Anne Fallon

18 Aug 2003

Lambda is pleased to introduce the new Pro Ultra LED controller from Schott, regulated constant current and variable intensity controller for machine vision applications.  

New feature of the Pro Ultra Controller is the auto-recognition of the lighthead. Depending on the respective LED-number and -color the operating voltage is selected and the maximum current limited. All standard lighthead are being operated with the same 24-volt power supply, which is delivered with the unit.

The light intensity can be continuously adjusted via the single-knob button, which also allows operation in overdrive mode up to 150 % light intensity. A front panel display indicates operating parameter and temperature conditions of the light head. If the user is alerted about high temperatures, he can adjust the light intensity and choose suitable cooling to optimize the lifetime of the lighthead.

The Pro Ultra Controller can be externally triggered with frequencies up to 100 Hz to further extend lifetime of the lighthead. It features a heavy-duty, grounded metal industrial housing with mounting holes on both sides of the unit.

For further information about this release, please contact Clive Phillips or Mark Bambrick on 01582 764334 or email

14 May 2004  

Stanford Research Systems have added to their extensive range of signal recovery products with the introduction of the SR240A and SR445A preamplifiers. The two products have almost identical specifications but differ in their physical presentation, the SR240 is a single width NIM module, the SR445A is a standalone laboratory bench instrument.

Both units have four independent channels each with a gain of 5x which may be cascaded to provide up to 624x gain. The rise/fall times of the amplifiers is 1ns, the input noise is a very low 6.4nV/ÖHz and the input and output impedance is 50ohms. The input impedance of channel one of the bench mounted model may be increased to 500ohms by a front panel switch. This can improve the sensitivity to signals from current and charge output devices such as photomultiplier tubes. Additionally, this unit has separate offset adjustments on each channel enabling the user to rapidly null DC errors. Input protection is provided against a ±50v signal for 1µs, recovery time from a 10x overload is 3ns. An output clamp of ±1.6v is installed with an output overload detection of ±1.3v. The input range specified is ±200mV with an output of 1v.

The fast rise time, low noise and excellent DC accuracy of the two amplifiers make them ideal instruments for use with photomultipliers and photodiodes. The SR240A is useful for amplifying small signals to levels that can be processed by other boxcar systems. The SR445A can be used to improve the sensitivity of oscilloscopes, photon counters, boxcar averages, spectrum analysers and other high frequency test equipment.

The Stanford SR240A and SR445A are exclusive distributed in the UK by the company’s UK representative Lambda Photometrics.

For more information contact Wing Ng or Preetesh Mistry at Lambda Photometrics Ltd on: 01582 764334 or email

25 May 2004  

De-Palletising of Cast Gearbox Housings

Gearbox housings are frequently delivered from a castings producer on pallets with little regard for their position or orientation. In a robotic unpacking and placing process the pick and place arm needs to recognise the correct place on the casting to position its grippers. A complete 3D profile scan of the part is required to determine both the position and orientation of the casting to place the robotic arm accurately. Faunhofer IPA of Stuttgart has added the 3D Ranger Scanning system from the Swedish company Integrated Vision Products to its pick and place robot to carry out processes of this type.

The IVP system utilises a low power laser which is scanned over the target area or, alternatively, the pallet holding the part may be moved through the beam. In either case a detector acquires the reflected signal from the casing's surface. The system can scan the part at rates of hundreds or thousands of scans per second quickly building up an accurate 3D profile of the part under examination. This can be compared to an ideal stored image of the part in the correct orientation with respect to the robot arm and instructions are fed to the robot to change the grabbing mechanisms to the correct position for picking up and placing correctly.

Further developments of the system include the selection and picking of parts from a randomly filled bin using the same technology.

Inspection and Control Adhesives

Adhesives are being used more widely in the automotive industry replacing rivets or screws for the fixing of many components. When the process is automated it is often difficult to dispense the correct amount of adhesive consistently or to form a continuous line of the substance due to changes in the delivery nozzle caused by residuals left there. Using 3D imaging, the IVP Range M50 vision inspection system can accurately measure the presence and both the height and width of the adhesive bead at high speeds to control the pump system delivering the material ensuring that the process continues within set limits.

The IVP 3D systems are able to detect parts presence, or monitor and measure complex parts at scan rates of several thousand scans per second for inspection and control in a wide range of applications.

For further information about this release, please contact Clive Phillips or Mark Bambrick on 01582 764334 or email

14 Sep 2004  

The iQ 421 Controller fully utilizes the special features of the SCHOTT iQLED product line. The easy-to-use system features a 2 line/16 character display which allows simple set-up in four languages. Alternatively, users can set the operational parameters through the built-in RS-232-Interface, which also allows continuous monitoring of temperature, light output and status. Once set-up, the controller runs as a stand-alone unit.

The iQ421 provides features unmatched in the industry at an affordable price. A state-of-the-art controller, the iQ 421 automatically recognizes the maximum current requirements of the LED head and adjusts to the appropriate current. The LED temperature is continuously monitored. In case of over temperature the operational current will be automatically reduced, while displaying a warning signal to the user before permanent damage occurs to the LEDs. The normal mode allows continuous dimming of light intensity between 0 and 100%.

One unique feature is the Maintain mode - a light feedback loop to maintain intensity +/- 2% over operation of the LED head. It regulates the head current to compensate for degradation of LED output over time, self-heating, and changes in ambient temperature - all of which can affect light output.

In addition, the iQ421 features a trigger mode, with programmable delay to synchronize the unit with an external signal to extend LED lifetime and provide light only when needed. Moreover, it also has an internal strobe generator with frequencies between 15 Hz and 50 KHz to freeze motion of periodically moving objects. Programmable period and on-time can be combined with overdrive of trigger/strobe intensities up to 250%, while pre-defined overdrive rules of the LEDs are met.

For optimal implementation into automated systems, the iQ 421 can be remotely switched on/off in normal, maintain and strobe modes. Error control codes are displayed on the front LCD and transmitted to the host computer via RS-232.

The iQ121 LED Controller automatically recognizes the maximum current requirements of the LED head and adjusts the appropriate current. The LED temperature is continuously monitored. A temperature indicator LED warns of high-temperature conditions and alerts the user to check intensity setting or ambient temperature. The temperature indicator light also signals the user that the power supply is connected and functioning. The single-knob light intensity control adjusts from 0 to 100 percent. A remote on/off function can extend LED lifetime and provide light only when needed during part inspection.

Designed for use in industrial environments the heavy-duty metal housing has T-slot grooves for mounting and integrated cooling channels, which make a fan redundant. Connectors for light heads and power supplies are lockable to ensure safe operation. The 2 amp light source output of the controller can be powered with DC-power supplies between 12 and 24 volt, depending on colour and number of LEDs in the lighthead.    For further information about this release, please contact Clive Phillips or Mark Bambrick on 01582 764334 or email

14 Sep 2004  

A new addition to the Lambda portfolio, Prosilica, offer the Firewire range of digital machine vision cameras, all designed for easy system integration.

CV640 is a "plug-and-play" digital camera with standardised interfaces and an advanced performance. High frame rates and superior sensitivity make this the camera of choice for many industrial imaging applications.

CV1280 can be combined with National Instruments Compact Vision System and LabVIEW or VisionBuilder software to provide a complete smart camera system. Prosilica's "NI Toolkit" with VIs, Express VIs and extended camera controls provide users with high performance and flexibility.

CV1280F offers a 1394b fibre optic interface capable of operation with 500 metres cable length in addition to a standard 1394a port. The camera is also very useful in applications where cables are repeatedly flexed such as in robotic arms.

Amongst the features common to the three cameras are extended dynamic range for imaging in difficult lighting conditions, region of interest function for increased speed, snapshot shutter for stop action imaging and DCAM compliance for "plug-and-play" compatibility.

For further information about this release, please contact Clive Phillips or Mark Bambrick on 01582 764334 or email

23 Nov 2004  

SICK IVP has released a new series of the Ranger vision camera's capable of acquiring 20,000 3D profiles per second. Each profile contains up to 1536 high quality 3D co-ordinates; that is more than 30 million points per second!

Using the latest CameraLink interface, the Ranger C measures 3D features at unmatched speeds and accuracy. The result is detailed height and shape measurement data, critical in applications for profiling, classifying and inspecting products or features in 3D.

The Ranger C MultiScan acquires multiple feature images in grey scale, gloss and laser scatter as well as 3D data simultaneously. All feature images are captured when the object passes the camera in line scan mode and are sent to the PC via CameraLink.

In both versions all triangulation calculations are completely executed by the Ranger Cameras eliminating the need for expensive post processors. They are easy to integrate and users can choose to measure individual profiles or build up a 3D plot for processing by your own or standard 3rd party imaging software packages.

The Ranger is already a key component in the measurement and profiling of products in numerous applications in a variety of industries. Electronic component inspection, connector measurement, tree profiling for cutting, strip steel profiling and Pallet inspection are just a few. The addition of the CameraLink interface will mean a greater number of 3D problems can be solved by the Sick IVP Ranger C series.

For further information about this release, please contact Clive Phillips or Mark Bambrick on 01582 764334 or email

25 Jan 2005  

Prosilica have announced the introduction of its new EC1280 and EC640 digital firewire cameras for applications in machine vision and industrial imaging.

Based around its successful CV1280 and CV640 cameras, the EC range is targeted toward OEM and analogue replacement markets. The cameras are distinguished by their small size, high performance, and economical pricing.

Prosilica's megapixel EC1280 firewire camera packs a lot of performance into a small package at an economical price. The camera contains a range of high-performance features including snapshot shutter, region-of-interest readout, decimation, etc. and is capable of 29 full-resolution (1280x1024) frames per second. The backplane of the EC1280 provides an IEEE-1394 port and a 4-pin Hirose connector for external triggering. The EC-1280 is truly plug-and-play. It does not require a frame grabber but communicates with the host computer through an IEEE-1394 (Firewire) interface. The EC1280 is available with either a monochrome or colour sensor.

The EC640 is a 100 frame-per-second, VGA (659x493) resolution firewire camera for industrial applications. Designed for OEM markets it is a cost-reduced version of Prosilica's high performance CV640. Its very small size makes it perfect for tight fit situations. It is available in colour or monochrome versions, and comes with all the features of the EC1280.

Software for the camera includes Prosilica's ProViewer application, the camera driver, and Prosilica's ProSDK software development kit, which are available to customers free of charge. The cameras are DCAM-compliant (IIDC 1.31) and can be used with a wide range of popular machine vision software.

"The EC1280 is an exciting product because of its small size, excellent specifications, and economic pricing. The EC1280 provides excellent value and performance for our customers" said Marty Furse, CEO of Prosilica.

For further information about this release, please contact Clive Phillips or Mark Bambrick on 01582 764334 or email

15 Mar 2005  

The MultiScan Ranger C camera from SICK-IVP, can acquire 3D shape, and intensity data such as grey scale, gloss, surface defect and laser scatter measurements simultaneously from one single camera. Using SICK-IVP's unique and patented sensor technology the speed and performance are extremely high.

Good image structure based on cleverly arranged illumination is often the key to a successful machine vision solution. With a line of laser light projected across an object at an angle other than that of the camera, accurate height measurements can be made. High resolution grey scale detection using a halved pixel pitch line of sensors produces sharp images permitting very small defects to be detected. Laser scatter measurements permit the inspection of a wide variety of products ranging from knot detection in wood to fruit and vegetable quality control. Gloss measurements can be used for the detection of surface defects in shiny materials such as tiles and polished parts.

The patented Smart Vision Sensor is at the core of the system, flexible windowing and integration control together with on-chip processing are key principals of the MultiScan technology. Each feature image is acquired on individual areas of the sensor, after A to D conversion data is passed to the PC memory via CameraLink.

The examples described here are just a few of the possible applications, imagination is all that is needed to provide solutions to many more inspection and measurement tasks.

For more information contact Clive Phillips or Mark Bambrick at Lambda on 01582 764334 alternatively email

14 Mar 2005  

SCHOTT reveals the new DCR® III Plus Light Source with built-in RS232 interface for intense, cool illumination via remote control. The next generation in DC-regulated light sources, the DCR III Plus can control the intensity of up to three additional DCR® III light sources.

Another powerful advancement from SCHOTT, the DCR® III Plus from the ColdVision Series of Light Sources provides enhanced communication via embedded error checking codes in the unit's programmed settings. The DCR® III Plus automatically restores the user's settings at power up, and is able to manage multiple light sources as one unit. New features also include a lamp on/off feature that is independent of intensity control.

The DCR III® Plus boasts an IR interference filter for cool illumination, soft start "lamp saver" circuitry, and solid-state dimmer control for continuous dimming. The LED lamp change indicator light located on the front panel signals the user to replace the lamp. Light Source limits light fluctuation to ± 0.5% due to line voltage variation. Additional features include current limiting and transient protection for remote location of the bulb. The DCR III Plus Light Source features a heavy-duty, stackable metal industrial housing with retractable handle. Options include an infinite setting, thirteen-blade diaphragm to reduce intensity while maintaining colour temperature. Choice of three, 150 Watt Halogen lamps - EJA, EKE and DDL for intense, uniform illumination. The interchangeable Modulamp® Unit offers two lamp positions to maximize individual lamp efficiencies. For more details please contact Lambda Photometrics on 01582 764334.

SCHOTT is a multinational, technology-based group whose core task lies in improving how people live and work through developing, manufacturing and supplying specialty materials, components and systems.

24 Oct 2005  

We are pleased to annouce the introduction of an injection-seeded version of Quantel's Brilliant B Nd:YAG laser, which provides Single Longitudinal Mode (SLM) output, with long coherence length, reduced linewidth and smooth temporal profile.

The injection-seeder is extremely compact and is acheived via a fibre launch into the Brilliant B cavity, with 1U high 19" rack power supply. This design fits perfectly with the philosphy of the Brilliant, being compact, robust and reliable.  

As with the standard Brilliant lasers, the SLM version is easy to use and install and requires no specialised knowledge or specific training.

Specifications at 10Hz are as follows:

• 700mJ @ 1064nm
• 290mJ @ 532nm
• 135mJ @ 355nm
• 60mJ @ 266nm
• Linewidth: 0.005cm-1

Click here for more information or contact us