How to choose the right Optical components

Optical components For various visual applications, the optical system is very important to the quality, accuracy, speed, and reproducibility of the entire image. Then, let's learn how to choose the right Optical components!

Optical components build a vision system, taking into account application, resolution, lighting, depth of field (DOF), field of view (FOV), processing speed, and other factors. However, they often fail to expect performance, or use components that specify too many conditions. A system that fails due to insufficient given conditions requires redesign, so both of these defects are costly. A system with too many specified conditions contains high-priced components.

The imaging capability of the Optical components system is determined by the imaging capability of the components. Every vision system requires lighting, lenses, cameras, monitors, or a computer/grabber to analyze images. The user must select complementary components suitable for the APP application. By avoiding specifying excessive quality conditions for certain components in the system, you can ensure that all components are priced within the project budget.

To select a lens suitable for an application of Optical components, it is necessary to understand various parameters and concepts. These concepts include field of view, working distance, resolution, contrast, telecentricity, and illumination attenuation.

Optical componentsView
The field of view (FOV) is the visible area of ​​the object being observed. That is, the entire object is filled with the portion of the camera sensor. Viewpoints can be specified in a variety of formats. For zoom and zoom lenses, it can be specified in the form of a range. For example, 10~50mm; for a lens with a wide action distance, it can be specified as an angle specification (25, etc.). When a fixed magnification lens is used, a fixed value such as 25mm can be specified. However, all these specifications will change if different sized imaging arrays are used.

Note that there are many different sized arrays on the market. To choose the right lens for your APP application, you need to know the actual size of the array. As the array gets larger, so does the FOV; conversely, as the sensor gets smaller, the FOV also gets smaller. Depending on the magnification of the lens, the appropriate field of view can be specified taking into account different imager widths. The magnification of the lens is the main magnification of the system and is called the PMAG.

Optical components working distance
The working distance refers to the distance from the front of the lens to the object being observed. Some lenses, such as objectives, have a certain working distance, but there are also many lenses that have a certain working distance. While the working distance is probably the easiest of the parameters that need to be specified, there are some details that the user must consider when determining the working distance that is best for the APP application. In general, system size, moving parts, flying debris, lighting, and more must be considered when considering working distance. In addition, the higher the magnification of the lens system, the longer the action distance. If higher magnifications are required at longer working distances, the system size can be further increased.

Optical components resolution is the minimum feature size of the observed object. By analyzing the relationship between resolution and contrast, the user can know a very useful modulation transfer function (MTF). Resolution is a measure of the ability of a camera system to reproduce the details of an object. For example, suppose you have a pair of black squares on a white background. When these two squares are imaged on adjacent pixels, they appear as large black rectangles in the image. In order to distinguish, a certain space needs to be left between the two squares. Just find the minimum distance required to view two squares, and you can know the limits of your system's resolution. The relationship between alternating black and white squares is often depicted as line pairs.

In the end, the complete system needs to be built, but each component must be understood to achieve the desired results. The optics used can significantly affect the quality of the overall image, ensuring accuracy and reproducibility, and increasing the overall speed of the system. The basis of application success is the complete acknowledgment that there is no lens that can solve all application problems.

The above introduction is how to choose the appropriate Optical components, I hope to help you.