Embedded vision engines offer choice of Windows CE or embedded NT

Imaging Technology Incorporated (ITI; Bedford, MA), a developer of high performance machine vision tools for OEMs, today announced the newest members of the NetSight family of high performance embedded vision engines. The industrial NetSight systems, NetSight-CE and NetSight-NT, are embedded vision systems that feature ruggedized enclosures and opto-isolated connections for I/O and acquisition controls. In addition, the NetSight family gives OEMs a choice of development environments, from an operating system based on Microsoft Windows CE or Windows NT to a range of sophisticated machine vision software tools and applications, including ITI's MVTools, MVTools CE, SMART Search, and Sherlock.

NetSights is ideal for automated manufacturing applications that require capabilities such as tightly integrated vision and motion control. It was designed for use in a wide variety of automated semiconductor and electronics manufacturing equipment, such as robotic wafer sorter/handlers, cluster tools, wafer probers, as well as in back-end IC manufacturing equipment, including die sorters, die/wire bonders, IC test handlers, screen printers, and dispensing machines.

All NetSight systems features a small-footprint, ruggedized enclosure with SVGA output, keyboard, and mouse ports. A 500MHz MMX-compatible CPU accelerates on-board vision processing. Communication with a remote host or application is supported through a high-speed, 100Base-T Ethernet link or via standard RS-232/485 serial ports. A high performance, built-in frame grabber interfaces with a variety of standard and non-standard cameras, both analog and digital. Opto-isolated I/O provides industrial connections for monitoring and controlling external events.

NetSight-CE combines Windows CE's real-time features with the vision engine's innovative, embedded design. The result is a deterministic machine vision engine, supported with standard C/C++ development tools, that communicates across standard network environments. NetSight–CE ships with a 16MB solid state drive.

NetSight can be configured for NT with a 6GB hard drive or embedded NT with a disk-on-chip. NetSight-NT is also available with Sherlock, ITI's Windows-based machine vision software environment designed to simplify development and deployment of vision tasks. Sherlock allows users to perform a full range of machine vision functions, including graphically organizing an application's vision strategy, fine-tuning variables and parameters, creating custom vision algorithms, and plotting statistical data.

The base NetSight units include an industrial chassis, motherboard, communications interfaces, power supply, and one of three camera interfaces: Analog, RS-422, or LVDS line and area scan format. NetSight-CE runs under Windows CE and provides a 16MB solid state drive, the Imaging Studio SDK, MVTools software library, and the SMART Search pattern-matching software. NetSight-NT is a similar model based on Windows NT; it includes a 6GB hard drive, the Imaging Studio SDK, MVTools software library, and the SMART Search pattern-matching software. NetSight-NT is also available configured with the Sherlock application software. Prices start at $3,500, list. OEM volume discounts are available.

Imaging Technology Incorporated (ITI) is a developer of high performance machine vision tools for OEMs, System Integrators, and Volume End Users. The company designs, manufactures, and markets a complete line of hardware and software solutions - from high speed, low cost frame grabbers to sophisticated on-board vision processors to robust machine vision software that performs up to 15 times faster than competitors.

Instrument Technology, Inc. (ITI), 55 Middlesex Turnpike, Bedford, MA 01730. Tel: 781-275-2700; Fax: 781-275-9590.

Edited by Paul O'Shea
Managing Editor, TestandMeasurement.com