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Basler SLP Strobe Controller#

The Basler SLP Strobe Controller allows you to use any Basler Standard Light as well as any other light device (0–40 VDC, max. 2 A) in your environment and to control it via a Basler camera and the pylon software.

Good lighting is an essential aspect of any vision system. The Basler SLP Strobe Controller allows you to use a light device of your choice and control it with the Light Control feature.

The Light Control feature enables direct communication between the Basler SLP Controller and a Basler camera. You can operate the light in continuous, strobe, or overdrive mode.

Specifications#

General Specifications#

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: 0.05 A–2 A
Overdrive mode: 10 A @ 200 μs pulse width
Output Voltage 1.5–40 VDC
Max. Output Power Continuous: 40 W
Overdrive mode: 400 W
Pulse Width 50 μs–100 ms (automatic strobe mode)
100 μs–100 ms (manual strobe mode)
Pulse Step Size 10 μs
Max. Frequency 200 Hz
Size (L x W x H) 85 x 60 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, ace 2, boost
Conformity CE (includes RoHS), EAC, FCC, KC
Certificates for the Basler SLP Strobe Controller
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, macOS, and Android
Accessories SLP cables
Basler Standard Lights

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

Info

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.

  • Connect the outputs correctly.
  • When switched off, energy remains stored in the controller for about 15 seconds.

Cable Requirements#

Camera-to-Controller Cable#

Info

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, P, 3m
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

Info

The 24 VDC 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 isn't 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: 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.
Flashing: Indicates trigger action. Flashes with a frequency of 1 Hz.
Red Static: The controller detected a short circuit. For more information, see Troubleshooting.
Flashing: Indicates trigger action. Flashes with a frequency of 1 Hz.

Communication Status LED#

LED State Meaning
Off The controller hasn't detected a heartbeat signal from the camera yet.
Green Static: The controller has detected the heartbeat signal from the camera.
Flashing: This indicates data transmission.
Red Indicates a communication error. The LED lights up once in that case.

Precautions#

WARNING – 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

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

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 VDC Power and Power GND pins of the 12-pin Power & I/O connector.

Info

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 topic.

Troubleshooting#

Short Circuit#

If the device status LED indicates a short circuit, you need to power-cycle the controller. If you're using more than one controller, the other controllers need to be power-cycled as well even if they haven't experienced any faults.

Power-Cycling the Controller#

After power-cycling the controller, it can take up to five minutes for the controller to become available again. This is normal behavior.