Matrox Imaging has announced the new Matrox 4Sight EV6, the latest installment to the vision controller lineup. An enhancement of its immediate predecessor, the Matrox 4Sight GPm, the Matrox 4Sight EV6 integrates a seventh-generation Intel® Core™ processor to power ever-more demanding multi-camera applications.
Matrox 4Sight EV6 possesses the ingrained power to handle multi-camera inspections with ease and efficiency. Powered by an embedded mobile-class processor, this vision controller also features four Gigabit Ethernet and four SuperSpeed USB ports, allowing for multiple connections to the full range of available GigE Vision and USB3 Vision cameras. These Gigabit Ethernet ports support power-over-Ethernet (PoE), further simplify cabling and costs.
Interfacing with industrial equipment and communicating with enterprise systems is simple thanks to Matrox 4Sight EV6’s built-in connectivity. RS-232/RS-485 ports support connections to legacy automation devices while two additional GigE ports offer independent connections to work cell and enterprise networks, and include a hardware-assisted mechanism for PROFINET® communication. Integrated real-time digital I/Os with rotary encoder support help synchronize with other equipment for consistent results.
Matrox 4Sight EV6’s rugged casing ensures this vision controller fits readily into hostile, space-limited locations, while a fanless design helps reduce physical maintenance.
“Matrox 4Sight EV6 is the sixth iteration of the Matrox 4Sight family, which has proven to be an effective and reliable machine-vision platform for nearly 20 years,” says Fabio Perelli, product manager. “The upgraded processor means Matrox 4Sight EV6 has the power to tackle multi-camera, and even multi-line, inspections on the factory floor, with the connectivity and fanless design ideal for these types of applications.”
Matrox FDK
In addition, Matrox Imaging has launched the Matrox FDK, a powerful development kit for the Matrox Rapixo CXP Pro family of frame grabbers, based on Xilinx Kintex® UltraScale™ devices. The Matrox FDK helps developers harness the full power and flexibility of FPGAs for image processing. Used in combination with Xilinx Vivado® Design suite, the Matrox FDK supports the development of custom FPGA configurations that relieve the host system of intensive image-processing functions.
Matrox Imaging provides a library of ready-made FPGA design components within the Matrox FDK; the FDK also works in tandem with the Xilinx IP library, delivering more than 50 image-processing functions and associated source code to streamline application development. With the aid of Xilinx Vivado’s high-level synthesis (HLS) tool, components from either or both libraries compile quickly into compatible building blocks useable within the Matrox FDK.
Designed for software application developers and FPGA designers, the Vivado HLS tool delivers streamlined access to the underlying FPGA hardware. Using C and C++ languages, the Vilvado HLS enables highly iterative, software-oriented design methods for quick development of FPGA hardware modules from C/C++ source code. This allows developers to utilize FPGA design components—either the provided Xilinx examples or customized versions—without the burden of generating the peripheral logic. Custom- and ready-made Matrox FPGA design components combine easily within the graphical Xilinx Vivado IP Integrator tool.
Matrox FDK leverages the prowess of the Matrox Rapixo CXP family of frame grabbers, supporting version 2.0 of the CoaXPress® (CXP) digital interface standard for machine vision applications.
“The FDK gives developers the opportunity to develop FPGA designs and reap the advantages of FPGA processing,” says Mathieu Larouche, product manager, Matrox Imaging. “Moreover, the new HLS tool makes the FPGA accessible to developers that may not otherwise have the hardware knowledge and greatly reduces the development time compared to the traditional Hardware Description Language.”
Early-access versions of the Matrox FDK and the Matrox 4Sight EV6 will be available in Q1 2019.
Matrox Professional Services
Finally, Matrox Imaging has announced its new Matrox Professional Services offering. Backed by Matrox Applications Engineers and the Matrox Vision Squad—a team of high-level vision professionals—Matrox Professional Services offer in-depth support to customers, helping to recommend best methods and practices, and guide customers through their vision project development. These services aim to help customers save valuable development time and deploy solutions more quickly.
Matrox Professional Services comprise a full range of expert-driven technical support, including:
- Personalized remote or in-person training at Matrox Imaging headquarters or customer site
- Assessing application or project feasibility, including illumination, image acquisition, and vision algorithms
- Demonstrating and/or prototyping applications and projects
- Optimizing and/or troubleshooting user applications and projects, including remote debugging
- Video and camera interfacing
With a dedicated Vision Lab—equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, image capture, and computational tools—as well as an Online Technical Services facility featuring video conferencing stations that allow support staff to interface easily and directly with customers, Matrox Professional Services is poised to provide even greater assistance to Matrox Imaging’s valued customer base.
“Our team of engineers, programmers, and technicians are here to deliver a depth of expertise and experience that customers might not otherwise have access to,” says Robert Rochon, applications engineering manager, Matrox Imaging. “With these proactive offerings, customers can seek out the type of support needed, from a simple remote demonstration to comprehensive assessment of their project’s feasibility, and be guided through their unique situation by an experienced vision professional.”
