AIA releases GigE Vision standard v1.2

FEBRUARY 2, 2010--The GigE Vision camera interface standard that has been used by the machine-vision industry since 2006 has recently been updated and Version 1.2 is now available. This version brings new features such as control of nonstreaming devices to the industry. The Automated Imaging Association (AIA; Ann Arbor, MI, USA) oversees the ongoing development and administration of the standard.

GigE Vision is a camera interface standard developed using the Gigabit Ethernet communication protocol. The interface allows fast transfer (1000 Mbits/s) of data using low-cost standard cables over lengths up to 100 m. With GigE Vision, hardware and software from different vendors can interoperate seamlessly over Ethernet connections.

Version 1.2 introduces nonstreaming device control, accommodating networked video distribution applications that leverage switched Ethernet client/server video networks. Devices such as GigE Vision-enabled lights will now be automatically recognized by the computers on the network.

"Version 1.2 is a major milestone for GigE Vision as it 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, greatly 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," says Eric Carey, chair of the GigE Vision Standard Committee and R&D director at DALSA (Waterloo, ON, Canada).

GigE Vision is a widely adopted interface, with many GigE Vision-compliant products on the market today. GigE Vision should not be confused with devices that 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. The GigE Vision standard committee is already at work on GigE Vision 2.0 with an expected release in mid-2011.

"The committee remains focused on maintaining and improving the industry leading features of the GigE Vision standard. I am especially grateful to Vincent Rowley, our committee vice chair and senior system designer at Pleora Technologies, for leading the team effort to get Version 1.2 to the market," says Jeff Fryman, AIA's director of standards.

-- Posted by Carrie Meadows, Vision Systems Design