pylon Open Source Projects

pypylon or Basler‘s new pylon Camera Software Suite interface for Python

pypylon is Basler’s new pylon Camera Software Suite interface for interfacing Basler cameras with the programming language Python. pypylon is an open source project hosted on https://github.com/basler/pypylon.

With pypylon, Basler is making a camera API available as an open source project for the first time. This provides maximum flexibility for users who can now modify and build pypylon according to their specific individual needs. With this project, Basler is encouraging the community to get involved with their own creative ideas and actively take part in further developing pypyplon.

Why use pypylon?

Python is a dynamic, object-oriented and multipurpose programming language designed to be quick to understand, learn and use. The syntax in Python helps programmers do coding in fewer steps, as compared to Java, VB, C, C++ or C#. Python's extensive library of open-source image processing libraries (e.g. Open CV), data analysis tools, web frameworks, and testing instruments makes its ecosystem one of the largest of any programming community.

pypylon is a wrapper interface for the powerful Basler pylon Camera Software Suite that allows both new and experienced Python programmers to easily develop applications and test Basler cameras without setting up a complex development environment. This significantly speeds up the camera evaluation process, increases the programmer’s productivity and decreases the total project costs.

System requirements

• Windows 64-bit, Linux x86_64, Linux ARM 32-bit hard-float / ARM 64-bit, macOS Intel 64-bit
• Latest version of the Basler pylon Camera Software Suite
• Python 3.4 or newer
• Latest pypylon version

NEW: pylon Camera Driver for Robot Operating System (ROS 1 and ROS 2)

The pylon Camera Driver for Robot Operating System (ROS) is an open source project that allows Basler GigE Vision and USB3 Vision cameras to be used in robotics applications.

ROS is an all-open-source framework of software libraries and tools. The framework supports the building of various robot applications. ROS provides the development tools, algorithms and drivers for a variety of robotics platform projects. ROS is able to run a large number of executables in parallel and let them exchange data synchronously or asynchronously. In practice, the data are generally sensor queries whose resulting data can be processed to cause robot actions.

Sensors used in robotics are single information and array detectors. In addition, industrial cameras are also increasingly used for robotics applications.

To allow Basler’s GigE Vision and USB3 Vision cameras to work within the ROS framework, Basler offers the new “pylon-ROS-Camera ” package. It is available for free download under a BCD license at GitHub.

Technology:

• Basler GigE Vision and USB3 Vision cameras
• ROS 2, e.g., ROS2 Galactic Geochelone
• Basler pylon Camera Software Suite 6.2 or newer for Linux x86 or Linux ARM
• „pylon-ROS-camera “ package

For more information on interfacing Basler GigE Vision and USB3 Vision cameras with ROS 2 using the "pylon-ROS-camera" package refer to the Application Notes “Interfacing Basler Cameras with ROS ”.

Applications:

• Pick and Place
• Packaging and Palletizing
• CNC (Computerized Numerical Control)
• Assembly
• Machine Tending
• Quality Inspection

NEW: pylon GStreamer plug-in for Basler cameras

With the gst-plugin-pylon open-source project, Basler provides a pylon GStreamer source plug-in to enable the use of any Basler cameras – including those using GigE Vision, USB3 Vision, CoaXPress, or MIPI interface – within the GStreamer framework.

GStreamer is an open-source multimedia framework mainly used to create media applications, for streaming, video editing, video playback, etc. The GStreamer framework is designed to allow for easy development of applications that handle video, or audio, or both. It uses plug-ins that provide various codec, filter and other functionalities.

The pylonsrc source plug-in is based on the powerful pylon Camera Software Suite. It benefits from a dynamic and generic camera parameter access via GenICam, as well as reliable and real-time-capable drivers, and a well-designed and easy-to-use API that enables rapid and efficient development.

Technology:

• Basler GigE Vision, USB3 Vision, CoaXPress or MIPI cameras
• Basler pylon Camera Software Suite 7 or newer
• GStreamer 1.20 or newer
• gst-plugin-pylon open-source project hosted on GitHub
• Windows 10/11 64-bit, Linux x86 64-bit, Linux ARM 64-bit, macOS

Applications:

• Video streaming server, e.g. to create an IP camera
• Video analysis and processing, e.g. in combination with OpenCV or AI-based ecosystems
• Media players
• Others

Ecosystems:

• NVIDIA DeepStream SDK
• NXP i.MX with NNStreamer

Basler’s products have been thoroughly tested – and work best – with the products of our partners NVIDIA and NXP. Due to their universal and generic design, Basler cameras can also be used with any other hardware or software products or tools of other manufacturers.