The first Gigabit Ethernet line scan camera series in Basler’s portfolio features up to 2k pixels in monochrome or color

Basler continues its leadership role in GigE Vision-based camera development and introduces another new Gigabit Ethernet product family.
The runner camera series features seven new line scan models with either 1024 or 2098 pixels and a range of line rates up to 59 kHz. “The combination of an innovative but simple Gigabit Ethernet interface and the well-established sensor types currently used in Basler’s L100 and L300 cameras is persuasive in any application and lowers overall system cost by several hundred Euros”, says Henning Tiarks, Product Manager at Basler.

Brilliant color with the runner ruL2098-10gc tri-linear line scan camera
The premier member of the runner series is a tri-linear CCD color line scan camera that builds on the success of Basler’s extremely popular L301kc. This new camera employs the same sensor at the same speed as the L301kc, but has all of the advantages that a GigE Vision-based camera can offer. Three independent CCD lines with 2098 pixels per line collect the color information at a 9.2 kHz line rate. The compact, industrially-proven housing and Basler’s easy-to-use pylon software package make runner GigE cameras ready out of the box for a wide variety of vision applications. Former Camera Link line scan camera users will experience a quick and easy setup process that lets them see their first images within minutes.

GigE Vision – The new interface star
GigE Vision has established itself over the last few years as a proven industrial interface standard. During the last 12 months in particular, GigE Vision-based products have been successfully integrated into a variety of applications and have justified the hype that was raging in the marketplace. Due to its unique strengths in bandwidth, cable length, and cost, many applications have been moved from analog or Camera Link technology to Gigabit Ethernet.

Following its success in the area scan market, Gigabit Ethernet is now moving into the line scan arena and is beginning to extend its benefits to a market segment dominated by Camera Link. The most challenging aspect of line scan applications is achieving fast readout speed and the synchronization of triggering via the Gigabit Ethernet interface. Once this challenge is met, line scan users can benefit from:
• cable lengths up to 100 meters allowing long distance data transmission
• cost-effective cables and components compared to Camera Link based products
• more cameras on one computer for greater efficiency and flexibility

Save cost - No frame grabber or converter box required
Compared to Camera Link or to a Camera Link-to-GigE converter box, Gigabit Ethernet cameras offer a greatly simplified interface. The need for a frame grabber is eliminated and a simple Gigabit Ethernet network card does the job. Tasks such as color conversion that were done in the past on the frame grabber are now embedded directly in the camera and can be activated via Basler’s enhanced pylon API or the pylon Viewer. By eliminating the Camera Link frame grabber and Camera Link cables, a GigE Vision-based solution can save several hundred Euros. And with a direct GigE connection, expensive Camera Link-to-GigE converter boxes are consigned to history, resulting in a savings of several hundred Euros more.

Extended cable lengths up to 100 meters
The Gigabit Ethernet standard allows maximum flexibility in terms of cable length. This is extremely beneficial in the large-scale equipment that often employs line scan technology to inspect materials such as paper, pulp, foils, and steel as they move through a production line. With up to 100 meter cable lengths available on GigE cameras, the Camera Link cable length limit of 10 meters and the expensive repeaters needed to extend the Camera Link limit no longer constrain equipment design.

The runner camera series will be available in April 2008.