Since its adoption in 2006, the GigE Vision standard has become a favorite of the machine vision industry, growing to more than 30% of units sold annually, according to data compiled by the Automated Imaging Association.
Originally developed to acquire raw images from analog machine vision cameras, frame grabbers were once expected to be replaced by direct-to-PC technologies. Experience has, however, been otherwise.
Frame grabbers were developed in the early days of machine vision to provide a connection from analog cameras providing NTSC and PAL output signals to minicomputers requiring digital signals placed directly on data buses for digital memory storage.
The USB3 Vision specification is the result of many months of collaboration between some of the machine vision industry's leading technology companies.
Machine vision is a familiar technology in manufacturing and industry, and is used in an ever-growing range of tasks from simple code reading and assembly verification to robotic guidance and 3-D profiling.