Glossary
GUPPY Technical Manual
V4.0.1
229
Saturation
In color theory, saturation or purity is the intensity of a specific hue. It is
based on the color's purity; a highly saturated hue has a vivid, intense
color, while a less saturated hue appears more muted and grey. With no sat-
uration at all, the hue becomes a shade of grey. Saturation is one of three
coordinates in the HSL color space and the HSV color space.
The saturation of a color is determined by a combination of light intensity
and how much it is distributed across the spectrum of different wave-
lengths. The purest color is achieved by using just one wavelength at a
high intensity such as in laser light. If the intensity drops the saturation
also drops.
Scalable mode
Scalable mode allows selection of an area within a full image for output.
Sensitivity
Sensitivity is a measure of how sensitive the camera sensor is to light
input. Unfortunately there is no standardized method of describing sensi-
tivity for digital CCD or CMOS cameras.
Shading
The variation of the brightness or relative illumination over the surface of
an object, often caused by color variations or surface curvature.
Signal-to-noise ratio
also called
SNR
Signal-to-noise ratio specifies the quality of a signal with regard to its
reproduction of intensities. The value signifies how high the ratio of noise
is in regard to the maximum wanted signal intensity expected.
The higher this value, the better the signal quality. The unit of measure-
ment used is generally known as the decibel (dB), a logarithmic power
level. 6 dB is the signal level at approximately a factor of 2.
However, the advantages of increasing signal quality are accompanied by
a reduction in resolution.
Signal-to-noise
separation
Signal-to-noise separation specifies the quality of a signal with regard to
its reproduction of intensities. The value signifies how high the ratio of
noise is in regard to the maximum wanted signal intensity expected.
The higher this value, the better the signal quality. The unit of measure-
ment used is generally known as the decibel (dB), a logarithmic power
level. 6 dB is the signal level at approximately a factor of 2.
However, the advantages of increasing signal quality are accompanied by
a reduction in resolution.
Smart camera
A term for a complete vision system contained in the camera body itself,
including imaging, image processing and decision making functions. While
the common smart cameras are intended just for the dedicated systems,
the latest PC technology enables development of devices fully compatible
with desktop PCs. This category of smart cameras thus provides a standard
API and thus much wider functionality.