Geni(us) Cam

PC-based machine vision can compete on price with smart cameras while providing a richer feature set, so why do folks keep buying the smart cameras?

One reason is that smart cameras are much easier to set up and get running. Anyone who has ever struggled to get software package A to communicate with camera B will know the frustration of assembling a system from discrete components. And that’s why you need to know about the GenICam™ (Generic programming Interface for Cameras) standard.

GenICam™, driven by the European Machine Vision Association, is an attempt to standardize the interface between camera and machine vision software. As best I can explain, it works by every camera containing an XML file that identifies itself to the PC, and an API on the PC that understands how to interpret and use that XML file.

What this will mean for you, the user, is that when you load up your software and plug in a camera, you’ll be presented with some kind of camera configuration screen that lets you establish the parameters – gain, exposure and so on – that you want to work with. In other words, it will remove one of the reasons for avoiding PC machine vision.

For an overview of GenICam™, you might like to start with this description on the Basler web site. Or if its details you want, this GenICam™ document download section of the EMVA web site will provide everything you need.