Getting Started

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

If you have never used a laser profiler, please read the follow contents first to learn the basics of laser profilers:

1. Check the Contents of the Package

  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.

LNX-8030 is used as an example in this tutorial. The table below is for reference only. Please take the packing lists in the package as the final.

1.1. Sensor Head

Sensor head

sensor 8030

Sensor-head-to-controller cable
CBL-H2C-5M-LU

sensor head to controller cable

User manual

user manual

Accessory bag

M5 × 8 bolts (Qty: 4)

M5 × 70 bolts (Qty: 3)

Φ5 washers (Qty: 3)

Zip ties (Qty: 50)

4 mm hex key (Qty: 1)

m5 8 bolts

m5 70 bolts

washers

zip ties

hex key

1.2. Controller

Controller

controller 8000c

Controller DC power cable
CBL-CTRL-PWR-3M

controller dc cable

Controller Ethernet cable
CBL-CTRL-ETH-3M

controller ethernet cable

Encoder cable
CBL-CTRL-EN-3M

encoder cable

Accessory bag

M5 × 8 bolts (Qty: 4)

Flat screwdriver (Qty: 1)

m5 8 bolts

flat screwdriver

2. Check Ports and Indicator Lights

The laser profiler consists of a sensor head and controller. The following sections introduce the sensor head and controller of the laser profiler.

2.1. Sensor Head

Refer to the following diagrams and table and check the function of each part of the sensor.

functional diagram sensor
No. Name Function

Laser emitter

Emits laser light.

Receiver unit

Receives the laser light reflected by the target surface.

Controller port

Used to connect to the controller.

LINK indicator light

Off: not connected to network

Blinking green: data in transmission (2.5 Gbps)

Blinking yellow: data in transmission (10/100/1000 Mbps)

LASER ON indicator light

Off: laser light not emitted

Solid on: laser light being emitted

POWER indicator light

Off: not connected to power

Solid green: normal voltage

Shading device mounting hole

Used to mount shading device onto the sensor head.

2.2. Controller

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

functional diagram controller
No. Name Function

Sensor head port

Used to connect to the sensor head.

RUN indicator light

On: data acquisition in progress

Off: no ongoing data acquisition

PWR indicator light

Solid green: normal voltage

Off: abnormal voltage or not connected to power

ERR indicator light

Blinking: malfunctioning

Off: operating normally

Power connector

24V: +24 VDC input

0V: 0 VDC input

PE: grounding

Input signal connector

See Input Signal Terminals for details.

Output signal connector

See Output Signal Terminals for details.

Encoder signal connector

Used to connect to the encoder. See Encoder Signal Terminals for details.

Network indicator light

Blinking: data transmission in progress

Solid: no ongoing data transmission

RJ45 Ethernet port

Used to connect the RJ45 connector of the Ethernet cable.

3. Mounting and Connection

system connection

3.1. Mount the Sensor Head

3.1.1. Before Mounting the Sensor Head

Before mounting the sensor head, please check the following precautions:

  • The shape of the target object may produce blind spots in the measurement range. Please evaluate the effect of blind spots on scanning before mounting the sensor head. The laser light of this product is emitted almost in parallel, and therefore blind spots are rarely present.

    blind spot object

    blind spot profile

    Shadowed area represents blind spot

    Obtained profile

  • Make sure that the laser light reflected by the target object is not blocked and can reach the receiver unit.

    mounting incorrect

    mounting correct

  • Stray light is produced if the laser light is reflected by surrounding objects such as walls. Please evaluate the effect of stray light on scanning before mounting the sensor head.

    stray light
  • To ensure that the heat from the sensor head is well dissipated, please mount it to a metal plate that has at least one surface with an area of 200 square centimeters or more.

3.1.2. Mounting the Camera

If the mounting plate is too thick, please prepare M5 bolts with the appropriate length. Please prepare M5 nuts and open-end wrench.

When installing the laser profiler, please refer to the reference distance of the laser profiler.

Method 1

As shown below, place four M5 × 8 bolts in the holes, use the 4 mm hex key to loosely screw on the bolts in the specified order, and then fully tighten all the bolts in the specified order.

mount sensor 1
Method 2

As shown below, place the Φ5 washers and then the M5 × 70 bolts in the holes, and then use an open-end wrench to tighten the nuts.

mount sensor 2

3.2. Mount the Controller

3.2.1. Before Mounting the Controller

  • Leave at least 50 mm of space above the controller and on both sides. Leave at least 90 mm of space in front of the side where the ports and connectors are located.

    controller spacing 1
  • For controllers mounted side by side, leave at least 50 mm of space between and above controllers.

    controller spacing 2

3.2.2. Mounting the Camera

As shown below, place four M5 × 8 bolts in the holes, and then use an open-end wrench to tighten the nuts.

mount controller

3.3. Connect Sensor Head and Controller

Connect the right-angle connector of the sensor-head-to-controller cable to the controller port on the sensor head and the straight connector to the sensor head port on the controller.

connect sensor and controller
  1. When inserting the connectors, align the bump in the connector with the notch in the port.

    insert connector
  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.

    tighten nut

Please fasten the cables properly to avoid damaging the cables or connectors due to strain.

3.4. Connect Controller and IPC

Insert one end of the controller Ethernet cable into the RJ45 Ethernet port on the controller and the other end into the RJ45 Ethernet port on the IPC.

connect controller and ipc
  • Do not use 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.

3.5. Connect Controller and DIN Rail Power Supply

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.

connect controller and power
  • Please prepare the AC power cable.

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

  • It is not recommended to use DC power cables longer than 30 m. It is recommended to use power cables with wires of 15 AWG or smaller specifications (larger diameters) to ensure sufficient current and voltage.

3.5.1. Insert DC Power Cable into Power Connector on Controller

  1. Use the flat screwdriver to loosen the screws above the power terminals.

    connect dc cable 1
  2. Insert the wires into corresponding terminals. Insert the positive wire into the 24V terminal, negative wire into the 0V terminal, and ground wire into the PE terminal (pe mark).

    connect dc cable 2
  3. Use the flat screwdriver to tighten the screws above the power terminals. The recommended tightening torque is 0.2 N·m.

    connect dc cable 3

3.5.2. Insert DC Power Cable into Terminals on DIN Rail Power Supply

  1. Use the flat screwdriver to loosen the screws on the terminals.

  2. Insert the positive wire into one of the +V terminals, negative wire into one of the -V terminals, and ground wire into the ground terminal (pe mark).

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

3.5.3. Insert AC Power Cable into Input Terminals on DIN Rail Power Supply

  1. Use the flat screwdriver to loosen the screws on the input terminals.

  2. Insert the live wire into the L terminal, neutral wire into the N terminal, and ground wire into the ground terminal (pe mark).

  3. Use the flat screwdriver to tighten the screws on the input terminals.

din rail connection
  • 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.

  • The stripped part of the PE wire should be as short as possible.

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

  • After the power is connected, if you need to move or replace the sensor head, please disconnect the power before you disconnect the sensor head from the controller.

3.6. Connect Controller and External Device

You can connect external devices such as PLC and encoder to the corresponding terminals of the controller, in order to provide data acquisition trigger signals to the laser profiler, or provide data acquisition status signals to the external device.

If you need to connect an external device, please refer to Signal Circuit Diagrams and Signal Terminals to check the specifications and functions of the signal terminals.

After checking the terminals to be connected, please follow these steps to connect the wires to the corresponding terminals on the controller:

  1. Select the terminal into which the wire should be inserted and use the flat screwdriver to press down the button above/below it.

    terminal block 1
  2. Insert the wire into the terminal, and then remove the flat screwdriver.

    terminal block 2
    • The stripped part of the wire should be about 1 cm. If the stripped part is too short, the wiring might fail.

    • If the strands of the wire are loose, please twist the strands together and then insert the wire into the terminal.

  3. Gently pull the wire. The wire should not be pulled out if inserted properly. If the wire is pulled out, insert it again.

    Do not pull the wire too strongly. Doing so may pull out the wire forcibly and damage the stripped part.

If you need to pull out the wire, press down the button above/below the terminal with the flat screwdriver, and then pull out the wire.


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

4. 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 on the download, installation, upgrade, and uninstallation of Mech-Eye SDK, please refer to Mech-Eye SDK Installation Guide.

5. Set IP Addresses

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

  • IP address of the laser profiler

  • The IP address of the computer Ethernet port connected to the laser profiler

The factory IP configuration of the laser profiler is as follows:

IP address assignment method

Static

IP address

192.168.23.203

Subnet mask

255.255.255.0

Gateway

0.0.0.0

Follow these steps to set the laser profiler IP address:

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

  2. Select the laser profiler to be connected, and click setting.

  3. Set the laser profiler IP address.

6. Connect to Laser Profiler

  1. Find the laser profiler 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 laser profiler.

7. Acquire Data

The laser profiler obtains data by scanning the object line by line. A raw image is acquired as each line is scanned. A single pixel is extracted from each column of pixels in the raw image, and this pixel is called a spot. Spots make up a profile. Finally, the profiles of many lines are combined to generate the intensity image, depth map, and point cloud.

Mech-Eye Viewer provides two data acquisition modes:

  • Profile Mode: Adjust the parameters relevant to the profile to obtain the satisfactory profile.

  • Scan Mode: Adjust the parameters relevant to the images and point cloud to obtain the satisfactory intensity image, depth map, and point cloud.

7.1. Example Scenario

The following content is based on this example scenario:

  • Data acquisition is triggered by Mech-Eye Viewer.

  • The scan of each line is triggered by the encoder.

  • The target object moves in one direction relative to the laser profiler.

  • The target object is a metal block, and the dimensions are about 80 × 35 × 8 mm.

7.2. Obtain the Profile

Follow these steps to obtain the satisfactory profile:

  1. Click single cap to acquire the raw image once.

  2. Click on the data types below the scan buttons to switch between the raw image and profile.

    • Raw image: used to adjust the brightness of the laser line.

    • Profile: Used to check the profile extraction result, such as the gaps in the profile.

  3. Determine if the brightness of the laser line in the raw image meet the requirement: The grayscale values of the pixels at the center of the laser line should be between 200 and 255.

    Too dark

    exposure time 40

    Good

    exposure time 200

    Too bright

    exposure time 1500

    In the lower-right corner of the raw image, you can check the grayscale value of the pixel where the cursor is located. If not displayed, please check the Image Information Box option in the View menu.

  4. If the brightness of the laser line does not meet the requirement, please adjust the following parameters in the Parameters tab on the right.

    The metal block is made of a single material. Therefore, in the Brightness Settings category, select Timed for the Exposure Mode parameter. Now, adjusting the Exposure Time parameter will change the brightness of the laser line in the raw image.

    1. Adjust the Exposure Time parameter based on the brightness of the laser line.

      • If the laser line is too dark, increase the value of the Exposure Time parameter.

      • If the laser line is too bright, decrease the value of the Exposure Time parameter.

    2. Acquire the raw image again, and check the brightness of the laser line. If needed, keep adjusting the parameter until the brightness of the laser line meets the requirement.

      If the target object is made of multiple materials or has multiple colors, you can use the HDR exposure mode. For more information, please refer to Exposure Mode.

  5. Click Profile below the acquisition buttons to check the quality of the profile.

    The profile should be mostly complete without gaps.

    Complete profile

    profile complete

    Incomplete profile

    profile incomplete

    If the profile quality is not good, please adjust the brightness of the laser line in the raw image again.


7.3. Obtain Intensity Image, Depth Map, and Point Cloud

The profile obtained in the profile mode is the foundation for generating the intensity image, depth map, and point cloud.

After the profile meets the requirement, follow these steps to obtain the intensity image, depth map, and point cloud.

  1. Click Scan Mode in the upper right of the interface to switch to the scan mode.

  2. Set the parameters relevant to scan triggering based on the actual scenario:

    • When the data acquisition is triggered by Mech-Eye Viewer, set the Data Acquisition Trigger Source parameter in the Trigger Settings category to Software.

    • When the scanning of each line is triggered by the encoder, set the Line Scan Trigger Source parameter in the Trigger Settings category to Encoder.

    • When the target object moves in one direction relative to the laser profiler, set the Trigger Direction parameter to Channel A leading or Channel B leading based on the actual output signals of the encoder.

  3. Click single cap. The laser profiler will complete the current round of data acquisition based on the set value of the Scan Line Count parameter, and generate the intensity image, depth map, and point cloud.

  4. Click the data types below the acquisition buttons to view the intensity image, depth map, and point cloud.

    For more information on image capturing and data types, please refer to Acquire and View Data.
  5. Determine the data quality.

    In the intensity image, depth map and point cloud, the data corresponding to the target object should be complete. Refer to the following table for examples of good-quality data.

    Intensity image

    Depth map

    Point cloud

    intensity image

    depth map

    point cloud

7.4. Adjust Parameters

If the obtained data is not complete, please refer to the following example and adjust the Scan Line Count parameter in the Scan Settings category:

  1. Set the Scan Line Count parameter to 2000 and acquire data again. Check the intensity image. The metal block in the intensity image is not complete.

    line 2000
  2. Based on the proportion of the metal block that was scanned, estimate and set the value of the Scan Line Count parameter to 6000. Then, acquire data again. Check the intensity image. The metal block in the intensity image is complete now.

    line 6000

This scenario does not take into account the aspect ratio of the target object in the scan data. If you need the aspect ratio of the target object in the scan data to match that of the actual object, please adjust Trigger Signal Counting Mode and Trigger Interval.

8. Use Data

The intensity image, depth map, and point cloud obtained through Mech-Eye Viewer can be saved locally or can be output to Mech-MSR 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-MSR: Please refer to 3D Measurement and Inspection Tutorial and learn how to build the entire 3D measurement and inspection system that includes Mech-MSR.

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

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