INTRODUCTION TO LINE SCAN

VISION TECHNOLOGY
Image acquisition for large, cylindrical, and fast-moving parts
INTRODUCTION TO LINE SCAN VISION TECHNOLOGY
Image acquisition for large, cylindrical, and fast-moving parts
There are two types of acquisition methods to acquire an image of an object—area scan and line scan. The most
common 2D machine vision systems use area scan cameras, which require a complete matrix of pixels to be
exposed at the moment of acquisition. By contrast, line scan cameras contain a single row of pixels, building the
final 2D image pixel line by pixel line.
Building a line scan image requires movement between the camera and object, usually along a conveyor belt
or rotating shaft. As the objects passes in front of the camera, a new pixel line is acquired. Software on a vision
processor or frame grabber stores each line, then reconstructs pixel data into the final 2D image. This unique
image acquisition process excels at capturing fast-moving discrete parts on a conveyor, inspecting all sides
of cylindrical objects, and building images of very large objects. Commercial devices like document scanners,
photocopiers, and fax machines which scan documents into memory use line scan technology, as do production
and distribution lines in manufacturing and logistics, which rely on this special technology to acquire high-
resolution images quickly for detailed part inspections.

Line Scan Camera Area Scan Camera

Captures pixels Captures all

line by line pixels in a block

Figure 1: Area scan cameras illuminate an object and capture all exposed pixels to form an image. By contrast, line scan cameras illuminate
and capture pixels line by line.

Figure 2: Imagers differ between area

and line scan cameras.

2 Introduction to Line Scan Vision Technology

With line scan imagers available from 500
to 8000 pixels per line—and some even
able to match high speed line acquisition
rates of 67,000 lines per second—the latest
generation of line scan cameras generate
all the power necessary for applications
that formerly required a cluster of high-
resolution vision imagers. These attributes Figure 3: A line scan camera unwraps the curved surface of a rotating can to
make line scan cameras an ideal choice capture its label without image distortion.
for capturing target objects in continuous
or discrete “web” surface inspections, such
as for plastic, textiles, metal, or paper. Line
scan cameras can also “unwrap” cylindrical
objects to capture their entire surface area.
Large objects that require high-resolution
imaging for precise measurement and defect
detection--such as flat panel displays, solar
cells, and car parts—are also well-suited
to this technology. And because line scan
systems only need to view a small portion of
the target object for each line acquisition, they
did not require a large, unobstructed view of
the target object. For this reason, they work
well in installations with restricted fields of Figure 4: Line scan vision systems can successfully image objects through a
view or mounting space. narrow field of view or mounting space.

COMPONENTS
Line scan vision systems can be configured with a line scan camera and PC or vision controller running
machine vision software, or as an embedded system with the camera and software contained in one package.
Nevertheless, the components of these two set-ups share many elements in common. Like with all machine
vision systems, selecting the correct lens, lighting, and trigger mechanism is crucial to the success of any line
scan application.

Line Light Camera and Lens

Line Acquired Built Image

Conveyor Belt
Movement

Encoder Shaft

Figure 5: Lighting, lensing, encoders, and triggers are critical components of a line scan system’s configuration.

Introduction to Line Scan Vision Technology 3

Encoder
An encoder conveys the belt’s linear motion to the line scan Line scan cameras can:
camera, indicating when to acquire the next line for the image.
In many applications, it is difficult to guarantee constant and ▪▪ Unwrap cylindrical objects for
stable movement of the moving object, especially during ramp label inspection
up or ramp down of the assembly line speed. Changes in speed
▪▪ Detect printing, metal, and
affect the aspect ratio of the resulting image. For example, plastic defects and flaws
the line scan camera could acquire lines too quickly, resulting
in repeated lines and a stretched image. And if the camera ▪▪ Provide 100% inspection of very
acquires lines too slowly, it will skip some lines, making the long or spooled product/part
image thinner. To keep a constant aspect ratio while allowing the
▪▪ Provide high-resolution images
speed to fluctuate, an encoder instructs the camera to acquire for precise measurement
a line each time the distance traveled equals a defined value—
usually the length of a projected pixel. An encoder is usually ▪▪ Enable consistent sampling
mounted on an axle and provides signals to indicate motion.
▪▪ Support high-speed part
Some encoders produce two separate signals (A and B), from
scanning
which it is possible to detect the direction of the line and more
granular information about the motion. Line scan systems can
work with either hardware (motion-based) encoders or software
(time-based and calculated by movement) encoders.

Lighting
Line scan cameras require only a single line of light to acquire a row of pixels. This means that unlike with an
area scan camera, a part does not need to be illuminated uniformly. A strong, non-fluctuating, tightly focused
“line” type illumination is the most suitable in line scan applications, which also demand higher intensity light
due to the fast acquisition speed (typically in the microseconds per line). The line light aligns with the camera to
maximize the intensity of the light is typically always on, not strobed.

Lens
Lenses vary in optical quality and ultimately Line scan systems have specific advantages
determine the resolution of a captured image. It is
important to choose a high-quality lens to take full
over area scan systems:
advantage of a line scan camera’s pixel size. Using ▪▪ No fixed dimensions: Some line scan
the right lens will help the system acquire the best cameras can adjust the length of the
possible image for finely detailed inspections. acquired image to be infinitely long.
This makes it possible in certain cases
Trigger to create continuous, gapless images
The trigger mechanism indicates to the camera when between frames.
to begin acquiring pixels. Line scan systems can use ▪▪ High-resolution: It is not uncommon for
either a hardware trigger connected directly to the line scan images to reach 80 megabytes
camera or a software trigger issued via factory floor of pixel data or more.
industrial protocol or PC.
▪▪ Shorter exposure time: Area scan
cameras typically require longer exposure
times than line scan camera.

4 Introduction to Line Scan Vision Technology

WHY CHOOSE LINE SCAN?
Whether for food and beverage, electronics, or packaging and logistics, line scan camera technology helps
manufacturers acquire high-resolution images for fast-moving, large, and cylindrical objects that challenge area
scan cameras.

Unwrap cylindrical objects for inspection

Inspecting round or cylindrical parts can require multiple area
scan cameras to cover the entire part surface. A line scan camera
can produce an “unwrapped” 2-D image of a cylindrical object
as it spins on an axis. This avoids special fixturing and complex
algorithms to stitch together several images at varying coordinate
spaces. This feature is useful for inspecting the size and uniformity
of objects, fill levels, labels, and safety seals

Add vision to space-constrained environments

Since a line scan camera builds an image a single pixel line at a
time, it only needs to see a sliver of the object as it moves past.
This attribute makes line scan cameras ideal for applications with
restricted fields of view or space, such as in the electronics and
pharmaceutical industries, or when the camera needs to peek
through rollers on a conveyor to view the bottom of a part.

Acquire high-resolution images at low cost

Line scan systems can also generally provide much higher
resolution than traditional area scan cameras. High resolution
inspection is critical in most tech-oriented industries. A line scan
camera with the appropriate imager can produce very large images
at significantly lower cost than an area scan camera. For this
reason, a line scan camera in motion is a practical replacement for
a high-resolution area scan camera.

Inspect web surfaces

Since line scan systems require parts in motion to build an
image, they are often well-suited for applications with products in
motion, such as on high-speed packaging lines and conveyors.
This makes it easy to perform long surface (or “web”) inspections
and to verify codes and text. Using an area scan camera would
require extra processing to reconcile frame overlaps, complicated
image stitching, and hardware synchronization. Some line scan
models can obtain a stream of continuous (i.e. gapless) images
between frames, while others can do so with minimal gaps of a
few lines. Models that perform discrete continuous inspections can
take pictures of randomly-sized parts without large blank spaces
between images.

Introduction to Line Scan Vision Technology 5

THE COGNEX DIFFERENCE
Cognex offers a range of high-resolution line scan vision systems to help manufacturers and distributors meet
critical inspection needs. The In-Sight 5604 and 5614 1K line scan cameras offers 1,000 x 8,000 px resolution
(8,000 lines or 8MP). The new In-Sight 9902L 2K line scan camera offers 2,000 x 16,000 px resolution (16,000
lines or 32MP) in a self-contained unit, quadrupling the resolution for more detailed inspections while reducing
cost and and minimizing system configuration. High-speed image acquisition (67,000 lines per second) and
unique light sensitivity mode provide enhanced flexibility for a wide range of applications involving fast-moving
discrete parts on conveyors, cylindrical parts, and large parts. Users also benefit from industrially rugged In-Sight
hardware, powerful vision tools, and easy application development and monitoring using In-Sight Explorer
software with EasyBuilder and Spreadsheet.

6 Introduction to Line Scan Vision Technology

BUILD YOUR VISION
2D VISION
Cognex machine vision systems are unmatched in their ability to inspect,
identify and guide parts. They are easy to deploy and provide reliable,
repeatable performance for the most challenging applications.
www.cognex.com/machine-vision

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Cognex In-Sight laser profilers and 3D vision systems provide ultimate
ease of use, power and flexibility to achieve reliable and accurate
measurement results for the most challenging 3D applications.
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VISION SOFTWARE
Cognex vision software provides industry leading vision technologies,
from traditional machine vision to deep learning-based image analysis,
to meet any development needs.
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BARCODE READERS
Cognex industrial barcode readers and mobile terminals with patented
algorithms provide the highest read rates for 1D, 2D and DPM codes
regardless of the barcode symbology, size, quality, printing method or surface.
www.cognex.com/BarcodeReaders

Companies around the world rely on Cognex vision and barcode reading
solutions to optimize quality, drive down costs and control traceability.

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