FRAMOS European customers can now benefit from 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GigE) technology, the high-speed IT standard for data transfer. The Canadian manufacturer Emergent Vision Technologies is currently the only provider in the world to offer industrial cameras based on this standard. Within the scope of a newly established collaboration, FRAMOS has exclusively responsibility for marketing these products across Europe. Dr. Ronald Müller, Head of Product Marketing, comments on the new highlight in the FRAMOS product portfolio: "Thanks to the international, industry-wide 10GigE interface standard, these cameras are noted for their unbeatable user-friendliness and low system costs at a bandwidth greater than that of CoaXpress and Camera Link."
The camera series currently encompasses a total of 9 models based on CMOS sensors with Global Shutter technology and a resolution of 2, 4 or 12 megapixels in monochrome and colour variants and with enhanced near infrared (NIR) sensitivity. The cameras deliver respectively an impressive 338, 179 and 87 frames per second at full resolution. By restricting the region of interest (ROI), the image rate can be further increased many times. The universal input/output interface with trigger functions, on-board image processing on the FPGA, SFP+ data output, C-mount or F-mount and rugged enclosure comprehensively meet all the requirements of modern, high performance industrial image-processing systems.
In terms of software, the change from GigE to 10GigE is effortless as the cameras SDK and Windows and Linux drivers provide full support of GigE Vision® and GenIcam®. For the hardware side, in contrast to Camera Link and CoaXpress, the peripheral elements of high-performance IT are available, eg. network cards, switches, cables, etc. The use of this technology offers the most important benefits to the challenges faced by vision integrators and technical managers, i.e. affordable prices, simple use, high reliability and long-term availability.
For automated quality inspection systems, the high speed and resolution of 10GigE cameras allows faster inspection and in-depth analysis of the products being inspected, and therefore generates higher turnover and profit margins. In the area of production automation, for example, vehicles can be seamlessly tracked on their journey through the entire production plant and image-controlled robots significantly accelerated on the operation of their tasks.
Dr. Ronald Müller commented: "This development will open up new solutions to numerous customers for their particularly demanding vision applications and once again confirms the FRAMOS reputation as a force for innovation within the industry."