Getting Started

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■ If you are not sure which version of the product you are currently using, please feel free to contact Mech-Mind Technical Support.

This topic will guide you through the entire process from checking package contents to using Mech-Eye Viewer to capture images.

The diagrams are for illustrative purposes only. The actual product may differ.

1. Check Package Contents

  1. Make sure that the package is intact when you receive it.

  2. Check contents according to the “packing list” in the package to ensure that no devices or accessories are missing or damaged.

The table below is for reference only. Please take the “packing list” in the package as the final.

  • Camera

  • User manual
camera package content
user manual

  • DC power cable

  • Ethernet cable
dc power cable
ethernet cable

  • Accessory bag

M4 × 8 socket head cap screws (Qty: 8)

M5 × 8 socket head cap screws (Qty: 8)
screw m4 8
screw m5 8

M8 × 20 socket head cap screws (Qty: 2)

M8 × 20 T-bolts (Qty: 2)
bolt m8 20
bolt t

M8 nuts (Qty: 2)

M8 flange nuts (Qty: 2)
nut m8
nut flange

M8 washers (Qty: 2)

Ø6 × 10 dowel pins (Qty: 4)
washer
dowel pin

Cable tie mount (Qty: 1)

Zip ties (Qty: 50)
cable tie mount
zip tie

Hex key (Qty: 1)

Calibration board (UHP-140-GL only)
hex key
calibration board

  • Optional accessories:

    DIN rail power supply

    Calibration board (except for UHP-140-GL)

    din rail power supply

    calibration board

2. Check Ports and Indicator Lights

Please refer to the following figures and tables and check the functions of the ports and indicator lights on the camera.

2.1. DEEP-GL, LSR S-GL, LSR L-GL, LSR XL-GL, PRO S-GL, PRO M-GL, and UHP-140-GL

diagram general

No.

Name

Function

①

DC 24V port

1: GND

3: 24 VDC

2: GND

4: 24 VDC

②

ETH port

1: MD3_P

5: MD1_P

2: MD2_N

6: MD0_N

3: MD2_P

7: MD3_N

4: MD0_P

8: MD1_N

③

PWR indicator light

Off: not connected to power

Green: normal voltage

Solid yellow: voltage lower than 16 V or higher than 28 V

Solid red: voltage lower than 12 V

④

LINK indicator light

Off: not connected to network

Solid or blinking green: connected to network

⑤

SYS indicator light

Off: camera not started

Solid green: camera starting up

Blinking green: camera operating properly

Blinking yellow: unstable voltage or abnormal temperature

Blinking red: malfunctioning

⑥

SCAN indicator light

Solid green: acquiring and processing data

Not acquiring or processing data

2.2. NANO-GL and NANO ULTRA-GL

diagram special

The above figure uses NANO-GL as an example.

No.

Name

Function

①

PWR indicator light

Off: not connected to power

Green: normal voltage

②

LINK indicator light

Off: not connected to network

Solid or blinking green: connected to network

③

ETH port

1: MD3_P

5: MD1_P

2: MD2_N

6: MD0_N

3: MD2_P

7: MD3_N

4: MD0_P

8: MD1_N

④

DC 24V port

1: GND

3: 24 VDC

2: GND

4: 24 VDC

3. Mount the Camera

The camera can be mounted in the following setups:

Setup Requirements

Mounted to the robot flange and moves with the robot.

mount to flange

  • The camera should remain stationary relative to the robot flange.

  • When fastening the camera cables, reserve a portion unfastened, so that the cables can move with the robot without being damaged by strain.

  • During data acquisition, the robot should stop moving, so that the camera remains stationary. Meanwhile, the robot tool should not block the camera.

Mounted to a stationary frame and does not move with the robot.

mount to stand

  • The frame should be stable without wobbling.

  • The camera should remain stationary relative to the frame.

  • During data acquisition, devices in the surroundings should not block the camera.

Mounted to a linear rail and moves with the linear rail.

mount to slide

  • The camera should remain stationary relative to the surface on the linear rail used to mount the camera.

  • The vibration and shock generated during the linear rail’s motion, as well as by the start and stop of its motion, should be within the range of the camera’s vibration and shock resistance.

  • During data acquisition, the linear rail should stop moving, so that the camera remains stationary. Meanwhile, devices in the surroundings should not block the camera.

  • Check if the environment satisfies the requirements of operating temperature, operating humidity, vibration resistance, and shock resistance in the technical specifications.

  • To ensure satisfactory data quality, make sure the distance between the camera and the surface of the target object is within the range of the recommended working distance while meeting the requirements for the field of view and the robot’s motion space. Refer to the technical specifications for the recommended working distance.

  • Avoid collisions between the camera and other devices by implementing measures such as planning an appropriate robot path.

  • Prepare the stationary frame or the frame that connects the camera and the robot / linear rail on your own. Refer to the technical specifications for the dimensions and positions of the mounting holes and dowel pin holes, as well as the requirement for the flatness of the mounting surface.

After determining the setup, refer to the following sections and secure the camera to the mounting surface through the camera bracket or threaded holes.

  • Prepare your own open-end wrench of the appropriate size.

  • If the mounting surface is too thick, prepare your own bolts or screws of the appropriate lengths.

  • If the mounting surface has dowel pin holes opened, you can use the dowel pins to help position the camera correctly.

3.1. Mount through the Camera Bracket

Using the camera bracket, you can mount the camera to the following types of surfaces:

  • T-slot aluminum extrusion

  • Surface with mounting holes opened

  • The camera bracket is attached to the back of the camera when packaged.

  • You can mount the cable tie mount to the camera bracket. For details, refer to Mount the Cable Tie Mount.

3.1.1. Mount to T-Slot Aluminum Extrusion

As shown below, place 2 M8 washers and 2 M8 × 20 T-bolts, and then use the open-end wrench to tighten 2 flange nuts. The recommended tightening torque is 12 to 13 N·m.

  • DEEP-GL, LSR S-GL, LSR L-GL, LSR XL-GL, PRO S-GL, PRO M-GL, and UHP-140-GL:

    mount with bracket 1

  • NANO-GL:

    mount with bracket 2

  • NANO ULTRA-GL:

    mount with bracket 3

3.1.2. Mount to Surface with Mounting Holes Opened

As shown below, place 2 M8 washers and 2 M8 × 20 socket head cap screws, and then use the open-end wrench to tighten 2 nuts. The recommended tightening torque is 12 to 13 N·m.

  • DEEP-GL, LSR S-GL, LSR L-GL, LSR XL-GL, PRO S-GL, PRO M-GL, and UHP-140-GL:

    mount with bracket 4

  • NANO-GL:

    mount with bracket 5

  • NANO ULTRA-GL:

    mount with bracket 6

3.1.3. Mount the Cable Tie Mount

After mounting the cable tie mount, you can secure the cables with zip ties to avoid damaging the cables by strain.

As shown below, use the hex key to tighten 2 M5 × 8 socket head cap screws. The recommended tightening torque is 2.2 to 2.5 N·m.

  • DEEP-GL, LSR S-GL, LSR L-GL, LSR XL-GL, PRO S-GL, PRO M-GL, and UHP-140-GL: You can use the threaded holes at different positions (indicated by arrows) to mount the cable tie mount.

    mount cable tie mount 1

  • NANO-GL:

    mount cable tie mount 2

  • NANO ULTRA-GL:

    mount cable tie mount 3

3.2. Mount through Threaded Holes on the Back

When mounting LSR S-GL and NANO ULTRA-GL using this method, ensure that the back of the camera is in close contact with a metal surface for heat dissipation, so that the camera does not overheat and malfunction.

  1. Use the hex key to remove the camera bracket. For LSR S-GL and NANO ULTRA-GL, also remove the heat-dissipation panel.

  2. As shown below, place the socket head cap screws of the corresponding specification into the mounting holes. Then, use the hex key to loosely screw on the screws in the specified order, and then fully tighten all the bolts in the specified order.

    • NANO ULTRA-GL: M4 × 8 socket head cap screws (recommended tightening torque: 1.4 to 1.6 N·m)

    • Other models: M5 × 8 socket head cap screws (Recommended tightening torque: 2.2 to 2.5 N·m)

    The number of screws required differs by model.

  • DEEP-GL, LSR S-GL, LSR L-GL, LSR XL-GL, PRO S-GL, PRO M-GL, and UHP-140-GL:

    mount with threaded holes 1

  • NANO-GL:

    mount with threaded holes 2

  • NANO ULTRA-GL:

    mount with threaded holes 2 1

3.3. Mount through Threaded Holes at the Top

The following models provide threaded holes for mounting at the top: LSR S-GL, LSR XL-GL, NANO ULTRA-GL, and UHP-140-GL.

  1. Use the hex key to remove the camera bracket.

  2. As shown below, place the socket head cap screws of the corresponding specification into the mounting holes. Then, use the hex key to loosely screw on the screws in the specified order, and then fully tighten all the bolts in the specified order.

    • NANO ULTRA-GL: M4 × 8 socket head cap screws (recommended tightening torque: 1.4 to 1.6 N·m)

    • Other models: M5 × 8 socket head cap screws (Recommended tightening torque: 2.2 to 2.5 N·m)

mount with threaded holes 3

4. Connect Cables

Please follow these steps to connect the Ethernet and power cables of the camera.

connect the camera

4.1. Ethernet Cable and DC Power Cable

  • Ethernet cable: Insert the M12-A connector of the Ethernet cable into the ETH port on the camera, and insert the RJ45 connector into the Ethernet port on the IPC.

  • DC power cable: Insert the M12-A connector of the DC power cable into the DC 24V port on the camera.

When inserting the Ethernet cable and DC power cable:

  1. Align the bump in the connector with the notch in the port.

  2. Tighten the nut. The recommended tightening torque is 0.7 N·m. A gap of about 2 mm remains after the nut is fully tightened.

  • It is recommended to connect the IPC and camera directly to ensure the speed and stability of data transmission. If the IPC does not have enough Ethernet ports, please use an industrial network switch / router with a bandwidth of at least 1 Gbps.

  • Do not use network switches / routers with bandwidths below 1 Gbps or expansion hubs. Otherwise, the network connection may become unstable, and data transmission may fail.

  • Please use shielded Ethernet cable of the CAT5e or above specification.

  • When mounting the camera onto a robot arm or other mobile equipment, please fasten the DC power and Ethernet cables on the camera end properly to avoid damaging the cables or connectors due to strain.

4.2. DIN rail power supply

  • Please prepare the AC power cable.

  • The instructions below apply to the DIN rail power supply provided by Mech-Mind. If you use your own DIN rail power supply, please refer to its user manual for connection instructions.

  • Please use a single-phase, 3-prong power outlet with protective grounding for the AC power.
din rail connection

  1. Use a flat screwdriver to loosen the screws on the terminals of the DIN rail power supply.

  2. Connect the DC power cable: Insert the two wires with the +V labels into the two +V output terminals on the DIN rail power supply, the two wires with the -V labels into the two -V output terminals, and the wire with the PE label into the ground terminal (pe).

  3. Connect the AC power cable: Insert the live wire into the L input terminal on the DIN rail power supply, the neutral wire into the N input terminal, and the ground wire into the ground terminal (pe).

  4. Use the flat screwdriver to tighten the screws on the terminals.

  • The voltage input to the camera from the DIN rail power supply should reach 24 V.

  • Please mount the DIN rail power supply inside a control cabinet.

  • The DIN rail power supply or the DIN rail should be reliably grounded. If mounting multiple DIN rail power supplies on the same DIN rail, ensure enough distance in between.

  • Supply power after all cables are fully connected. After power is supplied, the PWR indicator light should be solid green. If not, please contact Mech-Mind.

5. Warm Up

To ensure that the accuracy of the data acquired by the product reaches the values listed in the technical specifications, please warm up the product by performing continuous data acquisition before using it.

  • Recommended warm-up time: Refer to the technical specifications.

  • Recommended data acquisition interval: Warm up the product with the data acquisition interval in actual use. If the data acquisition interval in actual use is not fixed, it is recommended to warm up with the average data acquisition interval. For example, in actual use, data is acquired every 6 to 10 seconds, then during warm-up, data should be acquired every 8 seconds.

The mounting and connection of the camera hardware is completed. The following sections will introduce how to use Mech-Eye Viewer to connect to the camera and control the camera to capture images.

6. Download and Install Mech-Eye SDK

You can download the Mech-Eye SDK installation package from Mech-Mind Download Center.

After decompressing the installation package, double-click the installer to install Mech-Eye SDK. For more information, please refer to Mech-Eye SDK Installation Guide.

7. Set IP Addresses

Before connecting to the camera, please make sure that the following IP address are unique and in the same subnet.

  • Camera IP address

  • The IP address of the IPC Ethernet port connected to the camera

Follow these steps to set the camera IP address:

  1. Double-click to open Mech-Eye Viewer.

  2. Find the camera to be connected and click setting.

  3. Set the camera IP address.

8. Connect to Camera

  1. Find the camera to be connected in Mech-Eye Viewer, and click Connect.

    connected view

If the software or firmware needs to be upgraded, the Upgrade button is displayed instead. Please click this button to perform upgrade first, and then connect to the camera.

9. Capture Images

Click single cap to perform image capturing once.

Clicking continuous cap will trigger the camera to repeatedly capture images at predetermined intervals. Click again to stop the image capturing.

Click the data types below the image capturing buttons to check the 2D image, depth map and point cloud obtained from the camera.

acquisition
For more information on image capturing and data types, please refer to Acquire and View Data.

10. Adjust Parameters

If the quality of the obtained 2D image, depth map and point cloud is not satisfactory, you can adjust the relevant parameters in the Parameters tab on the right of the software to improve data quality.

10.1. Determine Data Quality

Based on the following criteria, roughly determine the quality of the obtained data.

  • 2D image: the 2D image is not too bright or too dark; the surface features of the target object are clearly visible.

    Too dark Good Too bright

    exposure time 5

    exposure time 90

    exposure time 500

  • Depth map and point cloud: in the depth map and point cloud, the data corresponding to the target object should be complete. In the following example, the target object is the rotors.

    Point cloud of target object incomplete Point cloud of target object complete

    exposure time 3d 1

    exposure time 3d 4

10.2. Improve 2D Image Quality

  1. Set the Exposure Mode parameter in the 2D Parameters category to Timed, and then adjust the Exposure Time parameter.

    • If the 2D image is too dark, increase Exposure Time.

    • If the 2D image is too bright, decrease Exposure Time.

      DEEP-GL and LSR series provide two types of 2D images corresponding to different parameters. For detailed information, please refer to Parameters of DEEP-GL Series and Parameters of LSR Series.

  2. Capture images again and check the quality of the 2D image.

10.3. Improve Quality of Depth Map and Point Cloud

  1. Adjust the Exposure Time parameter in the 3D Parameters category.

    • If the object is dark-colored or not reflective, increase Exposure Time.

    • If the object is light-colored or reflective, decrease Exposure Time.

  2. Capture images again and check the quality of the depth map and point cloud.

For more explanations of the parameters, please refer to Parameter Reference Guide.

11. Use Data

The 2D image, depth map and point cloud obtained through Mech-Eye Viewer can be saved locally or can be output to Mech-Vision or third-party machine vision software for subsequent processing and calculation.

  • Save the data: Click save in the data acquisition area, set the destination path, check the data types to be saved, and then click Save.

  • Use the data in Mech-Vision: Please refer to Vision System Tutorial and learn how to build the entire vision system that includes Mech-Vision.

  • Use the data in third-party machine vision software: The data obtained by the camera can be transmitted to third-party software through Mech-Eye API or the GenICam interface.

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