Frequently Asked Questions

Standards

The GigE Vision standard is an open, global standard for transporting video and device control over Ethernet networks. It was introduced in 2006 and has been widely adopted by hardware and software vendors of industrial imaging equipment. It is being used successfully in video applications for machine vision, the military, medical imaging, traffic monitoring, and other industries. The GigE Vision standard provides a framework for connectivity between video transmitters, video receivers, video servers, video processing units, and control and management entities over standard GigE networks. Through compliance with the standard, these network elements interoperate seamlessly over the well-understood Ethernet infrastructure, making it easier for video applications to leverage Ethernet’s low cost, networking flexibility, scalability, high throughout, full-duplex connections, and long-distance reach. The GigE Vision standard is managed by the AIA. For more information on the GigE Vision standard, and to download the specification free-of-charge, visit the AIA web site.

Pleora’s Ethernet-based video interface products are GigE Vision compliant, and the company plays a leadership role in GigE Vision standards activities. We co-founded the GigE Vision initiative in 2003, our representative serves as Vice-Chair of the AIA GigE Vision Standard Committee, and we make significant contributions to the AIA GigE Vision Technical Committee.

The GigE Vision standard is the only video interface on the market that meets growing demand for the advanced networked architectures required by new-generation applications in the military, medical, and manufacturing sectors. It is also the only video interface standard that supports a wide variety of video network elements. Compared with other standard protocols, the GigE Vision standard cost-reduces the design, deployment and maintenance of high-speed video applications. The standard offers a turnkey solution that encompasses all aspects of communication and control, while leveraging globally established and industry maintained Ethernet standards protocols and the GenICam standard to speed time-to-market. The standard eases installation and reduces costs by enabling third-party interoperability and the use of widely available Ethernet elements. In addition, the GigE Vision standard makes it easier for designers to leverage the native performance attributes of Ethernet, including longer distance reach, network flexibility, scalability, high throughout, and full-duplex connections.

No. The GigE Vision framework defines protocols for the exchange of video and control data, and the event sequence for network device discovery. Specific attributes of compliant products are vendor-specific. These include reliability, recovery from packet loss, deterministic real-time operation, and precisely timed triggering. This approach ensures vendors have room to differentiate their products and gives users the broadest possible selection of compliant products with which to work.

The USB3 Vision interface is based on the USB 3.0 interface and uses USB 3.0 ports that will soon be standard on most PCs. Ratified in February 2013, the standard specifies how to format, stream, and control the transfer of the imaging and video data over the USB 3.0 bus, and includes a methodology for interoperating with software applications and software development kits (SDKs) on the host computer. The USB3 Vision interface helps reduce the design, deployment and maintenance costs of high-speed video applications based on the USB 3.0 bus by allowing cameras and other imaging products from various vendors to interoperate seamlessly. In addition, the standard makes it easier to leverage the performance attributes of the USB 3.0 platform, including higher bandwidth, power over cable and plug-and-play usability, using the affordable widely available USB 3.0 ports. The USB3 Vision standard is managed by the AIA. For more information on the USB3 Vision standard, and download the specification free-of-charge, visit the AIA web site.

Pleora’s USB 3.0 video interface products are USB3 Vision compliant, and the company plays an active role in USB3 Vision standards activities. Pleora contributed to the technical specifications and marketing development needed to launch the standard, and our representatives are driving its ongoing evolution by serving on the USB3 Vision Technical Committee.

The GenICam standard defines a generic camera programming interface that allows a single API (application programming interface) to control any compliant camera, regardless of its vendor, interface technology, or feature set. To gain compliance with the GigE Vision standard, system elements must include an XML file in a format specified by the GenICam standard describing a basic set of features. The GenICam standard allows the same applications design framework to be used for different types of cameras and imaging products, and simplifies the integration of new cameras and other imaging products into larger systems. The European Machine Vision Association (EMVA) publishes the GenICam standard and oversees the compliance process.

Pleora’s frame grabbers and embedded video interface hardware are GenICam-compliant, and the company plays an active role in GenICam standards activities. Pleora contributed to the technical specifications needed to get the standard launched, our representative serves on the EMVA GenICam Standard Committee, and we contribute to the standard’s ongoing technical evolution.

Yes. All of the elements in Pleora’s video connectivity solutions combine to form richly featured, high-performance video networks that are compatible with these standards.

Whether you’re designing a commercial machine vision system or upgrading a system within your own organization, standards-based interfaces help speed design time. Pleora has been deeply involved in the development of vision standards based on common PC interface and networking technologies because this ultimately drives design flexibility for our customers. By deploying a standards-based interface, designers can concentrate on image processing requirements rather than spending time reading standards documentation and testing implementations for compliance and interoperability.

Products

Employing our solutions, camera and systems manufacturers can increase reliability and performance while reducing development risk, shortening time-to-market and lowering costs. Our external frame grabber and embedded hardware products are deployed globally in a wide range of applications – including manufacturing, medical, defense, security and transportation systems – that require high-speed, uncompressed video for real-time analysis.

Frame grabbers interface cameras to a PC. While frame grabbers have traditionally been an internal component of the PC, with a camera interface provided through a PCI or a PCMCIA card, in today’s smaller form factor PCs there is often no room for an internal frame grabber. Instead, standards like GigE Vision and USB3 Vision allow the use of external frame grabbers connecting to ports already built into these smaller computing platforms. With external frame grabbers, end-users can more easily deploy a distributed computing system that integrates multiple cameras, small form factor PCs and remotely located processing or upgrade an existing vision system with an installed base of high-performance or application-specific analog cameras.

Pleora’s embedded hardware products are camera interfaces used to transport images from the camera sensor to the PC. Analog interfaces were originally used to transfer images, with camera settings performed manually at the camera. These have now been replaced with digital interfaces that allow higher speed imaging and enable camera control functions to be handled by the host software. Pleora introduced the first digital interface using GigE in 2002. Today we deliver an extensive family of embedded hardware products, with interfaces for video delivery over GigE, 10 GigE, USB 3.0, and wireless.

Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) is the third generation of Ethernet, the time-honored standard used in most of the world’s local area networks, including those for high-performance, real-time military, medical imaging, and industrial applications. The Ethernet standard defines four data rates: Ethernet (10 Mb/s), Fast Ethernet (100 Mb/s), GigE (1000 Mb/s or 1 Gb/s), and 10 GigE (10,000 Mb/s or 10 Gb/s). All generations use the same frame format. This ensures backward compatibility, permits system upgrades without sacrificing the equipment already in place, and allows multi-rate networks to interwork seamlessly.

Ethernet delivers the following key benefits for video connectivity:

  • Long reach, allowing spans of up to 100 meters between network nodes over standard copper cabling, and greater distances with switches or cost-effective fiber extenders;
  • Ubiquitous connection method, with Ethernet ports widely available on computing and networking devices
  • A low-cost, well-understood, and widely available infrastructure;
  • Exceptional networking flexibility, with support for almost every conceivable connectivity configuration, including point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and multi-point to multi-point;
  • Cabling flexibility and small connectors that can be field-terminated;
  • High throughput;and
  • Scalability, with an inherent ability to accommodate links operating at different data rates and the addition of new processing nodes, displays, and sensors.

GigE Vision over an industry-standard 802.11 wireless link shares many of the same benefits as GigE Vision over a GigE link, including reliable transfer, interoperability, and the ability to use a wide variety of computing platforms without requiring a traditional PCI frame grabber. While the throughput available using an 802.11 wireless link is significantly less than a GigE link, it is appropriate for applications where cabling challenges exist. Pleora demonstrated GigE Vision over Wireless at the VISION 2012 show, and plans to release commercial products in 2014.

Yes, Pleora’s eBUS SDK is optimized to help software developers quickly and easily develop processes to acquire an image from a camera or external frame grabber. As a result, developers can concentrate on image processing functionality, rather than understanding the intricate details of vision-specific standards. The comprehensive SDK is interoperable with both Pleora and third-party devices supporting GigE Vision, USB3 Vision and GenICam standards. Learn more about the Pleora eBUS SDK.

Pleora specializes in networked video connectivity solutions that are customized to meet specific requirements. Working with our rich portfolio of video networking elements, we partner with customers to tailor solutions to their individual needs, from definition to deployment, with full integration support. Our modular IP architecture is designed to accommodate a flexible range of requirements, including on-board processing, application-specific interfaces, and unique test patterns. At the PC-level, we can design software to accommodate application-specific requirements. For more information, visit our Custom Solutions page.

Certification & Regulation

Pleora is a COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) supplier. We do not comply with DFARS and FARS nor NIST 800. For more information and a full list of our certifications, please review the Policies page. Policies.

About Pleora

Pleora was established in 2000 with the objective of simplifying high-performance video. We were the first to introduce technology to reliably stream lossless, uncompressed video over Gigabit Ethernet (GigE), and with this began a trend to replace industry-specific camera interface standards with new standards that leverage proven network and peripheral connectivity technology. Today, we continue to provide video connectivity solutions based on proven industry-specific and cross-industry standards.

Pleora is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada with a sales office in Europe, applications engineering support in Asia, and an extensive network of regional channel partners. Visit the Contact Us page for details on how to reach us.

Pleora is the world leader in networked video connectivity solutions for mission-critical applications. We pioneered the use of GigE for real-time video connectivity in 2002, co-founded the GigE Vision standard in 2003, and play an active role on the GenICam and USB3 Vision standards committees. We offer the industry’s largest and most feature-rich solution set for high-performance video networking. Our singular focus on video connectivity gives us unique insight into the challenges of achieving performance and reliability over Ethernet networks. We understand the technology, know the applications, and play a lead role in the ongoing evolution of the standards.

By partnering with Pleora, manufacturers and systems integrators gain access to our unmatched depth and breadth of expertise in video connectivity solutions for mission-critical applications. This allows them to:

  • Significantly reduce design risk;
  • Speed time-to-market and accelerate field deployment;
  • Pass off the substantial engineering investment needed to keep up with the fast-paced evolution of video technology and standards; and
  • Allocate valued internal resources to areas that deliver higher value to their core businesses.

New customers should visit the Contact Us page and provide us with your contact details and basic information about your application or product requirements.

Existing customers requiring assistance should visit the Support page. If you are already a registered Pleora Support Center user, access “My Support” to submit and track cases.

eBUS FAQ

The following FAQ helps answer questions about eBUS SDK, migrating to recent versions, licensing, and platform support. If you have further questions, contact us.

eBUS SDK is a platform that simplifies application development, along with receive and transmit capabilities to streamline end-to-end data delivery between sensor devices and host applications. With the eBUS SDK, developers can write code that implements either or both eBUS Edge and eBUS Receive modes with eBUS Edge and eBUS Receive application programming interfaces (APIs), respectively.

eBUS Receive manages high-speed reception of GigE Vision and USB3 Vision images or data into buffers for hand-off to the end application for further analysis.


eBUS Edge is a software implementation of a full device level GigE Vision transmitter. eBUS Edge is a feature supported on eBUS SDK 6.0 or higher.

The eBUS Player Toolkit which is available for Windows is an easy-to-use solution to view streaming data and adjust device configuration settings to determine optimal settings for your vision system devices.

Purchasing the eBUS SDK Seat License provides you with full access to the latest version of eBUS, runtime licenses for your workstation, and one year subscription to eBUS SDK Basic Maintenance and Support… The eBUS SDK Seat License includes all available eBUS Receive for GigE Vision and USB3 Vision and eBUS Edge application programming interfaces or APIs.

Receive and transmit runtime licenses are required when an application written using eBUS is deployed to other devices. eBUS Receive will connect to and receive data from any GigE Vision or USB3 Vision device, however, it will automatically insert a watermark to the received image stream. An eBUS Receive runtime license (GEV-Rx for GigE Vision or U3V-Rx for USB3 Vision) removes the default watermark applied to video streams. One license per device is required, and there is no limit to the number of receive video streams per device. Note, if the video source is a Pleora transmitter such as an embedded video interface, external frame grabber, or eBUS-based transmitter, the default watermark is not applied and a license is not required. eBUS Edge will transmit images for 15 minutes and then stop transmitting by default. To enable permanent transmission, an eBUS Edge runtime license (eBUS Edge for GigE Vision) is required on the transmitting device. One license per camera or device is required. There is no limit to the number of transmit streams per device.

The eBUS Player Toolkit is included with the purchase of an eBUS SDK Seat License and also freely downloadable from the Pleora website.

No. Your application and runtime licenses will continue work as they did before. New runtime licenses purchased today will also work. However, Pleora does not provide maintenance releases for older versions. Check the support site to verify if your version is supported. To obtain the latest version with maintenance releases for 1 year, purchase the eBUS SDK Seat License.

A small amount of effort is required. In most cases you will only need to recompile your application. In some cases you may need to do some minor code changes.

No. Your application and runtime licenses will continue work as they did before. New runtime licenses purchased today will also work.

Note, new runtime licenses are not supported on version 3.0.

Pleora no longer supports 4.1 and earlier versions. If you require support, you will need to migrate your code to a supported version; to maximize life cycle support, we recommend migration to our latest version. To obtain the lastest version, and to stay up-to-date with new releases for 1 year, you will need to purchase the eBUS SDK Seat License.

Effort is required to do the migration. You will need to do code changes, and you will need to recompile your application.

If you require further assistance to do the migration, you can purchase a service from Pleora to help with the code migration.

If you have previously purchased a product from Pleora in the past year you can access eBUS 5.1 through your support center account. You cannot access eBUS 4.1 and earlier versions, these are no longer available for download.

Pleora supports 1 major revision back. For example, with the release of version 6.0, version 5.1 continues to be supported.

Purchasing Licenses

You can purchase licenses online. Runtime licenses are a downloadable file or dongle shipped after purchase. The eBUS SDK Seat License is also available online and includes all available eBUS Receive GigE Vision and USB3 Vision and transmit APIs (eBUS Edge, GEV-Rx and U3V-Rx) along with the eBUS Player Toolkit. Note that access to the eBUS SDK download package in the Support Center will be delivered via email within 1 business day following purchase. For more details on how to obtain the eBUS SDK and runtime licenses, please refer to this knowledge base article: https://supportcenter.pleora.com/s/article/eBUS-SDK-Licensing-Overview-KBase

eBUS Receive recognizes Pleora transmitting devices, such as an embedded video interface, an external frame grabber, or eBUS-based transmitters like eBUS Edge, and does not apply a watermark in such cases. Therefore, if you are using eBUS Receive to receive video from a Pleora transmitting device, you do not need to install a runtime license.

The eBUS Player Toolkit can be downloaded from the Pleora Support Site if you simply need to view video. Once eBUS Player is installed, if the video source is a Pleora transmitter there will be no watermark on received images. If the video source is a 3rd party non-Pleora transmitter, you will need to install a runtime license to remove the watermark. Note, the eBUS Player Toolkit is only available for Windows at this time.

If you purchase a Pleora embedded video interface or external frame grabber development kit, you will receive a copy of latest available SDK on a USB stick. This provides you with everything you need to start writing your application. However, the eBUS SDK provided is for use as-is, it is not supported, does not provide access to maintenance releases, and does not provide any runtime licenses for your workstations. If access to support, maintenance releases, or if runtime licenses are needed, purchase the eBUS SDK Seat License. The eBUS SDK Seat License includes a one year subscription for eBUS SDK Basic Maintenance and Support.

eBUS SDK Seat License

For those using the eBUS SDK for development, you get access to new functionality. You also get a one year subscription for eBUS SDK Basic Maintenance and Support, and runtime licensing for your workstation.

Yes, purchasing an eBUS SDK Seat License provides one year (365 days) of access to the latest eBUS version available. For example, if you purchase an eBUS SDK Seat License on July 1, you will have download access for new versions of the software until June 30th of the following year. To renew access following the one year period, you will need to purchase the eBUS SDK Basic, Standard, or Developer Software Maintenance and Support Annual Subscription.

No, you can continue to use the version you have installed. However, to access new features, and the latest operating system support introduced in later versions of the software, purchase the eBUS SDK Basic, Standard, or Developer Software Maintenance and Support Annual Subscription.

The eBUS SDK Seat License is for a single workstation, and accompanying runtime licenses will only work on the intended workstation. An eBUS SDK Seat License or additional runtime licenses for each additional workstation must be purchased to remove the watermark if using a 3rd-party non-Pleora video source for eBUS Receive, and stream longer than 15 minutes if using eBUS Edge.

Yes. The eBUS SDK Seat License is bundled with Pleora runtime licenses. It will allow the workstation to remove all watermarks from GigE Vision and USB3 Vision received video with eBUS Receive (GEV-Rx and U3V-Rx licenses), and will allow the workstation to transmit GigE Vision indefinitely (eBUS Edge license file).

Maintenance and Support Annual Subscriptions

Maintenance and support subscriptions compliments your eBUS SDK Seat License. Pleora offers 3 types of maintenance and support annual subscriptions: Basic, Standard and Developer:

Maintenance and Support Definitions
Basic Access to Pleora software maintenance releases for one year (365 days) from date of purchase, basic installation support, and online support tools.
Standard Access to Pleora software maintenance releases for one year (365 days) from date of purchase, code samples, online support tools, with additional best practice guidance and troubleshooting for standard installation, setup, and configuration.
Developer

Access Pleora software maintenance releases for one year (365 days) from date of purchase, code samples, online support tools, best practice guidance and troubleshooting for standard installation, setup and configuration, with additional ‘priority access’ for functional support from a dedicated team of senior application engineers.

This maintenance and support offering is suited for customers requiring ongoing developer support during testing and development stages.

Maintenance and Support Description Basic Standard Developer
Access to annual SOFTWARE maintenance releases
Self-serve on-line public access to Pleora’s Support Centre and global email and telephone support
Access to online documentation
Best practice guidance and troubleshooting support during standard installation
Setup and configuration support
Pleora samples
Assistance with troubleshooting custom code/applications based on Pleora samples
Assistance with writing custom code/applications based on Pleora samples
Dedicated access to an Application Engineer
Priority Access to Pleora Support

Runtime Licenses

If the source transmitter is Pleora technology (embedded interface, external frame grabber, eBUS Edge) and you’re using an earlier version of the eBUS SDK, you don’t need to purchase an Rx runtime license. There will be no watermark in the received video.

If the source transmitter is not Pleora technology but you have the required eBUS Receive runtime license from the previous version of eBUS, you do not need to purchase a new eBUS Receive runtime license. Depending which version of eBUS you’re using, the existing eBUS Receive runtime license file may need to be relocated in the computer or device, see the following link for more details: https://supportcenter.pleora.com/s/article/eBUS-SDK-Licensing-Overview-KBase?t=1552577393070#Troubleshooting-Tips

If the source transmitter is not Pleora technology and you don’t have the eBUS Receive runtime license for it, a watermark will appear in the video. To remove the watermark, you will need to purchase an eBUS Receive runtime license.

From eBUS 6.0 onwards there is no limit to the number of incoming streams for the eBUS Receive (GEV-Rx and U3V-Rx) runtime licenses. Only one license per receiving device/PC is required.

No. If you’re using a GigE Vision transmitter device using Pleora transmitter technology, you don’t need an eBUS Receive runtime license in the receiving computer or device. Examples of Pleora transmitter technology: devices containing Pleora’s eBUS Edge software; Pleora embedded video interfaces such as the NTx-NBT, NTx-Mini, NTx-GigE, NTx-U3, and NTx-Ten; Pleora external frame grabbers such as the CL-GigE, PT1000-CL4, CL-U3, CL-Ten; and Pleora intellectual property products.

There is no trial period for the eBUS SDK Seat License. However, you can download the eBUS Player Toolkit for free from the website to evaluate functionality, including receiving watermarked images.

If you purchase a Pleora embedded video interface or external frame grabber development kit, you will receive a copy of the SDK on a USB stick. However, the eBUS SDK provided is for use as-is, it is not supported, does not provide access to maintenance releases, and does not provide any runtime licenses for your workstations. If access to support, maintenance releases, or if runtime licenses are needed, purchase the eBUS SDK Seat License. The latter comes with a one year subscription for eBUS SDK Basic Maintenance and Support. The eBUS SDK Seat License is required to remove the watermark if using a 3rd party non-Pleora source, and stream longer than 15 minutes if using eBUS Edge.

Download the eBUS Player Toolkit, and then install and run eBUS Player on a Windows computer.

Connect the camera or device to the Windows computer. In eBUS Player, click the ‘Select/Connect’ button, click on your camera or device in the ‘Available Devices’ list, then observe ‘Receiver License’ row in the ‘Device Information’ list. If the transmitting video stream is coming from Pleora technology, the receiver license indicates ‘Valid’. If the transmitter does not come from Pleora technology, the receiver license indicates ‘Unlicensed’.

No. The runtime license that came with your eBUS SDK Seat License is uniquely tied to your development workstation, and it will not work on your production devices. You will need to purchase a runtime license for each production device.

No. The runtime license you purchased is uniquely tied to that particular production device, and it will not work on any other production devices. You will need to purchase a runtime license for each additional production device.

An eBUS Edge runtime license is included as part of your eBUS SDK Seat License purchase. It will enable unlimited use of the eBUS Edge functionality from your workstation, and will allow proper evaluation of eBUS Edge. The 15 minute transmit limit applies if you compile and install to a different device that does not have a runtime license. To get that device to transmit indefinitely, you do not need to purchase an eBUS SDK Seat License; you only need to purchase an eBUS Edge runtime license for the device.

Platform

eBUS supports Windows and Linux on Intel architecture CPUs, Linux on NVIDIA Jetson ARM CPUs, and macOS (eBUS SDK 6.0 only).

Current eBUS supports the NVIDIA Jetson Nano, TX2, TX2i, Xavier NX and AGX Xavier (with JetPack 4.6). If you require porting to other ARM platforms, we suggest contacting Pleora directly.

Yes. The eBUS Player application can be installed from the eBUS SDK for Windows, Linux and macOS.

The eBUS Player Toolkit also installs the eBUS Player as a standalone application, but is available for Windows only. Expanding the eBUS Player Toolkit to Linux and macOS is currently under consideration.

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