Omron / Sentech Sentech STC-SPB163PCL / STC-SPC163PCL Camera Link Camera
STC-SPB163PCL
The STC-SPB163PCL (monochrome) and STC-SPC163PCL (color) are compact Camera Link area-scan cameras built around the 1/2.9" Sony IMX273 Pregius global-shutter CMOS sensor with 1440 x 1080 effective pixels (1.6 MP) and 3.45 x 3.45 um pixels. They output over a Base Camera Link interface via a single miniature SDR connector and support PoCL (Power over Camera Link, automatically switched) or 12 Vdc external power through a 6-pin Hirose power/I/O connector. Maximum frame rate is approximately 152-155 fps depending on configuration, and the camera uses a C-mount in a 28 x 28 x 40 mm housing.
Brand
Omron / Sentech
Camera type
Area scan
Interface
Camera Link (Base, SDR connector x1, PoCL)
Resolution
1.6 MP (1440 x 1080)
Horizontal resolution
1440 px (H) x 1080 px (V)
Mono / color
Mono (STC-SPB163PCL) / Color (STC-SPC163PCL)
Sensor manufacturer
Sony Pregius
Sensor model
Sony IMX273
Shutter
Global shutter
FPS
152.4 (Omron EU) / 155 (Sentech datasheet); keep 152.4 with the existing caveat
The STC-SPB163PCL and its color sibling STC-SPC163PCL are compact area-scan cameras built on the 1/2.9-inch Sony IMX273 Pregius CMOS, a global-shutter sensor delivering 1.6 MP at 1440 x 1080 with square 3.45 um pixels. The global shutter is the defining trait here: every pixel is exposed and read out simultaneously, so fast-moving parts on a conveyor, indexing table or robot end-of-arm freeze without the skew or smear a rolling shutter would introduce. Combined with a maximum frame rate around 152 fps, this is a camera aimed squarely at motion-heavy inspection rather than static bench imaging. The 1.6 MP resolution is modest by today's standards, which keeps data volume manageable and frame rates high; it suits small-to-medium fields of view where the inspected feature size, not raw pixel count, drives the sizing math.
The interface is Base Camera Link over a single miniature SDR connector, with PoCL (Power over Camera Link) that switches automatically, so a single Camera Link cable can carry image data, control and power to a compatible PoCL frame grabber. Where PoCL is not available, the camera also accepts 12 Vdc external power and I/O through a 6-pin Hirose connector. Camera Link is a deterministic, low-latency, point-to-point interface with no shared bandwidth and tight cable-length limits, which is precisely why it remains favored for high-speed line work; the trade-off versus GigE or USB3 is that it requires a dedicated frame grabber in the host PC and shorter, more expensive cabling. Note that GenICam/GenCP compliance is not explicitly confirmed in the source data, so control is best treated as Camera Link serial control until verified against your grabber and software stack.
On the optical and mechanical side the camera uses a C-mount and a small 28 x 28 x 40 mm housing. The 1/2.9-inch sensor with 3.45 um pixels means lens choice should be matched to a sensor of this format and to the resolution you need to resolve at the working distance; a lens with too low a resolving power will waste the sensor's pixel pitch. Because Camera Link integration centers on the frame grabber, the camera's external trigger and I/O through the Hirose connector make it straightforward to synchronize exposure to an encoder or proximity sensor and to strobe lighting in step with each grab, which is how you exploit the global shutter and high frame rate on a moving line.
Best for
High-speed inline inspection on conveyors or indexing tables where the global shutter freezes motion without skew at frame rates up to roughly 152 fps
Electronics and semiconductor defect and surface inspection where a compact 1.6 MP global-shutter camera over deterministic Camera Link fits the cell
Dimensional measurement and gauging tasks where square 3.45 um pixels on the 1/2.9-inch format give predictable, low-distortion geometry
Reading 1D/2D codes and OCR/OCV on moving parts, pairing the monochrome variant with strobed lighting and an external trigger
Robot-guidance and pick stations needing low-latency, point-to-point image transfer and a small 28 x 28 x 40 mm camera body
Selection notes
Camera Link requires a dedicated frame grabber in the host PC; budget for a compatible Base/PoCL grabber and account for Camera Link's short cable-length limits when laying out the cell
Choose the variant by task: the monochrome STC-SPB163PCL maximizes sensitivity and contrast for metrology, codes and OCR, while the color STC-SPC163PCL is needed only when color is the discriminating feature
Power can come from PoCL over the single Camera Link cable or from 12 Vdc external supply through the 6-pin Hirose connector; confirm your grabber supports PoCL if you want single-cable operation
Specify a C-mount lens matched to the 1/2.9-inch format and to the 3.45 um pixel pitch so the optics resolve what the sensor can capture at your working distance
At 1.6 MP the camera is feature-resolution limited, not pixel-count rich; verify the smallest defect or measurement tolerance is covered at your field of view before committing, and use the Hirose I/O to trigger exposure and strobe lighting per part
Specifications: General
Brand
Omron / Sentech
Camera type
Area scan
Specifications: Sensor
Resolution
1.6 MP (1440 x 1080)
Horizontal resolution
1440 px (H) x 1080 px (V)
Mono / color
Mono (STC-SPB163PCL) / Color (STC-SPC163PCL)
Sensor manufacturer
Sony Pregius
Sensor model
Sony IMX273
Shutter
Global shutter
Sensor size
1/2.9"
Pixel size
3.45 x 3.45 um
Specifications: Performance
FPS
152.4 (Omron EU) / 155 (Sentech datasheet); keep 152.4 with the existing caveat
Specifications: Interface
Interface
Camera Link (Base, SDR connector x1, PoCL)
Protocols
Camera Link serial control (GenICam/GenCP not explicitly confirmed in sources)
Specifications: Optics
Mount
C-mount
Specifications: Electrical
Power
12vdc
Supply voltage
12 Vdc
Specifications: Mechanical
Dimensions
28 (W) x 28 (H) x 40 (D) mm
Applications this camera is commonly selected for. Open one to see the full recommended hardware and approach.
These steps take an Omron Sentech (STC) camera from the box to a stable first image and on to your own application. They apply across the GigE Vision, USB3 Vision and CoaXPress STC families; the interface only changes how you cable and power the camera.
Download and install the Sentech SDK on the host PC. The package provides StViewer, the viewing and configuration software you use to bring the camera up, and StApi, the programming SDK you integrate later. Because the cameras are GenICam/GenTL-compliant, StApi also registers a GenTL producer, so any GenICam-compliant third-party vision software can discover and drive the camera as an alternative front end.
2. Cable, power and connect the camera
Connect according to the interface. GigE Vision: link to a Gigabit NIC (use PoE or the separate power input) and put the camera and host on the same subnet; for USB3 Vision use a USB 3.x port and a certified cable; for CoaXPress (STC) connect to a CoaXPress frame grabber, which also supplies Power-over-Coax. Then open StViewer and let it enumerate the camera. If a GigE camera does not appear, check the IP configuration and firewall, and on USB3 confirm the host bandwidth and driver.
3. Configure exposure, gain and white balance
Open the device in StViewer and start a live stream. Set exposure and gain for a well-exposed, low-noise image: raise exposure first and only add gain when more light or a faster shutter is not an option, keeping exposure short enough to freeze motion on global-shutter models. On colour cameras, run white balance under your actual production lighting. Adjust the lens aperture and focus on a representative target before tuning anything else.
4. Set the trigger and grab a first image
Start in free-run (continuous) acquisition to confirm a clean, stable image. For inline inspection switch to hardware or software triggering: select the trigger source, set the active edge and any delay, and wire the strobe or illumination to the camera's I/O so lighting fires with each exposure. Acquire and save a frame in StViewer; this saved image is your reference for the SDK stage and for downstream inspection.
5. Move to the StApi SDK (or any GenICam software)
Once the image is stable, reproduce the same settings in code. Use StApi to open the device, apply the GenICam features you validated in StViewer (exposure, gain, trigger, pixel format) and grab frames into your application via the bundled C++, C, C#/.NET or Python interfaces; the included samples are the fastest starting point. Prefer a different stack? The same GenICam/GenTL camera works with third-party vision libraries. With a reliable feed, you can route it into a deep-learning inspection such as Rosepetal for AI-based defect detection.
Frequently asked questions
It uses a global shutter. The 1/2.9-inch Sony IMX273 Pregius CMOS exposes and reads all pixels simultaneously, so moving parts are captured without the skew or distortion of a rolling shutter, making it suitable for inline, motion-heavy inspection.
The camera outputs over a Base Camera Link interface through a single miniature SDR connector. It supports PoCL (Power over Camera Link, automatically switched) for single-cable power, or 12 Vdc external power and I/O through a 6-pin Hirose connector. A compatible Camera Link frame grabber is required in the host PC.
It provides 1.6 MP at 1440 x 1080 pixels with 3.45 x 3.45 um square pixels, at a maximum frame rate of approximately 152 fps depending on configuration.
Both. The STC-SPB163PCL is the monochrome version and the STC-SPC163PCL is the color version, both built on the same 1/2.9-inch IMX273 global-shutter sensor.
It uses a C-mount and ships in a compact 28 (W) x 28 (H) x 40 (D) mm housing. Pair it with a C-mount lens matched to the 1/2.9-inch sensor format and 3.45 um pixel pitch.
