Why Use Firewire IEEE-1394.b As Your Digital Camera Interface?

There are many new digital interfaces for industrial vision, the new Firewire IEEE-1394.b industrial vision cameras from Sony Electronics, Inc. VIP, the Fire Dragon Series from TTAI (Teli-Toshiba America Inc.) and the Hitachi Firewire 1394.b cameras.

The older Firewire 1394.a version is still best supported by Pixelink. Pixelink offers a great software package and is compatible with Direct Show, Direct X and Lab View. They also offer board level and right angle configurations. The Pixelink Firewire industrial cameras should also be considered a good replacement for the Sony 1394.a versions as they use the same Sony chip set (CCD sensor) as the discontinued model by Sony and the Pixelink versions are $100 to $150 dollars less then the Sony models.

PL-B952F same sensor as the DFWX710
PL-B954F same sensor as the DFWSX910
PL-B953F same sensor as the XCDX710
PL-B955F same sensor as the XCDSX910

If you are considering moving form Firewire 1394.a to 1394.b a good consideration is Sony's new versions XCDV60 (90fps VGA), XCDSX90 (30fps SXGA) and XCDU100 (15fps UXGA). Although presently they do not offer an SDK and are due to release one at the end of January 2008. Another good selection for Firewire 1394.b cameras are the new Fire Dragon series by TTAI. TTAI does have a free SDK available and all cameras are currently shipping.
The TTAI versions to look at are the CS6910F (30fps SXGA), CSFV90CC3 (90fps VGA), CSFV36CC3 (36fps XGA), CSFS20CC3 (20fps SXGA) and the CSFU15BC18 (15fps UXGA). Finally, Hitachi Kokusai offers a line up of Firewire 1394.b cameras the KP-FD140F (Color, SXGA), KP-F140F (BW,SXGA), KP-FD32F (Color-VGA), KP-F32F (BW, VGA) and the KP-F83F (BW, XGA). They offer a free SDK and good technical support.

Aegis is finding that customers are very interested in GigE industrial vision cameras and both Pixelink and TTAI are coming out with versions Q1 2008. The interest for GigE seems to be more long range in that customers are looking to work with a technology they feel will be good in the future, but for now most are migrating from Firewire 1394.a to Firewire 1394.b. When customers are using analog they are expressing interest in moving to GigE and investigating the technology, but not leaping as they feel that later releases will have more to offer.

Firewire 1394.b seems like it will be the preferred digital technology for the present time. Camera link is still a rather small market and GigE is just emerging. Firewire 1394.b with 800 Mb, fast frame rates, low cost PC interfaces and free SDK's seems to be the industrial digital technology for 2008.