help with moving image inspection

[chemostris]

Hello, 

I am trying to develop a machine vision system to read and measure a liquid height in a tube vs. time. in my experiments, The foam decreases in a tube and I need to measure the height every second or so. I want to automate this experiment. I want the instrument to recognize the height and give me height vs time graph. 

I am a beginner, so I need to know what software I need and if there is any template for coding, and what kind of high-speed camera I need. thank you so much for your assistance. 

[MarinaBen]

Hello chemostris,

If you are looking into NI Vision software, I would consider using the Vision Development Module or Vision Builder for your application. Both can acquire and process images for you. See Differences Between NI Vision Builder and the NI Vision Development Module for more information.

When you are looking for a camera make sure that the camera bus is supported with the NI Vision software. The three main buses I would look at are Camera Link, USB 3.0, or GigE Vision.

Another thing to keep in mind is lighting with your camera, which can give you a better quality image.