GS CMOS cameras target advanced machine vision applications

The GigE cameras form part of Sony’s extensive range of machine vision and security cameras which benefit from Sony’s Global Shutter CMOS sensors, which include industry-leading Pregius and Exmor RTM technological advantages.

The GS CMOS cameras are targeted at the European machine vision market and are particularly well suited to manufacturing sectors within the automotive, electronics/ semiconductors and food & beverage industries. In non-manufacturing sectors, key applications include intelligent transport systems, logistics and postal sorting, high-end security and biometrics.

Arnaud Destruels, European Marketing Manager, Image Sensor Solutions, Sony, commented: “At Sony, we have over 25 years’ experience in developing and delivering machine vision solutions which means that we fully understand how systems have developed and evolved over time. The machine vision market is very challenging and Sony has always been ready to meet these challenges to improve customers’ solutions. With our new GS CMOS series cameras, we are well placed to assist customers with a product that provides market leading levels of performance and reliability."

Sony Technology

In industrial applications there is often a demand to accurately view the form of fast-moving objects. Traditionally, a rolling shutter has been used as the electronic shutter mechanism in CMOS image sensors in which an unavoidable, intrinsic distortion of the focal plane occurs. Overcoming this problem, Sony’s Pregius is a global shutter pixel technology for active pixel-type CMOS image sensors that use Sony’s low-noise CCD structure to realise undistorted, high image quality.

Exmor R is a back-illuminated CMOS image sensor with improved sensitivity and noise reduction; key factors in enhancing image quality. While radically realigning the fundamental pixel structure from front-illumination to back-illumination, Exmor R retains all the advantages of traditional CMOS image sensors such as low power consumption and high-speed operation.

Real world advantages

Sony’s GS CMOS cameras are ideally suited to assist the food and beverage industry in contaminated and damaged can detection. The new series of cameras are able to produce high-resolution images of cans in production at the rate of 120,000 cans per hour; that’s 33 cans per second. These figures are achieved through the XCG-CG240/C and XCG-CG510/C’s impressive 2.4MP at 40fps (at 8-bit) and 5.1MP at 23fps (at 8-bit) processing capabilities. The cameras are designed to optimise product quality and production times and due to the camera’s low noise capability, dynamic range has also been extended.

Sony’s GS CMOS cameras are also extremely well equipped to deal with the challenges of screen printing alignment applications in the semiconductor industry. Installation, setup and maintenance is easier as a result of its carefully designed sensor mounting and design accuracy. GS CMOS boasts the highest image sensor accuracy in the industry.

Deployed in law enforcement and traffic control in intelligent transportation systems, the GS CMOS camera’s temperature sensor readout and high reliability maximise heat dissipation management and provides enhanced ‘in the field’ reliability.

In automotive part inspection applications, GS CMOS’ GigE vision interface enables the use of long length cables. The camera’s support of PoE, IEEE 1588 and Linux offers single cable solutions and reduces integration cost in high-end security and biometrics applications.