LED Light Pulses Enter the Nano Realm

Quality assurance during high-volume production operations, such as the inspection of consumer packaged goods (CPGs), is possible only through the application of high-speed machine vision systems. Proper illumination is another important factor. Traditionally, xenon strobes or pulsed LED light sources have been the favored solutions for freezing part motion in high-speed imaging applications. Xenon flashlamps are brighter in terms of absolute photon output. As solid-state light sources, however, LEDs offer several advantages over xenon lamps. In addition to greater ruggedness, and longer lifetime, LEDs afford better control over the duration, intensity, and shape of the pulse.