Where can I get camera software for a Gig-E camera? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Ben321
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2021, 09:44:26 pm
content: I think Gig-E is not just specifying that the camera uses a gigabit ethernet connection, but actually is a specific protocol used for controlling, as well as getting an image from, such a camera. So of course it will require control software for it. I have been considering buying a used Gig-E camera from ebay just to experiment with, and my laptop's ethernet port does support gigabit speed, but I would still need control/viewer software. Is there any free Gig-E camera software. I know Lab View can work with such cameras, but I also know it's a HUGE program (even the free version is several GIGABYTES in size), so it's way too bloated for just one specific application (in this case controlling and viewing the video from a Gig-E camera).

author: Tom45
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2021, 12:05:34 am
content: As evb149 said, you will need to download support software from the camera's manufacturer. They will typically have something that will at least talk to the camera and be able to configure it.More than that and all bets are off. Gig-E is just one layer between the camera and the computer. The API for a camera is typically specific to a manufacturer and often, a camera model.I support a system with 6 Gig-E cameras from two different companies. The API interface is totally different between the two manufacturers. And just to make it harder to use their cameras, one of the manufacturers came out with a totally different API for their latest model that is about to be released. There is no apparent reason why they needed to do that. Perhaps their previous staff quit and a new hire out of college decided to reinvent the wheel. Yes, I'm bitter.

author: Ben321
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2021, 09:39:58 pm
content: Quote from: evb149 on July 08, 2021, 11:08:19 pmMy understanding was that Gig-E was more than just a fancy term for gigabit ethernet. While it uses gigabit ethernet speeds, the term Gig-E is capitalized because it's the name of a specific protocol for communicating with industrial cameras, and provided a standardized software interface, so anybody who wanted to make software that could control a Gig-E camera could just follow the specifications and implement that functionality in their software. I think I read somewhere that the Gig-E standard is based on the CameraLink standard, except that it doesn't use the proprietary connector that CameraLink uses. Obviously some companies add their own special commands to the their own cameras for special features, but to be officially labeled Gig-E their cameras need to follow the official specification, which means at a bare minimum their cameras need to be able to respond properly to the standard set of Gig-E commands. So I was wondering if somewhere out there, there might be some software that uses the generic Gig-E interface with the base set of commands, that would allow controlling the basic features on, and receiving video from, these cameras. There must be some software out there like that, but I can't seem to find it. That's why I was posting and asking about that in this forum, hoping that someone here might know where to find such software.

author: olkipukki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2021, 12:53:04 am
content: Quote from: Ben321 on July 08, 2021, 09:44:26 pmBefore spend $($($)), worth to check if a camera is officially supportedhttps://www.automate.org/a3-content/vision-standards-gige-productsQuote from: Ben321 on July 08, 2021, 09:44:26 pmWhat are you planning to do - just acquire image/video or some post-processing too?For example, you can try Lite version or use above list for another software vendorshttps://www.adaptive-vision.com/en/software/studio/

author: Ben321
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2021, 04:18:36 am
content: Quote from: olkipukki on July 11, 2021, 12:53:04 amI don't need any processing in the capture/control software. Any processing will be done to the captured image or video in separate software, even if I have to write that software myself.

author: Ben321
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2021, 04:39:56 am
content: Quote from: evb149 on July 10, 2021, 10:31:20 pmYes, that standard is called Genicam.Here's some info on GigE (the hardware interface) and Genicam (the related software interface).https://www.stemmer-imaging.com/en/technical-tips/gige-vision-and-genicam/Here's some more info on the Genicam standard.https://www.emva.org/standards-technology/genicam/Basler is one camera company that manufactures cameras that implement this protocol. Here's there webpage on the subject.https://www.baslerweb.com/en/vision-campus/interfaces-and-standards/genicam-standard/Genicam is supposed to be an industry standard software interface for controlling industrial/scientific cameras from any company making such cameras. If Genicam is implemented in a given company's camera (instead of each company implementing their own proprietary command and capture protocol) then that camera will only need Genicam capture/control software (no requirement that you buy a specific company's software for controlling only their cameras). Genicam literally means Generic Interface for Cameras. It can be used with Genicam compliant cameras that use a number of different hardware connections, including GigE, USB, Firewire, and Cameralink (a type of hardware connection developed exclusively for connecting industrial/scientific cameras to a computer, and requires a very expensive Camerlink interface PCI or PCI-E board to be installed in your computer to even make the connection from the camera to your computer, so Cameralink cameras are of no interest to me due to the price of even getting the signal into the computer, plus it doesn't work on laptops that have no expansion slots like desktops do, and right now my main PC is a laptop).I guess the title of this thread should really be "Where can I get Genicam software for Gig-E cameras?", because Genicam is the name of the software protocol standard implemented that simply uses the Gig-E connection as the physical connection to the camera.Hmm. Maybe this is what I need.https://www.emva.org/standards-technology/genicam/genicam-downloads/