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Lighting accessories & light controllers

This category holds the accessories that sit on an existing light and the devices that drive it: light controllers, filters that change the light, protective covers in front of the LED surface, LED modules and replacement light sources, mounting brackets, connection and extension cables. Each of these parts belongs to a particular light series, and the manufacturer states that assignment explicitly. The filter „Suitable for“ therefore gets you to the right article faster than searching by dimensions. With a controller it is the output type that decides whether a combination is permissible at all: constant current and constant voltage are not interchangeable, and the figure is stated in the datasheet of the exact light. If you are unsure, send us the full model designation of your light. We check the assignment against the manufacturer documents and tell you what light loss and what power demand to expect.

111 products

Accessory type
Manufacturer
For product group

Products

Light controller (55)

A light controller supplies one or more machine vision lights and governs their brightness, operating mode and timing relative to the camera. It makes the lighting reproducible: the same brightness across the shift, a defined flash at the moment of exposure, and a power level the light may briefly exceed in strobe operation.

Show all 55 light controller

LED module / replacement light source (1)

An LED module or replacement light source is the exchangeable light source of a telecentric or high-power light. It brings an existing light back into service after a failure, or changes its colour without touching the optics and the set-up.

Cable / connector (55)

A lighting cable connects the light to the controller or extends an existing line. It brings power and control signal to the light, including where the connection moves or runs in a drag chain.

Show all 55 cable / connector

The product groups at a glance

Light controller (55)

What it is
A light controller supplies one or more machine vision lights and governs their brightness, operating mode and timing relative to the camera.
What for
It makes the lighting reproducible: the same brightness across the shift, a defined flash at the moment of exposure, and a power level the light may briefly exceed in strobe operation.
Decisive selection criteria
  • Output type: constant current or constant voltage, taken from the datasheet of the exact light
  • Channels and power budget: how many lights at once, at what total power
  • Operating mode: is continuous light enough, or are strobe and overdrive required
  • Triggering and response time in relation to the camera trigger
  • Control: knob on the device, digital interface or both
Typical figures
1 to 16 channels, total power 4 to 1450 W, light voltage 2 to 48 V, analogue or digital control; 36 units run on constant current, 9 on constant voltage.
Most common mistake
The output type has to match the light; it cannot be derived from the product family, it is stated in the datasheet of the exact light.

LED module / replacement light source (1)

What it is
An LED module or replacement light source is the exchangeable light source of a telecentric or high-power light.
What for
It brings an existing light back into service after a failure, or changes its colour without touching the optics and the set-up.
Decisive selection criteria
  • Light color or wavelength, because it determines the contrast
  • Supply voltage of the module
  • Permissible LED current in continuous and pulsed operation
  • Mechanical assignment to the existing light
Typical figures
18 modules in red 625 nm, green 525 nm, blue 460 nm, white 6000 K, UV 365 nm and infrared 850 and 940 nm; LED currents from 350 to 1500 mA.
Most common mistake
A module in a different colour fits mechanically, but changes contrast and exposure time. The inspection has to be signed off again afterwards.

Cable / connector (55)

What it is
A lighting cable connects the light to the controller or extends an existing line.
What for
It brings power and control signal to the light, including where the connection moves or runs in a drag chain.
Decisive selection criteria
  • Both connector ends and their pin assignment
  • Length and the distance actually to be covered
  • Installation type: standard, drag chain or robot
  • Assignment to the light series
Typical figures
55 cables from 1 to 20 m, 31 of them standard, 10 each for drag chain and robot use; JST, WS20 and GX16 connectors.
Most common mistake
A mechanically matching connector is not enough. Both connections, pin assignment, current rating, length and operating conditions have to be right.

Choosing lighting accessories

Decide on the effect first, then on the part

Each filter in front of a light does exactly one thing. A diffuser scatters the light and takes hotspots off glossy parts. A collimating filter narrows the beam and makes edges look sharper. A polarising film, together with a polarising filter on the lens, suppresses reflections without changing the geometry in the image. A protective cover does not change the light at all, it keeps dirt and contact away from the LED surface. So start with the question of which problem in the image has to be solved. The accessory type follows from that.

The assignment to the light decides

Filters and covers are cut to the emitting surface of a particular series. The manufacturer names the matching series for every article and often the individual models as well. You find these figures in the filter „Suitable for“ and in the technical data. The same edge length is not proof of a fit, because fixing, frame and thickness have to match too. Take the assignment from the manufacturer data, not from comparing dimensions.

With polarising films the orientation matters as well. They are supplied horizontal or vertical, and which one you need follows from the orientation of the polarising filter on the lens. The two only suppress the reflection once their planes of polarisation are 90 degrees apart.

Budget for the light loss

Every element in the beam path costs light. A diffuser takes part of the intensity, a polarising film considerably more. Together with the filter on the lens this typically adds up to several f-stops. So check before ordering whether the remaining brightness is enough for your exposure time, especially with moving parts and short cycle times. If it is not, a stronger light or strobe operation with a matching controller is the way to go.

LED modules and replacement light sources

In telecentric and high-power lights the light source is a module of its own. If it fails, or if a different colour is needed, only that module is replaced. Optics and the established set-up stay untouched. Watch the light colour or wavelength, the supply voltage and the forward current. A module in a different colour changes contrast and exposure even when it fits mechanically.

Brackets and cables

Mounting brackets put the light at the angle and distance the application needs. With cables both connections count, as do the pin assignment, the length and the operating conditions. A mechanically matching connector on its own is no proof of compatibility. Record the combination of light, accessory and cable you actually use, with full model designations: for a later replacement that is the most reliable basis.

Choosing a light controller

Constant current or constant voltage

A light controller delivers its power either as an impressed current or as a regulated voltage. The two are not interchangeable. A light designed for constant current has no series resistor of its own and does not limit the current itself. On a constant voltage source it can therefore be driven outside its limits. Conversely, a light with its own current limiting stays darker than intended on a constant current source.

Which output type your light needs is stated in the datasheet of that exact model and cannot be derived from the product family. In our range 36 devices work with constant current and 9 with constant voltage; for the remainder the manufacturer does not name the regulated quantity, and we do not enter anything we cannot substantiate. You reach those devices through the filter option „ohne Herstellerangabe“. Send us the full model designation of your light and we will settle the assignment before you order.

Continuous light, strobe and overdrive

In continuous operation the light is on all the time. That is the simplest mode and usually enough for slow or stationary parts. In strobe operation the controller switches the light on only for the duration of the exposure. Moving parts are imaged more sharply, ambient light matters less against the flash, and the LED stays cooler.

Strobe operation also allows the light to be driven briefly beyond its continuous current. That reserve is tied to pulse width and pulse pause, and both limits are stated in the datasheet of the light, not of the controller. Exceeding them shortens the life of the LED or destroys it. So before using overdrive, check what pulse current the light permits and what pulse width the controller actually delivers.

Channels and power budget

The number of channels tells you how many lights can be controlled independently. In our range it goes from one to sixteen. Several channels pay off when an inspection station works with different lighting directions in sequence, or when bright field and dark field have to stay separately controllable.

The channel count alone is not enough, though. What matters is whether the sum of all connected lights stays within the total power of the device. The devices in our range cover 4 to 1450 watts, and some controllers deliver less per channel than their total power suggests. So work with power per channel and total power separately; both are in the short profile of every device.

Trigger and response time

In strobe operation the light has to be there at the moment the camera exposes. The trigger comes either from the camera itself, from a higher-level controller or from the internal trigger of the light controller. The devices in our range accept switch and level triggers, some also distinguish between rising and falling edge.

Depending on the device the response time is between a few and a few hundred microseconds. For short exposure times and fast cycles that is a selection criterion and not a minor figure: exposing for 50 microseconds does not go together with a 200 microsecond delay in the signal path. Budget for the delay of camera and controller as well, and measure the chain once at the end.

Control and integration

Analogue controllers are set on the device, with a knob or with keys. That is enough for a fixed set-up that is established once and not changed afterwards. Digital controllers can additionally be adjusted from the line, in our range over RS232, RS485 or Ethernet. Brightness is adjustable in 256 steps there, so a recipe change is possible without touching the device.

For later operation that is more than convenience. A documented brightness step can be reproduced after maintenance, a knob position cannot. So record the step, the pulse width and the delay the line was signed off with.

Frequently asked questions on accessories and control

Does a filter fit any light with the same emitting surface?
No. Frame, fixing and thickness are part of the fit. Use the series and model designation of the manufacturer, which is shown for every article under „Suitable for“.
How much light does a polarising filter cost?
The film in front of the light and the polarising filter on the lens together typically cost several f-stops. Budget for that in the exposure time or choose a stronger light.
Can I use an LED module in a different colour?
Mechanically yes, as long as it is the same series. But the colour changes contrast and the exposure time needed, so the inspection should be signed off again afterwards.
Is a mechanically matching extension cable enough?
No. Both connections, pin assignment, current rating, length and operating conditions have to be right. The ingress protection rating also only holds under the intended mounting conditions.
How do I know whether I need a constant current or a constant voltage controller?
From the figure in the datasheet of your exact light. It cannot be derived from the product family, and the two output types are not interchangeable. Send us the full model designation if the figure is missing from your documents.
Can I connect several lights to one controller?
Yes, as long as there are enough channels and the sum of the connected lights stays within the total power of the device. Check both separately: some devices deliver less per channel than their total power suggests.
What does strobe operation give me over continuous light?
A short flash at the moment of exposure images moving parts more sharply, pushes back ambient light and keeps the LED cooler. It also allows the light to be driven briefly beyond its continuous current, but only within the pulse and pause limits from its datasheet.
How fast does a controller react to the camera trigger?
Between a few and a few hundred microseconds, depending on the device. With short exposure times that is a selection criterion: the delay in the signal path must not eat up the exposure time.
Can brightness be set from the line control?
On the digital devices yes, over RS232, RS485 or Ethernet, in 256 brightness steps. Analogue devices are set with a knob or keys and suit fixed set-ups.

Next technical step

Match accessories and control to your existing light

Send us the full model designation of your light and the goal in the image: fewer reflections, more even illumination, more directional light or a clean flash at the moment of exposure. We name the matching accessory and the matching controller from the manufacturer documents and tell you what light loss and what power demand to expect.

Have accessories and controllers checked