When an engineer begins the process of specifying a new machine vision system, they will often think very carefully about the line speed, the optics, and the image processing software.

Lighting and lighting control is a critical component of any machine vision system since it has a massive influence on the signal to noise ratio and contrast in the images acquired.

When several devices need to be accurately sequenced in a machine vision system, the usual solution was to program a PLC to generate the necessary signals. However, a PLC is a significant investment and requires specialist knowledge to program the Relay Ladder Logic.