Version 1.2 of the GigE Vision camera interface standard has been released by the Automated Imaging Association (AIA), the trade group that oversees the development and administration of the standard. The updated version brings new features, such as control of non-streaming devices to the industry.
'Version 1.2 opens the doors for new classes of products beyond the traditional camera. It enables the integration of various types of devices through a common control protocol, simplifying software development for system integrators. This demonstrates the direction GigE Vision is taking to be more than a simple camera interface by providing a complete networking model to machine vision,' said Eric Carey, chair of the GigE Vision standard committee and R&D director at Dalsa.
GigE Vision is a camera interface standard developed using the Gigabit Ethernet communication protocol. It allows fast transfer (1,000Mbps) of data using standard cables over very long lengths (up to 100m). With the standard, hardware and software from different vendors can interoperate over Ethernet connections.
GigE Vision is a widely adopted interface, with dozens of companies offering GigE Vision compliant products and growth is expected in products such as hardware-based video receivers, software-based video servers and network controlled devices. The GigE Vision standard committee is already at work on GigE Vision 2.0, which Jeff Fryman, AIA's director of standards, noted 'will be a major update to capability and targeted support for 10 Gigabit speeds'. Version 2.0 is expected to be released in mid-2011.
AIA's website Machine Vision Online features a special section on vision industry standards information. To help companies find GigE Vision compliant products, users can search registered compliant products and find what they need. The AIA tests the compliancy of registered products throughout the year. Purchasers of vision equipment are encouraged to look for the GigE Vision Logo for assurance that a product is compliant – only registered compliant products may use the logo.
