GenICam
At a glance
- Global set of standards to interface cameras to computer applications
- Basis for high-speed video standards like GigE Vision, USB3 Vision, CoaXPress and Camera Link
- Homogenization of wording, interfaces and processes
- Helps integrating new cameras to current applications
What is GenICam?
GenICam is a global set of standards to interface industrial cameras to computer software applications (such as machine vision). It allows a homogenization of the wording, the interfaces and the processes in image processing, acquisition and transport. By providing all users with a common set of names and configurations, it ensures communication regardless of the supplier implementation details, feature set, or interface technology. It is the basis for high-speed video standards like GigE Vision, USB3 Vision, CoaXPress or Camera Link.
How does GenICan work?
High-resolution and high-speed video standards require the use of GenICam for accessing, controlling and streaming video from compliant cameras and other imaging products.
- GenApi defines the format of an extensible mark-up language file, written in XML, which captures and specifies how to access and control the features of a compliant device.
- Standard Features Naming Convention (SFNC) standardizes and explains the names of more than 300 commonly used camera and application features. To comply with the transport layer of GigE Vision®, USB3 Vision™ or CoaXPress® it also sets a minimum level of mandatory features to ensure system functionality.
- Pixel Format Naming Convention (PFNC) standardizes and explains how to code the pixel stream of your sensor, so that software engineers know how to use it inside their applications.
- GenTL defines a hardware independent software interface between any image data producer (e.g. frame grabber driver) and any image data consumer
- GenTL SFNC defines the wording of the features available in the GenTL producer and consumer.
- GenCP defines a generic control protocol used by current (e.g. USB3 Vision™) and future interface standards.
- CLProtocol is an additional software layer needed to interface mature Camera Link cameras to standard GenICam applications.
More advantages to GenICam
By homogenizing the video standards language, GenICam reduces time, effort and cost during the design, the deployment, and the maintenance of high-speed video applications. Indeed, it allows the same application framework to use different types of cameras and imaging devices, which helps integrating new cameras to your current image processing applications.