Related Manuals for Cognex In-Sight L38 Series
Summary of Contents for Cognex In-Sight L38 Series
- Page 1 ® In-Sight L38 Series Vision System Reference Guide 2025 April 10 Revision: 25.1.0.10...
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Page 2: Legal Notices
Copyright © 2025. Cognex Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Portions of the hardware and software provided by Cognex may be covered by one or more U.S. and foreign patents, as well as pending U.S. and foreign patents listed on the Cognex web site at: cognex.com/patents. -
Page 3: Table Of Contents
Table of Contents Table of Contents Legal Notices Table of Contents Precautions Symbols Introduction About the In-Sight L38 Support Accessories Cables Correction Targets Encoders Connectors and Indicators Working Distances and Fields of View Theory of Operation Operation of the Triangulation Sensor Raw 2D Images Point Cloud Invisible Points... - Page 4 Table of Contents Ethernet Cable Breakout Cable Encoder Specifications Encoder Inputs Encoder Wiring Trigger and Laser Enable Inputs Trigger and Laser Enable Wiring Outputs Output Wiring Regulations and Conformity China RoHS For European Community Users Product Service...
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Page 5: Precautions
Precautions Precautions To reduce the risk of injury or equipment damage, observe the following precautions when you install the Cognex product: The vision systemrequires a UL or NRTL listed power supply with a 24VDC output that meets the following rating requirements: At least 1A1,5 A continuous current. -
Page 6: Symbols
Symbols Symbols The following symbols indicate safety precautions and supplemental information: WARNING: This symbol indicates a hazard that could cause death, serious personal injury or electrical shock. CAUTION: This symbol indicates a hazard that could result in property damage. Note: This symbol indicates additional information about a subject. Tip: This symbol indicates suggestions and shortcuts that might not otherwise be apparent. -
Page 7: Introduction
Speckle-free BLUE and RED laser optic Support Refer to the following resources to assist you in using the vision system: The In-Sight® 3D Spreadsheet Help and In-Sight® 3D EasyBuilder Help, provided with In-Sight software. On-demand training: cognex.com/on-demand-training.aspx The In-Sight online support site: cognex.com/support/insight. -
Page 8: Accessories
5m, 10m, 20m) 5m, 10m, 20m) Correction Targets To perform a correction on a 3D smart camera, you must use a Cognex-supplied correction target. The target consists primarily of a frustum, a feature exhibiting six different planes with eight intersecting points. Accessory... -
Page 9: Encoders
L38-500 CT40 L38-300 CT20 L38-100 CT10 L38-50 Contact your Cognex sales representative for choosing the right target for your application. Encoders Accessory Product Number Illustration Rotary incremental encoder 5000 PPR, Synchro flange with 6 mm solid LS-Encoder-5000- shaft, RS422 output... - Page 10 L38-33 L38-50 L38-100 L38-300 L38-500 LS-Encoder- 2500-00 Not suitable for High Recommended Recommended Recommended Not suitable for High Resolution Speed LS-Encoder- 1000-00 Suitable for High Recommended Speed Encoder Outputs This section describes the output of the encoders that are available as accessories for the In-Sight L38. The encoders support an RS422 and an Alarm output.
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Page 11: Connectors And Indicators
Connectors and Indicators Number Component Description ENET Connector Connects the Ethernet cable, which provides 10/100/1000 Ethernet connectivity. For more information, refer to Ethernet Cable on page 38. PWR Connector Connects the Breakout cable, which provides connections to an external power supply, the acquisition trigger input, general-purpose inputs and high-speed outputs. For more information, see Breakout Cable on page 39. -
Page 12: Working Distances And Fields Of View
Working Distances and Fields of View The working distance is the distance from the vision system lens to the part. The field of view is what the vision system can see at that distance. As the working distance increases, so does the field of view. The minimum working distance is the Clearance Distance. -
Page 13: Theory Of Operation
Theory of Operation Theory of Operation This section gives a brief overview about the theory of operation. Operation of the Triangulation Sensor A triangulation sensor measures objects by imaging the intersection of a uniform planar light source and an object. The sensor projects a sheet of light through a measurement area. -
Page 14: Raw 2D Images
Theory of Operation Raw 2D Images The following overview illustrates how the vision system captures the raw 2D images, which is the first step in acquiring a point cloud. Number Element In-Sight L38 Laser plane Inspected object Camera field of view Working section Laser stripe The vision system (1) projects a triangular laser plane (2) onto the object under inspection (3), illuminating the object's... -
Page 15: Point Cloud
Theory of Operation The following image illustrates the laser stripe as seen from the position of the vision system (on the left). The raw 2D image is what the vision system sees (on the right). The vision system then applies an algorithm to find the peaks to extract the uncalibrated peak data. On the image below, the CYAN BLUE lines represent a subregion of the field of view working section (see Working Distances and Fields of View on page 12), where the vision system is looking for peak data. -
Page 16: Invisible Points
Theory of Operation These profiles are assembled to create an image of the whole object. This is called a point cloud. The image below shows an example. Invisible Points As the vision system views the object at a fixed angle from the laser plane, certain areas of the object under inspection may be hidden from the vision system. - Page 17 Theory of Operation The ORANGE stripe shows the width of the lower RED stripe, relative to the upper RED stripe. The GREEN portions show the difference between the two widths. Consider a Lego® block scanned by the vision system. As it passes under the camera, the laser stripe appears for each step. If the vision system produced an uncalibrated image, the image would look like the colorized image below.
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Page 18: Field Correction
Field correction is a semi-automatic and user-friendly process that helps with setting up your L38 vision system and ensuring accurate measurements. Field correction uses a Cognex-specific correction target to adjust for typical mounting variations in the application, such as misalignment in the displacement sensor head or unknown encoder resolution. Field correction guides you through scanning the target and automatically compensates for the following deviations: Automatically adjusts the point cloud acquisition to any encoder that is connected to the system. - Page 19 Theory of Operation The following images are corrected with field correction: For more information about field correction settings, see the Correction Settings section in the In-Sight 3D Spreadsheet Help document. The L38 can correct the following degrees of misalignment: Number Description Roll: 5 degrees Yaw: 10 degrees...
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Page 20: Scanning And Processing Time
Scanning and Processing Time After the vision system finishes a scan, it sends the scanned point cloud to the Spreadsheet for processing. While the transfer is in progress, the vision system can already start a second scan, which can run while the software is processing the first point cloud. - Page 21 1. The vision system is triggered to start a scan. 2. The vision system starts scanning after a short configurable trigger delay. 3. The software receives the first packet from the scan (timestamped). 4. The vision system is triggered to start a second scan. Note: The second trigger can be sent while the first scan is in progress if the second trigger, factoring in the trigger delay, arrives after finishing the first scan.
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Page 22: Unit Conversions
8. The software starts processing. Note: The start of processing is delayed if the processing of the previous acquisition is still in progress, as the In- SightL38 can only process one acquisition at a time. To calculate the time in the queue for processing, use the following formula: GetAllTime(A0) - GetTime(A0) - GetTime(ORIGIN:END) where GetTime(ORIGIN:END) is the processing time for the tools contained in the specified Spreadsheet cell range. -
Page 23: Installation
Arrange the vision system in a way so that the motion of travel is perpendicular to the laser plane. Note: The vision system can shut down above maximum operating temperature. To avoid overheating, Cognex recommends to use a heatsink when the operating temperature of the vision system exceeds 35ºC (95ºF). To do so, attach a 400 mm aluminum profile or surface of a thermally conductive material (for example robot mounting plate) on top of the unit. -
Page 24: Mount The Vision System: Top Housing
Installation Mount the Vision System: Top Housing 1. Align the holes on the mounting surface with the mounting holes on the vision system. 2. Insert the M4 screws into the top mounting holes and tighten. The maximum torque is 2.00Nm (17.70in-lb). Do not exceed the maximum insertion depth of 8 mm for the M4 screws. -
Page 25: Mount The Vision System: Rear Housing
Note: For the L38-500 through-body mounting, only use three of the five mounting points. The image shows the preferred mounting. Cognex suggests mounting the device to the three mounting point reference surfaces and leaving the other two unused surfaces floating. -
Page 26: Connect The Ethernet Cable
24 VDC supply, the encoder supply and the 24 VDC supply need to have a common GND connection. Cognex recommends to ground unused encoder connections. If you configure the In-Sight 3D software to use an encoder but do no connect the encoder signal inputs, the behavior of the encoder counter is... -
Page 27: Powering The Vision System
Installation 5. Attach the Breakout cable's +24 VDC (Red wire) and GND (BLACK wire) to the corresponding terminals on the power supply. CAUTION: Never connect voltages other than 24 VDC. Always observe the polarity shown. 6. Connect the Breakout cable's M12 connector to the vision system PWR connector. 7. -
Page 28: Using Your In-Sight Vision System
Follow the steps below to install and connect your vision system to the In-Sight Vision Suite. 1. Download the latest version of the In-Sight Vision Suite from support.cognex.com/ and follow the on-screen steps. 2. Connect the L38 series vision system to your PC. -
Page 29: Cleaning And Maintenance
CAUTION: Use care not to damage the anti-reflective coating on the windows. Cognex makes the following recommendations for cleaning the laser and vision system windows: Unplug the unit so the laser cannot be enabled. Use lint-free tissue or an optical grade cotton swab ("Q-tip"). -
Page 30: Vision System Specifications
Vision System Specifications Vision System Specifications Specification L38-33 L38-50 L38-100 L38-300 L38-500 Scan rate Full X resolution up to 7.5 kHz Binned mode up to 10-11 kHz Resolution X-axis 1920 points/profile Built-in I/O Inputs: 1 dedicated trigger, 1 laser safety Outputs: 2 user-definable Encoder Input Specification Differential: A+/B+/A-/B-: 5-24 V (1000 kHz max) Single Ended: A+/B+: 12-24 V (1000 kHz max) A-/B-: V... -
Page 31: L38-33, L38-50, L38-100, And L38-300 Dimensions
Vision System Specifications L38-33, L38-50, L38-100, and L38-300 Dimensions Note: All Dimensions are in millimeters [inches] and are for reference purposes only. All specifications are for reference purposes only and can change without notice. -
Page 32: L38-500 Dimensions
Vision System Specifications L38-500 Dimensions Note: All Dimensions are in millimeters [inches] and are for reference purposes only. All specifications are for reference purposes only and can change without notice. -
Page 33: Laser Specifications
< 30 mW Laser Compliance WARNING: Laser light, do not stare into beam: Class 2 and Class 2M laser products. Failure to follow these instructions may cause serious injury. Cognex places the following labels on every L38 series vision system: Blue laser:... - Page 34 Vision System Specifications Red laser: Cognex places the following labels on every L38-500 vision system: Blue laser: Red laser: Complies with FDA performance standards for laser products except for conformance with IEC 60825-1 Ed. 3, as described in Laser Notice No. 56, dated May 8, 2019.
- Page 35 Vision System Specifications WARNING: Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure. Blue Laser Specification L38-33 L38-50 L38-100 L38-300 L38-500 Wavelength 445 nm +/- 10 nm ½ Angle Beam Divergence along Y-Axis(mrad) W0 2.40 W0 1.54 W0 0.93...
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Page 36: Laser Safety Warnings
There is no scheduled maintenance necessary to keep the product in compliance. Under no circumstances should you operate the sensor if it is defective or the seal damaged. Cognex Corporation cannot be held responsible for any harm caused by operating a faulty unit. -
Page 37: Label Locations
Vision System Specifications Label Locations WARNING: Laser light, do not stare into beam: Class 2 and Class 2M laser products. Failure to follow these instructions may cause serious injury. Note: On the L38-500 variant, the FDA label is located in a different position, on the underside of the vision system: WARNING: Avoid exposure - laser radiation is emitted from this aperture. -
Page 38: Ethernet Cable
Vision System Specifications Ethernet Cable The Ethernet cable provides Ethernet connectivity to the vision system. P1 Pin Number Wire Color Signal Name P2 Pin Number WHITE/ORANGE TxRx A + ORANGE TxRx A - WHITE/GREEN TxRx B + BLUE TxRx C + WHITE/BLUE TxRx C - GREEN... -
Page 39: Breakout Cable
Many vision applications use a rotary encoder attached to the conveyor system. Cognex provides encoders as accessories. For more information about the encoders that are available as accessories to the In-Sight L38, see Encoders on page 9. -
Page 40: Encoder Inputs
Vision System Specifications Note: The frequency of encoder pulses must not exceed 1000 kHz. Using an encoder allows you to specify input and output delay values in pulse counts instead of real time units. A quadrature rotary encoder uses two output channels (A and B) to provide cyclical outputs as the encoder rotates. The signals are quadrature outputs - 90 degrees out of phase with each other. -
Page 41: Encoder Wiring
Vision System Specifications The encoder phase inputs can be driven with: Differential decoder (5 V - 24 V) Non-differential decoder (12 V - 24 V) To create the required differential signal, you need a voltage divider when you use a non-differential decoder. See Encoder Wiring on page 41. -
Page 42: Trigger And Laser Enable Inputs
Vision System Specifications Single-ended encoder wiring: Differential encoder wiring: Single channel encoder wiring: CAUTION: Encoder and power MUST share the same ground. Trigger and Laser Enable Inputs The acquisition trigger and laser enable inputs to the sensor are opto-isolated. The sensor responds to a trigger event when the voltage difference between the TRIGGER and IN COMMON inputs exceed 10 V. -
Page 43: Trigger And Laser Enable Wiring
Vision System Specifications Number Input TRIGGER IN COMMON Trigger and Laser Enable Wiring The following table presents the wiring schematic of the trigger and the laser in NPN configuration: Number Component Trigger (Sensor Sinks Current - NPN) Laser Enable (Sensor Sinks Current - NPN) The following table presents the wiring schematic of the trigger and the laser in PNP configuration: Number Component... - Page 44 Vision System Specifications In case of NPN lines, the external load is connected between the output and the positive supply voltage. The outputs pull down to less than 3 V when ON, which causes current to flow through the load. When the outputs are OFF, no current flows through the load.
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Page 45: Output Wiring
Vision System Specifications Output Wiring The following table presents the wiring schematic of the Output 0 and Output 1 in NPN configuration: Number Component OUTPUT 0 (Sensor Sinks Current - NPN) OUTPUT 1 (Sensor Sinks Current - NPN) The following table presents the wiring schematic of the Output 0 and Output 1 in PNP configuration: Number Component OUTPUT 1 (Sensor Sources Current - PNP) -
Page 46: Regulations And Conformity
Regulations and Conformity Regulations and Conformity Note: For the most current CE and UKCA declaration and regulatory conformity information, see the Cognex support site: cognex.com/support. Cognex Corporation Manufacturer One Vision Drive Natick, MA 01760 USA L38-33: Regulatory Model 50203 L38-50: Regulatory Model 50203... - Page 47 Regulations and Conformity L38-33: Regulatory Model 50203 L38-50: Regulatory Model 50203 L38-100: Regulatory Model 50203 L38-300: Regulatory Model 50203 L38-500: Regulatory Model 50201 This is a class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio interference in which case the user may be required to take immediate measures.
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Page 48: China Rohs
Regulations and Conformity China RoHS Hazardous Substances 有害 物质 Part Name Lead (Pb) Mercury (Hg) Cadmium Hexavalent Polybrominated Polybrominated 部 件名称 铅 汞 (Cd) Chromium biphenyls (PBB) diphenyl ethers (PBDE) 镉 多溴 联 苯 多 溴二 苯醚 (Cr (VI)) 六 价 铬 Regulatory Model 50201 Regulatory... -
Page 49: For European Community Users
Product Service Bring any performance issues to the attention of your Cognex sales representative. The sensor can only be serviced by a trained Cognex representative. Return the unit to Cognex for any service or repairs. Do not operate the sensor if the enclosure appears damaged.
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