Ppt Vision, Inc.

Pasteur Sanofi Diagnostics

Pattern Processing Technology

Mark T Paulsen

Steven W Tonkin

Franz Willems Ulrich

Manufacturing lines include inspection systems for monitoring the quality of parts produced. Manufacturing lines for making semiconductor devices generally inspect each fabricated part. The information obtained is used to fix manufacturing problems in the semiconductor fab plant. A machine-vision system for inspecting devices includes a light source for propagating light to the device and an image detector that receives light from the device. The devices, such as semiconductors, are placed in trays for inspection at one or more inspection stations. A compartment for holding a plurality of trays is positioned near a first inspection station having a first inspection surface. An elevator elevates one of the trays from the compartment and presents the tray and the devices held by the tray to the first inspection surface. After being inspected at a first station, a tray-transfer device moves the tray from the first inspection station to a flipper mechanism. The flipper mechanism includes two jaws and a rotator. The flipper mechanism turns the devices over and places the devices in a second tray so that another surface of the device can be inspected. A second tray-transfer device moves the second tray from the flipper to a second inspection station. If a device in the tray fails inspection, a picker removes that bad device from the tray and replaces it with a device that previously passed inspection.

Combined 3D- and 2D-scanning machine-vision system and method

A system for bidirectional digital serial communication and control of remote units including video cameras and input/output devices in machine vision systems. The communication system includes a main processor, communication hubs and remote units. The system is capable of monitoring and controlling the remote units in real-time while receiving video data images from the remote video cameras. Digital signals are transmitted in two different protocols; one for data communications, and one for control communications.

High-speed digital video serial link

A system for bi-directional digital serial communication and control of remote units including video cameras and input/output devices in machine vision systems. The communication system includes a main processor, communication hubs and remote units. The system is capable of monitoring and controlling the remote units in real-time while receiving video data images from the remote video cameras. Digital signals are transmitted in two different protocols; one for data communications, and one for control communications.

Method and apparatus for using a field-programmable gate-array circuit as a crossbar switch. In order to connect a first port of the crossbar switch to a second port, an address within the field-programmable gate-array circuit is calculated, and a first data pattern to load at that address is determined. A second data pattern to load at that address is determined in order to disconnect the first port from the second port. The first port is then connected to the second port by loading the first data pattern at the calculated address in the field-programmable gate-array circuit. Subsequently the first port is disconnected from the second port by loading the second data pattern at the calculated address in the field-programmable gate-array circuit. Mechanisms are provided for analog or digital ports, for multiple-bit digital ports, for combinations of logical functions with the crossbar-switch functions, and for latching the data within the crossbar switch. In one embodiment, the crossbar switch is incrementally reconfigurable wherein ports not involved in the reconfiguration are not affected by the reconfiguration operation. Applications to machine vision systems are described.

Field-programmable electronic crossbar system and method for using same

The present invention provides a method of detecting a fluid surface and a circuit for an ultrasonic transducer for detecting such a fluid surface. In accordance with the method, an ultrasonic transducer driver generates a first voltage proportional to the resonant frequency of the ultrasonic transducer. A reference voltage is generated and the reference voltage and the first voltage are monitored and compared, and a surface detect signal is generated when the first voltage drops below the reference voltage. The circuit of the invention includes means for generating a first voltage proportional to the resonant frequency of the transducer, means for generating a reference voltage, and a comparator for monitoring the first and reference voltages and generating a surface detect signal when the first voltage drops below the reference voltage.

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Chanhassen, MN, United States of America

Mark T Paulsen