Advanced Settings

Various settings in the Inspect > Scan page let you configure spot detection (which determines how the sensor handles different material characteristics), camera gain, and other advanced

Material Type and Spot Detection

You can configure data acquisition to suit different types of target materials. This helps maximize the number of useful profile points produced. For many targets, changing the setting is not necessary, but it can make a great difference with others.

You can select preset material types in the Material type setting in the Advanced panel on the Inspect > Scan page. The Diffuse material option is suitable for most materials.

When Material type is set to Diffuse, the sensor uses the following spot detection parameters:

Diffuse spot detection values
Edge window	Average window	Intensity window	Spot threshold
16	16	16	17

When Material type is set to Custom, you can set camera gain and modify spot detection. Some sensor models support both analog and digital gain, whereas others only support digital gain. For more information, see Spot Detection and Camera Gain.

Spot Detection

When adjusting the spot detection parameters, it's best to set the sensor to Profile mode and set the data viewer to Profile view to see the effect of changes you make. You can only adjust spot detection parameters when Material type is set to Custom.

Spot settings
Setting	Description
Edge window	Sets the height of the window, in pixels, used to calculate the spot’s exact peak Z position. The value range is even numbers from 2 to 16. A value of 16 is usually good for all non-transparent materials, producing the most accurate Z measurement. With thin, transparent materials, a lower value helps to detect all surfaces of the material. In these cases, lower the Edge window value until all surfaces are visible.
Average window	Sets the length of the window, in pixels, used to calculate the average intensity. The spot is detected if the calculated average intensity is greater than the value in Spot threshold. The value range is even numbers from 2 to 16. Note that the calculated average intensity is not normally reported. To do this, set the layer's Intensity filter type parameter to Signal detection (for more information, see Layer-specific parameters). This may be useful in some thin film applications. A high average window value is useful when the image is noisy, for example, due to strong reflections. Decreasing the average window value improves sensitivity to get a signal from low-reflective surfaces.
Intensity window	Sets the length of the window, in pixels, used to define the mean intensity value of the detected spots, which is then reported as the spot’s intensity. When the intensity window is long, the reported intensity values are lower due to averaging, and noise is minimized. The value range is even numbers from 2 to 16. Note the following: Intensity window has no effect in Image view or on spots. For more information on Image mode, see Scan Modes and Intensity. Only effects the intensity value. Increasing the intensity window reduces the intensity noise. Do not compensate an increase of the intensity window size with a higher exposure. Instead, adjust the exposure in Image mode. With dynamic exposure, the intensity window must be low. For information on dynamic exposure, see Dynamic Exposure.
Spot Threshold	Sets the minimum intensity for spot detection. The range of the Spot threshold is from 1 to 150. The spots are detected when the averaged intensity value exceeds the Spot threshold value. Note that the value set in Average window has an effect on the intensity value. Note the following: A value of about 17 is often used. The value should be as low as possible and close to the background signal level to maximize the spot detection. Increasing the value reduces possible noise. But increasing it too much introduces a risk of losing data.

Camera Gain

Setting	Description
Camera Gain
	Digital camera gain can be used when the application is severely exposure limited, yet dynamic range is not a critical factor.

Setting	Description

Other Advanced Settings

Setting	Description
Use intensity calibration	If this parameter is enabled, uneven illumination is corrected for intensity values. Only available if you have enabled Acquire intensity in the Scan mode section (see Scan Modes and Intensity).
Enable per layer intensity	When this parameter is enabled, you can set the Intensity filter type for each layer individually. Otherwise, an "Average intensity" filter is used for all layers. Only available if you have enabled Acquire intensity in the Scan mode section (see Scan Modes and Intensity).
Enable roughness filter	If enabled, the sensor uses noise reduction designed for roughness applications.
Enable high power mode	If enabled, the sensor's Light intensity setting can be adjusted to greater than 100%. Note that enabling high power mode can limit frame rates. Updating the light intensity can take several seconds to apply.
Short cluster removal	These parameters connect points to clusters and remove small clusters. When short cluster removal is enabled, you must set Clustering X distance, Clustering Z distance, and Minimum cluster width. GoPxL performs this filtering before sorting the layers. Clustering X distance Maximum X distance (µm) to the nearest point in a cluster. Clustering Z distance Maximum Z distance (µm) to the nearest point in a cluster. Minimum cluster width Minimum cluster width (µm) which is not removed.