Cognex adds EtherNet/IP to networkable In-Sight vision sensors

AUGUST 23--Cognex Corp. (Natick, MA;www.cognex.com) has announced the addition of the Ethernet Industrial Protocol (EtherNet/IP) to its In-Sight family of networkable vision sensors, enabling direct, real-time communications between In-Sight vision sensors and other factory-automation devices over a single Ethernet wire. EtherNet/IP is a new industrial networking standard for factory device communications that offers the reliable, deterministic performance of industrial networks such as ControlNet and DeviceNet, with the speed and convenience of standard Ethernet.

In addition to making it even easier for users to integrate vision into the production line, EtherNet/IP broadens the range of factory-automation devices that In-Sight vision sensors can communicate with. The new standard has already been adopted by more than 80 automation-equipment vendors, including makers of PLCs, motion controllers, and operator interface stations, and is supported by the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association, ControlNet International, and the Industrial Ethernet Association.

The In-Sight family of networkable vision sensors includes the In-Sight 1000, a low-cost, general-purpose sensor combining a full library of vision software tools and Ethernet communications in a single, compact unit; the In-Sight 3000, a general-purpose vision sensor featuring a separate camera and processor and dual processors; the In-Sight 1010 code reader, an integrated vision camera and processor designed for reading 2-D matrix codes and linear barcodes on parts; and the In-Sight 1700 wafer reader, a compact, self-contained vision sensor for 2-D matrix, alphanumeric, and barcode identification on semiconductor wafers.