INTRODUCTION
With so many vision systems available today, it can be a daunting task trying to figure out which one is right for your particular application. Simply finding a system that can perform the necessary vision tasks is not enough; there are several other factors that need to be considered to ensure a successful deployment.
These include:
l  Variations in lighting conditions
l  Networking and communications capabilities
l  Accessories and product support options
l  Ongoing post-deployment support
Whether you are new to machine vision or an experienced user, this guide will help you through the vision system selection process, providing answers to ten critical questions and valuable tips for evaluating specific product features.

1. Does the vision system make it easy to set up applications, create custom operator interfaces and
administer vision system networks?
2. What is the importance of part location tools, and how can I assess their performance?
3. Does the vision system have a complete set of image pre-processing tools?
4. What should I look for in character reading and verification capabilities?
5. How can I determine the repeatability of a vision system’s gauging tools?
6. How do I evaluate industrial code reading tools and what are some specific features to look for?
7. What networking and communications features should I look for?
8. What should I know about vision system accessories?
9. Does the vision system vendor offer a wide range of hardware options? Are they rugged enough for
my environment?
10. Does the vision system supplier provide the support and learning services I need?

1. Does the vision system make it easy to set up applications, create custom
operator interfaces and administer vision system networks?
Setting up a vision application should not require you to be a machine vision expert. Does the setup interface walk you through all of the steps of a vision application, including setting up the acquisition settings, finding and inspecting the part and communicating the results to other devices on the factory floor? Does it require programming knowledge, or is it a configurable system? Does the setup software make it simple to calibrate the system to work in real world units instead of pixels? As you add tools to the application, does it show you a quick view of which tools are passing and failing to help you understand how well the application is set up?

Does it allow you to build a complete operator interface to allow changing tolerances or to support line
changeovers?

2. What is the importance of part location tools, and how can I assess
their performance?
Part location software tools find the part within the camera’s field of view. This is typically the first step in any vision application, from the simplest robot pick-and-place operation to the most complex assembly verification task. It‘s also the most critical step, because it often determines whether an application succeeds or fails, since you can’t inspect, measure or identify the part if you can’t find it

While it sounds simple enough, locating parts in an actual production environment can be extremely
challenging. Vision systems are trained to recognize parts based on a pattern, but even the most tightly
controlled manufacturing processes allow some variability in the way a part appears to the vision system.
Therefore, the vision system’s part location tools must be intelligent enough to quickly, and accurately
compare trained patterns to the actual objects moving down a production line, and tolerate variations in part appearance. It’s important for pattern matching tools