Importance of Global Shutter Cameras for Industrial Automation Systems

Industrial automation systems bring together sensing, computation, and actuation to streamline operations across manufacturing, logistics, and quality control environments.  As you can imagine, visual data drives a broad range of functions, from robotic guidance and defect inspection to material handling and assembly verification.

In settings where speed, vibration, and mechanical motion are constant, maintaining image clarity becomes critical. But, not all sensors are equipped to deliver the consistency required in these conditions. Global shutter cameras address this challenge by capturing each frame with synchronized exposure, eliminating motion-related distortion.

In this blog, you’ll learn about how global shutter cameras help perform industrial automation tasks, the popular use cases they cater to, and their critical imaging features.

How Global Shutter Cameras Enable Industrial Automation Systems

The image sensor in a camera determines how visual data is captured. In high-speed or motion-heavy scenarios, standard rolling shutter sensors tend to introduce distortions. It occurs due to sequential pixel row scanning during exposure. Each portion of the image is sampled at a slightly different point in time, creating visual artifacts such as skewed lines, curved structures, or motion blur.

Global shutter sensors use a fundamentally different method. All pixels on the sensor begin and end exposure at the same moment. The process involves:

• Simultaneous exposure initiation across all sensor pixels
• Equal exposure duration, during which each pixel collects light
• Transfer of collected charge to a temporary storage region once exposure completes
• Readout of this stored data for processing and rendering

This synchronized exposure and decoupled readout process eliminates timing inconsistencies across the frame. So, global shutter sensors preserve image geometry and clarity when mechanical components move rapidly, lighting conditions change abruptly, or vibrations influence image capture.

Popular Industrial Automation Use Cases of Global Shutter Cameras

Quality control inspection

On assembly lines where parts move rapidly across inspection points, even minor delays or vibrations can compromise image quality. Global shutter cameras freeze the entire frame at a uniform time stamp, capturing clean visuals of fast-moving parts.

These frames support automated defect recognition such as misalignment, incorrect placement, deformation, or missing features. The uniform capture process supports integration into Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) workflows without introducing geometry errors.

Warehouse AMRs

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) operating inside warehouses navigate using a combination of vision, LIDAR, and spatial mapping. Global shutter cameras provide stable, motion-free imaging during continuous movement, which is critical when the robot navigates narrow aisles or detects fast-moving obstacles.

These cameras also support item recognition and shelf scanning while the AMR is in motion, feeding real-time data to path planning and object interaction algorithms.

Parcel sorting

Distribution hubs rely on conveyor belts and diverter arms to sort parcels by size, destination, or barcode identity. Packages move at high speeds and may be incorrectly oriented. Global shutter cameras offer clarity without skewed edges, enabling automated barcode reading, label verification, and surface detection.

In high-speed hubs, it ensures that image-based classification does not lag behind mechanical motion, maintaining throughput without introducing sorting errors.

Industrial diagnostics

Field service technicians and operators frequently use rugged tablets for diagnostics, data entry, and visual inspection in environments such as mining sites, construction zones, and factory floors. The tablets tend to operate under vibration, exposure to shocks, or high-speed scanning motions.

A global shutter camera embedded into the tablet ensures stable image acquisition when the device is handheld or mounted on moving equipment. It supports barcoding, document capture, equipment inspection, and visual diagnostics without distortion caused by movement.

Must-Have Features of Global Shutter Cameras for Industrial Automation

Superior image capture (without motion blur)

Whether it’s a robotic arm operating at high speed or a vehicle captured mid-turn, the camera freezes motion accurately. It ensures that every frame reflects real-time conditions without edge stretching or directional smearing.

Fast auto exposure

Lighting in industrial environments may vary due to shadowing, glare, or artificial sources. Fast auto exposure enables global shutter cameras to adapt quickly to these fluctuations, producing uniform frames across variable lighting. So, industrial automation systems can avoid data loss and maintain reliable imaging during transitions.

High frame rate (up to 280 fps)

Certain industrial applications demand fast visual updates to maintain synchrony with operations. A high frame rate enhances temporal resolution so that cameras can capture rapid sequences without frame skipping.

At 280 frames per second, motion detail is preserved, enabling fine-grain analysis in activities such as part ejection, welding arc monitoring, or vehicle dynamics.

Interface options

Camera integration into industrial setups depends on interface flexibility. USB provides broad compatibility and plug-and-play use. GMSL supports long-distance, high-speed transmission over coaxial cables, ideal for automotive and distributed control systems. MIPI caters to embedded applications with minimal power and footprint constraints.

Such a range of options ensures compatibility with edge computing units, robotic controllers, and central processing hubs.

Quad HDR processing

Industrial automation systems may operate in scenarios with mixed illumination, such as tunnels, intersections, or production areas with spotlights. Hence, frame contrast becomes a challenge. Quad HDR processing captures detail across bright and dark areas within the same frame.

It reduces shadow masking and overexposure, preserving image quality across all regions. It can be crucial for tasks involving the detection of license plates under headlights, inspection under varying brightness, and human-machine interaction zones.

Self-trigger functionality

Autonomous image capture based on activity detection improves the utility of industrial cameras. Self-trigger functionality enables the camera to begin acquisition only when certain criteria are met like motion detection, signal input, or sensor flag.

This reduces unnecessary data, conserves bandwidth, and ensures that captured frames are action-relevant. It also supports applications like event-based tracking, defect capture, and automated alerts.

e-con Systems Offers World-Class Global Shutter Cameras

Since 2003, e-con Systems has been designing, developing, and manufacturing OEM cameras. Our global shutter cameras offer sharp image output and high frame rates required for demanding visual tasks of industrial automation.

They support popular interface standards such as USB, MIPI, and GMSL2, enabling seamless integration into diverse industrial environments. Also, through close collaboration with sensor manufacturers like Sony, onsemi® (Aptina), and Omnivision, we offer color and monochrome CMOS options to match varying imaging needs.

Use our Camera Selector to see our full portfolio.

Explore all our global shutter cameras.

Looking to integrate a cutting-edge global shutter camera into your embedded vision system? Please get in touch with us by writing to camerasolutions@e-consystems.com.