When establishing a system for acquiring data within the quick moving environment of the assembly line, it is important to provide at least one point of long term observation capable of recording at speeds fast enough to considerably slow the motion. Whether placed at the end of an assembly line to ensure the finest product output, or in the middle to guarantee that the machinery is interfacing with the component materials effectively. Though it can be tempting to opt for most capable camera, it remains prudent to understand ones needs; as varied as commodities or components produced—from paper to carbon fiber to salsa—are the speeds and layouts required of the setup. For the best results, it is important to consult with IDT or one of its distributors for a specific assessment of needs, although there are some generalities to consider.

For assembly line QC, users will likely desire long-recording cameras attached to an external data bank. For this, IDT offers its MotionScope M-Series. Though the cameras are small, they must remain attached to IDT's Taurus platform (88x483x651mm, 17.23kg) for continuous recording, thus limiting their mobility relative to other options. Light sensitivity for both the M3 and M5 is equivalent (equivalent to 3000ISO mono, 1000ISO color), as is bit depth (8 bit mono, 24bit color), thus making the determining considerations resolution and speed.

The M3 maxes out at 1280x1024, providing 517 frames per second recording at this resolution, although it can record up to 31,000 frames per second if the region of interest (ROI) is smaller.

For instances when detail is of prime importance, the M5 provides a 4 megapixel resolution, 2336x1728, although at this size the speed is substantially lower: 170 frames per second. By customizing the area scanned, users can suit the camera to meet their needs, however, creating a balance in size and speed.