PARK RIDGE, N.J., March 30, 2007 – Sony Electronics is unveiling its first 5-megapixel digital machine vision camera.

The new XCL-5000 model is the latest addition to Sony’s CameraLink™ series, which help manufacturers and integrators improve their system design capabilities by using one higher resolution camera instead of multiple lower resolution cameras for large part inspection applications like printed circuit board and display inspection.

Reducing the number of cameras simplifies designs and lowers costs, while providing streamlined image processing and higher throughput.

The XCL-5000 is a black-and-white model that incorporates a new 2/3-inch progressive scan CCD sensor with square pixels. This imaging technology can capture high-quality, high-resolution video at 15 frames per second, and supports up to 12-bit processing with a C-mount lens.

Connectivity is made easier through the use of a standard Camera Link MDR 26-pin connector.  Integrated digital signal processing capabilities give users more options for tailoring systems for optimized performance in customized applications.

“The new 2/3-inch CCD offers increased low-light sensitivity, exceptional dynamic range and low noise characteristics that deliver performance far beyond the ultra high resolution spec,” said Ken LaMarca, general manager for visual imaging products in Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Business Solutions Company. “The combination of quantity and quality of the pixels opens up a range of applications that once were beyond the capabilities of a single camera system.”

LaMarca said that another key feature of the XCL-5000 camera is that its integrated DSP capabilities can help to address gamma correction as well as to provide Lookup Tables.  Delivering image processing in real-time allows image tools to work more efficiently, resulting in fine-tuning of image capture to optimize specific applications.

Raising Price/Performance Expectations

The XCL-5000 camera can help professional users reduce costs. Applications like PCB inspection have typically required multiple cameras to deliver the resolution required for accurate inspection – a complex, cumbersome arrangement that single-camera designs using the XCL-5000 model eliminate.

But even used as a direct replacement for single camera apps, the competitive pricing of the camera makes it a significant value for both the short and long term.

The unit’s compact form factor (44 by 44 by 57.5mm) eases integration, as one of the smallest 5-megapixel cameras on the market.

The Sony XCL-5000 digital video camera is now available through authorized distributors at a suggested list price of $4,377.