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DCM Sistemes ALS1612A machine vision lighting
DCM SistemesRing lights
  • Rosepetal compatible
  • Recommended by AIS Vision

ALS1612A Diffuse Ring Light

ALS1612A

The ALS1612A belongs to DCM Sistemes' ALS Series of diffuse ringlights, featuring a compact 176×176×13 mm square housing with a 120 mm inner aperture and a recommended working distance of 70 to 320 mm. It operates at 24 VDC (±3%) in continuous mode, consuming 10–11 W depending on wavelength, and supports six wavelength options: 470 nm (blue), 525 nm (green), 630 nm (red), 850 nm (IR), white (W00), and RGB. Three operating modes are available — continuous (Type C), powered/pulsed (Type P, Dmax 1/2, Ton max 60 s), and strobe (Type S, Dmax 1/10, Ton max 2 ms) — with an optional external iBlueDrive inline controller for intelligent dimming and strobe control. The housing is black anodised aluminium rated IP40 (IP43 when mounted so light falls vertically), compliant with RoHS, CE, and WEEE standards.

Brand
DCM Sistemes
Lighting type
Diffuse ring (on-axis, flat square format)
Color / wavelength
White (W00); also 470 nm blue, 525 nm green, 630 nm red, 850 nm IR, RGB
Available wavelengths
470 nm (Blue), 525 nm (Green), 630 nm (Red), 850 nm (IR), White (W00), RGB
Mode
Continuous (Type C); Powered/Pulsed (Type P); Strobe (Type S); iBlueDrive intelligent (Type i)
Working distance
70–320 mm (recommended working distance)
Inner diameter
120 mm
Illuminated area
176×176 mm square aperture; 120 mm circular inner clear opening
Emission angle
Diffuse (frontal on-axis diffuse illumination)
IP rating
IP40 (IP43 when mounted so light falls vertically)
Power consumption
11 W (Type C, 470 nm / 525 nm / 850 nm / W00); 10 W (630 nm)
Supply voltage
24 VDC ±3% (Type C/P/S); 24 VDC ±8% (iBlueDrive)
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Technical overview

The ALS1612A is a square-format diffuse ring light built around a 176×176×13 mm flat housing with a 120 mm circular inner aperture, producing the soft, even frontal illumination installers often call 'cloudy-day' light. Because the LEDs face the scene through an integrated diffuser rather than pointing inward at an angle, specular reflections from polished or curved surfaces are effectively suppressed — the diffuser redistributes energy across the entire face of the fixture, eliminating the bright hot-spot that bare ring lights produce. The 120 mm clear opening is generously sized: most lenses on area-scan cameras can be centred directly behind it without vignetting, keeping the optical path clean and the mechanical integration simple. At just 13 mm deep and 410 g, the unit can be mounted directly on a camera bracket or a short standoff without adding meaningful inertia to a moving gantry.

The fixture covers a recommended working distance of 70 to 320 mm, a range that accommodates everything from close-up PCB inspection at the near end to label and packaging verification at 300 mm or more. Six wavelength variants are catalogued — 470 nm blue, 525 nm green, 630 nm red, 850 nm near-IR, broadband white (W00), and RGB — letting the integrator match illumination to surface chemistry or contrast requirements rather than defaulting to white. Power draw is modest: 11 W for 470 nm, 525 nm, 850 nm, and white variants at 24 VDC ±3%, with the 630 nm red variant drawing 10 W. The 24 V supply rail is universal in machine-vision cabinets, and the 2-pin chassis connector keeps wiring straightforward for continuous or pulsed variants. For strobe mode (Type S), a VS Series external controller is required; the Dmax of 1/10 and Ton maximum of 2 ms are appropriate for freezing parts in motion at typical conveyor speeds when paired with a camera's hardware trigger output.

Three operating modes give the ALS1612A flexibility across different machine architectures. Continuous mode (Type C) is the simplest path for static inspection stations and benchtop setups. Powered/pulsed mode (Type P, Dmax 1/2, Ton max 60 s) allows the controller to manage a longer duty cycle without the dedicated strobe controller, suitable for triggered inspection sequences on indexing machines. The optional iBlueDrive inline controller (which widens the supply tolerance to 24 VDC ±8%) adds intelligent dimming and strobe control through a 3-pin aerial connector on a 715 mm cable, making intensity adjustments accessible without rewiring — practical when the same fixture must serve multiple product formats or when aging LEDs need compensation over the installation lifetime. The housing is black anodised aluminium, rated IP40 in standard orientation (IP43 when mounted so the light emission faces vertically downward), and carries CE, RoHS, and WEEE markings, satisfying the compliance requirements common in European automotive, pharmaceutical, and food-beverage line audits.

Best for

  • Surface defect detection on specular or semi-reflective components — polished metal stampings, injection-moulded parts, and lacquered panels — where diffuse frontal illumination flattens specular glare and lets scratches, dents, and coating voids appear as uniform contrast changes against a bright background.
  • OCR, OCV, and 1D/2D code reading on labels, packaging, and direct-part-marked (DPM) components, where the even illumination across the full field of view eliminates exposure gradients that cause character drop-outs or barcode decode failures at the field edges.
  • Dimensional gauging and presence/absence verification on electronic components (PCBs, connectors, SMD parts) at working distances of 70–150 mm, leveraging the 120 mm inner aperture to centre tight-FOV lenses co-axially without vignetting.
  • Pharmaceutical and food-and-beverage packaging inspection (fill-level, cap presence, label registration) in IP40/IP43 environments where the aluminium housing and RoHS/CE compliance are required for line qualification.
  • Colour-sensitive inspection tasks when the RGB variant is deployed — printing registration checks, pharmaceutical pill colour sorting, or food colour grading — using wavelength selectivity to enhance contrast between target colours and background.

Selection notes

  • Working-distance budget: the 70–320 mm recommended range is generous but has a hard near limit. For inspection distances below 70 mm — close-up IC marking or micro-component gauging — consider a smaller-format low-angle or co-axial unit instead. At the far end, verify that the scene illuminance is still adequate for the required exposure at your camera's sensor size and lens aperture.
  • Wavelength selection before ordering: the six available wavelengths are catalogue variants, not field-selectable on a single unit (the RGB variant can switch channels under software control). Choose based on the target surface's reflectance spectrum — 850 nm IR suppresses ambient fluorescent interference and works well on black rubber or dark plastics; 470 nm blue increases contrast on yellow or green labels; red (630 nm) is a safe default for most neutral-toned surfaces and draws the lowest power (10 W).
  • Strobe mode requires a separate VS Series controller: Type S is not self-contained. If your panel layout or budget does not accommodate a dedicated strobe controller, Type P (powered/pulsed) offers duty-cycle control from a PLC or camera I/O without extra hardware, within the Dmax 1/2 and 60 s Ton constraints. For intelligent dimming and a wider supply tolerance (±8%), the iBlueDrive inline controller (Type i) is the cleanest integration path.
  • Mounting orientation and IP rating: the standard IP40 rating assumes a horizontal or angled downward orientation. If the application requires the fixture to face upward — for example, inspecting the underside of a moving part — IP43 is achieved only when the emission face is vertical (light falls straight down). Confirm the final mounting geometry with the line builder before sign-off.
  • Square housing vs. circular envelope: the 176×176 mm footprint is wider than the 120 mm aperture implies. On close-spaced multi-camera arrays or inside tight enclosures, verify mechanical clearance. The 13 mm depth is an advantage in axial space, but the square profile requires a matching square mounting plate or a custom adapter bracket.

Specifications: General
BrandDCM Sistemes
Lighting typeDiffuse ring (on-axis, flat square format)

Specifications: Interface
Connection2-pin male chassis connector (PIN 1 = +24 V, PIN 2 = 0 V); iBlueDrive: 3-pin aerial male inline connector, L=715 mm

Specifications: Optical
Color / wavelengthWhite (W00); also 470 nm blue, 525 nm green, 630 nm red, 850 nm IR, RGB
Available wavelengths470 nm (Blue), 525 nm (Green), 630 nm (Red), 850 nm (IR), White (W00), RGB
Working distance70–320 mm (recommended working distance)
Emission angleDiffuse (frontal on-axis diffuse illumination)
DiffuserYes — diffuse LED ring for uniform cloudy-day illumination

Specifications: Electrical
ModeContinuous (Type C); Powered/Pulsed (Type P); Strobe (Type S); iBlueDrive intelligent (Type i)
Power consumption11 W (Type C, 470 nm / 525 nm / 850 nm / W00); 10 W (630 nm)
Supply voltage24 VDC ±3% (Type C/P/S); 24 VDC ±8% (iBlueDrive)
Controller requiredNo (continuous/pulsed); VS Series strobe controller required for Type S strobe mode

Specifications: Environment
IP ratingIP40 (IP43 when mounted so light falls vertically)
Operating temperature0 to 40 °C

Specifications: Geometry
Inner diameter120 mm
Illuminated area176×176 mm square aperture; 120 mm circular inner clear opening

Specifications: Mechanical
Housing materialBlack anodised aluminium
Dimensions176×176×13 mm (W×H×D)
Weight410 g

Frequently asked questions

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