January 22, 2008

Engineering microscopes zoom in on defects
Both destructive and nondestructive microscopy tools now complement and surpass the scanning electron microscope. These instruments are moving imaging and analysis tasks that were once outsourced back into the manufacturing environment. Read More

Reality hits AOI costs in Asia
As wages rise, Asian manufacturers can no longer afford to rely on labor-intensive manual-inspection techniques, according to Jeff Bishop, product marketing engineer for Agilent Technologies. Read More

FPGAs improve vision processing
One way to accelerate a vision system is to employ field-programmable gate arrays. Many FPGAs also offer flexibility: Because you can reprogram them, you can use a single vision system for multiple applications. Read More

GigE Vision and frame grabbers
In this exclusive interview, Dwayne Crawford of Matrox Imaging explains how GigE Vision differs from other machine-vision interfaces and how it works with frame grabbers. Read More

Infrared inspection finds unexpected hot spots
Why is infrared inspection rarely implemented in production? Chris Bainter of FLIR Systems suggests that engineers are either unfamiliar with the technology or think (incorrectly) that it would prove too expensive. Read More

JAI unveils multi-tiered camera suite
JAI expands the Core Camera Concept (C3) suite, a three-tiered range of cameras that gives users the ability to easily switch from camera to camera, and from tier to tier, depending on their application and environmental needs. Read More

Mini bar-code imager handles high-speed production
The Quadrus Mini Velocity autofocus imager from Microscan Systems can read linear and 2-D codes moving as fast as 100 in./s. Read More

Electrophysics offers high-definition infrared camera
Delivering a resolution of 640x480 pixels, the HotShot HD portable infrared camera from Electrophysics provides 4X the number of pixels of 320x240-pixel cameras and over 20X the pixels of entry-level infrared cameras. Read More

Call for papers: The Vision Show
The Automated Imaging Association is seeking presentations for The Vision Show 2008, scheduled for June 10–12 in Boston, MA. Possible topics include machine-vision lighting and software, 3-D vision, nonvisible imaging, and smart cameras. Read More

January challenges include Environmental Test question
For January, we have added an environmental test question to our challenge line-up. Answer one of our challenge questions correctly, and you could win a prize, courtesy of the contest sponsor.

ENVIRONMENTAL TEST CHALLENGE
During vibration testing, most mechanical failures are blamed on which factor?
Prizes: Two $100 Best Buy gift certificates
Contest sponsor: Cincinnati Sub-Zero

OSCILLOSCOPE CHALLENGE
How can you minimize the effects of probe loading?
Prize: TomTom ONE navigation system
Contest sponsor: Yokogawa

Go to the Challenge page

Best in Test winners announced in December/January issue
Read our December/January issue to learn about the 12 winners of the 2008 Best in Test awards, and then cast your vote for the Test Product of the Year. Plus, the issue also describes current offerings in optical power meters and links to a comparison chart of available models. Read it today. Read More

Industry calendar of events
Upcoming events include APEX (April) and The Vision Show (June).
For more information about these and other test-related events, visit our online calendar.