Resolution
According to the marketing campaigns of consumer cameras, a high resolution is equivalent to high quality. In the context of industrial USB cameras, FireWire cameras or GigE cameras it is better to select a resolution which solves the problem as well as possible - and often this is not the highest one.
Actually, only an experienced on-site system engineer is able to determine the correct resolution. However, for two typical applications there are the following rules of thumb:
- Detecting an object: If the presence (or absence) of an object is to be checked, this object should be represented by at least 3 x 3 pixels.
- Measuring an object: If the dimensions of the objects are to be measured, it should be represented by at least 10 x 10 pixels.
Adjusting the resolution by software
Fortunately, meanwhile it is not always necessary to decide on a resolution while purchasing an industrial camera. There are some CMOS cameras on the market, whose resolution can be set by software. The One4all cameras offered by The Imaging Source, are a typical example of this category.
