The Applications

1. Freeze-Accurate Measurements on High-Speed Conveyors

In stamping, molding, or machining lines, parts rarely sit still long enough for a clean image. A camera using the Sony IMX249 global-shutter sensor can capture the entire frame at once, keeping edges straight for reliable gauging while parts move. Pair hardware triggering to an encoder or photoeye so every capture happens at the same physical position, then use strobe lighting driven by the flash output to eliminate motion blur. The 2.35 MP resolution is a practical balance for metrology—enough detail for tolerances without slowing inspection. ROI can further accelerate cycle time when only a feature region matters.

2. Barcode and OCR Verification on Packaging Lines

Packaging environments combine fast motion, glossy films, and label flutter—conditions that cause read failures when exposure timing is inconsistent. IMX249-based global-shutter imaging preserves barcode geometry during motion so decoders see true shapes instead of skewed patterns. With synchronized strobe illumination, you can “lock” exposure to a precise instant, improving contrast on reflective materials. USB3 bandwidth supports continuous acquisition while maintaining a stable workflow for high-throughput stations. For multi-format products, use ROI to crop only the label zone, reducing processing load and enabling faster decisions. This setup is ideal for verifying code presence, print quality, and label placement before downstream packing.

3. Robot Pick-and-Place with Strobe-Synchronized Pose Estimation

Robot guidance depends on consistent geometry: a small timing error can shift centroids, rotate contours, and reduce pick success. A Sony IMX249 global-shutter sensor captures a distortion-free frame even when the gripper or parts are moving, improving localization for pick-and-place and bin-picking tasks. Trigger the camera from robot motion events and fire a strobe via flash output to standardize illumination regardless of ambient changes. The larger pixel pitch supports strong signal in compact cells where light is limited. When the working area is known, ROI and binning/decimation can increase effective speed, keeping the vision loop responsive during peak throughput.

4. PCB and Solder-Joint Inspection Under Challenging Reflections

AOI-style checks on assembled PCBs face specular highlights from solder and coatings, plus fast board transport that can introduce distortion. IMX249 global-shutter imaging helps maintain straight reference geometry for component presence checks, polarity verification, and fiducial alignment while boards are in motion. Controlled strobe lighting synchronized to the camera reduces glare variability and stabilizes contrast from board to board. The 12-bit imaging pipeline supports finer tonal separation, which is useful when defects are low-contrast, such as insufficient solder wetting or subtle bridging near shiny pads. Cropping to critical zones with ROI also improves inspection speed on high-density designs.

5. Automated Microscopy and Motion-Stage Scanning

Automated microscopy often uses moving XY stages to scan samples, where stopping for each frame slows throughput and can introduce mechanical settling time. A global-shutter IMX249 sensor enables sharp capture during continuous stage motion by preserving feature geometry without rolling artifacts. The pixel size supports good sensitivity for high-magnification optics and modest illumination, while longer exposure options help when signals are weak, such as fluorescence or low-contrast structures. For repeatable analysis, hardware triggering can synchronize captures to stage position increments. ROI allows targeting wells, channels, or fiducial areas to reduce data load and accelerate processing, which is valuable during multi-sample screening runs.