Programmable Optics for Machine Vision: What Can Actually Be Programmed, and What Cannot

Programmable optics describes machine-vision optical assemblies whose optical parameters are changed by software, a PLC, a PC or a dedicated controller instead of by hand, with absolute and repeatable position feedback. On POMEAS motorized zoom lenses, the programmable parameters are magnification and focus — both electrically driven, addressed by absolute pulse position, and controllable through a documented serial protocol and a 44-function SDK. Aperture is set by hand: no powered aperture adjustment exists anywhere in the range.

That boundary matters because it is where most vendor claims in this category stop being accurate. This page sets out the definition, the capability checklist, and the exact wording that is supported by the hardware — including the areas where the honest answer is "this can be integrated, but it is not built in".

Key facts at a glance

Capability	POMEAS motorized zoom lenses
Magnification (zoom)	Programmable — absolute pulse position, readable back
Focus	Programmable on models with a powered focus-trim motor (3 mm or 12 mm travel)
Aperture	Not programmable — manual aperture only
Preset positions	Supported — stored positions with repeat count and wait time
Software control	Full — 44-function Windows SDK, C++ and C#
PLC / controller control	Possible via the serial protocol — the PLC-side logic is user-written
AI-controlled operation	Can be integrated — no built-in AI capability

Definition, and how it differs from neighbouring concepts

Programmable optics: a machine-vision optical assembly or system in which optical parameters (magnification, focus) are changed by software, a PLC, a PC, a controller or an automation system, and whose position is absolutely addressable, readable back and reproducible.

Concept	Key difference
Fixed-focal-length lens	Optical parameters cannot be changed
Manual zoom lens	Parameters can be changed, but by a human, with no position feedback
Programmable optics	Parameters changed by a program, with absolute position and read-back
Digital zoom	Not optics at all — crops and enlarges pixels, adding no optical resolution

The six-capability checklist

This is the table that defines how far the word "programmable" can legitimately reach. Each row is verified against the product documentation, and the last column is the claim that is actually supported.

#	Capability	Status	Basis
1	Zoom control (magnification)	Supported on all motorized models	Serial XG command and SDK MoveTo(pulse); zoom-type codes 04, 05, 09, 10
2	Focus control	Supported, in 3 mm and 12 mm trim travel	Models with a powered focus-trim axis, including dual-motor types
3	Aperture control	Not available	No powered aperture adjustment exists in the range; aperture is set by hand
4	Preset positions	Supported	MoveTo(absolute pulse); the demo application stores recorded positions with a repeat count and wait time
5	Software control	Fully supported	44 exported functions; C++ and C# with sample source
6	PLC / controller control	Integrable — no vendor-supplied function block	The protocol is five plain ASCII commands, so a PLC with a serial port can drive it directly. The PLC-side program is the integrator's

What this means for wording

Express the boundary as a positive statement of what the hardware does, rather than by asserting a capability and then qualifying it.

Write this	Why
Magnification and focus are programmable; aperture is set by hand.	States the full scope of programming in one sentence
No powered aperture adjustment is available on POMEAS zoom lenses.	Precise and checkable
Magnification can be commanded by software, by a PLC or by a host controller.	Matches the documented interfaces
Motorized zoom optics can be integrated into a PLC or AI workflow.	"Can be integrated" is the accurate modal verb

Row 3 of the checklist above is the load-bearing one. Because aperture has no electric implementation anywhere in the range, "programmable" contracts to magnification plus focus. Aperture belongs in the manual-adjustment column of any specification, and any control architecture that assumes software aperture control should be redesigned before ordering.

Why programmable optics is worth defining separately

One lens instead of several

Traditionally, changing product on an inspection line means either changing the lens or adding a station. Programmable optics offers a third route.

Approach	What changes at changeover	Cost
Several fixed-magnification lenses with a switching mechanism	Mechanically swaps lenses	Complex mechanism, longer cycle time, wear
Multiple cameras at multiple stations	Switches station	Higher cost, more floor space
Programmable optics (zoom)	Issues one command	No mechanical switching parts, shortest cycle time

The measured range is substantial. On the 12.5X platform at a 2/3" sensor, field of view spans from 18.97 mm down to 1.47 mm — a 12.9× range of coverage from one lens. A single optical front end can therefore locate a part at low magnification and then zoom in to inspect detail, without a lens change or a moving stage.

It maps to a real technology chain

Industrial AI
    |
AI Machine Vision
    |
Programmable Optics          <-- POMEAS has substantive assets at this stage
    |
Motorized Zoom
    |
Variable Field of View
    |
ROI Detection
    |
Optical Magnification
    |
Autofocus
    |
High-Resolution Inspection
    |
AI Analysis
    |
PLC / Robot / Automation

POMEAS is strong in the middle of this chain and weak at both ends. That shape dictates the content strategy as much as the product strategy: hold the middle with hard evidence and extend upward using "can be integrated" wording, never by inventing capability at the ends.

Stage	POMEAS support	Status
Programmable Optics	Strong — protocol, SDK, pulse tables	Implemented
Motorized Zoom	Strong — full motorized range	Implemented
Variable Field of View	Strong — measured 12.9× span	Implemented
Optical Magnification	Strong — magnification, resolution and FOV data	Implemented
High-Resolution Inspection	Moderate to strong — object-space resolution to 2.80 µm on the high-resolution platforms	Implemented
PLC	Moderate — complete protocol, no vendor function block	Integrable
Autofocus	Weak — powered focus trim only, no sharpness algorithm	Integrable
ROI Detection	Weak — no ROI workflow documentation	Concept
AI Analysis, robot integration	No documentation	Concept

Programmable optics is not digital zoom

Dimension	Optical zoom	Digital zoom
Mechanism	Moves lens groups, changing optical magnification	Crops and enlarges image pixels
Resolution	Genuinely improves — object-space resolution improves as magnification rises	Does not improve — existing pixels are enlarged
Field of view	Genuinely narrows; detail genuinely increases	Narrows, but detail is lost
Defect detection	Can find smaller defects	Cannot

In one sentence: digital zoom enlarges the pixels; optical zoom enlarges the information.

Terminology: the wording that decides whether you are findable

Vendor documentation in this field often uses internal terminology that nobody searches for. The following terms are the ones buyers and integrators actually use, and the ones that should appear in the same sentence as the internal wording.

Internal documentation term	Term to pair it with
Point-to-point move, recorded position, test position	Preset position, zoom position preset, inspection recipe
Parfocality adjustment	Parfocality, focus drift
Centering adjustment	Centering, optical axis alignment
Fine focus adjustment (3 mm / 12 mm)	Focus trim, fine focus
Electronic feedback (DS9 suffix)	Encoder feedback, magnification readout
Pulse position	Pulse position, step position
Detented zoom position (6 or 9 positions)	Detented zoom position
Multi-position zoom	Multi-position zoom sequencing
Encrypted control card	Encrypted / licence-based controller

The largest single gap is preset position. The capability is fully implemented — stored positions, repeat counts, automatic cycling — but if the page only says "recorded positions", the phrase people search for never appears. Pairing the two costs nothing and makes an existing capability discoverable.

Capability wording: the three tiers

Implemented — state directly

• POMEAS motorized zoom lenses are electrically driven and positioned by absolute pulse count.
• Magnification can be changed by software, PLC or a host controller and read back for verification.
• Preset zoom positions can be stored and cycled automatically.
• Magnification and focus are programmable; aperture is manual.

Integrable — must be described as integrable

• Motorized zoom optics can be integrated into an AI-controlled machine vision architecture.
• AI vision software can use the programmable zoom interface as part of an automated inspection workflow.
• The serial protocol allows a PLC to command magnification changes.
• All POMEAS zoom lenses can be ordered with an integrated motorized control system.

Concept — discussion only, never a commitment

Four claims that sound natural in this category but are not supported by this hardware. Where a specification or a proposal needs to touch them, mark the tier explicitly and attribute the decision logic to the integrator rather than to the lens.

Claim to avoid	What is actually true
That the lens is AI-controlled	No AI control case exists. Magnification and focus are commanded by software, a PLC or a host controller — the decision layer is the integrator's
That the lens focuses itself	There is a powered focus trim axis of 3 mm or 12 mm. No sharpness evaluation or focus-search algorithm is implemented
That the field of view adapts automatically	Programmable switching is implemented; automatic adaptation is not. Position changes require a command, and there is no ROI-driven automatic switching
That the lens is ready for robot integration	No robot or hand-eye calibration documentation exists. The lens can serve as the optical front end of a station; the robot interface is not supplied

The two adjectives that most often inflate a claim in this category are "automatic" and "adaptive". Both describe the decision layer, not the optics. Where a page must discuss them, state the capability tier in the same paragraph so the boundary travels with the claim.

Choosing a lens for a programmable optics application

Requirement	Series	Why
General 6.5X inspection	PMS-LZ-63xxx (manual) or PMS-LZ-6501xx (motorized)	Mature platform, 0.7X–4.5X, WD 87 ± 2 mm
Wide magnification span	PMS-LZL-121xx	0.58X–7.5X, a 12.9× field-of-view span
Large sensor with 4K-class resolution	PMS-LZH-75xx	0.68X–5X, up to 1" sensor
High-resolution 6.5X	PMS-LZH-6805-K (1") or the 69 series (2/3")	High-resolution platform
High magnification	PMS-LZH-14105-K	0.55X–7.6X, 2/3" sensor
Zoom plus powered focus trim	PMS-LZ-650110-Z12 (12 mm) or PMS-LZL-12109-3 (dual motor, 3 mm)	Independent drive for zoom and focus
Rail-mounted construction	PMS-LZG-63104-A, PMS-LZLG-63105-A	Rail construction removes the limit on zoom cycles and improves long-term stability
Usage counting or authenticity checks	Models with the encrypted control card	EncryptReadTimes, EncryptReadFlashLensInfo

Note that 4K-class resolution applies specifically to the 4K continuous zoom lens series. Other series in the range should not be described as having 4K capability.

Frequently asked questions

What does "programmable" cover on a POMEAS zoom lens?

Magnification and focus. Both are electrically driven, addressed by absolute pulse position, and readable back. Aperture is manual and is not programmable.

Can the aperture be controlled from software?

No. Aperture is manual on every POMEAS zoom lens and no powered aperture adjustment is offered. Do not specify a control architecture that expects the aperture to change without an operator or an external actuator.

Can a PLC drive the lens directly?

Yes. The command set is five ASCII strings over RS-232 or TCP. The protocol is documented and platform-independent, so the PLC code is a matter of formatting and sending those strings. POMEAS supplies the protocol definition rather than a vendor function block.

Does the lens focus itself?

No. Faster models provide a powered focus trim axis — a 3 mm or 12 mm motorised adjustment. There is no sharpness evaluation algorithm and no automatic focus search in the product, so closing the focus loop requires software on the integrator's side.

Can the lens be integrated into an AI vision system?

Yes. The programmable zoom interface can be part of an AI-controlled machine vision architecture, where supervisory software issues a new magnification command based on an inspection result. The camera and the lens are the acquisition layer; the decision layer is yours.

How many preset positions can be stored?

Position values are absolute pulse counts within each lens's total travel, and they are stored in your application rather than in the lens, so the practical limit is set by your own software rather than by the hardware.

Is the 12.9× field-of-view span available on every model?

No. That figure applies to the 12.5X platform at a 2/3" sensor. Coverage varies by platform and by sensor size, so field of view should always be quoted together with the model and the sensor format.

Related reading

• RS-232 serial command reference — the protocol layer
• SDK integration guide — the 44-function API
• Magnification to pulse position mapping
• Parfocality and centering adjustment procedure
• Motorized zoom lens troubleshooting guide
• Programmable Optics for Machine Vision: Capabilities and Limits
• Zoom lens parfocality and repeatability FAQ

Product pages

• 12.5X motorized coaxial zoom lens for machine vision
• PMS-LZ-650104 — 6.5X motorized continuous zoom lens
• 14X C-mount continuous zoom lens for machine vision
• 4K industrial zoom lens for machine vision
• Programmable Optics for AI Vision: Adaptive FOV, Motorized Zoom and Autofocus (AI vision and AOI applications)
• From Microscope to Machine Vision: Camera, Zoom Lens and Magnification Selection