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29 March, 2024

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Shortwave IR camera detects defects that the eye cannot see

01 February, 2021

The German machine vision specialist Chromasens has launched its first shortwave infrared (SWIR) linescan camera, capable of picking out defects in the 950–1,700nm spectral range that are invisible to the human eye. For example, the sensor in the allPixa SWIR camera can detect fill levels in non-transparent containers, identify water and fat in foods, help to tackle counterfeiting, identify chemicals, and monitor plant moisture to prevent over- or under-watering.

The low-noise camera can also help to sort raw minerals, foods and recycled products on fast-moving conveyor belts. In addition, it can be used to inspect packaging, and for quality control in semiconductor and solar panel manufacturing.

The camera is based on an uncooled 1K InGaAs sensor with 12.5 x 12.5μm pixels and a 1024 x 1 resolution, housed in a tough IP40 enclosure. It is available with either GenICam-compliant GigE Vision or CameraLink interfaces for fast data transfer of 12-bit images at speeds of up to 40kHz (40,000 lines per second). The interfaces ensure simple integration with standard industrial software.

A C-mount lens interface allows users to choose from many off-the-shelf lenses, as well as custom lens adapters. A built-in FPGA (field-programmable gate array) can be customised to pre-process the data gathered by the camera.

The Chromasens shortwave infrared linescan camera opens up new applications for vision systems

Chromasens was founded in 2004 as a division of Siemens. In 2017, it was acquired by the German machine vision business Lakesight Technologies, which was itself bought by the Dutch group TKH a year later.

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