SICK IVP Ranger E/D - Mounting the Ranger

To Next Page

To Previous Page

Chapter 3 Operating Instructions

Ranger E/D

Overview

To get calibrated measurements – for example coordinates and heights in millimeters –

you must yourself perform the transformation from sensor coordinates (row, column,

profile id) to world coordinates (x,y,z). This transformation depends on a number of factors,

for example the distance between the Ranger and the object, the angle between the

Ranger and the laser, and properties of the lens.

In the machine vision system, the Ranger acts as a data streamer. It is connected to a PC

through either a CameraLink connection (Ranger C) or a Gigabit Ethernet network

(Ranger D & E). The Ranger sends the profiles to the computer, and the computer runs a

custom application that retrieves the profiles and processes the measurement data in

them. This application can for example analyze the data to find defects in the objects and

control a lever that pushes faulty objects to the side.

Before the Ranger can be used in a machine vision system, the following needs to be

done:

 Find the right way to mount the Ranger and illuminations.

 Configure the Ranger to make the proper measurements.

 Write the application that retrieves and processes the profiles sent from the Ranger.

The application is developed in for example Microsoft Visual Studio, using the APIs that

are installed with the Ranger development software.

Figure 3.2 – Profiles are sent from the Ranger to a PC, where they are analyzed by a

custom application.

3.2 Mounting the Ranger

Selecting the right way of illuminating the objects to measure, and finding the right way in

which to mount the Ranger and lightings are usually critical factors for building a vision

system that is efficient and robust.

The Ranger must be able to capture images with good quality of the objects in order to

make proper measurements. Good quality in vision applications usually means that there

is a high contrast between the features that are interesting and those who are not, and

that the exposure of the images does not vary too much over time.