Text Genius for MV440 производства Siemens

Applications for text recognition span across almost all sectors. The application areas can be generally divided in two tasks areas:

• Comparison of the result of text recognition with the content of the adjacent machine-readable identification - e.g. Data Matrix Code (DMC)
• The text recognition result is used to record and check a plain text identification

Applications for different sectors are listed below. The list is incomplete and only serves to illustrate the wide range of possible applications.

Application areas of OCR include the pharmaceuticals industry (serialization/expiry date on packaging), the automobile/electronics industry (e.g. production number on PCBs), the solar industry (serial numbers on thin-layer modules), or food and beverages (e.g. best-before date on packaging).

Automobile industry, aerospace industry

• Detection and checking of plain text identifiers for type identification of components
• Pharmaceutical industry
• Comparison of DMC and plain text
• Acquisition of a unique ID of a product - serialization
• Acquisition and checking the expiry date

Medical equipment

• Laser markings on implants (DPM)
• Laser markings on medical devices (DPM).

Electronics

• Detection of a unique plain text identifier for identification of devices, e.g. electricity meters
• Detection and checking of plain text identifiers for type identification of PCBs
• Solar industry
• Acquisition of a unique plain text identifier on thin-layer modules - serialization

"Text-Genius" can be used anywhere where environmental conditions permit the use of MV440 code readers - for details, see SIMATIC MV440. Standard ring lights and lenses are designed to achieve IP67 degree of protection by means of the protective barrel, and for glass-free use in the food and beverages industry. If light sources or lenses are used outside the protective barrel, they must be used in compliance with their specification.

The text recognition function can be implemented in applications without the need to consider the type of font used for marking (Polyfont) or the marking method. In the "Function" chapter, the fonts which enable a maximum read rate to be achieved are listed. Similarly, no marking methods are excluded. The read rate improves when the font varies only minimally and there is a good contrast between the background and marking.

The highlights at a glance

• Flexible reading of many fonts without time-consuming teach-in
• Fast and reliable reading (up to 1000 reads per minute) for high-speed applications
• Reading and comparing of plain text and machine-readable code in the same image field
• Automatic text localization without the use of predefined areas means that text can be read even when its position varies
• Automatic line detection for max. 5 freely definable image regions with max. 15 lines
• Automatic character height recognition between 15 and 55 pixels
• Individual parameter settings can be stored for max. 5 freely definable image regions
• Reading of mirrored, rotated and inverted text
• A number of filter and comparison functions produce a stable read result
• Flexible retrofitting of the text recognition function via the Automation License Manager of SIMATIC
• Simple integration in the automation environment, e.g. via function block of the SIMATIC MV440 devices

All SIMATIC MV440 stationary code readers are basic units under the terms of "Text-Genius" license. The text recognition functionality is enabled by transferring the license key from the USB flash drive on which it is supplied to the MV440 code reader by means of SIMATIC License Manager.

If a light source is used from the range of accessories of SIMATIC MV440, the MV440 must be configured accordingly and text recognition must be started by triggering the reader. The measurement result is output immediately after measurement on the predefined process interface. Special sources of light can be used at any time. Their connection is described in the chapter "MV440". A decisive factor in the selection of lighting is the required homogeneity of the illumination and contrast obtained.

The outstanding feature of Text Genius is that it is easy to set up. To achieve stable read results for text recognition, it is only necessary to set a few, simple parameters. The Text-Genius uses a generic approach for text recognition, so no individual training is required for most fonts and the characters (letters and digits) of the ASCII character set. There are also no complex settings required for optimizing recognition performance.

The following fonts are ideal for recognition of the text:

• OCR-A
• Semifont M13
• and similar fonts

Arial, OCR-B and similar fonts also produce good reading results.

The MV440 text recognition systems can use all communication services that the SIMATIC MV440 basic unit offers:

The most important types of interface in the automation environment are shown in the overview below. For further details, refer to the chapter SIMATIC MV440.