What is the Frame Rate?

Frame rate refers to the frequency at which consecutive images, called frames, are captured, displayed, or processed per second in vision systems. Measured in frames per second (fps), it represents how many individual still images a camera or sensor can acquire within each second of operation. The frame rate directly impacts the system’s ability to detect and analyse motion, with higher values enabling more precise tracking of fast-moving objects.

In industrial vision systems, common frame rates include 30 fps (standard monitoring), 60 fps (moderate-speed inspection), 120 fps (high-speed manufacturing) and 250+ fps (specialised applications). Each serves specific purposes based on application requirements and the velocity of objects being monitored. The distinction between video-rate and static imagery capture is particularly important in hyperspectral applications (learn more about real-time hyperspectral data).

Applications of Frame Rate

Manufacturing and Quality Control

Industrial vision systems enable automated inspection of products moving at high speeds on production lines. These systems detect microscopic defects and verify component placement at rates far exceeding human capability. Frame rates of 60-120 fps are common for standard inspection tasks, while specialised applications may require several hundred frames per second.

Manufacturing processes involving rapid motion rely on vision systems with calibrated frame rates to synchronise with production equipment. Living Optics’ solutions have been implemented in applications where traditional systems struggled with rapid movement, helping manufacturers identify defects in high-speed environments through optimised frame rate configuration.

Security and Surveillance

Advanced security systems employ varying frame rates depending on monitoring requirements. Common CCTV systems typically record at 1Hz to minimise data rates and storage requirements. Higher frame rate systems are increasingly used to ensure critical events are captured, commonly employing local compute resources to monitor these higher data rate streams for events and key information. Relaying video clips and event information such as object detections and motion alerts.  

Scientific and Industrial Analysis

Vision systems operating at extremely elevated frame rates allow researchers to observe phenomena occurring too quickly for human perception. Engineers use such systems to analyse mechanical failures or study material behaviours under stress. Advanced technologies like AI-integrated hyperspectral imaging are revolutionizing these capabilities (learn more about AI-integrated hyperspectral imaging).

Robotics applications require appropriate frame rates to enable real-time visual feedback for navigation and environmental interaction. Living Optics has explored applications in automated quality control where synchronised frame rate management across multiple inspection points helps maintain production throughput while ensuring comprehensive coverage.

Measuring Frame Rate

Accurate frame rate test protocols are essential for validating vision system performance in industrial environments. Specialised measurement tools can verify actual capture rates against specified targets, identifying issues like frame drops or timing inconsistencies that might compromise inspection quality.

Professional vision integration requires precise timing characterisation to ensure systems operate as designed under actual production conditions. Engineers employ calibrated timing signals and reference targets moving at known velocities to verify frame acquisition accuracy.

System validation involves comprehensive performance analysis under varying conditions, including different lighting scenarios, object velocities, and processing loads.

Factors Influencing Frame Rate

Hardware Capabilities

The ability to maintain consistent frame rates depends heavily on camera sensor technology, processing hardware, and data transfer infrastructure. Global shutter CMOS sensors generally achieve higher frame rates than rolling shutter alternatives, particularly for moving objects where timing precision is critical.

Image processing units handle the computational workload, while data interfaces like Camera Link, CoaXPress, or GigE Vision determine maximum sustainable data throughput.

Illumination and Exposure

Lighting conditions significantly impact achievable frame rates. Higher frame rates require shorter exposure times, demanding more intense illumination to maintain adequate signal-to-noise ratios.

A frame rate limiter may be implemented in vision systems operating in variable lighting environments to prevent inconsistent image quality. This technique adjusts capture timing based on available light levels, trading maximum frame rate for consistency.

Scene and Analysis Complexity

Image content complexity directly influences processing requirements. Applications requiring complex algorithms like pattern matching or dimensional measurement may need to operate at lower frame rates than simple presence/absence detection.

Region-of-interest processing represents one common technique for maintaining target frame rates during demanding analyses. By focusing computational resources on critical portions of the image, systems can maintain responsive performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What frame rate is necessary for my industrial inspection application? 

Calculate your minimum required frame rate by multiplying inspections needed per second by the number of distinct positions each object must be captured in.

Why does my vision system miss defects despite adequate resolution? 

Insufficient frame rate is often the culprit. If your conveyor moves products at 2 metres per second and your camera operates at 30 fps, each frame represents 67mm of product movement – potentially allowing small defects to pass between frames.

How do I determine if my communication interface is limiting my frame rate? 

Calculate your data throughput requirements: multiply image resolution (width × height) by bit depth by desired frame rate. For example, a 1920×1080 8-bit greyscale camera at 60 fps requires approximately 124.4 MB/s bandwidth.

How do I balance inspection accuracy and system cost when selecting frame rates? 

Determine the critical velocity of objects being inspected and the smallest defect size that must be detected. Calculate the minimum frame rate that ensures each potential defect location is captured at least once. Consider multi-camera solutions for cost-effective operation.