Spreadsheets & Image Acquisition

Session 2
Objectives
• The student will correctly identify:
• How to use In-Sight Explorer to:
• Manage multiple networked In-Sight systems from a single PC
• Save job files
• Load job files
• Properties of the In-Sight camera
• Basic principles and terminology of image acquisition, including Field of View,
pixel, pixel coordinate, and grayscale value

• The student will correctly describe:

• How to navigate through a spreadsheet
• How to copy, cut, and paste cells
• What types of files can be saved to and opened from the different
In-Sight® models and the Emulator
• How to record and playback images

2-2
What is In-Sight Explorer?
Application that manages multiple networked In-Sights

• Log onto Emulator or

any In-Sight system
on network

• Create and modify

jobs on another In-
Sight

• View and manage

multiple jobs
simultaneously

2-3
In-Sight Network Pane Toggles

The In-Sight Network pane allows you to see all the In-Sight cameras and
emulators connected to your immediate network
2-4
In-Sight Spreadsheet Pane
The In-Sight Spreadsheet pane is the area used to organize and build your
vision application

This is also where the image

will be displayed (behind the
spreadsheet)

2-5
In-Sight Files Pane Toggles

The In-Sight Files pane allows you to see the files currently stored in your In-
Sight system 2-6
In-Sight Palette Pane Toggles

The In-Sight Palette pane allows you to select functions to use in your inspection; You
can drag and drop them into the spreadsheet pane for use in your application

2-7
In-Sight Shortcut Buttons
• In-Sight shortcut buttons allow you to quickly access very common
functionality

• They feature most of the same functionality as the menus, yet they are more
easily accessible

• Use what you feel comfortable with

2-8
In-Sight Shortcut Buttons
• This set allows you to do things like:
• start a new job and load and save jobs

• While this set allows you to playback and record images (more later)

2-9
Working with Images
Image Acquisition
The CCD converts light into an
analog voltage, the camera then
converts the analog voltage into
a digital value.

The image is divided into grid of

square picture elements called
pixels.

Each pixel consists of a location

within the image (X/Y
coordinates) and a light intensity
value or values.

2-11
Pixels – Monochrome Cameras

0 255

Light intensity in a Monochrome Camera is represented as a

greyscale value from 0 to 255, with 0 representing black and 255
representing white.

2-12
Pixels – Color Cameras

In a Color Camera each color is composed of three separate color components.

These components may be represented as combinations of:

red, green, and blue (RGB);
or hue, saturation, and intensity (HSI).

Each component of a pixel is converted to a value from 0 to 255.

2-13
Pixels – Comparative RGB / HSI Values

RGB: HSI:

Red 255, 0, 0 Red 0, 255, 85

Green 0, 255, 0 Green 85, 255, 85

Blue 0, 0, 255 Blue 170, 255, 85

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Physical Setup – Field of View

• Field of View (FOV) or

size of the part
• Working distance
between Camera and
Part
• Type of Lens

Lens Calculator
available on the web

2-15
Physical Setup - Lighting

• Lighting Requirements
• External Lighting
• LED’s on Camera
• Ambient Light and it’s Effect

 If you need assistance, contact

your local Cognex sales
representative.

2-16
 Spreadsheet: Image Coordinate System
Y axis (PIXEL COLUMNS)
(0,200)
(0,0) (0,639)

X axis
(PIXEL
=
ROWS) a pixel, with
greyscale
(300, 0)
value 0-255
(X,Y) = (300,200)

(479,0) (479,639)
2-17
How To Capture Images
To capture an image, follow Manual
Trigger
Live
Mode
these steps: (single (live
image) image)

1. Log on to your camera.

2. Click on the Manual Trigger

You can
or Live Mode button. also use
the Image
menu
3. The image will be displayed
in the spreadsheet pane.

2-18
How To Change Image Settings
To change image settings, follow these Double-
steps: click here

1. Log on to your camera.

2. Double-click on cell A0.

3. The AcquireImage property sheet

will appear where you can make
changes.

4. Click OK to save the changes

made.

2-19
Trigger for AcquireImage
Trigger dictates what will cause In-Sight to acquire an image when Online

Camera: wire coming into camera

(hardware trigger)
Continuous: acquires image, runs
job, repeats over and over
External: a discrete input line
Manual: you do it, from PC (F5) or
Control Pad (Trigger button)
Network: Master/Slave acquisition
2-20
Parameters for AcquireImage
ONLINE mode image trigger
OFFLINE mode image trigger
Exposure time in milliseconds
Exposure varies with lighting
Region to use to define lighting
1st image row to acquire
No. of rows to acquire
Light control settings for LED ring
Video Contrast for camera (0-255)
Video Brightness for camera (0-255)

Not on color
models or 3400

For Master/Slave Setup

2-21
Parameters for AcquireImage

We will use
“Continuous” for
our inspections.

2-22
Saving Jobs
Number of jobs that may be saved on In-Sight is limited only
by memory

Tip: You can

Save a job to
any In-Sight
host (In-Sight
3400, 5XXX,
Emulator, etc.)

2-23
Opening Jobs

Tip: You can

Open a job
from any In-
Sight host (In-
Sight 3400,
5XXX,
Emulator, etc.)
2-24
Saving Images
You can save images to a PC only

Save as
BMP or JPG

2-25
Recording Images
• In-Sight allows you to record acquired images

Recording Options

Starts and
stops
recording

2-26
Recording Images

To record images follow the following steps:

1. Open Record/Playback Options

2. Using the Record tab, set the desired parameters for recording, then
click OK

3. Click the Record button

4. Acquire images; the images will be recorded according to the selected

options

2-27
Image Playback
• In-Sight allows you to play back recorded or previously saved
images
Playback Options

Starts and
pauses
playback

2-28
Image Playback

To play back images follow the following steps:

1. Open Record/Playback Options

2. Using the Playback tab, set the desired parameters for playback, then
click OK

3. Click the Play button

4. Images will be played back according to the selected options (all

images within the specified Windows folder)

2-29
Spreadsheets
A spreadsheet is a document automatically formatted into rows
and columns
• Columns are lettered
• Rows are numbered
Each location is called a cell and is Column Letters

denoted by its column and row

Row Numbers Cells

Active Cell A2
(selected cell) Cell C4 2-30
Formulas and References
Power of spreadsheet comes from references, which establish
dependencies among cells. Only used with Copy and Paste

Two types of reference

• Absolute: unchanged when copied

A5 = $A$3 + $A$4 B5 = $A$3 + $A$4

Copy to B5
• Relative: changes when copied

A5 = A3 + A4 B5 = B3 + B4
Copy to B5

2-31
Formulas and References
Creates Creates
ABSOLUTE RELATIVE
reference reference

You can enter

references
directly into the
formula bar

In-Sight will highlight the referenced cells using different

matching colors to make them more easily identifiable
2-32
Completing References
When making references, you must ACCEPT each reference
and the final formula

Use the formula bar

Accept Cancel
to enter formulas

Tip: You can usually get

away with pressing the
<ENTER> key to ACCEPT or
the <ESC> key to CANCEL.

2-33
How To Enter Formulas & References
To enter formulas and references, follow
these steps:

1. Select empty cell.

2. Click inside formula bar.

3. Use ABSOLUTE and RELATIVE

reference buttons to make references
to cells needed to complete the
formula.

4. Finally, click green check to save the

changes made.
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Viewing Dependencies: Arrow Properties

Green = these cells are dependent on currently

highlighted cell

Blue = the highlighted cell depends on these values

Dashed = designates a cell state dependency

9-35
Viewing Dependencies
To view dependencies:
1) Choose the cells whose
dependency you would like
to see

2) Activate dependency
viewing options

3) View dependencies

 This is an easy way to see

what cells are interrelated

9-36
Viewing Dependencies

• Increases levels of dependencies

• Decreases levels of dependencies Cells with a

purple/pink
border have no
references.
• Clears all visible dependency arrows

• Displays cell dependencies with errors

• Jumps to first error (#ERR

9-37
Help

2-38
Help Finding the Right Tools
Software
To help you find
the tool you are
looking for
check the help
file which is
organized in the
same hierarchy
as the toolbox
found in
software.

HELP File
2-39
Summary
• In-Sight Explorer manages
multiple networked In-Sight
systems from a single PC

• A spreadsheet is composed of cells.

The highlighted cell is the active
cell. The spreadsheet and its
current contents are called a job

• Searchable help is available through

the Help Menu in In-Sight Explorer

• Context-sensitive help can be

obtained by F1

2-40