Pleora IP Engine Delivers Real-Time, Medium-Rate Camera Link Connectivity Over Gigabit Ethernet

Newest iPORT™ IP (Internet Protocol) engine streams Camera Link™ data at 200 MB/s (megabytes per second) over standard GigE (Gigabit Ethernet) connections

OTTAWA, CANADA, October 19, 2004: Pleora Technologies today unveiled a high-performance IP engine that lowers the cost, reduces the complexity, and enhances the flexibility of vision systems with large data transfer requirements

The iPORT PT2000-CLM IP engine, the latest addition to Pleora’s industry-leading line of iPORT Vision Connectivity products, streams data in real time between medium-rate Camera Link cameras and PCs across standard GigE links.

The PT2000-CLM is designed for high-bandwidth vision applications that send imaging data to PCs for immediate processing, such as postal sorting systems and the high-speed inspection systems used by manufacturers of flat panel displays and semiconductor wafers.

Pleora’s CLM engine converts imaging data from medium-rate Camera Link cameras into IP packets and sends it to PCs at rates of up to 200 MB/s over two ordinary GigE copper cable links. The engine supports traditional point-to-point connections between cameras and PCs, as well as high-speed, packet-switched GigE vision networks interconnecting one or more cameras to one or more PCs. In all configurations, the PT2000-CLM delivers the low, predictable end-to-end latency (or delay) and instantaneous triggering required by advanced, real-time image processing systems.

“The PT2000-CLM meets growing customer demand for high-bandwidth camera-to-PC connections that leverage the economy, ease of use, and flexibility of commercial GigE equipment,” said Alain Rivard, Vice-President of Engineering, Pleora Technologies. “The engine drives cost and complexity from medium-rate Camera Link installations by eliminating or reducing the need for specialized PC hardware like framegrabbers and DSP (digital signal processing) boards.”

Broad camera support

Pleora’s iPORT PT2000-CLM is compatible with most medium-rate Camera Link models, including the industry-dominant 160-MHz, 4-tap configuration. The engine can reconstruct images from camera pixel taps prior to GigE transport, reducing the CPU processing load when data arrives at the PC.

The CLM engine offers flexible real-time triggering via Boolean combinations and camera control signals. These are delivered through a fully featured GPIO (general purpose input/output) interface with two TTL (transistor-to-transistor) inputs and outputs, one LVDS input, an optically isolated input and output, multiple programmable timers and rescalers, and a signal delayer with a 32-event queue.

Flexible, scaleable real-time vision networks

The PT2000-CLM allows vision system designers to build flexible, high-bandwidth vision applications using economical, widely available, commercial GigE switches and PC NICs (network interface cards or chips). With the CLM engine, designers can, for instance, build systems with multiple cameras, multicast data from cameras to multiple PCs, or distribute image processing functions across multiple PCs. Separate PC framegrabbers and DSP cards are not required.

End-to-end solution

As part of Pleora’s iPORT Vision Connectivity Solution, the PT2000-CLM is delivered with powerful PC software: two iPORT IP Device Drivers, one for each GigE link, and the iPORT Software Development Kit (SDK). The drivers, which run on standard NICs, stream incoming video data into PC memory using only 1% of CPU capacity. This leaves ample power available for the simultaneous processing of vision applications. The SDK is an advanced user interface that eases applications development.

About Pleora

Pleora Technologies Inc. pioneered the use of Gigabit Ethernet for real-time video connectivity and revolutionized industrial imaging. With this spirit of innovation, Pleora engineers networked video connectivity solutions for mission-critical applications. Working with its rich portfolio of video networking elements, Pleora partners with customers to tailor solutions to their individual needs, from definition to deployment, with full integration support. Find out why more military, medical, and manufacturing integrators and OEMs choose—and stay—with Pleora, visit www.pleora.com.