Innovative PC Driver from Pleora Runs Any IP Protocol on Any NIC, Streams Data at Full GigE Rate with Minimal CPU Overhead

Patent-pending architecture uses half the CPU of traditional filter drivers while streaming imaging data to PC memory at full 1 GigE (Gigabit Ethernet) rate
Allows vision systems to simultaneously support both Pleora’s iPORT™ transport protocol and AIA’s (Automated Imaging Association) GigE Vision™ standard

OTTAWA, CANADA, May 1, 2006: Pleora Technologies, the vision industry’s leading supplier of GigE connectivity products, today unveiled eBUS™, a ground-breaking PC driver that sets new benchmarks for flexibility and performance in GigE-based imaging and vision systems.

Pleora’s patent-pending eBUS software transforms almost any GigE NIC (network interface card/chip) into a high-performance, multi-mode IP data receiver. When data arrives at the NIC, the eBUS driver instantly recognizes the IP transport protocol in the packet header and, using trivial amounts of CPU power, switches the data to the appropriate driver object in the host computer.

For example, when data is headed by a performance-oriented IP transport protocol – such as Pleora’s iPORT protocol or GVSP (GigE Vision Stream Protocol) – eBUS streams the data directly to user memory in real time at GigE’s full, 1-Gb/s throughput rate. GVSP is the IP transport protocol used in the AIA’s new GigE Vision standard, which will be officially launched next month. With lower-performance protocols, such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), eBUS switches the data to the PC’s standard networking stack.

“Through eBUS and other innovations, Pleora is meeting its commitment to add seamless support for the GigE Vision standard to our widely deployed iPORT Connectivity Solution,” said George Chamberlain, President of Pleora Technologies. “With eBUS, our customers can use virtually any vendor’s NIC to connect any type of IP device, including GigE cameras that use the iPORT protocol, cameras that use GVSP, or even a mix of the two in one system, without the CPU penalty of a traditional filter driver.”

“eBUS is an example of how Pleora uses the depth and breadth of its networking expertise to optimize the low-cost industry-standard Ethernet/PC platform for vision applications,” said Alain Rivard, Vice-President of Engineering, Pleora Technologies. “With eBUS, our customers leverage the latest advances in PC architecture, such as dual-core CPUs and the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express bus.”

User transparency

Another key benefit of Pleora’s new eBUS driver is ease-of-use. A straightforward installation tool makes it fast and easy to get the driver running on any GigE NIC. After that, all eBUS functions, including its powerful IP protocol management capabilities, are completely transparent to vision system users.

For demanding applications with heavy processing overheads, the eBUS driver includes a premium-performance configuration optimized for the Intel PRO/1000 family of NICs and 825xx network interface chips. These NICs and chips support the PCI, PCI-X (PCI extension) PCIe (PCI Express), and CSA (Communication Streaming Architecture) buses. The premiumperformance eBUS configuration operates with the same low CPU load provided by Pleora’s existing iPORT High-Performance IP Device Driver.

Pleora will make eBUS available in Version 2.3 of the iPORT SDK (Software Development Kit). Like today’s iPORT drivers, eBUS will be bundled with the company’s iPORT IP Engines at no extra charge as part of a complete, end-to-end GigE connectivity solution. eBUS will also be offered to select OEMs as a standalone product.

About Pleora

Pleora Technologies is the world’s leading supplier of Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) imaging solutions. Pleora’s iPORT™ products stream imaging data in real time at full wire speed over low-cost GigE connections, while giving imaging applications long-distance reach, scaleable processing, flexible networking, and unmatched ease of use. Pleora is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada.