Interactive Analysis of Resolution-Related Charts New in Imatest 2020.1 : Shannon information capacity from Siemens Star charts  Introduction – Supported charts – SFR – SFRplus – eSFR ISO – SFRreg – Checkerboard Getting Started – Rescharts Window  –   Rescharts modules Slanted-edge SFR – SFRplus – Log frequency (simple) – Log frequency-contrast – Star – Wedge  Random/Dead Leaves – Focus Score Introduction Imatest™ Rescharts is a highly-interactive interface for running several Imatest modules that can analyze images of several different test charts for resolution-related parameters such as sharpness (i.e., Spatial Frequency Response SFR, which is equivalent to Modulation Transfer Function MTF), color moiré, and fine detail lost to software noise reduction. All Rescharts modules can […]

Running eSFR ISO – Rescharts eSFR ISO – eSFR ISO setup window – Speeding up – More Settings window – Secondary Readouts – Gamma – Auto mode settings – Warnings – eSFR ISO summary Running eSFR ISO Imatest eSFR ISO performs highly automated measurements of several key image quality factors using one of three versions of the ISO 12233:2014 Edge SFR chart: Standard, Enhanced, or Extended. This document shows how to run eSFR ISO in Rescharts and how to save settings for automated runs. Part 1 introduced eSFR ISO and explained how to obtain and photograph the chart. Part 3 […]

Imatest eSFR ISO results Imatest eSFR ISO performs highly automated measurements of several key image quality factors using one of three versions of the ISO 12233:2014 Edge SFR chart: Standard, Enhanced, or Extended. Unlike most other modules, the user never has to manually select Regions of Interest (ROIs). Image quality factors include Sharpness, expressed as Spatial Frequency Response (SFR), also known as the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), Noise, measured from the grayscale patches surrounding the center of the chart, includes all types of noise calculated by Color/Tone Interactive and Color/Tone Auto (standard pixel noise, chroma noise, scene-referenced noise, sensor (raw) […]

Imatest Checkerboard performs highly automated measurements of sharpness (expressed as Spatial Frequency Response (SFR), also known as Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)), Lateral Chromatic Aberration, and optical distortion from images of checkerboard patterns (with a recommended tilt angle of 2-7 degrees). The primary advantage of Checkerboard (as compared to Imatest’s other automatically-detected modules) is that it is relatively insensitive to framing. You can zoom in our out as much as you like, as long as there are detectable corner features.  This document illustrates Checkerboard results. Part 1 introduced Checkerboard and explained how to obtain and photograph the chart. Part 2 showed […]

Two operating modes – Charts –  ISO 12233:2014 Compliance – Advantages  Imatest eSFR ISO performs highly automated measurements of several key image quality factors using versions of the new ISO 12233:2014 E-SFR (Edge SFR) test chart that may be purchased from the Imatest store (recommended) or printed on a high-quality inkjet printer. Region of Interest (ROI) selection is automatic, based on user-entered criteria (similar to  SFRplus, which it closely resembles). Image quality factors include: Sharpness, expressed as Spatial Frequency Response (SFR), also known as Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) Lateral Chromatic Aberration Distortion  Simple low-order calculations; less accurate than the SFRplus or Checkerboard). […]

Selecting files – Setup window – ROI selection & analysis area – Edge ID Files More settings window – Secondary Readout  – Settings area – Auto mode window Warnings – Clipping – Summary    Using Checkerboard Part 1 – Checkerboard patterns and how to photograph them Running Checkerboard (Interactive and Auto mode settings) Imatest Checkerboard performs highly automated measurements of sharpness (expressed as Spatial Frequency Response (SFR), also known as Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)), Lateral Chromatic Aberration , and optical distortion from tilted checkerboard images.The primary advantage of Checkerboard is that the field of view, i.e., the framing, does not need to be tied to the chart size (as it […]

Measure visible sensor defects The Human Visual System – Algorithm – Instructions – Settings window – Filtering and threshold – Display options – Defective pixels – Tuning – Results Blemish Detect detects visible sensor defects (typically blurred (dark) spots caused by dust in front of the image sensor, but light blemishes can also be detected). To ensure that only visible blemishes are flagged— and blemishes below the threshold of visibility are not— the image is filtered by a response function derived from the Human Visual System (HVS). Filter settings are adjustable for a wide range of applications and viewing conditions. Blemish detect also includes all […]

Introduction This page illustrates how to use image acquisition with ON Semiconductor DevWare, which is a part of ON Semiconductor’s DevSuite. Imatest also supports other development systems. Load images directly from DevWare. This eliminates the need to capture images separately, store them, then load them individually into Imatest, dramatically improving productivity. Note: As of Imatest 5.0 image acquisition capabilities were added to Imatest Master and Imatest IS was discontinued. Learn more.  Download and Install Software To download Imatest Master software, go to www.imatest.com/products/imatest-master/ Download and open the self-extracting executable (Imatest-IS-3.n.exe). This will install Imatest and the Matlab Compiler Runtime (MCR), which is required for […]

Imatest Pass/Fail Operation and Reference Introduction Imatest can return pass/fail (P/F) results for industrial inspection or for any tests where pass/fail results are required. Although pass/fail is primarily intended for IT (DLL and EXE), it works with GUI-based versions of Imatest (except for Studio), where it can be particularly useful for testing P/F thresholds for Imatest IT. Starting with Imatest 4.0, the Pass/Fail monitor lets you examine P/F results in detail. Getting started – Summary – Pass/fail settings file – Pass/Fail Reference Slanted-edge (SFRplus, etc.) settings Blemish and Uniformity settings Getting started with Pass/Fail Determine the measurements to use for […]

How Imatest IT/.NET works Imatest IT/.NET (Industrial Testing .NET) is a Microsoft .NET Framework library that allows developers to access Imatest‘s powerful image quality analysis tools via calls to methods residing in a .NET DLL library. The library methods perform the same calculations as the corresponding GUI-based Imatest Master modules.  Imatest IT/.NET is compatible with .NET Framework versions 4.5 and higher.  Fourteen modules are available: SFR   SFRplus   Star Colorcheck   Stepchart   Wedge Uniformity (Light Falloff)   Distortion   eSFR ISO Blemish   Dot Pattern   Multitest OIS   Random     Imatest IT/.NET is a complete package that includes the module libraries, […]

A pattern on an LCD screen may be used for SFR measurements using a pattern generated by the Imatest Screen Patterns module, which has several patterns to choose from. These patterns are convenient, but somewhat limited in usefulness because an LCD screen can only cover a fraction of the image frame, hence you can’t produce a good map the camera’s MTF response. Screen Patterns The Screen Patterns module is opened by clicking on Screen Patterns on the right of the Imatest main window. When it first comes up, it is completely blank (for use with Light Falloff). Select SFR: Quadrants […]

How Imatest IT/EXE works Imatest IT/EXE (Industrial Testing EXE; formerly API/EXE) is a set of standalone programs initiated by DOS calls, which can be issued by a test system. The programs have the same functionality as the corresponding Imatest Master modules, but they operate without user intervention, making them suitable for use in automated testing systems. They are represented by the blue box in the lower right of the figure below. Imatest IT/EXE flow diagram The test system interacts with the IT/EXE programs through files specified in the DOS command line— primarily an image file and an INI control file […]

Test Item   Imatest Module

  Introduction Watch on YouTube. Imatest IT (Industrial Testing) is a set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow developers to access Imatest’s powerful image quality analysis tools in their own custom applications. Imatest IT is available for 64-bit Windows, MacOS and Linux, and includes libraries for use with C, C++, Python, Objective-C, .NET (Windows only – including C# and Visual Basic), and LabVIEW. IT also contains standalone executables that can be called from a command line or script. The API libraries perform the exact same calculations as the corresponding GUI-based Imatest Master modules. Imatest IT is a complete package […]

Imatest software can measure a great many digital camera image quality factors from test chart images. If you’re just getting started we recommend that you explore the Image Quality factors page and IQ Testing for Beginners. The two most popular modules, SFRplus and eSFR ISO, can measure a great many image quality factors from single test chart images. Other modules and charts let you meet a wide variety of testing challenges. The Imatest workflow – Download & trial – Questions – Interactive vs. Fixed modules  Selecting the chart and module – Running Imatest – Finding Imatest Help – Imatest main […]

Introduction This page briefly illustrates how to use the Imatest with Omnivision OVTAPantherM. Please note that Omnivision cameras are not supported in the macOS and Linux version of Imatest. However, Imatest supports other development systems to varying degrees. Contact us for details. Load images directly from Omnivision sensors. This eliminates the need to capture images separately, store them, then load them individually into Imatest, dramatically improving productivity. Download and Install Software To download Imatest software, go to store.imatest.com/software.html Download and open the self-extracting executable (Imatest-IS-3.n.exe). This will install the Imatest Master edition and the Matlab Compiler Runtime (MCR), which is required […]

News:  Imatest 2021.2  1D Fourier spectrum plots have been added to Cross-sections. QR or bar codes can be read in the Rectangle analysis.   Image Statistics is an interactive utility that lets you examine a number of image properties, including Vertical and horizontal cross-sections with adjustable thickness. Using a larger thickness mitigates the effects of noise. Pixel levels or 1D Fourier spectra can be plotted. Properties of rectangular or square (eyedropper) regions, including rectangle position, Mean values of R,G,B, and Y (luminance) channels, Log10(mean/max), Noise (sigma), Noise corrected for nonuniformity, SNR (Signal/Noise), SNR dB, and Mean L*a*b* (when color space has […]

This page is a reference for the INI files used to store Imatest settings, particularly imatest-v2.ini, which is the basis of ini files used to control Imatest IT. It focuses on INI file settings that are used by several modules and are of interest to users of Imatest IT and the Functional Interface.  INI file structure – Extracting an INI file for IT – Running from a Custom File – INI File Monitor – [api] (for Imatest IT) [dcraw] – [rdraw] (Generalized Read Raw) – Secondary Readouts – Miscellaneous To keep this document to a reasonable length, the INI references for Imatest IT modules are stored […]

Introduced in Imatest 4.2, the Imatest Educational Apps serve to demonstrate mathematical concepts that directly relate to the understanding of image quality factors. The Imatest Educational Apps demonstrate Nyquist sampling theorem, the decomposition of an image’s Fourier transform, the Modulation Transfer Function of a slanted edge, chromatic aberration and signal to noise ratio (SNR). As an educational resource, this utility is available through the main window of your Imatest software. To access the Imatest Educational Apps, go to the Imatest main window and select Help, then Educational Apps…. A Welcome splash screen will open by default. Select the tabs across […]

Introduction The Imatest Image Stabilization/Sharpness Compare module is a postprocessor for SFRplus that Measures the effectiveness of Optical Image Stabilization (abbreviated as IS or OIS) by comparing the sharpness (MTF or related lengths) of selected near-horizontal and near-vertical edges from three similar SFRplus images: Unshaken. Shaken without Image Stabilization. (Some recent cameras lack the ability to turn IS off. There are several approaches to measuring IS effectiveness in this case. One is to have a very precise vibratory apparatus with known vibration angles. Expen$ive. Another is to substitute a camera with similar pixel configuration and lens focal length, but no […]