HALCON 24.11 Steady Edition & RTL Dongle: Stable Runtime Solution for Machine Vision Applications

HALCON 24.11 Steady Edition & RTL Dongle: Stable Runtime Solution for Machine Vision Applications

1. Strategic Stabilization: The Steady Edition Philosophy

HALCON Steady is tailored for industrial-grade reliability. Released every two years, it receives regular maintenance updates—ensuring stability in deployed environments. Version 24.11 continues this tradition by freezing its feature set and focusing on deterministic behavior, long-term API consistency, and mission-critical deployment assurance mvtec.com+14mvtec.com+14docs.mvtec.com+14.

2. Cross‑Edition Harmony: Steady ↔ Progress Interoperability

With 24.11, HALCON breaks down silos:

  • Full license interchangeability is now possible—projects opened in Steady can be maintained in Progress and vice versa, simply by switching license files mvtec.com.

  • This dual-licensing model allows teams to develop in Progress with rapid updates, then deploy in Steady for guaranteed long-term stability.

3. Cutting‑Edge Deep Learning Enhancements

3.1 Out‑of‑Distribution (OOD) Detection

New in 24.11: the ability for classification models to detect and signal when an input is outside its trained domain—assigning an OOD score that reflects “novelty” or deviation mvtec.com+1mvtec.com+1.
Why it matters: Prevents misclassification (e.g. metal piece flagged when system was only trained on bottles); enables active monitoring or automatic rejection in production. It also identifies data worth labeling when gathering more training samples.

3.2 Global Context Anomaly Detection

Going beyond local defects, this approach understands the logical composition of entire scenes—detecting items that are missing, misplaced, or misaligned.
Benefits: PCB assembly checks, complex layout validation, and pattern inspection without needing examples of every possible anomaly; only “good” images required mvtec.com+2photon-tech.com.tw+2mvtec.com+2.

3.3 Deep 3D Matching (Bin‑Picking Revolution)

This module uses deep learning and CAD-only synthetic training to localize and orient objects in 3D using just one or more 2D cameras.
Impact: Enables rapid deployment, no real-object training data needed. Ideal for integration in bin-picking systems — available now in 24.11, with in-tool training arriving next release stemmer-imaging.com+9mvtec.com+9mvtec.com+9.

3.4 Deep Counting & OCR Enhancements

  • Deep Counting: Trains on very few samples to detect, count, and locate objects—even amorphous or reflective ones—like bottles or food ingredients mvtec.com.

  • Deep OCR: Far more robust at multi-orientation text spotting, even in noisy or oriented scenarios, with retraining options mvtec.com+1photon-tech.com.tw+1.

3.5 3D Gripping Point Detection & Structured-Light Upgrades

  • 3D gripping-point detection (introduced in Steady 22.11) enables suction-point candidates for generic objects — important in logistics and flexible pick-and-place systems multipix.com+7mvtec.com+7mvtec.com+7.

  • Structured-light modules allow fast, precise 3D surface reconstructions for diffuse materials using custom projectors and cameras, ideal for geometry-sensitive quality inspections mvtec.com.




4. Operator Usability & Performance

5. Development Experience: HDevelopEVO Preview

The upcoming IDE—HDevelopEVO—offers an upgraded user experience in 24.11:

6. Licensing via RTL Dongle: Secure, Offline Runtime

6.1 What’s in the RTL Dongle?

  • A Sentinel/Flexera USB dongle that secures runtime licenses—perfect for offline or locked networks.

  • Permits perpetual use on bound hardware IDs mvtec.commvtec.com+1mvtec.com+1.

6.2 Maintenance & Version Compatibility

  • Dongle licenses are forward-compatible within the same major version (e.g., 24.11 → 24.11.x).

  • Starting 24.11, these licences support both Progress and Steady editions—switching via license file only mvtec.com+2mvtec.com+2mvtec.com+2.

6.3 Driver & Platform Precautions

7. Licensing Ecosystem & Deployment Best Practices

  • Flexibility between development license and runtime dongle setups—dongles bind licensing securely to devices.

  • Manage multiple .dat license files in HALCON's license directory—HALCON auto-detects the correct license per version mvtec.com.

  • Ideal workflow recommended: Develop in Progress → Deploy in Steady, leveraging full compatibility and version agreements between editions.

🔁 Summary Chart

AspectDetails in HALCON 24.11 Steady + RTL Dongle
Update CadenceBiennial release + periodic maintenance patches
Edition CompatibilityFull interchangeability with Progress edition
Deep Learning AdvancesOOD detection, global-context anomaly, deep counting/OCR
3D Processing FeaturesDeep 3D matching, structured-light reconstruction, gripping points
Usability EnhancementsImproved QR reading, shape matching, GigE/RoCEv2
IDE PreviewHDevelopEVO pre-release included
Runtime Licensing MechanismPerpetual, hardware-bound dongle; forward-compatible
Driver CautionsAvoid legacy Sentinel drivers; use up-to-date installs

🛠️ Deployment Recommendations

  1. Driver Cleanup: Remove old Sentinel drivers before installing fresh HALCON 24.11 environment.

  2. License Management: Store .dat files together; allow HALCON to auto-select correct one.

  3. Dongle Use: Employ dongles in secured production setups to prevent unauthorized use.

  4. Model Strategy: Leverage OOD and anomaly detection to build robust, defensible workflows.

  5. Collaboration Workflow: Develop using Progress for agile feature access, then deploy via Steady for stable operations.

Final Thoughts

HALCON 24.11 Steady, paired with the RTL dongle, is a powerhouse for industrial vision deployment—merging deep-learning innovation, secure licensing, and cross-edition flexibility. Whether you're detecting anomalies, deploying OCR, or building bin-picking systems, this combo delivers reliability and control.

Feel free to ask if you'd like help with driver setup, choosing between dongle vs. server, or getting started with deep 3D workflows!