LitePlacer.com forums

Introduction

I've been working on a new version of the software. Many parts are rewritten, allowing much more features in the future. I want to give out a beta test, as the changes are big and I have no resources to test them as extensively as I would like. But I think many of you would like to test and use the new features. So, if you feel adventurous, read on!

The most visible feature at this point is the new vision algorithm system, allowing unlimited number of algorithm types. Algorithm is collection of vision processing functions. Algorithms are "homing", "clear tape" etc, and you used to have only a few. Now you can have as many as you want. Functions are such as "invert", "threshold" etc. There are no new functions at this point.

There are also many changes not visible, but important for future development. Some items in the UI are also moved around. I haven't yet written the documentation, but if you have used the current software, most of it is more or less self-explanatory. If not, ask here!

New vision algorithm system

The new vision algorithm system needs a few words. The camera setup is on its own tab, and the vision algorithm UI looks like this:


Items from top to bottom:

First, you can select which camera to view, and if video processing is on, which features to highlight.
You can save and load algorithms. Of course, the algorithms are also loaded on start and saved on exit.
On the next row, you select which algorithm you are setting up,. As indicated, you can add an algorithm, and you can remove, duplicate and rename the selected algorithm. you can also turn vision processing on.
On the next section, you set up the algorithm by adding and arranging functions. When you select a function, the right side gives an explanatory text and any parameters to tune (like threshold limit) will appear there.
The measure button does the measurement that you set up below and gives results in the log window.

And then the rewritten measurement section: I believe this will make the system much more reliable and versatile: You can take into an account round and rectangle features. (Components are coming.) You can set acceptable minimum and maximum sizes. For example, if you know you are searching for a 1mm fiducial, you can throw away all results smaller than 0.5mm (noise, vias) and bigger than 1.5mm (pads) to target the fiducial only. Also very useful when tuning nozzle tip recognition.The discard distance means that any results this far away from the initial position are thrown away, so you don't get a false result that might not be visible in the image with "show pixels" on but the camera sees it in the corner of its view.

Finally, you can allow movement with nozzle down. This seems out of position, but I found out that I needed this when calibrating nozzles.

How to get started

The software should co-exist with the current version; just copy the exe (link below) to the main LitePlacer directory. Still, I recommend you take a backup copy of the whole directory, just in case. You should also take screenshots of your current algorithm setups, as the new system doesn't read the old ones in. Also, the new software uses your old nozzle calibration data, but if you need to redo the calibration, you need to set up the processing again.

Feedback

I'm pretty sure there are issues and incompatibilities. Please, please report to me! If the new version doesn't play nicely with your current setup, please send me the full error message (with details clicked open) if any together with a zipped copy of your LitePlacer directory (which gives me a copy of your current setup, allowing me to reproduce the problem. Discussion in this thread is very welcome.

How to get

I'll give out the betas (I guess there will be more than one) and update the link here, as well as the thread title. In other words, when the beta testing proceeds, you can check your beta version date to the thread title. if there is a mismatch, the current beta is available here.

Download link to the current beta, dated 17.03.2020: https://www.liteplacer.com/Downloads/be ... 3-2020.exe

Release notes:

Build date 17.03.2020

New Features, significant changes

* vision processing and camera setup rewritten
* All features from the main version included
* Position validity (homed status) is now checked on operations that causes moves
or needs valid position
* Supports setup of feeders (fixed pickup position) from areas where camera doesn't reach

Bug Fixes

* All fixes from main version
* Editing machine size now changes control board limits
* Tape data validity is checked before exit from tape setup dialog
* In tape selection window, the grid now fills the space better and scales with the window
* Reset tape counts moved to tapes tab, added confirmation before reset all counts

Welcome.
I get an error starting the new Beta. Microsoft.NET.Framework
Win 10 Home 64 bit.

Regards.

Krzysztof

with ref to numbers in attached image...

1. Might be useful if these checkboxes initially mirror the currently loaded Algorithm.
2. The text in the Ymin box went red sometimes...not obvious why?
3. clicking in this col does not change the row selection. Might be worth making it a bit narrower(??)
4. Consider defaulting to checked???....as it took me a while to figure it out
5. Seems to work well. I checked against size on camera using moves & seems to correlate to actual size as well.
So far just tried Homing and generally seems fine. Will try other algorithms later.

Suggestion: For homing, would it be possible to remember the last valid homed offset/position and start searching from there vs going thru a full search sequence for the homing dot? Could make use of faster moves initially. If not found quickly then run a full/slower search as now! This makes sense now that you have min/max size & discard distance. Does the code restrict the search to within the (non)discard area.

Misc: On basic Setup tab, when there is no TinyG attached at start up, there is just a lot of blank space, which doesn't look great. (Looks like support for another board might be under consideration??)

Just successfully completed a re-measure using the new Fiducial algorithm.

This particular panel uses Through Holes as Fiducials.

Settings that worked: Min:0.50 Max: 2.00 Discard distance: 2.00.

The discard distance proved key, as the holes have 2.54mm pitch. Before I set it to 2mm, I was getting multiple candidates/failures.


Suggestion:
when I was setting up this for TH fiducials, I was switching between the Run Job tab and the SVP tab and noticed the following possible issue....


Possible issue:
- Having the Setup VIDEO processing tab (SVP) open and clicking the home button - it fails to recognise the Home spot. "Optical Positioning: Can't find feature
- If I switch back to the Run Job Tab and do a Home...it works fine
- It seems if the SVP tab is open and I have another Algorithm selected(eg fiducial)..and then press the home button....it may be using the Fiducial algorithm instead of the Homing algorithm.
- Current workaround is to switch to another tab to home. Also works OK in basic Setup tab.
- Tried it a few times and issue seems consistent.
- If the homing algorithm is selected Homing works fine from the SVP tab. So it looks like this is the issue.

When switching back to the SVP tab, the Find Circles check box is unchecked. It would be better to remember the state or default to the setting of Round checkbox if an algorithm is selected.


On to testing the challenging tapes tomorrow....

I cancel the problem of running LP Beta.
My fault, I didn't load the remaining files in a hurry.
I didn't notice that it is an exe file, not an installer.
Lots of "fun" with resetting optical recognition.
New panels - you have to get used to it.
I confirm the problems which the IR described.

Krzysztof

At least one of the size/distance boxes accept negative numbers.....could do with validation

Nominal nozzle tip sizes, as per image below.

The Info window with the sizes blocks the grid when more than 6 nozzles are configured. Not an issue for me & I guess most users.

Maybe insert this info box horizontally under the grids

Thank you all for the feedback! I’ll look into it deeply in a couple of days. Right now, I need to do some arrangements to be able to operate during the coming weeks.

Today got thru setup/testing of..

- Paper tapes
- Clear tapes
- Standard Fiducials

..without any new issues. Next on to the black tapes.

Suggestion:
In the SVP tab, when adding a new algorithm, I kept getting a "Nothing to search for" message. Eventually I figured out I didn't have any "Feature to Search" checkboxes clicked or sizes etc.
I suggest that you default Round (& Rectangles??) to checked along with find circles & (Find Rectangles??). Might also be worth filling a common set of sizes etc vs defaults of 0.

Alternatively, in any of these situations, just pop-up an alert to say they must be filled in ....which should avoid similar confusion for others.

(FYI: when moving to the beta, I had to reassign & test the algorithm for each tape. The previous vision settings were not retained for tapes or fiducials. Overall, it seems to be a vary good improvement based on tests so-far. No issues with reliability so-far. )

Is the internal vision processing itself improved (Juha?) or are the improvements more down to the new measurement feature. Either way, it seems to perform much better now, as I am able to find holes now that I wasn't able to before. Will update again once I set up the black tapes. If all goes well I may try 1 or 2 new job runs over the weekend.