Case Study | Faster PCB Inspection with a 3,600 dpi CIS Camera

The measurement challenge

A PCB equipment maker needed faster hole and dimensional measurement across large boards. Conventional camera-and-lens systems cover only about 50–80 mm per pass. Multiple passes and stitched images increase cycle time and introduce edge-distortion errors; the large gantry also raises equipment cost.

Limits of conventional PCB measurement

A 600 × 720 mm board can take minutes or even tens of minutes to measure when a 50–80 mm camera field must sweep the board repeatedly. Stitching those views adds another source of error, especially near lens edges. Large lenses, motion stages, and a tall gantry make the machine harder to transport and maintain.

Built for full-width inspection

The 656 mm CIS field captures the measurement width in one pass. Integrated LEDs and a bright backlight reveal holes, slots, traces, and board edges while suppressing ambient-light variation. The short working distance lets the camera mount directly above the inspection platform, eliminating much of the former motion structure.

LineX CIS imaging

A single 3,600 dpi LineX CIS camera covers a 656 mm field, with 7 µm or 14 µm resolution options. Integrated lighting and short working distance simplify the machine structure. Distortion-free 1:1 imaging keeps the pixel scale consistent from the center to the edge, supporting hole position, hole diameter, line width and spacing, and board-outline measurements.

The system can inspect material moving at more than 10 m/min while maintaining stable image brightness and feature contrast.

Reported results

The customer reported more than 10× faster measurement than its former 2D system. Full-width imaging removes image stitching and allows a lower, simpler machine without a large moving gantry.