AI and innovative camera technology may be the stars of the show when it comes to advanced machine vision systems, but behind the scenes, you will find a somewhat anonymous workhorse that is essential to keeping everything running smoothly.
This is the I/O manager – essentially a combination of a hardware board and a piece of software on the vision computer - that ensures the output from and input to the computer are executed with high precision.
It guarantees that the vision system can not only detect a defect but also take the corrective action needed. No vision system operates independently, and its value depends on its ability to signal other systems to, for example, reject a defective item.
If you don’t have full control over time, you risk the message arriving a little too early or too late, causing you to let a defective item pass or get a false reject. The I/O manager also allows us to read encoders, such as positioning on a conveyor belt or rotations on a rotary table, and connect the position to a very precise timestamp, which opens up a range of possibilities for advanced quality control.
Real-time signalling is key
It may seem simple, but the truth is that an operating system like Windows doesn't operate in real time. This means you can't have full control over when signals are sent to other systems unless you run the process on dedicated hardware.
Over the years, we have invested hundreds of thousands of euros in developing our own I/O manager, as we believed that no products were available that could meet our needs. The first version was launched in 2008, and the latest version, IoMgr3, was introduced in 2023.
IoMgr3 is an integral part of all our custom systems and works seamlessly with our hardware and software. It ensures that we can set output with 1 millisecond precision and report input with a precision of 125 microseconds. This allows us to set very precise time stamps on input and execute output fast enough to handle high-speed production environments.
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Designed for robustness
In the latest version of our I/O manager, we have also added a significant layer of robustness to the solution. A common problem with I/O management is that equipment can easily be damaged if connected incorrectly.
That is why we have built IoMgr3 to be immune to EMC and even allow you to short-circuit without damaging any equipment.
This is especially helpful during installation, as it avoids delays and higher costs caused by human error.
At the same time, IoMgr3 offers monitoring features that simplify troubleshooting and fixing errors, thanks to detailed error logging.
Again, this may not be one of those flashy features that make the I/O manager the star of the show. But it helps build the reliable bridge between the components of your quality control system that makes it all come together and perform with high efficiency and accuracy.
