GenICam

Cameras currently used in machine vision are all configurable in more or less the same way – by reading and writing parameters in registers. Protocols, formats, and register locations, however, tend to differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.

The objective of GenICam is to provide a universal programming (configuration) interface across a wide range of standard physical interfaces such as GigE Vision, Camera Link, and FireWire/IEEE 1394, regardless of the camera type and image format. This approach makes it easy to connect cameras compliant with the GenICam standard without the need for camera-specific configurations.

The core of GenICam is a description of the camera's properties in an XML Descriptor File. Using this file, a translator directly generates an Application Programming Interface called GenAPI or the elements of a Graphical User Interface (GUI). This lets the user easily access the features and functions available on the camera. GenTL, a module of GenICam, provides a unified mechanism for grabbing and streaming images from the camera. The GigE Vision standard requires that cameras with a GigE interface provide the XML Descriptor File. A Descriptor File for Basler’s IEEE 1394 compliant cameras is available as well.

 

GenICam is a standard of the European Machine Vision Association (EMVA). Together with Basler, a group of prominent camera, frame grabber, and software library manufacturers is actively supporting the development of the standard. You can find more information about GenICam at www.genicam.org .