SUPPLEMENT FEATURE MACHINE VISION SYSTEMS Accelerated vision system development
Select the action to perform from a context-based list
Conveniently switch between the flowchart and image, or operator views
Get quick access to context sensitive help
Using Design Assistant 4 vision software from Matrox, distributor makes major improvement in time taken to develop machine vision applications
Application Development Time Other traditional programming s/w
Configure each step without losing sight of flowchart and image
Instantly view results after each step
Track and navigate the flowchart execution history without losing sight of the image
The Matrox Design Assistant 4 user interface can be tailored by each developer to suit individual preferences and further enhance productivity
K
eeping pace with evolving manufacturing inspection needs,
vision software suppliers are finding ways to make the development of applications faster, simpler and more intuitive. Helping customers to meet these goals is Design Assistant 4 by Matrox, the first hardware- independent integrated development environment (IDE) that lets users easily create an application flowchart and HMI and take projects from concept to completion in record time, without the need for conventional programming. These applications can be deployed to any PC with GigE Vision or USB3 Vision cameras, to a Matrox 4Sight GPm vision system or a Matrox smart camera. Central to Design Assistant 4 are flowchart steps for calibrating, enhancing and transforming images; locating objects; extracting and measuring features; reading character strings; and decoding and verifying identification marks. Design Assistant is based on the Matrox Imaging Library, a vision library with a solid 20-year track record. A contextual guide provides assistance for every step in the flowchart. And results from image analysis and processing steps are immediately displayed to permit the quick tuning of parameters.
INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT System integrators, machine builders and line integrators, who design customised project-based installations that will not be exactly duplicated at multiple sites, can benefit from a vision-specific integrated development environment (IDE). They can move quickly and nimbly from one project to another, without sacrificing performance. Commenting on his experience using Design Assistant 4, Dave Sexton,
S6 OCTOBER 2015 | MACHINE VISION SYSTEMS
president of North Coast Technical, a machine vision distributor based in the Midwest, USA, says: “Design Assistant being an IDE shortens the time to develop an application by an order of magnitude. We are able to do proof of concept within a day for some projects and develop complete applications within a week! Whereas by using any other software that requires traditional programming, for example with coding and spreadsheets, it would take several weeks or even months to accomplish.” Continuing to talk about the benefits of using Design Assistant 4, Sexton elaborates: “It gives us the ability to see immediate results and make changes quickly. We are able to use it as a tool with ease without the need for programming. The non-requirement for skilled programmers opens up several possibilities and makes machine vision attractive to a wider audience. Hardware independence is possibly the biggest factor as it gives our customers plenty of choice to select from the hundreds of GigE Vision compatible area and line scan cameras. The price point of Design Assistant 4 together with Matrox 4Sight GPm industrial computers is also attractive and unbeatable. To sum up, it is quick to develop. Great price point. Easy to use. Easy for customers to understand.” Recently, North Coast Technical supported their integrators and end users by developing around 15 machine vision applications using Matrox Design Assistant 4 along with Matrox 4Sight GPm industrial computers. Applications included verifying connector pins, inspecting pre-drilled holes for count, size, and alignment, inspecting printed material, verifying 2D codes, and a pick and place for large rolled sheets in a
Design Assitant 4
0
1 Weeks of Development
warehouse. Each of these applications typically took a week or less to develop.
WEB-BASED OPERATOR INTERFACE In addition to flowchart design, Design Assistant 4 enables the creation of a custom, web-based operator interface to the application through an integrated HTML visual editor. Users alter an existing template using a choice of annotations (graphics and text), inputs (edit boxes, control buttons and image markers) and outputs (original or derived results, and status indicators). A filmstrip view is also available to keep track of, and navigate to, previously analysed images. The operator interface can also be customised further using a third party HTML editor.
MORE VERSATILE DEVELOPMENT Experience garnered from the many hundreds of Design Assistant 4 deployments across the globe indicates that system integrators benefit from this IDE by being able to quickly and easily create machine vision applications without writing program code. Hardware independence means that they can choose the best platform for the job whether that is a PC with GigE Vision or USB3 Vision cameras or a rugged and reliable Matrox vision system or smart camera. The fact that actions and results can be easily communicated to other automation and enterprise equipment through discrete Matrox I/Os, RS-232 and Ethernet (TCP/IP, EtherNet/IP, MODBUS, PROFINET and native robot interfaces) provides additional flexibility. Developer training time and cost are minimised because application logic and operator interface design tools are included in a single programme.
Matrox E:
imaging.info@
matrox.com www.matrox.com/imaging
/AUTOMATION
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