Balluff Releases Compact, High-Speed 25GigE Industrial Camera

Various automation industries, including assembly, logistics, semiconductor, and pharmaceuticals, rely on machine vision systems for defect detection, part presence, and overall part inspection. These systems increasingly require a high-resolution camera capable of high-speed data transfer.

To meet the growing demand for high-performance vision, Balluff has released a 25GigE industrial camera that features a resolution of 24.6 MP.

Balluff’s new 25GigE industrial camera is available in over 20 models with resolutions ranging from 5.1 MP to 24.6 MP. Image used courtesy of Balluff

A Compact 25GigE Industrial Camera

Industrial vision applications are demanding; they often require capturing high-resolution images and transmitting the data quickly to image processing software. Balluf's new BVS CA-GW industrial camera meets this challenge head-on with its support for 25GigE data transmission over the latest GigE version 3.0.

Along with the latest communication protocol, the camera supports remote direct memory access (RDMA). This protocol enables the transfer of image data directly to the image processing PC's RAM. Using this technology, the computer's processors are not interrupted when new pictures become available, allowing for faster, smoother data transfer.

The new BVS CA-GW camera performing overhead inspection, a common machine vision use. Image used courtesy of Balluff

High-Speed, High-Resolution

The BVS CA-GW camera is available in over 20 different variants, including monochrome, colour, and UV versions. Different resolutions are available from 5.1 MP to 24.6 MP, and the camera utilizes Sony's 2.7-series Pregius S CMOS sensor. For applications requiring high-speed inspections, the BVS CA-GW is capable of over 100 fps.

Balluff has kept the camera's overall size to a minimum, with a front surface area of only 40 mm x 40 mm. Power consumption has also been kept to a minimum, operating on only 12 W at 12 VDC. The new BVS CA-GW uses the standard C-mount and TFL mount for industry-standard lenses.

In addition to GigE 3.0 communication over fiber-optic cables, the BVS also has digital inputs and outputs via two GPIO connectors and an RS232 interface. The I/O can be used for trigger signals or lighting.

The BVS CA-GW camera features compact dimensions of 40 mm x 40 mm x 77.5 mm for use in space-constrained applications. Image used courtesy of Balluff

Machine Vision Software

The new 24GigE camera is powerful in its own right, but it still requires communication with software to acquire and process images. While the camera can use virtually any machine vision software, Balluff offers its own version tailored for its BVS line of cameras.

Impact Acquire is an SDK that facilitates communication with Balluff cameras and some GenICam-compliant 3rd-party cameras. The software can be installed on all major operating systems: Windows, Linux, and macOS. The SDK offers developers access to the camera's parameters as well as image optimization settings, image processing tools, and configuration settings. When using the SDK with Balluff cameras, no license is required. A license will be required for use with third-party cameras.