Inspecting LCDs faster

Product: LCD inspection system by Hantec
TI DSPs: TMS320C6201
Third-party product: HEGD6 camera interface module and software by    Hunt Engineering
Success achieved: High-performance modular imaging hardware and    software to reach high rate of image processing needed for real-time    testing and manufacturing.

For automatic inspection of LCD display units on the factory floor, Hantec Computer Inc. turned to Hunt Engineering and the performance of TI DSPs. Hantec, based in Seoul, South Korea, needed to correlate an image on the LCD unit under test with a known good unit, using eight line-scan cameras to gather the image in stripes.

Considering the time constraints on inspection imposed by the rate of manufacture, it was clear that a vast amount of DSP processing was required. Hantec selected the TMS320C6201 for processing the data from each camera, but there were still issues of how to capture and integrate the data from all eight cameras. Hantec decided to start with a modular TMS320C4x system, using Hunt’s HEGD6 camera interface module. Hunt provided a software framework showing how to use the system so that Hantec could concentrate on developing the application for a funding demonstration for the Korean government.

After a successful demonstration, the project moved to the next phase, where the ’C6000 system is being used with the same HEGD6 module to optimize processing. After this phase Hantec plans to use Hunt’s modular products to integrate multiple ’C6000 processors and multiple HEGD6s into a coherent single system.