Balluff BVS — Trigger/Output Line Config in BVS Cockpit

Balluff · beginner · 20 min

When a Balluff BVS SmartCamera won't trigger or its output won't switch, the cause is usually the I/O line direction, a non-PNP trigger, or the pulse/delay settings. Configure the lines in BVS Cockpit.

ℹ️ On the BVS each I/O pin has a configurable direction — input, output, flash, or trigger. A 'won't trigger' or 'output won't switch' is nearly always a line assigned to the wrong function or the wrong electrical type.

Configure the I/O line direction

On a Balluff BVS SmartCamera, each I/O line has a direction parameter that defines whether it is an input, an output, the flash line, or the trigger line. If the camera won't trigger or an output won't switch, first confirm in BVS Cockpit that the physical pin you wired is actually assigned to the right function:

• The pin you send the trigger to must be set as the trigger line.
• The pin your PLC reads must be set as an output.

A line left as a plain input (or as the flash line) won't act as your trigger or result output.

Trigger input must be PNP

A hardware gotcha: the BVS trigger inputs must be PNP (sourcing). If you drive the trigger from an NPN (sinking) source, the camera may not see the edge. Confirm your trigger source is PNP, or add the appropriate interface, so the trigger line actually toggles.

Output pulse duration and delay

Two settings decide how the output behaves:

• Pulse duration: the default 0 means the output stays active until you set it again manually (via the "Set outputs" tool). If you expected a short pulse per part but left it at 0, the output looks 'stuck on'. Set a pulse duration > 0 to have the output go active for that time span and then return to inactive automatically.
• Delay: the delay of the trigger or an output is defined in milliseconds — check it isn't set so long that the output appears not to fire in your timing window.

Diagnose in BVS Cockpit

• Use the "Get inputs" tool to confirm the camera actually sees the trigger input toggling.
• Use the "Set outputs" tool to manually drive an output and confirm the wiring/PLC reads it.
• Use the "Setup camera" tool for the advanced flash and trigger settings.

Step-by-step

1. Check line directions in BVS Cockpit — the trigger pin set as trigger, the result pin set as output.
2. Confirm PNP trigger — the trigger input must be driven by a PNP (sourcing) source.
3. Verify the input with "Get inputs" while the line fires — does the camera see it toggle?
4. Output behavior: set a pulse duration > 0 for a per-part pulse (0 = latched until manually set); check the delay (ms).
5. Test the output with "Set outputs" to confirm wiring and the PLC read.

When it's really the inspection

If the camera triggers and the output line works but the result is wrong, the issue is the inspection/job (model, ROI, thresholds), not the I/O — review the job in BVS Cockpit against the real part.