tests. The status of each test will be shown in the MIPS Tests and PC Tests check boxes, as well as in the text output window.

Note: These tests should not be run while the hardware is performing vision processing tasks. Doing so can cause unpredictable results.

• Output File — Saves the text window contents to a file that can be sent to customer support. The results will be opened in Notepad; you can save them using Notepad’s File menu.


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• Display NVRAM — Dumps the non-volatile NVRAM to the text window.
This may be useful for customer support.




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APPENDIX A Benchmark
The Benchmark software tool measures the performance of vision tools on Acuity Vision Accelerators, Acuity Vision Processors, and HawkEye™ 1600 Smart Cameras. Benchmark runs specified jobs, and reports the execution times of tools within the job.

Benchmark has the following features:

• Runs any job and measures the timing in milliseconds of tools within the job.

• Checks the tool runtimes on any installed Acuity Vision Processor (2000) or Acuity Vision Accelerator (1000) on the PC.

• Generates log files that can be viewed at a later time through the Benchmark report screen.

• Compares Benchmark log files; also compares timing differences within a specified tolerance.

Benchmark can take non-triggered jobs that use TIF images and measure, in milliseconds, the performance of the overall job plus the individual tools within the job.

Note: Do not use .AVPs with triggers.

Benchmark runs all jobs found in the specified folder, and then reports statistics to a log file. You view results through a report screen that displays timing results

v3.5, July 2005 Visionscape® User’s Manual A-1

Appendix A Benchmark

in milliseconds for all jobs that ran. Benchmark also generates a log file that you can view at a later time as a report. You can also compare Benchmark log files by clicking on the “Compare Log Files” tab.

Starting BenchmarkBenchmark is installed with Visionscape® Studio. A shortcut is placed in the start menu (Start > Programs > Visionscape > Benchmark).

Before you start Benchmark, place all the jobs (.AVPs) that you want to run, and all the images used by the jobs, in the same location.

Open Benchmark from the Start menu. The Benchmark user interface is displayed, as shown in Figure A–1.

FIGURE A–1. Benchmark User Interface

A-2 Visionscape® User’s Manual v3.5, July 2005

Setting Options Before Running Benchmark

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Setting Options Before Running BenchmarkSpecify the following options before you run Benchmark:

• System — Choose where you want to run the jobs. This option lists all available Smart Cameras, Acuity Vision Accelerators (1000), and Acuity Vision Processors (2000). The first choice in the list, <no board>, will run the jobs without hardware.

• Iterations to Run — Specify the number of iterations that each job will run. Each job found in the directory specified in the AVP Folder textbox will be run the specified number of times.

• AVP Folder — Specify the location of the jobs that you want to run (see Figure A–1). All jobs (.AVPs) found in the specified directory will be run by Benchmark.

• Image Folder — Specify the location of the image files (TIFs) that are used by the jobs you selected in the AVP Folder field.

• Log File — Enter the name of the log file and where to save it. The default name for the log file is:

<Vscape Root>\BENCH<Software Version>-<system name>.log

For example, if the current version of Visionscape® is 3.5.0.100, and you choose to benchmark the system named 1300.1, the log file would be named:

C:\Vscape\BENCH-3.5.0.100-1300.1.log

Figure A–2 shows the main Benchmark window after a job has run.



FIGURE A–2. Benchmark Job After Running

File Menu Commands

• Open — Opens a log file from a Benchmark run.

• Use Camera Images — TBD

• Exit — Terminates Benchmark.

Run Benchmark Tab Controls

• Start — Run Benchmark, meaning run all jobs found in the AVP Folder for a given number of times. This will run the jobs on the Target specified.


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• Stop — Stop the job that is currently running on the target. If the user presses stop, the current test cannot be resumed and the user must start from the beginning.

• Reboot — This does not apply to Acuity Vision Accelerators (1000). The reboot command reboots all Acuity Vision Processors (2000) present in the host PC.

• PC Display — Display images while the jobs are running.

• Remote Display — (Acuity Vision Processors only). Enable the Display coming directly from the Acuity Vision Processor. To view the images being processed, you must connect the Acuity Vision Processor to a monitor.

• Show Report — View results after all iterations have completed. This command button is disabled until Benchmark is finished running all jobs.

Getting Performance ResultsOnce you have set all of the options, you are ready to run Benchmark:

1. Click PC Display (Figure A–1) to display images while the jobs are running.

2. If you are using an Acuity Vision Processor (2000), then you can reboot the vision system from the Benchmark user interface. Click Reboot to reboot all Acuity Vision Processors installed in your PC.

Note: You should not click Reboot while Benchmark is running jobs on a vision system. If you do, Benchmark stops running the jobs, and you cannot gather data from the jobs until you run Benchmark again.

3. Click Start to run the jobs and collect the performance times. If you need to stop jobs from running, you can click Stop, but you cannot get performance results unless the jobs run to completion.

Note: You do not get any data if you press Stop.

4. If you are running the jobs on an Acuity Vision Processor (2000), you can activate the vision system’s direct display. Connect a monitor into the video



output on the Acuity Vision Processor, and click System Display (Figure A–1).

When Benchmark is finished running all of the jobs, you can display the results by clicking Show Report.

Note: The Show Report button is enabled when Benchmark finishes running all jobs.

The Benchmark log file is automatically created when all jobs have been completed. The log can be viewed at any time as a report. To open a log file and view it as a report, select File and then Open… from the Start menu (Figure A–1).

You can also compare Benchmark log files by clicking on the “Compare Log Files” tab. This allows you to identify differences in the runtimes of jobs over different versions, different PCs, or different vision accelerators. See “Comparing Benchmark Log Files” on page A-9.

Benchmark Performance ReportWhen you click Show Report from the Benchmark user interface (Figure A–1), the Report Screen is displayed, as shown in Figure A–3. The report screen lists detailed information after Benchmark has completed running jobs. You can also use it to view log files previously created.


Benchmark Performance Report

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FIGURE A–3. Benchmark Report

The top of the report screen has a summary. The following items are included in the summary:

• Visionscape Version — The software version that was current when Benchmark ran.

• Report Date — The date and time of the Benchmark report.

• AVP Folder — The location of the AVPs that are part of the Benchmark report.

• Image Folder — The location of the images (TIFs) used by the Benchmark jobs.

• System — A description of the target where the Benchmark jobs ran.

• Processors — A description of the Host PC’s processors, including clock speed.

• Total Physical Memory — The amount of RAM on the host PC.



Job Summary GridThe Job Summary Grid lists runtime totals (in milliseconds) for each job. The job summary grid has the following columns:

• AVP Name — The file name of the job.

• Num Cycles — The number of iterations ran for the job.

• Avg Targ Cycle Time — The Average Target Cycle time (in milliseconds), is the average cycle time for a job on the vision board.

• Avg Host Cycle Time — The Average Cycle time of the job with respect to the Host PC.

• Host/Targ Difference — The difference between the cycle time on the vision board and the cycle time on the Host PC for the specified job.

• Est Report Size — The estimated report size (in KB) for the job. This is based on the number of timer datums in the job.

• Min Target Cycle Time — The shortest cycle time (in milliseconds) on the vision system.

• Max Target Cycle Time — The longest cycle time (in milliseconds) on the vision system.

• Load — The time (in milliseconds) to load the job.

• Download — The time (in milliseconds) to download the job to the vision system.

Job Detail GridThe Job Detail Grid lists the tools and their runtimes for the selected job. To select a job, click on a row in the Job Summary grid. The name of the selected job appears between the 2 grids. The tools for the selected job appear in the bottom report grid. The columns displayed in the Job Detail grid are:

• Tool — The name of the vision tool.

• Type — The datum type for the tool.

• Mean Targ Cycle Time — The average cycle time (in milliseconds) on the vision system.


Comparing Benchmark Log Files

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• Min and MaxTarg Cycle Time — The shortest and the longest cycle time (ms) on the vision system.

• Std Deviation — The standard deviation of the cycle times.

The job detail grid has a total line at the bottom of the grid. This total should be similar to the Average Target Cycle Time listed in the Job Summary grid for the selected job.

Comparing Benchmark Log FilesIn addition to viewing results from a single log, you can also see the differences between two log files. From the “Compare Log Files” tab, you can compare any two existing log files. The .AVP results in the baseline log file are compared with the results of jobs found in the target log file.

This allows you to see the performance differences between different versions of Visionscape®, or between different vision accelerators installed in your PC. Faster times are highlighted in green, while slower times are highlighted in red. When comparing log files, you must use Benchmark logs that contain the same jobs (.AVPs). Figure A–4 shows the “Compare Log Files” tab.



FIGURE A–4. Compare Log Files Tab

To view the differences between the two log files:

1. Highlight the desired baseline log file and click Select Baseline.

2. Highlight the log file to compare and click Select Target.

3. Click Show Report to view the differences. The Benchmark Differences screen is displayed, as shown in Figure A–5.


Comparing Benchmark Log Files

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FIGURE A–5. Differences Between Benchmark Logs



Click to enable the Highlight Faster/Slower Times checkbox to make differing results stand out. If a time in the target file is significantly different from the time in the baseline log file, it is highlighted in color. You can set the tolerance to only highlight times that differ from the baseline by a given percentage. If a time in the target log file is faster than a time in the baseline file, then the time is highlighted in green. Otherwise, if the target log file is slower than the baseline, the time is highlighted in red.

By default, the columns in the job grid are limited to “Average Target Cycle Time”, “Average Host Cycle Time”, and the percentage differences of the host and target cycle times as compared with the baseline log file. You can also choose to compare all results in the log file by clicking the Display Detailed Information checkbox.


Index

AAbsolute Minimum Dwell Time (ms) 3-11Accelerator Settings 3-9Acquire Properties

file list 5-35, 6-5, 6-16, 6-20, 6-32, 6-42, 6-53, 6-59

picture mode 5-35, 6-5, 6-19, 6-32, 6-42, 6-59Acquire Step

works with snapshot step 4-7Acquiring

image 5-37Activate host display 6-36Acuity Vision Accelerator 1-2, 4-2Adding

camera 5-3Adjusting

depth of field 7-16f-stop 7-16

Advanced Button 8-10Advanced Dialog Box 8-10Always Clear

FILESD0 5-74PERLD0 5-74

Analog Outputs 2-10Aperture 7-16Apply

automatic mincontrast 6-27sharpness 6-27

symbol group settings 6-27ASCII 5-100ASIC 4-2

pci/bandwidth control 3-10Automatic

run step after change 5-77train step after change 5-77

AVP Folder A-3AVP Step Program 4-2AVPDiagnostics 8-7

BBack Lighting 7-10Benchmark A-1

commandsexit A-4open A-4use camera images A-4

comparing log files A-9controls

pc display A-5reboot A-5remote display A-5start A-4stop A-5view report A-5

getting performance results A-5job

detail grid A-8summary grid A-8

performance report A-6setting options A-3starting A-2

Buffer 4-4Bufferpool 4-2, 4-6Burst Size 3-10Buttons

advanced 8-10clear roi 5-90

v3.5, July 2005 Visionscape® User’s Manual Index-1

Index

click to record transitions to a dss file 5-82display nvram 8-11display timing report 5-81fill roi 5-90generate version log 3-13get next data 5-82lightbulb 5-88manual zoom 5-65output file 8-10release 5-5reports 5-68, 5-81, 5-90, 5-97, 5-101run test 8-10take control 5-5wizard next 5-36wizard previous 5-36

CCalibrating

camera 5-18Calibration

datasaving 5-24, 5-28using saved 5-28

quick 5-25robust 5-18

Camera 1-3adding 5-3buttons

what the colors mean 5-7calibrating 5-18ccd 1-3connecting to 5-3controlling 5-5distribution box 1-3f-stop 7-16i/o card 1-2, 4-2ip address

changing 5-15mounting 2-19name

changing 5-12releasing 5-7saving job to flash memory on 5-46selecting 5-3stopping 5-31

Cell Size 6-37

Change Version 3-12Changing

cameraip address 5-15name 5-12

camera name 5-12ip settings 5-15password 5-7user name 5-7

Checkboxdisplay detailed information A-12

Clamping Lens 2-20, 2-21Clear

images from device without uploading 5-51log file now 5-92roi button 5-90the display 5-71

Click to record transitions to a DSS file button 5-82

Clipboardcopy

contents of debug window do 5-71result data to 5-69

Closingjob 5-50

Colorswhat they mean for camera buttons 5-7

Combinationi/o board 1-3, 2-8

wiring examples 2-10Common Terminal 2-9Components

camera 1-3sensor 1-3strobe 1-3

Configure Output Option 5-92, 5-93, 5-94Configuring

ports 5-61serial ports 5-61tcp ports 5-62

Connect to Server 5-96Connecting

camera cables 2-15monitor cables 2-16sensor 2-17strobe 2-17

Index-2 Visionscape® User’s Manual v3.5, July 2005

Index

to a camera 5-3Connection Preferences 5-94Controlling

camera 5-5Copy

contents of debug window to clipboard 5-71result data to clipboard 5-69

Counters and Statisticsreset all 5-69

Creatingnew job 5-33

Customize Installation 3-5Cycle Timing

displaying 5-64

DData

formatting uploaded 5-90using saved calibration 5-28

DataMatrix Tooltutorial 6-28

Date 5-99Datum 4-1Debug Output

displaying 5-70window

clearing the display 5-71Delay Between Steps in Tryout 5-77Delimiter 5-101Depth Of Field 2-20

adjusting 7-16Diagnostic Tools 8-5Diagnostics 8-7Dialog Boxes

advanced 8-10edit expression 5-55select components 3-5select options 3-4visionscape version manager 3-14

Diffuse Lighting 7-8Digital

i/o 2-8soft scope 5-86

Disconnect from Server 5-96Display

detailed information checkbox A-12

nvram button 8-11timing report 5-81

Displayingcycle timing 5-64debug output 5-70detailed runtime statistics 5-70draw timing 5-64i/o 5-82info about job 5-48ip address of camera 5-66job names 5-33mac address of camera 5-66network overview window 5-10process timing 5-64properties pages 5-78revision info about frontrunner 5-67roi masking toolbar 5-87software version on camera 5-66statistics 5-68threshold display toolbar 5-38

DMAdisabled by BIOS? 8-4must be reserved to take a picture 8-4settings and configuring 3-11

Downloadit too 5-76options

setting 5-73Downloading

job 5-43Draw Timing

displaying 5-64Dumping

job to text file 5-47Dwell Time (as a % of Cycle Time) 3-11

EEdgeSign 6-48Edit Expression Dialog Box 5-55Edit Parameters

setting 5-76Enable Step Timing 5-80Every Time

the inspections are started 5-92the job is downloaded 5-92

Exiting FrontRunner 5-3


Index

Expressionsand storing qualified images 5-55

Extended Statisticshide 5-69show 5-69

Extension Ring 7-4

FField Of View 2-20, 7-4

ensuring best 2-20general ruler for determining best 7-1

File List Property 5-35in tutorial 1 6-5, 6-16in tutorial 2 6-20in tutorial 3 6-32, 6-42in tutorial 4 6-53in tutorial 5 6-59

File Menuclose job 5-50configure device 5-61dump job to text file 5-47new job 5-33open job 5-41options 5-72

download 5-73reports 5-74runtime 5-72startup 5-75

save job 5-44save job as 5-45show job info 5-48upload job 5-42

Fileslog 5-92

Fill ROI Button 5-90Finetune Method 6-37Flaw Detection Tutorial 6-2Flow Control 5-94Fluorescent Lighting 7-6Focal Length

lens 7-2Folder Tree 3-12Foreshortening 2-20Formatting

options tab 5-96uploaded data 5-90

Front Lighting 7-9FrontRunner

displaying revision info 5-67exiting 5-3menus 5-2overview 5-1starting 5-3

F-Stop 2-21, 7-16adjusting 7-16

GGenerate Version Log Button 3-13Get Next Data 5-82Gradient Sparseness 6-48Group Final Res Limit 6-27

HHelp Menu

about frontrunner 5-67Hide

extended statistics 5-69Highlight Faster/Slower Times A-12Hot Terminal 2-9

II/O

display 5-82transitions 5-82

examining 5-86I’m the

client 5-95server 5-95

Illumination 7-4Image

acquiring 5-37display rate 5-79factors in creating good 7-1saving current in part queue 5-59

Image Folder A-3Images

storing qualified 5-54Incandescent Lighting 7-6Input

datum 6-49modules 2-8

Inspectioncounters


Index

resetting 5-69status 5-100step 4-6step name 5-100using measurement tools 6-39

Installing the software 3-1Interval 3-10IP Address

of cameradisplaying 5-66

IP Settingschanging 5-15

Iterations to Run A-3

JJob 4-1

closing 5-50displaying info about 5-48downloading to device 5-43names

displaying 5-33opening 5-41save to flash memory on camera 5-46saving as 5-45saving on pc 5-44starting on camera 5-43step 4-4tree 4-4

sample 4-4trying out

in a loop on pc 5-40once on pc 5-40

uploading 5-42

LLaser Lighting 7-7Lens

35mm 7-2aperture 7-16chart 7-2, 7-3distance from object 7-4extension ring 7-4focal length 7-2f-stop 7-16selecting 7-2

Lightbulb Button 5-88Lighting

back 7-10diffuse 7-8factors 7-4fluorescent 7-6front 7-9incandescent 7-6laser 7-7placement 7-9point-source 7-8polarized 7-11side 7-10strobe 7-7tips 7-16

Live Videostarting 5-37stopping 5-37

Load Last Job at Startup 5-76Location Considerations 2-1Log

all messages to 5-71file 5-92

Log File A-3

MMAC Address

of cameradisplaying 5-66

Manual Zoom Button 5-65Matrix Polarity 6-35Max Intensity Value to Include 6-8Maximum

gradient 6-48speed 5-94

Measurement Toolstutorial 6-39

Measuring Performance A-1Menus

frontrunner 5-2Messages 5-94, 5-96Min Intensity Value to Include 6-7Mini Opto I/O Board 2-15Minimum

edge strength 6-37gradient 6-48

Modesruntime 4-3


Index

setup 4-3Modules

input 2-10output 2-10

Mounting Camera 2-20

NNetwork Overview Window 3-8, 5-10

displaying 5-10Never 5-92New Job

creating 5-33No. of Matrix

columns 6-35rows 6-35

Number ofadjustments 6-8x decimal places 5-75

OOCV Fontless Tool

tutorial 6-17Open Result Output Options dialog 5-70Opening

job 5-41Optically Isolated I/O 2-8Options

setting 5-72Output

file button 8-10modules 2-8strings

sending out serial port 5-93sending out tcp/ip 5-94

Overviewfrontrunner 5-1

PP in Icon

what it means 4-1Parameters

setting 5-72Part Queue

clear images from device without uploading 5-51

movebackward through list of records 5-51

forward through list of records 5-51save current image or entire set 5-51saving

all records 5-60current image 5-59current record 5-59images 5-58records 5-58

select snapshot to view 5-51setting up 5-51starting 5-51upload 5-51view images in 5-57zooming 5-51

Passwordchanging 5-7

Pausing a tryout 5-41PC

bios 1-4, 1-5requirements

application system 1-4software development system 1-5standard 1-4

runtime priority 5-72PCI Slot Requirements 2-2PCIdentifier 8-5Performance

measuring A-1results

Benchmark A-5Picture Mode Property 5-35

in tutorial 1 6-5in tutorial 2 6-19in tutorial 3 6-32in tutorial 4 6-42in tutorial 5 6-59

Point1 6-50, 6-52Point2 6-50, 6-53Point-Source Lighting 7-8PointType 6-48Polarized Light 7-11Port 5-94

number 5-96Ports

configuring 5-61Positioning Camera 2-21


Index

Powerrequirements 2-23supply requirements 2-23

Preprocessing Step 4-1Process Timing

displaying 5-64Projection Width 6-48Properties Pages

displaying in tryout view 5-78

QQualified Image

storing 5-54what it is 5-54

Quick Calibration 5-25

RRecord

saving current in part queue 5-59Records

saving all in part queue 5-60Release Button 5-5Releasing

camera 5-7Remove 3-15

version 3-14Reports

button 5-68, 5-81, 5-90, 5-97, 5-101displaying 5-68options

setting 5-74Require Space

asic bank x 5-74mips 5-74

Resetall counters and statistics 5-69all statistics 5-69inspection counters 5-69timing data 5-82

Resultdata

turn off 5-70turn on 5-70

formatting 5-100output

turning on and off 5-101Results

show in world (calibrated) space 5-69Robust

calibration 5-18locate 6-37, 6-38

ROI Masking Toolbardisplaying 5-87

Runtest button 8-10window 5-1

Runtimemode 4-3options

setting 5-72parameters

setting 5-78statistics

displaying detailed 5-70

SS in Icon

what it means 4-1Samples per Matrix Cell 6-37Save current image or entire set 5-51Saving

asjob 5-45

calibration data 5-24, 5-28job on pc 5-44job to flash memory on camera 5-46part queue

images 5-58records 5-58

Search Direction 6-37Search Speed 6-37Select

baseline A-10camera definitions, upgrade and reboot 3-5snapshot to view 5-51target A-10

Select Components dialog box 3-5Select Options Dialog Box 3-4Selecting

camera 5-3lens 7-2

Send Test String 5-94, 5-96Sensor 1-3


Index

Serial Portsending output strings out 5-93

Serial Portsconfiguring 5-61

Server Name or IP Address 5-96Set the Acuity debug level 5-71Setting

download options 5-73edit parameters 5-76options 5-72parameters 5-72reports options 5-74runtime

options 5-72parameters 5-78

startup options 5-75timing parameters 5-80

Setting Uppart queue 5-51

Settingsacuity 1000 vision accelerator 3-9ip

changing 5-15Setup

mode 4-3step 4-1

Showall reports 5-76all statistics in world (calibrated) space 5-69device runtime graphics 5-79device runtime image 5-79device runtime report 5-79extended statistics 5-69pc runtime graphics 5-79pc runtime image 5-79properties 5-78results in world (calibrated) space 5-69

Side Lighting 7-10Simulating Triggers 5-83Single-CPU Systems 1-5Smart Camera

ip settingschanging 5-15

namechanging 5-12

Snapshot Step

works with acquire step 4-7Software

installing 3-1uninstalling 3-16version

displaying on camera 5-66Start All Inspections 5-76Starting

frontrunner 5-3job on camera 5-43live video 5-37part queue 5-51

Startupoptions

setting 5-75Statistics

displaying 5-68reset 5-69show all in world (calibrated) space 5-69

Statusinspection 5-100

Step 4-2program 4-2tree 4-2trying out on pc 5-39what it is 4-4

Stoppingcamera 5-31live video 5-37

Storingqualified images 5-54

Strobe 1-3lighting 7-7

TTabs

formatting options 5-96Take Control Button 5-5TCP Ports

configuring 5-62TCP/IP

sending output strings out 5-94Terminator 5-101

after each result 5-100at end of all results 5-100

Threshold


Index

display toolbardisplaying 5-38

method 6-38Time 5-99Timing

dataresetting 5-82

parameterssetting 5-80

Toolmethod 6-7time out (ms) 6-37

Toolstraining 5-34untraining 5-36

Totalinspected 5-100passed 5-100rejected 5-100

Trainingtools 5-34

Trajectory Steptutorial 6-56

Transitionsi/o 5-82

Treewhat it is 4-4

Triggerssimulating 5-83

Troubleshooting 8-1Tryout

job in loop on pc 5-40job once on pc 5-40pausing 5-41step on pc 5-39

Turn Result Output ON/OFF 5-70Turning On & Off

result output 5-101Tutorials

datamatrix tool 6-28flaw

detection 6-2tool 6-2

font discrepancies 6-17inspecting grid of parts 6-56measurement tools 6-39

ocv fontless tool 6-17trajectory step 6-56visionscape 6-1

UUntraining

tools 5-36Upload

part queue 5-51runtime images into setup 5-73

Uploaded Dataformatting 5-90specifying

what it will look like 5-96where to send 5-90

Uploadingjob 5-42

Usecalibrated space when activated 5-75i/o during tryout 5-77triggers during tryout 5-77

Userentered text 5-100name

changing 5-7

VVersion

log 3-13manager 3-11removing 3-14

View Menudebug output 5-70digital soft scope 5-86display tools

mask tools 5-87threshold helper 5-38

i/o display 5-82Viewing Images

part queue 5-57Virus Protection

needs to be disabled with Win2K 3-1Vision System Step 4-5Visionscape

folder tree 3-12installing 3-2removing versions 3-14


Index

uninstalling software 3-16version log 3-13version manager 3-11

Visionscape Version Manager Dialog Box 3-14VsConnections Viewer 3-8VsDirectory Browser 3-9VsNetwork Browser 3-8, 5-10VsPerformance Viewer 3-8

WWarp Method 6-37When

important messages are added to the display, show this window 5-71

should log file be cleared? 5-92Windows

network overview 3-8, 5-10Wiring

examplescombo io board 2-10

i/o modules 2-8, 2-9With Tolerance 6-49Wizard Next Button 5-36Wizard Previous Button 5-36

XX ScaleFactor 6-34

YY ScaleFactor 6-34

ZZoom

actual size 5-39image 5-51in 5-39manual in charts window 5-65out 5-39to fit window 5-39

Zooming 5-38


Documents

Visionscape® User’s Manual - IPS sipss.co.kr/Data/VS-V35-UserManual.pdfContents viii Visionscape® User’s Manual v3.5, July 2005 Strobe Lights 7-7 Diffuse Versus Point-Source