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Technical Knowledge Hub
Clear engineering insight for better imaging decisions. Explore the principles, try the calculations, and connect them to your application.
Component selection / Chapter / Four notes
Specifying Machine Vision Components
Four short application notes connecting the inspection task to imaging architecture, sensor resolution, lens geometry, and illumination.
- 01 Application note + calculator
Selecting the Imaging Architecture
Match the imaging approach to part motion and the information the inspection requires.
Read the note - 02 Application note + calculator
Specifying the Camera Sensor for Inspection
Match sensor resolution and size to the smallest feature and the full inspection area.
Read the note - 03 Application note + calculator
Specifying a Lens for Measurement
Preserve feature detail across the required field of view.
Read the note - 04 Application note + calculator
Selecting Illumination for Feature Contrast
Create stable contrast between the feature and its background.
Read the note
Read in sequence or begin with your immediate question. Lighting feasibility belongs in the conversation from the start.
Geometrical optics / Chapter / Five notes
Imaging Lens
Five focused notes on refraction, image formation, and thin lenses in air, with practical calculations that connect the geometry to an optical system.
- 01 Application note + calculators
Refraction and Snell's Law
Predict how an optical interface redirects light and when transmission reaches its critical-angle limit.
Read the note - 02 Application note + calculators
Imaging by Refraction
Locate apparent and real images formed by a flat or curved optical interface.
Read the note - 03 Application note + calculators
Thin Lens for Imaging
Connect focal length, object distance, and image size with a consistent geometric model.
Read the note - 04 Application note + calculators
The Eye and the Camera
Compare how eyes and cameras maintain focus as object distance changes.
Read the note - 05 Application note + calculators
Microscope and Telescope
Distinguish image enlargement from angular magnification in two-lens instruments.
Read the note
Follow a ray from a single interface to an imaging lens, then connect the model to cameras and visual instruments.
Color & measurement / Chapter / Six notes
Color Science
Six connected notes on light, color perception, and spectral measurement, with practical calculations that keep the source, material, and observer in view.
- 01 Application note + calculator
Light, Cones, and Color Perception
Separate the spectrum of light from the visual response it produces.
Read the note - 02 Application note + calculator
From Spectra to Color Coordinates
Connect spectral distributions, three-channel measurements, and the chromaticity diagram.
Read the note - 03 Application note + calculator
Additive Light and Subtractive Materials
Predict how emitted spectra combine and how materials reshape incident light.
Read the note - 04 Application note + calculator
Encoding Color for Digital Images
Separate RGB coordinates, nonlinear encoding, and appearance-oriented controls.
Read the note - 05 Application note + calculator
Source, Material, and Observer
Build a color calculation from a measured spectrum and clearly defined weighting functions.
Read the note - 06 Application note + calculator
Spectral Averages and Color Difference
Choose a weighting rule, preserve the reference conditions, and compare color consistently.
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Begin with light and cone response, then follow color through mathematical coordinates, physical mixing, digital encoding, and measurement.
Imaging & displays / Chapter / Five notes
Image Quality Testing
Five connected notes on contrast, detail, uniformity, geometry, and stray light—each explored through both imaging and display measurements.
- 01 Application note + calculator
Measuring Image and Display Contrast
Choose a contrast definition that matches the feature, background, and viewing condition.
Read the note - 02 Application note + calculator
Contrast Transfer and Spatial Resolution
Measure how imaging and display systems preserve detail across frequency, field, and direction.
Read the note - 03 Application note + calculator
Illumination, Shading, and Luminance Uniformity
Separate smooth field variation, fixed-pattern structure, and random noise before correcting them.
Read the note - 04 Application note + calculator
Geometric Distortion and Image Mapping
Measure departures from the intended geometry and define the distortion convention before comparing results.
Read the note - 05 Application note + calculator
Stray Light, Flare, and Contrast Loss
Trace unwanted light paths in imaging and display systems before choosing a measurement or mitigation.
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Follow each shared optical principle through two parallel paths: acquiring an image and displaying one. Keep the test conditions attached to every result.
Measurement practice / Chapter / Three notes
General Metrology
Three practical notes on accuracy and precision, gage repeatability and reproducibility, and meaningful comparisons across measurement systems.
- 01 Application note + calculator
Accuracy, Precision, and Process Capability
Separate measurement bias and spread before comparing either with an engineering tolerance.
Read the note - 02 Application note + calculator
Measurement System Analysis and Gage R&R
Design a repeatable study that separates measurement variation from differences between parts.
Read the note - 03 Application note + calculator
Round Robin Studies and Correlation
Distinguish measurement agreement from statistical association when comparing instruments and product levels.
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Begin with measurement variation, design a repeatability and reproducibility study, then distinguish agreement, traceability, and prediction across systems.
Optical measurement / Chapter / Three notes
Distance, Displacement, and Thickness
Three connected notes on selecting optical sensors, measuring thickness, and interpreting surface form and wavefront error.
- 01 Application note + calculator
Selecting Optical Distance and Displacement Sensors
Match the ranging principle, surface response, and spatial coverage to the measurement task.
Read the note - 02 Application note + calculator
Measuring Thickness and Refractive Index
Separate geometric thickness from optical path, and use independent gaps to resolve an unknown material.
Read the note - 03 Application note + calculator
From Surface Topography to Wavefront Error
Separate form, waviness, and roughness, then connect surface form error to optical performance.
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Choose the sensing principle, define the measured distance, then connect surface topography to geometric and optical performance.
Coatings & filters / Chapter / Four notes
Optical Thin Films
Four connected notes on interference coatings, spectral filter requirements, stack refinement, and manufacturing control.
- 01 Application note + calculator
Controlling Reflection with Thin-Film Interference
Connect refractive index, optical thickness, and phase to antireflection coatings and multilayer filters.
Read the note - 02 Application note + calculator
Selecting Filter Functions and Spectral Specifications
Translate coating and filter families into measurable passbands, blocking, loss, and operating conditions.
Read the note - 03 Application note + calculator
Refining a Thin-Film Design Against Real Requirements
Separate optical modeling, numerical improvement, specification compliance, and manufacturing tolerance.
Read the note - 04 Application note + calculator
Manufacturing and Verifying Thin-Film Filters
Connect deposition, in-situ monitoring, adaptive refinement, and final optical and mechanical acceptance.
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Follow a reflected wave through a coating, turn the desired spectrum into a specification, and connect the design to deposition and verification.
Discuss your inspection requirements
Connect the feature, tolerance, and process constraints to a practical imaging specification.