3-CCD high-resolution cameras combine true colour technology with the flexibility, cost benefits and ease-of-use of GigE Vision interface

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Achieve absolute colour fidelity with the multiple benefits of GigE Vision technology

3-CCD prism technology vs single-sensor
JAI’s 3-CCD area scan cameras provide advanced RGB color imaging technology ideal for demanding machine vision applications across a diverse range of industries. Dichroic coatings on the prism surfaces separate the incoming light into red, green, and blue wavelengths which are directed to three precisely-aligned CCDs. With their high image quality, the cameras are well suited for a wide range of inspection applications within the printing, electronics, food and biomedical industires amongst others.

Compared with single-sensor cameras, multi-sensor cameras provide superior image quality and resolution by imaging separate vaues of red, green and blue for each pixel. Single-sensor cameras can only detect a third of the colour information for each pixel; the other two thirds being mathematically calculated by interpolation, consequently compromising colour accuracy and resoltuion. Dichroic filter coatings on the prism split incoming light into the separate red, green, and blue wavelength ranges before it is directed at three precisely-aligned CCDs. The dichroic filters have very steep cutoffs and so minmise the overlap between colours and so provide a more accurate colour reproduction. The result is colour and spatial precision far surpassing traditional interpolated solutions based on Bayer colour filters.

Advanced features like shutter-based white balancing and sRGB/Adobe RGB color space matching produce low noise images and easy calibration with peripheral devices. Available interfaces include GigE Vision, Camera Link and analog.

GigE Vision value-adds to machine vision
A fully-compliant GigE Vision/GenICam interface lets users choose between 8- or 10-bit output per channel. Software support includes JAI's own GigE Vision SDK and Control Tool package, as well as numerous third party libraries and development tools. GigE Vision offers added bandwidth, lowered costs and longer cable lengths. GigE Vision also allows multicasting of uncompressed image data simultaneously to multiple computers so that the image processing data can be shared amongst them.

Latest multi-sensor, megapixel, GigE industrial cameras released by JAI
JAI's recently introduced two more choices for vision system designers needing absolute colour accuracy and fidelity.

The AT140GE and AT200GE take 3CCD color technology to the next level. A newly developed prism-block assembly supports three 1/2-inch and 1/1.8" CCDs to provide higher resolution and better light gathering ability than earlier 3CCD camera models. These new cameras feature precise sensor alignment (less than 1/4 pixel tolerance) to provide better colour and spatial precision than single-sensor cameras whose interpolation algorithms result in uncertainty for both edge positions and colour values. Both models offer partial scan and binning modes available for even higher frame rates. A wide range of pre-set and programmable shutter and exposure modes are provided to support diverse application requirements. Exposure can be controlled individually for each color channel to enable color balancing without noisy gain adjustments. Built-in pre-sets are provided for calibrating the camera with sRGB or Adobe RGB color spaces. This sophisticated linear color matrix circuit enables accurate colour space calibration with monitors, printers and other peripherals.

Low Noise White Balancing - special feature
A special feature of these Jai 3CCD prism colour cameras that is worth highlighting is their Low Noise White Balancing mode. The AT140GE and AT200GE have the standard white balancing functions (manual and automatic) that use gain to adjust the color values of each channel. This is the same method used by typical competitive 3-CCD products. By increasing the gain of a channel to increase the brightness of that colour, the noise associated with that colour is also increased. But the AT-140/200 cameras give users the ability to white balance the output using individually programmable exposure for the R, G, and B color channels. A channel's brigthness can therefore be increased without an increase in its noise level. It enables noise to be kept at an absolute minimum in situations where the highest image quality is required.

About the JAI AT-140GE and AT-200GE 3-CCD GigE Vision cameras
	AT-140GE (1.4 megapixels)			AT-200GE (2 megapixels)
	* 3 x 1/2" progressive scan CCDs * 1392 x 1096 resolution * Cell size 4.65 x 4.65 µm * 20 fps with full resolution			* 3 x 1/1.8" progressive scan CCDs * 1628 x 1236 resolution * Cell size 4.40 x 4.40µm * 15 fps with full resolution
JAI AT-140GE and AT-200GE cameras	Read more about the AT-140GE			Read more about the AT-200GE	Steep spectral curves from JAI prism camera

JAI is the foremost provider of prism-based camera technology for industrial imaging. These advanced designs enable two, three, or four sensors (CCD or CMOS) to be precisely aligned to a single optical path to deliver unique capabilities for machine vision, medical, scientific or other applications. Leveraging proprietary designs, patented alignment techniques, and years of hands-on assembly experience, JAI’s multi-imager, prism-based cameras provide both superior image fidelity and the durability to perform in a wide range of laboratory and industrial settings. Unlike other companies which buy pre-assembled prisms, JAI’s deep involvement in the design and manufacture of these cameras also enables the company to offer various customization capabilities, such as custom filter coatings tailored to meet specific spectral requirements.

Adept Turnkey Pty Ltd are "The Machine Vision and Imaging Specialists" and distributors of Jai multi-sensor camera technologies in Australia and New Zealand. To find out more about any Jai machine vision product please email us at: adept@adept.net.au or call us at Perth (08) 92425411 / Sydney (02) 99792599 / Melbourne (03) 95555621 or use our online contact us page.