How to Choose an Industrial PC for Vision Inspection ?

Vision Inspection is a comprehensive technology, including image processing, mechanical engineering technology, control, electric light source lighting, optical imaging, sensors, analog and digital video technology, computer software and hardware technology. It converts the captured target into an image signal and transmits it to a dedicated image processing system to obtain the morphological information of the captured target, thereby completing the detection work, in which the image processing is completed by the industrial computer.

The application of machine vision in the manufacturing field is mainly used for appearance inspection, defect inspection, etc. The inspection requirements are different, and the inspection equipment also has different needs, but the inspection process is all through CCD and video capture card to obtain images, and Analysis and processing are carried out through the industrial computer. In this process, the target can be automatically photographed, recorded, stored, transmitted, etc., which can greatly improve the intelligent process and efficiency of production automation.

It can be seen that in the machine vision system, the performance of the industrial computer directly affects the processing speed and running time of the entire vision system, and is the key to the entire vision system. How to choose an industrial computer for machine vision?

The selection of industrial computer should pay attention to the following points:

1. The size of the industrial computer

Due to the limited space of the testing equipment, the size of the industrial computer is also affected. The installation size of ordinary industrial computer varies from 1U to 7U in height; while the embedded industrial computer is compact and lightweight, with a width of only ten centimeters. Therefore, the product specifications of the industrial computer should be selected according to the on-site installation size at first.

2. Installation method of industrial computer

According to the feasible installation methods on site, industrial computers can be divided into wall-mounted, rack-mounted, desktop and embedded. The industrial computer can be selected according to the use requirements and considering the wiring method, such as avoiding wiring difficulties such as front wiring and rear wiring.

3. Configuration of industrial computer

The configuration of industrial computer mainly includes processor, storage, memory, software, etc. We can select the processor according to the size and installation environment of the industrial computer to ensure the stable operation of the industrial computer. Determines the memory capacity for a given usage. Some vision systems need to store the image every time, and if run continuously every day, will generate a large memory image. At the same time, in order to speed up processing and reduce current transformers, it is necessary to consider replacing HDD with SSD.

4. Interface of industrial computer

Confirm the number of cameras, light controllers and connections in the vision system. For example, there are 8 cameras in the system, 4 light sources need to be controlled, the cameras are connected by network cables, and the light source controller is 232 interfaces, so the number of network interfaces and serial ports of the industrial computer can be confirmed.