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Two vendors were brought back to Edmund Optics for two full days of demos, using Edmund Optics’ own sample data to provide a realistic view of system capabilities and functionality. Forty Edmund Optics employees were involved in evaluating the ERP systems. To assure that Edmund Optics’ foreign facilities were involved in the decision-making process, Landsburg videotaped the presentations and made DVDs available to the managers in other countries. A vote was taken among all evaluators, and with the approval of the CEO and core oversight team, SAP All-in-One for High Tech Manufacturing was chosen.

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A fully detailed Business Process Narrative was created, presenting Landsburg’s analysis of the existing computing infrastructure, including the computing environment, network and email capabilities, servers, user accounts, database software, desktop operating systems, software and hardware, ERP system users and applications.

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When it comes to embedded vision technology, choosing the suitable lens mount is crucial for capturing high-quality images and unlocking the full potential of your devices.

Whether in industrial automation, robotics, machine vision, surveillance, medical imaging, or any other industry, TechNexion’s C-mount and S-mount cameras offer options to meet your specific imaging requirements.

Nikon developed the F-mount, primarily used for photography and videography. Although it is less common in embedded vision, the F-mount is the optimal choice when Nikon lens compatibility is essential. It is especially important in high-end imaging systems and configurations where alignment with professional camera lenses is essential.The F-mount is a bayonet-style mount system for Nikon SLR and DSLR cameras. This mount type has a 44mm diameter and a 46.5mm flange distance. The bayonet mechanism of the F-mount adds a layer of convenience, which manufacturers of large format cameras and line scan cameras appreciate greatly. F-mount is synonymous with Nikon’s SLR camera lens mount system, indicating its widespread adoption.Scientific imaging and machine vision applications emphasizing high-resolution and line scan cameras benefit from the F-mount’s versatility. It excels in situations requiring compatibility with large matrix sensors, where its expansive format shines. The F-mount has been in active production for over half a century, making it the only SLR lens mount to reach this remarkable benchmark.

Landsburg developed a full analysis of Edmund Optics’ business processes, documenting both the current state of processes and ERP support, as well as the required future state. To do so, he conducted in-depth interviews with key employees, sitting at each individual’s desk to observe, first hand, their interactions with the existing ERP system.

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The lens mount is a mechanical interface that securely attaches a camera lens to an imaging device, such as a sensor or camera module. This crucial component ensures proper alignment and positioning of the lens relative to the image sensor. Typically, the lens mount includes threaded screw holes, flanges, or other mechanisms that firmly attach the lens while maintaining precise alignment.When it comes to lens mounts, there are different styles available. However, the most commonly used mounting styles in embedded camera applications are the screw threaded and bayonet types. The screw-threaded type gets its name from threading your lens onto the camera body. It provides a secure connection between the lens and the camera, ensuring stability during use. On the other hand, the bayonet type uses three to four tabs to lock a lens tightly in place.

Before committing to SAP, Landsburg helped Edmund Optics to ascertain that SAP could fully support foreign operations. He coordinated onsite visits by Edmund- Optics staff to foreign customers of SAP to gauge the level of SAP support. Once fully vetted, Edmund Optics committed to SAP.

Over the past decade, Edmund Optics has grown dramatically in size and scope, more than doubling its revenue and expanding its manufacturing and distribution operations in Asia and Europe. Their volume of transactions increased from 40 million to 107 million annually, and their annual shipment rate grew to 150,000 shipments per year. This number is critical considering that 90 percent of the company’s orders are fulfilled through same-day shipping, an Edmunds competitive advantage.

The CS-mount is similar to the C-Mount, except it has a shorter flange focal distance, making it appropriate for smaller sensors. CS-mount lenses are commonly used in security cameras and machine vision installations because they allow for compact designs without sacrificing optical quality. This lens mount has a flange focal distance of 12.5 mm and is the ideal standard for low-cost embedded vision applications.The CS-mount’s specifications are nearly identical to the C-mount’s, except for a 5mm reduction in flange focal length. This makes CS-mount a viable solution for limited space, and the reduced focal distance allows for more streamlined designs without sacrificing optical quality.

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According to Jeff Harvey, “Our ultimate goal is to greatly improve our ERP system and the visibility of our manufacturing capabilities. I’m confident that the SAP system will give us that once we implement the system in all of our manufacturing sites.” For now, an immediate requirement was to implement the new system without losing any ground in doing so. “We wanted to be sure that we could duplicate our currently functionality,” said Harvey. “The new system came through.”

Over the years, Edmund Optics’ growth outpaced the company’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. According to Edmund Optics Director of Information Services Jeff Harvey, the biggest problem the company was encountering was manufacturing capacity visibility.

Purchase orders are now automated, and efficiency has been improved as sales reps no longer need to manually type in eCommerce orders. The system is user friendly, offering better interfaces that help employees accomplish tasks faster. Security enhancements have been added to the sales process through tokenization of credit cards, which masks the visibility of credit card numbers.

A lens mount compatible with ultra-wide-angle lenses may be preferred in a robotics application that requires a wide-angle view. This would enable capturing a larger area without requiring extensive camera-to-subject distance.

The focal length determines the lens’s magnification and the distance at which objects come into sharp focus. It affects the field of view and the capacity to photograph subjects up close or far away. The lens’s focal length determines the type of mount with which it is compatible.

Purchase orders are now automated, and efficiency has been improved as sales reps no longer need to manually type in eCommerce orders. The system is user friendly, offering better interfaces that help employees accomplish tasks faster. Security enhancements have been added to the sales process through tokenization of credit cards, which masks the visibility of credit card numbers.

After finding that their current ERP vendor could not support Edmund Optics expanded requirements, Jeff Harvey knew they would need to go outside for an ERP system. More importantly, he recognized that he would need an outside consultant to analyze Edmund Optics needs, and guide them in the selection of an ERP system and vendor. Harvey had a relationship with the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP), a sister organization to DVIRC. NJMEP referred him to DVIRC and Harry Landsburg, DVIRC’s director of business process technology consulting.

The lens’s field of view is the extent of the scene it can capture. It is affected by both the sensor’s capacity and the lens’s focal length. C-mounts are more prevalent than S-mounts in applications that need a large field of view.

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The S-mount lens system employs a screw-threaded mounting approach and finds frequent utilization in board-level cameras. This mount type encompasses a 12mm metric thread diameter with a pitch of 0.5 mm (M12x0.5), with the “M” denoting metric dimensions measured in millimeters of the outer diameter.

Some lens mounts provide manual or motorized focus adjustments, which can benefit applications requiring precise focusing. Choosing a lens-to-mount combination that assures the highest focus quality is essential. For instance, a lens mount compatible with motorized focus control may be chosen in a medical imaging system. This allows healthcare providers to remotely adjust the camera’s focus without physically interacting with it.

Improvements to Edmund Optics’ software-supported business processes were recommended, including system-wide enhancements to database report writing, auditing, workflow, and ERP integration with sales processes, catalog data, and the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Additionally, recommendations were made for enhancing related financial, operational and transactional processes.

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Now that you understand what camera lens mount types are, let us learn the factors you need to consider while picking the lens mount for your application. They are as follows:

The C-mount connection comprises an imperial thread with a one-inch diameter and 32 threads per inch. This resembles a metric thread, with dimensions comparable to M25.5 x 0.75 mm.The rear focal distances of the C-mount and CS-mount connectors are an important differentiating characteristic. C-mount connectors have a fixed rear focal distance of 17.526 mm, exactly 5 mm more than CS-mount connectors. While a CS-mount lens cannot be used directly with a C-mount camera, a C-mount lens can be used with a CS-mount camera via a CS-mount adapter, typically a 5 mm spacer ring.

After viewing the vendor presentations, Landsburg moderated an offsite discussion and blind ballot to narrow down the vendor choices. “Harry acted as a moderator and referee in these discussions,” noted Harvey. “He was phenomenal in helping us look at things from every angle, and in remaining objective throughout.”

This blog post aims to simplify the selection process by exploring popular lens mounts used in embedded vision and providing valuable insights to help you make an informed decision.

For instance, a lens with a focal length of 50 mm requires a larger holder height, rendering it irreconcilable with an M12 holder. M12-mount/CS-mount lenses typically have reduced focal lengths. A lens mount compatible with variable focal length lenses (zoom or varifocal lenses) could be selected for an embedded vision system that monitors production lines. This would allow the magnification to be adjusted to focus on specific aspects of the production process.

The mount size is the diameter of the lens mount thread, and the flange distance is the distance between the lens mount surface and the image sensor. These parameters determine how compatible the lens is with the sensor. A larger mount size permits a larger lens, allowing more light to reach the sensor. Nonetheless, mount size is not the only factor influencing lens design; flange distance is also crucial.A shorter flange distance enables lenses to be positioned closer to the sensor, allowing for the development of shorter-focus lenses that are simpler and more cost-effective. In addition, a shorter flange distance enables the construction of more compact cameras than longer flange distances. The proper balance between mount size and flange distance is required for optimal optical image quality in embedded camera applications.If you’re developing a surveillance camera module with a small form factor, an M12 lens mount with a brief flange distance may be appropriate. In this scenario, its small size and simplicity of integration would be advantageous.

The C-mount is a well-established and widely adopted standard, particularly prominent in machine vision and industrial applications. C-mount lenses are widely utilized in robotics, automation, quality control, and surveillance systems due to their adaptability and seamless compatibility with a wide range of camera sensors.

With our wide range of camera models and features, you can select the appropriate lens type that suits your needs perfectly. Check out our embedded vision solutions here.

The S-mount, also called the M12 Mount, holds significant popularity within compact embedded vision devices such as handheld scanners and medical diagnostic devices. Its compact dimensions render it a preferred choice for scenarios where spatial constraints are considered.

While it is too soon to fully evaluate the benefits of the new ERP system, process improvements are being seen as, week by week, Edmund Optics is slowly turning on new functionality.

While it is too soon to fully evaluate the benefits of the new ERP system, process improvements are being seen as, week by week, Edmund Optics is slowly turning on new functionality.

Landsburg identified vendors with the capabilities to support the Edmund Optics ERP upgrade, and sent each vendor the full documentation of the company’s current- and future-state processes and software requirements. Four vendors were selected to participate in a Round One evaluation at Edmund Optics. Landsburg then assembled a team of 15 hand-selected employees to serve on the evaluation team.

The sensor size and resolution determine the area a lens must cover and the level of captured detail. Modern embedded vision applications frequently employ high-resolution sensors to satisfy stringent image quality requirements. Ensuring that the lens mount chosen can accommodate the desired resolution is essential. While an S-mount lens (also called an M12 lens, with a thread diameter of 12mm) is suitable for most sensors used in embedded vision, large sensors designed to achieve higher resolution or pixel size will need a C-mount lens.At the same time, even the 1-inch (25.4 mm) diameter of the C-mount might not be enough in certain scenarios, which is when the F-mount becomes the optimal choice. In addition, the T-mount is superior to the C-mount for larger sensors and line scan cameras due to its substantially larger diameter. A larger sensor necessitates a lens that can cover the entire image area without compromising image quality.

Introducing TechNexion, the leading provider of cameras with C-mount and S-mount configurations. With our wide range of camera options, we cater to all your imaging needs.

Our C-mount cameras stand out with their standard C-mount lens interface. This widely used lens mount in the industry offers unmatched flexibility and compatibility with various lenses. On the other hand, our S-mount cameras are ideal for applications where space is limited or where a more streamlined and compact design is essential.

DVIRC’s work with Edmund Optics began in the July, 2010. Just five months later, in December, 2010, vendor selection was complete. Domestic project implementation was completed in October 2011, with international implementation to be rolled out over time. DVIRC was not involved with the implementation, as this became SAP’s responsibility.

These recommendations were accompanied by details on the software capabilities necessary to achieve them, and the future state benefits that Edmund Optics would like to obtain from an upgraded ERP system. These future-state expectations covered everything from product development to catalog and website management, marketing and communications, call center/order entry systems, quotations, compliance, inventory and demand forecasting, inventory optimization, purchasing, manufacturing workflow monitoring and reporting, assembly/packaging, quality assurance, budgeting/forecasting/costing, accounts receivable/payable, human resources and foreign location integration.

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Compactness is critical in applications with limited space, such as a handheld retina scanner for example. When compactness is a priority, placing the sensor near the camera housing is critical.Because of their reduced size and ubiquitous availability, developers prefer S-mount lens types over C/CS-mount lenses in most embedded vision applications. Consider the use of a body-worn camera by law enforcement officials. The lens mount should be small and lightweight to provide comfort and unobtrusiveness while capturing high-quality images.

TFL (Through-Focal-Length) and TFL-II mounts are less common in embedded vision systems but have significant applications in scientific and research imaging. Due to the larger diameter of these mounts compared to the common C-mount, they are ideally suited for high-precision and resolution situations. Their primary applications include microscopy, scientific instruments, and particular industrial inspection arrangements.In contrast, the T-mount, known as the M42-mount, distinguishes itself from other mount-varieties. Sophisticated cameras predominantly employ it with large, high-resolution sensors. This mount type has a metric thread with a 42 mm diameter and 0.75 mm pitch (M42x0.75). This mount’s standard flange focal distance is 55 mm.The TFL-mount was designed for APS-C (27.9mm) sensors, which are too large for a C-mount but too small for an F-mount. The TFL-mount possesses thread dimensions of M35x0.75mm and shares the same flange distance of 17.526mm as the C-mount. The TFL-mount provides the same durability as the C-mount but accommodates larger sensors, bridging the limitations of the F-mount.