Basler ace cameras
The Basler ace is the most versatile camera series on the market. The spectrum of over 130 models offers a wide variety of parameters that can meet most simple and advanced vision applications. During many years of presence on the market, Basler ace cameras have proven themselves in industrial production lines, laboratories, sports arenas, barcode / QR analysis, color analysis, fast process registration, etc. The Basler ace camera series offers the widest selection of matrices, covering the entire spectrum of advantages, including cost-effectiveness, high speeds, high resolutions and excellent image quality, all in a very small housing.
Basler ace cameras are equipped with sensors from leading manufacturers of semiconductor components. Among them there are sensors: Sony, ON Semiconductor, e2v and CMOSIS.
With the introduction of new cameras equipped with new CMOS sensors from Sony and ON Semiconductor, the ace series has been divided into 3 sub-series: ace classic, i.e. existing camera models already available on the market, ace U, cameras equipped mainly with Sony Starvis and PYTHON ON sensors Semiconductor and ace L, models with new dies larger than 1”. A complete novelty was the presentation of Basler ace MED cameras, i.e. devices dedicated to medical and laboratory applications.
Basler ace classic cameras
The ace classic cameras are the starting point for the entire ace series. The ace classic sub-series consists mainly of cameras equipped with CMOS sensors by CMOSIS, e2V and ON Semiconductor (MT line) and cameras equipped with CCD sensors by Sony. The devices are available with one of three interfaces: USB 3.0, GigE and Camera Link (6 models with CMV2000 and CMV4000 matrices) and offer resolutions from VGA to 14MP. Both monochrome and color models are available. All cameras offer a compact housing with a cross section of 29 mm x 29 mm. Depending on the version, the cameras can be powered via the USB3.0 port or, in the case of the GigE and CL variants, optionally via Power over Ethernet (PoE) or Power over Camera Link (PoCL).
Basler ace U cameras
Basler ace U are cameras equipped exclusively with CMOS sensors Sony Starvis and Pregius and PYTHON from ON Semiconducotr. The cameras offer different resolutions with a wide range from VGA to 20MP, depending on the model. The fastest cameras can deliver images as fast as 751 fps (at VGA resolution). A novelty that was introduced with the appearance of Basler ace U cameras is an advanced set of correction and image modification functions with the proprietary PGI designation. All new functionalities are implemented with the use of the FPGA chip available on board the camera, which allows to reveal additional computing power of the host computer. All ace U cameras are available with USB3.0 and GigE interfaces. Thanks to the use of the latest sensors, the ace U series models are characterized by a very good price / quality ratio. The versatility of the ace U cameras means that they can be used in industrial vision systems as well as in microscopy and logistics.
Basler ace L cameras
The Basler ace L series includes cameras with Sony Pregius sensors with a size of over 1” and a resolution of 9-12MP. All cameras offer a global shutter and a pixel size of 3.45um, making them the answer to the most demanding vision applications. To accommodate such large sensors, the ace L camera housing is slightly larger than other ace models and measures 40mm x 30mm. The ace L cameras, like the ace U, offer a set of PGI functions, implemented on board the camera’s FPGA chip. All models are available with USB 3.0 or GigE interfaces. Great image quality and high resolution make these cameras a good choice for machine vision applications in the electronics industry, e.g. for checking LCD screens or PCBs.
Basler ace MED cameras
Basler MED ace cameras are products, just like ace U cameras, equipped with the latest Sony Pregius and PYTHON CMOS sensors from ON Semiconductor. They offer speeds of up to 164 fps and a resolution of up to 20 Mpx. All cameras are compatible with the Basler MED Feature Sets, a unique combination of hardware, firmware, and application software functions. The software provides unique image analysis features for laboratory use not available with other ace cameras.
In addition, what distinguishes medical cameras from other devices from the ace line is compliance with the DIN EN ISO 13485: 2016 standard. It is a guarantee that the cameras are designed, manufactured, documented, distributed, and serviced in accordance with the strict requirements that must be met by medical devices. Camera documentation compliant with the standard is an additional advantage, which contributes to the reduction of the workload in the creation and certification of final systems equipped with the latest MED ace cameras.
PGI feature set
All cameras in the Basler ace U and ace L lines are equipped with an advanced set of PGI image correction and modification functions. It is a unique combination of image noise removal technology, 5×5 pixel color correction, edge smoothing and image sharpening. PGI allows you to get much better photos directly from the camera. All options are easily controlled from the Basler pylon Camera Software Suite.
The PGI technology has been designed to use as little computing power as possible and to transfer some of the calculations from the host PC processor to the camera’s FPGA chip. Even with all PGI functions turned on, the camera can operate at full speed without the need for additional internal memory or additional computing units. Carrying out calculations on board the camera means that everything is processed in real-time, with significantly shortened delays.
In the version for monochrome cameras, PGI offers only sharpening and noise reduction.
Quality and reliability confirmed by standards
All Basler cameras are subjected to exhaustive optical and mechanical testing during production. A specially developed unique combination of optical, hardware, and software tools allows the camera to be accurately calibrated and measured against a set of standard performance criteria.
The guarantee of high quality is the compliance of Basler ace cameras with all major quality standards, including ISO 9001, CE, and RoHS. In addition, the ace series cameras are checked for compliance with the EMVA 1288 standard, which defines a unified method of measuring, calculating, and comparing the parameters of cameras and image sensors. Basler’s cameras have undergone extensive testing, resulting in an exact specification. Giving a complete overview of all the most important camera parameters, according to the EMVA methodology (quantum efficiency, sensor noise, saturation, dynamic contrast, signal-to-noise ratio) for the Basler ace series monochrome imaging cameras.
All Basler cameras, including the ace series, come with a 3-year warranty. Continuous investments in research and development of technologies and production capabilities allowed for the development of high confidence in the products offered. What’s more, if the camera breaks down, it is replaced with a completely new piece, again covered by a 3-year warranty.
Basler Pylon Camera Software Suite
The Basler pylon Camera Software Suite is available for free with Basler ace cameras, the complete camera software. The Basler pylon consists of:
- SDK – a set of libraries providing access to all camera parameters. The SDK includes many code examples for all kinds of functions and extensive documentation. The pylon SDK libraries are available for several programming languages such as C ++, .Net / C #, C, and Java.
- Viewer – the main tool for camera configuration and image quality assessment. Provides a rich set of features for configuring Basler ace cameras, such as vignetting correction, focus indicator, bandwidth manager, and more. In addition, pylon Viewer includes tools for configuring GigE and USB connectivity.
- Drivers – a set of optimized drivers for all interfaces, ensuring the reliable operation of Basler ace cameras with the highest possible performance.