AIA releases GigE Vision Version 1.1 interface standard

APRIL 23, 2009--The GigE Vision camera interface standard that has been used by the machine-vision industry since 2006 has been updated and Version 1.1 is now available. The GigE Vision standard committee has improved the standard and Version 1.1 includes new features. The trademark process is now fully complete and the Automated Imaging Association (AIA; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; www.machinevisiononline.org), the global trade group that oversees the ongoing development and administration of the standard, has been issued a registered trademark for GigE Vision.

GigE Vision is a camera interface standard developed using the Gigabit Ethernet communication protocol. GigE Vision is the first standard to allow fast transfer (1000 Mbits/s) of data using low-cost standard cables over very long lengths (up to 100 m). With GigE Vision, hardware and software from different vendors can interoperate seamlessly over Ethernet connections. The scalable interface will follow the growth of Ethernet bandwidth. The GigE Vision standard committee is already preparing for incorporation of 10GigE as it becomes the mainstream protocol, allowing GigE Vision to become the fastest connection in the industry.

GigE Vision is not to be confused with devices that only say they are "GigE"; although a GigE device may use Ethernet connectivity, it does not use the GigE Vision communication protocol and will not plug-and-play with GigE Vision-compliant devices.

Eric Carey, chair of the GigE Vision standard committee, notes, "This is the first revision of the specification since it was introduced. While not introducing new camera features itself, the subtle changes allow developers and camera manufacturers to better control internal processes, thus allowing for more full-feature camera options."

Among the many changes, clarifications and improved documentation are several new features including new pixel formats and Bayer format support, improved error handling, support for multiple versions of the GenICam schema and GenAPI; and new commands allowing action commands to be sent to multiple devices simultaneously as well as managing the execution time.

"We're glad to see the widespread market acceptance of GigE Vision," says Jeff Fryman, AIA's director of standards. "The end users in our industry have really accepted the plug-and-play aspect of the standard; it definitely saves time and frustration on a project. Overall, standards allow the industry component manufacturers to bring exciting new products to market faster, accelerating the technology improvements in industry. With less time and money spent on multivendor integration steps, more focus can be placed on technology innovation; it's a real win-win for the industry."

One other notable improvement for the GigE Vision standard is that Version 1.1 is now available in Japanese, in addition to English, which will better serve the large manufacturing and user base for machine vision in Japan.

More information, including a list of compliant products, is available on the GigE Vision web pages of Machine Vision Online (www.machinevisiononline.org).

The GigE Vision standard is not an open source standard and may be obtained from the AIA. Anyone interested in more information may contact Jeff Fryman at 734-994-6088 or by email at [email protected].