Basler SLP Strobe Controller

The Basler SLP Strobe Controller allows you to use any light (0–40 V, max. 2 A) in your environment and to control it via a Basler ace U or ace L camera and the pylon software.

Good lighting is an essential aspect of any vision system. The Basler SLP Strobe Controller gives you the freedom to use a light device of your choice and makes controlling it really easy with the new Light Control feature set.

In this topic Hide

Specifications

General Specifications

Specification Basler SLP Strobe Controller

Lighting Modes

  • Continuous
  • Strobe (incl. Overdrive mode)

Drive Method

Current-controlled

Number of Channels

1 (daisy-chaining with up to 4 devices)

Output Current

Continuous: 0.01 A–2 A

Overdrive mode: 10 A @ 200 μs pulse width

Output Voltage

1.5–40 V

Pulse Width

50 μs–5 ms

Pulse Step Size

10 μs

Max. Frequency

200 Hz

Size (L x W x H)

85 mm x 60 mm x 37.5 mm

Weight (typical)

200 g

Connectors

6-pin Lighting

6-pin Camera

12-pin Power & I/O

Applicable Cameras

ace U, ace L

Conformity

CE (includes RoHS), FCC

Certificates for your camera model

More information is available in the Compliance section of the Basler website.

Software

Basler pylon Camera Software Suite (version 4.0 or higher)

Available for Windows, Linux x86, Linux ARM, and macOS

Accessories

SLP cables

Mechanical Specifications

Dimensions of Basler SLP Controller (in mm)

Requirements

Environmental Requirements

Temperature and Humidity

Housing temperature during operation 0–50 °C (32–122 °F)
Humidity during operation 20–80 %, relative, non-condensing
Storage temperature -20–80 °C (-4–176 °F)
Storage humidity 20–80 %, relative, non-condensing

Electrical Requirements

Power must be supplied to the controller via the 12-pin terminal block connector labeled Power & I/O. For information about the connector pin assignments, see the circuit diagram.

Voltage Requirements

Max. Power Consumption

24 VDC (± 5 %) @ 4 A 100 W @ 24 VDC

The actual power consumption of the Basler SLP Strobe Controller depends largely on the light you're using. Therefore, Basler recommends powering the controller via a standard power supply unit or an appropriate 24 VDC connector in a control cabinet. This allows you to adapt the components to the power consumption actually required in your application.

Notice

The controller produces high-energy pulses which may damage the controller if there is no protection against short circuits.

Cable Requirements

Camera-to-Controller Cable

For optimum performance and ease-of-use, Basler recommends using the following cable with ace U and L camera models: Basler SLP Cable HRS 6p/TBL-L, 3m (2200000327)
If you’re using your own cables, they must be shielded, and the shield must be connected to the Hirose plug and the Camera GND pin of the controller.

Controller-to-Light Cable

The maximum cable length is 3 m.

Trigger Cable

The maximum cable length is 3 m.

Physical Interface

Circuit Diagram

Circuit Diagram SLP Controller

The 24 V Out pin must only be used to supply power to a camera. Don't connect another controller to it as it may get damaged. The maximum current allowed through this pin is 500 mA. If you want to connect another controller, use the daisy-chain option shown in the diagram above.

Connectors and Status LEDs

Connectors of the Controller

Device Status LED

LED State Meaning
Off The controller has not been connected to power.
Green

Static: The controller is connected to power and fully operational.

Flashing: Indicates trigger action. Flashes with a frequency of 1 Hz.

Yellow

Static: No light unit connected.

Flashing: Indicates an error state. Possible causes are a hardware error in the light unit or the controller not being able to supply the current specified by the BslLightDeviceMaxCurrent parameter. To find out what kind of error it is, check the BslLightDeviceLastError parameter. If it's the Insufficient Current error, try lowering the maximum current until the flashing stops.

Red

Static: During initialization, the LED is solid red (less than 1 minute). If the red LED lights up again during use, contact Basler Support for help.

Flashing: This indicates an over temperature state. The red LED flashes in time with the trigger.

Communication Status LED

LED State Meaning
Off The controller has not been initialized yet.
Green

Static: The controller has been initialized successfully.

Flashing: This indicates data communication.

Yellow

Static: There is a communication error that needs to be cleared.

Red

Static: There is a parity error.

If a communication error occurs, the red LED lights up once.

Precautions

Danger

Electric Shock Hazard

Electric Shock Hazard Unapproved power supplies may cause electric shock. Serious injury or death may occur.

You must use power supplies that meet the Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) and Limited Power Source (LPS) requirements.

Warning

Fire Hazard

Fire Hazard Unapproved power supplies may cause fire and burns.
In case of electrical malfunction, you have to ensure that the current doesn’t exceed the value admissible for the cable’s diameter.
To avoid this, take the following measures:
  • You must use power supplies that meet the Limited Power Source (LPS) requirements.
  • Power supply cabling to the controller must be rated to at least 4 A.
  • The DC power supply to the controller must be externally fused to 4 A using a slow-blow fuse (T4AH, 50V).

Caution

Burn Injury Hazard

Fire Hazard The controller housing can reach temperatures above 65 °C during operation at maximum ratings. This is sufficient to cause burn injuries.
  • Place the controller so that staff can’t accidentally touch it.
  • Ensure that there is free air circulation around the controller.

Installation

The Basler SLP Controller is supplied with a DIN rail mounting kit. If you don't want to use the DIN rail, you can also mount the controller via the mounting holes at the base of the controller using two M3 screws. Note that the mounting screws should not protrude more than 5 mm beyond the surface to which the controller is to be attached. The controller’s dimensions are shown in the diagram above.

Connecting the Controller and the Camera

Notice

Leaving the power source turned on while setting up the controller or connecting/disconnecting any cables may lead to the controller malfunctioning.

Always turn the power source off, when setting up the controller or connecting/disconnecting any cables.

Refer to the circuit diagram above when connecting the devices.

  1. Connect the open end of the light cable using the Light + and Light - pins of the 6-pin Lighting connector.
  2. Connect the camera to the controller via the green 6-pin Camera connector.
    The I/O connector on the camera-side depends on the camera model.
  3. Connect the open end of your power supply cable using the 24 V Power and Power GND pins of the 12-pin Power & I/O connector.

Pin Assignment Differs Between ace and ace 2
The Camera I/O 2 pin of the controller's Camera connector connects to an opto-coupled line in ace camera models. This means that you have to use the Opto GND pin of the Power & I/O connector. In ace 2 camera models, the pin connects to a GPIO line. This means that you have to use the standard GND pin of the Power & I/O connector.

For detailed information about using the controller, see the Light Control Feature Set topic.