Micro8xx PLC

I am creating a new system. It will be a vision driven sorting system on a conveyor (fairly slow speed.)

Keyence CV-X252AP Vision controller (supports Ethernet/IP)

VFD (undetermined type yet) (will support EtherNet/IP or I won't get it)

HMI (again undetermined but EtherNet/IP compatible)

There will be a dozen or so outputs for the pneumatics on the sorter.

Inputs will mostly all be from the camera and HMI via EtherNet

I want to take program run time from the camera controller (camera controller supports this) and vary the speed of the conveyor belt via the VFD. Also use the pass fail rate from the camera controller to determine (within the PLC) when I need to change camera programs.

Is the Micro8xx line capable of this. The VFD control is the portion that I am most concerned about since my knowledge of them is low.

For something simple the Micro800 Line would be good for you. It will interface the best with an AB 525 drive as well as the panelview 800. Both of which are made for the CCW software.
Keep in mind that only the developer edition of CCW can allow you to create UDTs or User Defined Data Structures to be correct.
Also, keep in mind that you can't move an array element if it contains a UDT. That was my biggest complaint of this software as of yet.

The math I am planning on doing is a running averages (and/or a small filter if need to) using data fed from the camera, 2 separate ones, both with about 5 seconds worth of data.

One average will (indirectly) control the VFD speed.

The other will control the camera program change.

Automation terminology is something I am still working on, but from what you said I gather it will be difficult to do this on the Micro8xx since the data coming in from the camera would be considered a UDT (I a assuming), but to do the averaging I typically shift arrays. But if I can't shift the UDT array I would need to come up with another method.

If needed I can go up to CompactLogix, but if it is not necessary I would rather not spend the extra $$

A mathematical part I forgot.
The sorting system will use the speed of the VFD to determine when to operate the sorting system. I will use the speed to determine the distance the belt has traveled. It is a slower system with a fairly large margin for error on the sorting pusher and chutes, so the errors in calculated speed vs real speed should be acceptable.

Sounds like it could be a good fit for your project. For me it was the limitation of moving the array elements that screwed me up. There is ways to accomplish this is you want to use ST in conjunction with indirect addressing. I got the documentation from AB but I have never worked with ST and desperately wanted to not include it on this project. Especially where my project goal was to keep it simple enough for the next guy to understand.

There are lots of math and comparison instructions though that will likely come useful to you.

I have not worked with "ST" in AB products specifically but I have included code in some Red Lion projects I have done recently, and my background is C, VHDL, C# (main ones I used) so I am very comfortable with text based programming.

I glanced through the instructions does seem to be a good list of functions.

If I remember right 820 and 850 are the models with Ethernet so now it is just a matter of which one I want to use. 850 I can do without expansions (I believe) 820 I would have to expand the outputs.

Would you be able to send me that information on the shifting, or at least the technote #

I would have to know more about the geometery involved, but I generally cringe at shift registers used for parts tracking. I started my factory life as a green tire sorter and had to suffer from automated sort systems that got out of sync and put big heavy tires in the wrong lanes and caused me a shedload of back work carrying them all back to the right spot while I stopped the line and reset the sort system.

My preference is for position based tracking. Based on your description, you can calculate the position of the objects in the system and operate the pertinent mechanisms when a matching part is within range. If there are a lot of products in process and a lengthy conveyor (or multiple conveyors) involved, building a map of the conveyor contents with a moving pointer can be the most efficient. If there are few products in process at any given time, then just keeping a list (array) of them and how far along the system they have traveled can be simpler to set up.

In any case, you'll need to update the position at a regular interval (timed routine) whether it is the position of the belt(s) or the position of each object in process.

I understand what you mean with the out of position and that kind of system, but the scope of this project will make it a manageable nightmare.

Camera will decide if its Part A or Part B it will travel either 4 feet and be knocked into Bin A or 6 feet and be knocked into Bin B