nEWS - Allied Vision Technologies

EyesOnVision August 2008
EYES onVISION
T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R I N D U S T R I A L I M A G E P R O C E S S I N G
AVT Opens New
Production Facility
Production capacity has been doubled to keep
pace with market demand. Page 5
EMVA 1288:
(Not) a Panacea?
Pros and cons:
EMVA 1288 Standard
Page 3
New AVT
Software
SDK with new logos and
enhanced functionality.
Page 4
Best Practice:
Lord of the Rings
Freudenberg relies on
Marlin digital cameras.
Page 6
Allied Vision Technologies
acquires Prosilica.
Allied Vision Technologies, the
established market leader in
the area of digital FireWire
industrial cameras, acquired 100% of
the shares of the Canadian camera
manufacturer Prosilica Inc. on 31 July
2008. The participants have agreed to
keep the purchase price confidential.
As a result of this acquisition, Allied
Vision Technologies and Prosilica create
an industry-leading product range of
GigE and FireWire products and therefore
extend their market leading position
in the area of digital cameras for
industrial image processing.
Prosilica, which was founded in the
year 2003, is one of the most important
suppliers in the industrial image processing
market. The Vancouver, Canada
company develops, produces, and markets
high-quality industrial cameras
based on digital GigE technology, and
is one of the acknowledged market leaders
in this segment.
Through Prosilica, Allied Vision Technologies
– a wholly-owned subsidiary
of the technology enterprise AUGUSTA
Technologie AG – gains immediate
access to the important Gigabit
The acquisition
makes AVT
one of the top
suppliers of
industrial
cameras to the
world market.
Ethernet industrial camera market to
expand its customer base in the most
important world markets.
Both companies, AVT and Prosilica,
have a history of strong growth in their
markets. In future, the technology
teams of both companies will be working
on the further development of
both FireWire and GigE interface
camera systems, which will be sold
under the brand names already established
for the two companies. Further
growth is expected through the intimate
collaboration of the two companies
in the areas of development, production,
and sales.
At Prosilica, the entire founding team
lead by CEO Marty Furse will remain
in place unchanged and will work
together with Allied Vision Technologies
to further expand the business
with GigE cameras and to implement
new developments.
Frank Grube, President & CEO of
Allied Vision Technologies, comments
on the acquisition, “In Prosilica we
have found the perfect complement to
Allied Vision Technologies. The highclass
cameras from Prosilica represent
an excellent strategic extension to our
existing product range in the area of
machine vision, in which Allied Vision
Technologies is already the world leader
with its Firewire-based digital cameras.
At the same time, this acquisition
allows us to offer our customers a
broad product portfolio that now also
includes GigE cameras; enabling us to
further expand our market position in
North America, Europe, and Asia.”
“We are happy to become part of Allied
Vision Technologies,” says Marty Furse,
CEO of Prosilica. “Being part of this
Profile of Prosilica Inc.
larger organization will accelerate
Prosilica’s growth and enhance its market
presence. Joint product development
and sales activities will result in
immediate, strong market growth for
both brands.”
Prosilica designs and manufactures high-performance CCD and
CMOS cameras for machine vision and industrial imaging applications.
Prosilica’s cameras feature Gigabit Ethernet (GigE Vision) and
Firewire (IIDC) interface technologies. Prosilica’s
wide range of high-performance cameras are
distinguished by ultra-compact size, light weight,
fast frame rates, advanced triggering, sophisticated
controls, industrial ruggedness, and extreme versatility. Prosilica’s
cameras are compatible with a wide range of industry standard
machine vision software. Prosilica also provides an excellent SDK for
camera control and image capture free of charge. www.prosilica.com

Page 2
EyesOnVision
August 2008
Editorial
Does our
industry
require
standards?
Dear reader.
t PRODUC S
Back panel and interface-board:
2x IEEE1394b
1x IEEE1394b + 1x GOF
A
fter an introduction at VISION
2007 in Stuttgart, the entire
Stingray camera family is now
on the market – thanks to AVT buildingblock
principles and the first firmware
upgrade with new smart functions
In our technically oriented industry,
a great deal of discussion
revolves around standards. Just
as in other industries, conversations
about uniform standards can quikkly
turn into an embittered battle
among different camps. Is it not the
purpose of a standard that it should
apply to everyone and ease labor
for all? Then it is only right that
everyone is so committed to establishing
their own idea of a uniform
standard.
Digital image processing is utilized
in such a large variety of the most
varied applications that it is difficult
to believe a uniform standard
Body:
AVT-red
AVT “Medical” (white)
Unhoused (board-level)
this camera family includes a variety of
options.
would be agreed upon in the near
future.
As a market leader in digital
cameras with FireWire interface,
AVT is well-aware of other digital
interfaces. We at AVT agree that
GigE will claim market-share over
time. With Prosilica, we will offer
products in this sector too. But in
my opinion other interfaces have
been thrown too hastily onto the
trash heap. Why shouldn’t technologies
utilized for such varied applications
such as medical technology
and industrial automation continue
to be of interest to many?
Another example is the EMVA
1288 standard. This very commendable
initiative would doubtlessly
bring more transparency to the
Sensor:
6 sensor variations VGA (0.3
MPixel) to UXGA (2 MPixel), each
in B/W and color
Lens-head orientation:
Straight (Standard)
+ 4 angled/turned
head variations
The “transformer“-camera Stingray was
designed modularly from the beginning
to adapt quickly, simply, and economically
to almost any application. After the
introduction of the standard versions,
the buildingblock variants are now also
“jungle“ of technical data. However,
as our article clarifies in this
edition of Eyes on Vision, it is not
yet, unfortunately, a panacea for
universally comparable camera
specifications. Just as in other technical
industries, the introduction of
standards is often more complex
than originally assumed. Before
choosing the appropriate camera, a
conversation with an expert, for
example, with an associate from
Allied Vision Technologies, is still
valuable.
Our employee know-how is our
most valuable asset and we would
like you, dear readers, to profit
from this. In this edition of Eyes on
Vision, we are introducing a new
series of articles that will clearly
and intelligibly explain the many
The Stingray camera family is now complete
The AVT modular concept: over
2,500 Stingray variations!
Filter:
5 variations: neutral filter +
4 IR-cut/IR-pass filters
Filter ring:
C-Mount
CS-Mount
available. Thanks to the AVT modular
concept over 2,500 possible Stingray
variants are possible. Machine vision
system developers can put together the
desired camera from six different modules
“a la carte“ themselves:
smart functions of our cameras. In
this way we want to help you get
the best out of your AVT cameras.
Recently we have again reached
important milestones in the growth
of our business: we achieved new
revenue records; hired the 100th
employee; and dedicated our new
production facility in Stadtroda.
We go our own way at our speed –
and that is not slow.
Enjoy reading the newsletter!
Sincerely,
Frank Grube
CEO
1. Interface
Allied Vision
Technologies
The Stingray is equipped with two fast
FireWire IEEE1394b interfaces for
daisy chain multi-camera operation.
Available options are either two copper
connections with screw-type connector
for a stable connection of up to 20
meters (see p. 4), or a copper connection
with a fiber-optics connection (GOF).
The fiber-optics version allows distances
of up to 500 meters to be bridged. A version
with lateral cable exit instead of
standard plugs will also be available
soon.
2. Sensors
The current Stingray family offers the
choice between six high-quality Sony
sensors with resolutions from VGA to up
to 2 megapixels, in black-and-white or
color. Further sensor variants are already
planned.
3. Optical filter
In optical filters the AVT modular concept
also offers for the Stingray the
choice between neutral filter (protective
glass) and four different IR-cut and/or
IR-pass filters
4. Lens heads
A camera does not always have to point
forward! The Stingray is available with
lens heads in five different directions, in
order to adapt to the architecture of each
image processing system.
5. Lens mounts
C-Mount or CS-Mount – the customer
has the choice!
6. Housing
The AVT modular concept offers three
housing options for the Stingray
camera family. Besides the standard
housing in red, the AVT Medical Design
is also available in white for scientific
and medical applications. In addition,
the board-level version, completely
without housing, makes a space-saving
and flexible integration possible in a
vision sensor thanks to the separate
sensor board.
With the currently available Modular
Concept versions, the Stingray camera
family is now complete – the new firmware
upgrade allows the Stingrays to
achieve a full range of functions.

nEWS
T
he EMVA 1288 standard
should give the image-processing
sector a tool to measure
and compare camera features
uniformly. But while the standard is
a step in the right direction, it is
unfortunately no guarantee of reliable,
comparative data for customers.
With the EMVA 1288 standard, the
European Machine Vision Association
(EMVA) launched an initiative to establish
a uniform method for the industry
to measure, prove and publish the
image quality and sensitivity of cameras
and sensors. The standard was developed
by a panel of leading sensor and
camera manufacturers, distributors
and system developers. The goal is for
buyers of such components to have uniform,
comparative technical data to
make their decision-making easier and
minimize problems integrating cameras
into their systems.
The first two building blocks of the
standard have already been published.
They describe the mathematical models,
measurement protocols and report
forms whose contents should be used
by the producer to give camera users a
better overview. But, so far, the standard
covers only black/white sensors.
A Complex, Time-consuming Procedure
As a leading camera producer, AVT is
naturally also engaged with this topic.
“Generating data in compliance with
EMVA-1288 is no trivial matter and
requires both specific measuring instruments
and a complex software application
that converts the measurement
data and displays it according to the
standard,“ explains Ingo Lewerendt,
Product Manager of AVT. Using an
integration sphere (also called an
Ulbricht Sphere), AVT has developed a
dedicated test application to evaluate
cameras according to the EMVA 1288
standard. “With this laboratory equipment,
we can measure our cameras by
the standard and develop measurement
protocols that comply with EMVA
1288,“ said Mr. Lewerendt. But, despite
automated measurement routines, a
complete set of measurements for a
camera takes several hours.
Unfortunately, evaluating the data can
be time-consuming as well. The measurement
results are generally not understandable
or meaningful to everyone.
Interpreting the measurement results
accurately also requires detailed information
on the test conditions and the
camera settings. “For example, we have
already had experience with customers
who have claimed to have used EMVA
1288 to evaluate our cameras, but their
results are not consistent with ones we
obtain under controlled conditions,“
recalled Mr. Lewerendt. “It turns out
that the camera settings, like the gain,
were set all wrong.“
Don’t Compare Apples to Oranges
An EMVA 1288 report can therefore be
interpreted meaningfully only when all
the information on the test process is
available, like the camera settings, the
exact type of camera, including the
firmware version, the temperature, the
lighting characteristics, the number of
samples measured, etc.
In particular, there are camera functions
that directly affect the results of
an EMVA 1288 measurement and can
display the image quality clearly better
than it actually is. For example, each
binning level raises the image brightness
by 6 db (+100%) and the signal
noise level by 3 dB (+41%). The exact
camera settings during measurement
must therefore be checked before any
conclusions can be drawn from the
measurement results.
A look at the raw data can also be
instructive in rating the results. Was
enough data measured to make a relevant
linear extrapolation? Is such extrapolation
possible at all?
“In any case, the results tables of
various camera manufacturers unfortunately
cannot be compared easily, but
the user has to look carefully and check
whether the measurement results were
achieved under comparable conditions,“
advised Mr. Lewerendt. “That’s
the only way you can be sure that you
EyesOnVision
August 2008
EMVA 1288: (Not) a Panacea?
“Ask AVT!“
AVT EXPERTS EXPLAIN CAMERA FEATURES
E
oV: Jürgen, what is a Look-
Up-Table?
Jürgen Bretschneider: A Look
Up Table (LUT) is a conversion table,
with which the brightness value of the
pixels from the sensor can be adjusted
in real time to new brightness values
with a user-definable function in the
camera, before the image is
displayed and/or is forwarded
to an image-processing
system.
How does that work?
The Look Up Table is a userprogrammable
conversion
tool by which light intensity
captured by the sensor pixels
can be re-mapped before
transmission to the computer.
This process takes place
in the camera’s onboard memory.
Every brightness value can be replaced
by the user with the brightness
value of his/her choice. The output
values can be programmed manually,
or they result from a mathematical
function, that converts all input
values with the same formula.
Input Output
Why does one need Look up
Tables?
With Look Up Tables, the camera can
optimize the image data for processing
and analysis in the PC or for
analysis with the human eye. Images
can be processed more efficiently and
more quickly without impacting CPU
capacity. A
typical example
is gamma
correction. In
this case, all
values are
converted with
a gamma
function that
ensures that
the image displayed
on a
CRT monitor
Below threshold: all pixels black
Above threshold: all pixels white
most closely resembles perception by
the human eye.
Do you have other concrete examples?
A simple example is the “Threshold“
-function that converts a gradation
picture to a pure black/white picture.
Page 3
are not comparing apples and oranges.“
For that reason, Allied Vision Technologies
has decided to provide EMVA
1288 measurement reports for its
cameras initially only upon request as
part of a discussion with its customers.
“We want to be sure when speaking with
customers that they know about this
important aspect of the standard. Otherwise,
the comparisons can be misleading,“
Mr. Lewerendt pointed out.
A Question of Trust
Trust is also involved in evaluating the
data, since the EMVA 1288 standard is
a form of self-certification. The manufacturer
himself measures his cameras
according to the standard and publishes
the results, but they are not checked by
any independent body. Without impugning
any camera manufacturer, the
customer should question the measurement
results critically and pay attention
to the fine print. Anyone who wants to
be sure of the numbers should take his
own set of measurements or at least
perform his own test to form a personal
impression of the camera.
So what is…
a Look Up Table (LUT)?
Jürgen Bretschneider directs hardware support at AVT.
The user defines a threshold gray
value. If the gray value is under this
threshold, those pixels are transmitted
as white while darker pixels are
converted to black. A simple conversion
is also the inversion of the picture:
every value becomes its inverted
value.

Page 4
EyesOnVision
August 2008
Cables à la Carte
With the introduction of the new order codes for the AVT cable
families, customers can custom configure IEEE 1394 standard
cables.
The AVT Modular Concept from Allied Vision Technologies is not only
for cameras, but also for accessories. With the new cable descriptors, the
variety of FireWire cables is clearer and more flexible: everyone can specify
their own desired cable.
The customer has the choice between various connector types and two
different cable variants, the standard cable and the mechanically more
robust rugged cable.
The new product codes are as follows:
cable-1394 - - - - -
std standard
rug rugged
6std 6-pin standard
6str 6-pin right-angled
6stl 6-pin left-angled
6lat 6-pin latched
9slk 9-pin screw-locked
9scr 9-pin screw right
9scl 9-pin screw left
6std 6-pin standard
6str 6-pin right-angled
6stl 6-pin left-angled
6lat 6-pin latched
9slk 9-pin screw-locked
9scr 9-pin screw right
9scl 9-pin screw left
f with ferrites
_ without
# Cable length (in m.)
For example, a customer who needs a 10meter-long 1394b-cable with
1x standard screw connector and 1x left-angled connector in rugged
quality with ferrites, can order the following cable: Cable-1394-rug-
9slk-6scl-10-f.
Cable lengths range in IEEE1394a from 0.5m to 17.5m and in
IEEE1394b from 0.5m to 15m in 0.5m gradations. The minimum order
quantity per custom cable type is 10 pieces.
“Such flexibility naturally has its price“, explains Ingo Lewerendt, product
manager at AVT. “In order to be able to offer our customers economical
options for cables, we have selected the most common combinations
from many possibilities and offered them at standard prices in
our price list. Anyone requiring a more unusual option can compare this
option to the purchase price of its AVT distribution partner“, says
Lewerendt.
New: 20-meter IEEE 1394b copper cable!
As a leading manufacturer of FireWire cameras, Allied Vision
Technologies has shown for some time that with the IEEE1394interface
much larger distances can be bridged than the conventional
4,5m.
Further proof comes with the new 20-meter IEEE1394b-cable that
will be available soon in the AVT accessories program. The new
industrial FireWire cable was tested extensively by Allied Vision
Technologies and transmits image data in full bandwidth over 20
meters. – without an amplifier or repeater. An achievement that is
without competition in today’s market
You can find more information by downloading the White Paper “Integration of FireWire-cameras
over long distances” at http://www.alliedvisiontec.com/downloads/whitepapers.html
AVT Software News
Spring cleaning with AVT software packages:
SDKs come with new logos and some new features.
Here’s an overview of their current status:
V
ersion 2.9 of the standard
SDK from Allied Vision
Technologies, introduced in
April 2008, offers many expanded
functions and improvements to its
universal C-programmiing interface
(UniAPI). They include, to name a
few: easy loading of look-up tables
(LUT), functionally improved multicamera
operation and several examples
explaining how to use the
UniAPI when working with thirdparty
software solutions, such as
MATROX’s Imaging Library and
Open eVision from Euresys. Because
it is so easy to use and has a comprehensive
set of functions that is easy to
understand, the UniAPI is highly
recommended for developing powerful
image-processing solutions. This
is especially true, because with the
UniAPI, the AVT-specific camera
smart features are easy to use without
direct access to the registers. Norpix
(manufacturer of Streampix) and
Tordivel (manufacturer of Scorpion
Vision) have already taken advantage
of this by developing special UniAPIbased
drivers for AVT cameras for
their software solutions.
With its new software package,
AVT FirePackage64,
Allied Vision Technologies
introduces a sophisticated Software
Development Kit (SDK) for extra
high-performance image processing
applications.
Stadtroda/Newburyport, June 10,
2008 – For developers of image processing
applications, AVT FirePackage64
from Allied Vision Technologies
offers an effortless entry into
64-bit technology for Windows with a
signed 64-bit driver for AVT FireWire
cameras and the easy-to-use C-program
interface UniAPI. This technology
offers considerable advantages,
particularly for applications that are
memory or processing intensive, such
as video-compression or scientifictechnical
calculations in object recognition
or edge detection.
Up to 42 times more RAM, full
bandwidth functionality
The key advantage of full 64-bit programs
is the availability of up to 168
GB of working memory (Vista
Ultimate), instead of the maximum 4
SOfTWARE The AVT FirePackage is also available
immediately for the 64-bit versions
of Windows XP and Vista. It
provides the same core functionality
as the 32-bit version (see special article
on this page).
With the Active FirePackage, which
first appeared in January 2008, AVT
offers a Plug&Play solution that sup-
ports all digital 1394a/b cameras
from AVT running under Windows
2000, XP and Vista. The Active
FirePackage was developed especially
for programmers familiar with
ActiveX Controls and COM and who
want to develop their applications
quickly and comfortably. Additional
interfaces for DirectShow and
TWAIN round out the package. A
functionally highly expanded Version
(2.0), which will support the selection
of different Codecs for video recording,
among other things, and will
provide a new backwards-compatible
camera driver, is planned for the
third quarter of 2008.
The AVT Direct FirePackage will
focus more heavily on DirectShow
and Direct-X-based application development
in the future. With its
Stream Class drivers, this package is
also particularly well suited for integrating
AVT cameras into Direct-
Show-based standard software solu-
GB in existing 32-bit systems. That
means one can process large amounts
of data, without needing page files,
thereby decreasing the number of
hard disk accesses, which are a thousand
times slower than RAM access.
Large image files and streamingvideo
files can then be opened and
processed substantially faster.
In addition to the increased processing
capacity, the AVT FirePackage64
allows faster data transfers on the
FireWire bus. In contrast to standard
camera drivers with IEEE 1394b
interface from Microsoft, the IEEE
1394 bus driver contained in the software
package is not limited to 400
MBit/s, but supports the maximum
data rate of 800 MBit/s.
Simple Migration from 32 to 64bits
In addition, the AVT FirePackage64
facilitates the simple migration from
existing 32-Bit-applications to 64-bit
technology. Thus, the 64-Bit-developer
environment is nearly identical
to that of the 32-Bit Windows version
APIs (Application Programming Inter-
tions like Microsoft Movie Maker,
AmCap or VirtualDub. A new Version
(5.0), which will then be suitable for
Windows Vista as well, is planned for
the end of this year.
For fans of Linux operating systems,
the AVT Fire4Linux package is a
comfortable, complete package
custom-made for AVT cameras.
Special versions are available for
Linux distributions of SUSE and Red
Hat that are designed especially for
those starting out in Linux.
New Software Package Selector
Guide
If you want to know more about the
different SDKs from AVT and how to
integrate AVT cameras into software
solutions from third-party suppliers
like Cognex, Matrox or NI, please
refer to the new version of the
Software Package Selector Guide,
which can be found at the following
web address:
http://www.alliedvisiontec.com/avtproducts/software.html
New AVT FirePackage64:
Power software with 64-bit technology
faces) from Allied Vision Technologies
and Microsoft. The APIs are identical,
as far as possible, to those of 32-Bit
systems, in that many functions are
fully mapped to the higher bit-rate of
the new platform. The use of the 32-
Bit compatibility mode is an additional
feature that eases the transfer to
64-bit technology. For example, in
this mode, an application developed
in the 32-bit version of the AVT
FirePackage can be used on a 64-bit
system.
The AVT FirePackage64 is immediately
available free of charge from
Allied Vision Technologies with the
purchase of every AVT digital
camera. The capabilities match that
of the 32-Bit AVT FirePackage:
• High-performance IEEE 1394 driver
• Various programming languages (C,
C++ und .Net) for the development of
individual user applications
• The comprehensive camera test and
configuration tool AVT SmartView
• Large collection of examples, with
source code, based on readily-available
APIs.

nEWS
AVTOpens
New
Production
Facility
On June 6, 2008, Allied Vision
Technologies christened its new
production facility at the company’s
main headquarters in Stadtroda.
Production capacity has been
doubled, in order to keep pace with
market demand.
A
llied Vision Technologies
christened its new production
facility at the company’s
main headquarters in Stadtroda on
June 6, 2008. The company began
extensive construction work in April
2007 to expand its production and
storage capacity. The new production
facility went into operation at the
beginning of 2008, and the second
phase of construction to add new office
space has just been completed.
Twice the Capacity and Modernized
Processes
Over 1,000 square meters of space was
added to the plant to expand its capacity
for camera production, quality
assurance and inventory. The company
also modernized its production process
and logistics, creating an all-new,
fully automated, state-of-the-art PCB
assembly system and two new automated,
high-rise storerooms to streamline
logistics for components, modules
and finished cameras. The company
also expanded its human resources
and know-how at the Stadtroda site by
hiring five new employees in its
Manufacturing, Purchasing and
Quality Assurance divisions.
High Quality and High Flexibility
Production capacity was not expanded
at the cost of manufacturing quality
or flexibility, which have contributed
to the past success of Allied
Vision Technologies. “Customer ser-
“Starting Shot for AVT 2.0“ At
Mr. Harman, as AVT’s shareholder, what are you feeling at this opening
celebration?
A.H. – First of all, pride and respect for AVT’s management and employees.
Since Allied Vision Technologies was taken over by AUGUSTA Technologie AG
in 2000, the company has made spectacular changes, and its facilities have
been successfully expanded. AVT started out with 20 employees and a vision
of becoming “a leading camera manufacturer in the field of industrial image
processing.“ Today, Allied Vision Technologies is a world market leader in
FireWire cameras with 106 employees and around 25 million Euros in sales,
which makes it AUGUSTA’s second-largest and fastest-growing product sector.
I call this fantastic success story “AVT 1.0.“
Sounds like there‘s an upgrade coming…
A.H. – Exactly! And I call this further corporate development “AVT 2.0.“
vice comes first with us, so we have to
keep our production flexible” explained
Frank Grube, CEO of Allied
Vision Technologies GmbH. “Our
processes are designed so that we can
react quickly to our customers’ needs
and our delivery time can be kept
short.” The company is protecting
itself and its customers from delays in
the delivery of sensor chips, which
are in high demand on the world
market, by keeping a large supply of
all of the sensors in all of the resolutions
that are built into AVT’s camera
models, so they are always on hand in
the warehouse. “Such a relatively
high inventory of strategic components
naturally represents a substantial
cost factor for us. But this investment
makes AVT a partner valued by
our customers all over the world,”
said Mr. Grube.
Another factor in production flexibility
is employee qualifications. ”None
of our employees is specialized in a
certain module or camera family.
Each one has the know-how to run
through all stages of production with
all types of cameras. That way, we
always make optimum use of our
employees,” explained Mr. Grube.
New Products, New Markets
Investing in new production capacity
had become necessary because of
AVT’s rapid growth on the world
market for industrial and scientific
EyesOnVision
August 2008
Page 5
image processing. The company’s
2007 sales rose more than 13% to
over 24 million euros, and the company
hit the one-hundred employee
mark in March 2008.
”With our new production facility,
we are now best equipped for our
further expansion,” commented Mr.
Grube. “We want to keep growing
by opening up new markets and
expanding our product portfolio.”
Allied Vision Technologies wants to
keep expanding business at its US
affiliate, AVT Inc. and open a subsidiary
in Asia. New market segments
should bring more new sales.
Besides traditional industrial automation,
new fields like medical
technology, traffic, safety and even
sports and entertainment have a
high potential for growth.
But, according to Grube, the key to
success remains an attractive, innovative
product portfolio: “With the
introduction of the new Stingray to
the market, we have expanded our
lineup to include a sixth camera
family. In the future, we will also
offer other digital interfaces besides
the successful FireWire Interface in
order to meet the needs of our
customers even better.”
The new production facility in
Stadtroda should now make this
growth strategy possible.
the party celebrating the opening of the new production facilities
in Stadtroda, Eyes on Vision spoke with Amnon Harman,
Chairman of the Board of AUGUSTA Technologie AG.
Augusta set ambitious goals for itself and wants to build a “Vision House“
around AVT on the foundation it has laid that will address far more markets
than before. This includes implementing a buy-and-build strategy, i.e.,
if necessary, buying other companies. It also means that we want to keep
investing in the expansion and development of Allied Vision Technologies
and support the company’s success by all means.
What‘s your impression of the new production facilities?
A.H. – With the new building in Stadtroda, we have created a highly modern,
well-designed production facility in which everything revolves around quality.
But what always impresses me in Stadtroda, as it does at AVT in
Ahrensburg, besides the staff’s high qualifications, is their strong identification
with the company and their passion for the product. In my eyes, these
are the most important guaranties of future success.
AUGUSTA Technologie AG is an integrated technology group listed on the German stock exchange and the 100% shareholder of Allied Vision Technologies GmbH. The company’s long-term
growth is focused on the markets for sensor components and systems, and industrial image processing. In 2007, Augusta Technologie AG had 505 employees and sales of 119.3 million euros.

Page 6
EyesOnVision
August 2008
“Six
Sells!“
6th AVT Partner Convention
What has now
become Allied
Vision Technologies‘
traditional international
sales conference
was held in Marseilles this
year, organized in cooperation
with Imasys, AVT’s
French distributor. The sessions
focused on Allied
Vision Technologies’ further growth
plans and current technical topics like
the GigE Vision Standard and EMVA
1288 certification.
Asia was clearly represented stronger
than in previous years, with
The 6th AVT Partners
Convention brought
53 participants from
18 countries to
Marseilles (France)
May 19-21, 2008.
representatives from
India, Singapore,
Taiwan, Korea, Japan
and China. Interesting
examples of applications
for AVT cameras in
India and China were
presented.
The highlight this year
was the big AVT World Championship
Go-Kart Race. On the grounds of the
legendary Paul Ricard Formula 1 racetrack
in Le Castellet, the teams this year
were named after the famous historic F1
teams. The winner was the Toyota
Team, followed by Jordan and Lotus.
Allied Vision Technologies’ booth
was the place to be at the Vision
Show held from June 10-12 at
the Hynes Convention Center in Boston,
MA. The new Stingray digital camera
series premiered in the USA at the show.
Visitors also got an insight into the plugand-play
functionalities of AVT software
with third party libraries.
Last but not least, the spectacular
Reactable music synthesizer using
machine vision with an AVT camera was
presented live to the American public
after its success on the AVT booth at
VISION 2007 in Stuttgart, Germany.
t
PAR NER
Allied Vision Technologies at the
Vision Show in Boston
Visitors of the AVT booth at
the Vision Show in Boston
from June 10-12 were given
a chance to “test-drive” the
new Stingray digital camera
family and experience a
spectacular machine vision
application with the
Reactable.
“Seeing is Believing”: Hands-on
Demos for cameras and software
This year again, Allied Vision Technologies
reiterated its successful “Test
Drive” action in Boston: visitors were
given an opportunity to test the AVT
camera of their choice or the one best
suited for their application – including
the new models Pike F-505 with 5
Megapixel sensor and the Marlin F-131
NIR with near-infrared sensitivity. A
software demo was also on display on
the booth illustrating the plug-and-play
compatibility of AVT software packages
with third party libraries.

nEWS
AVT celebrates its 100th employee
New Employees
Allied Vision Technologies
is still growing fast.
Meet new employees in
Stadtroda, Ahrensburg an in
field sales team.
Beatrice Franze has been
working as a Team
Assistant at AVT in
Ahrensburg since March
10. After studying business
and office communications
at Eon Thüringer
Energie AG, she spent a
year in the parliamentary
patent program in Buffalo, NY. She then completed
her studies to become state-certified in business
administration. During this time, she also traveled
as a tour guide. She prefers to spend her free time
with her dog, dancing, playing volleyball and likes
to travel to foreign countries.
Susanne Sauder has been
supporting AVT’s field
office since January 1,
2008 as a Sales Assistant.
After studying business,
she gained 15 years of
experience in domestic
sales at a leading manufacturer
of microscopes
and scientific instruments. Her hobbies are skiing
and inline skating. But she spends most of her time
with her 3-year-old son and her significant other.
Nicole Böhme has been
working in Hardware
Support in Stadtroda
since February 1, 2008.
After studying automation
technology in
Dresden, she was responsible
for OEM clients in
the components division
of an image processing company as Key Account
Manager. She likes to spend her free time running,
skiing or biking.
Sven Riede studied computer
science in Hamburg
and worked for several
firms in the field of telecommunications
and call
centers. Since November
2007, he has been using
his many years of experience
to support the
Development Dept. at AVT in Ahrensburg. His
main jobs are building software components that
run under Microsoft Windows and managing projects
in that area. He likes to spend time with his
family and play soccer in his free time.
Maja Ressin came to AVT
on March 1, 2007 as a
business school student in
Jena. She studied precision
technology, majoring
in development/ construction,
and wrote her
thesis at AVT on the topic
of “Designing and Producing
Prototypes of a Case for a Zoom Lens Camera.“
After successfully completing her studies, she started
working as a designer in the Application
Engineering Dept. in Stadtroda on September 1,
2007. Since January 1, 2008, she has supported the
Development Dept. in Ahrensburg in designing
camera cases on site. In her free time, she likes to
read good books, take jazz and modern dance and is
an active fan of FC Carl Zeiss soccer team in Jena.
Andreas Glück has been
working in AVT’s repair
service in Stadtroda since
January 2008. After completing
his studies as a
radio/TV mechanic, he
worked as a TV technician
in the field office,
where he gained basic
know-how and experience in electronic and mechanical
devices and testing and measurement procedures.
He likes to spend his free time with his wife in
the garden or camping.
Andreas Liedtke joined
the AVT Validation Team
in Ahrensburg on April 1,
2008. He studied biomedical
technology and
telecommunications in
Lübeck, was co-founder
of a start-up company
and for the last 5 years
worked as a free-lancer mainly developing medicaltechnical
devices as a test engineer. The experience
he gained there, he now uses to develop new
cameras as a hardware test engineer. As the father
of two sons, Andreas spends most of his time with
his family, stays fit gardening, jogging and biking
and sings in a church choir.
Rosalinde Ressin came to
AVT on May 1, 2007 in
Application Engineering.
Since January 1, 2007,
she has been supporting
the production team as a
process engineer. After
her technical studies,
which concentrated on
optic-electronic manufacturing at the University of
Jena, she gained a broad range of experience in
equipment manufacturing at Carl Zeiss in Jena
and in manufacturing engineering, especially dealing
with ERP systems of various companies in the
Jenoptik Group. She spends her free time traveling
and on weekends with her family in their garden
house. She also likes to bowl with her friends and
works on a Mardi Gras design team.
O
n March 1, 2008, Allied Vision
Technologies (AVT) reached another
milestone in corporate growth: the young
technology company welcomed its 100th employee.
Jan Kuczora (29) is the new Production Planner in
the main office of the leading camera manufacturer
in Stadtroda, Germany. The young industrial engineer
from Jena was given a warm welcome on his
first day of work by Natalie Bulling-Chabalewski,
Sascha Müller zum Hagen
has been working as a
hardware developer at
AVT in Ahrensburg since
March 1, 2008. After studying
electronic engineering
with a major in
information technology at
the University of Applied
Sciences in Hamburg, he worked for six months at
another company, also in the field of camera development.
He spends most of his free time with his
wife, and doing photography and image-processing
on his PC.
Roland Sommer is a
state-certified technician/electrical
engineer and
has been working in the
Field Office in sales of
automation technology
products. He has gained
solid experience in the
sale of turnkey imageprocessing
solutions with applications that make
him a capable sales engineer for AVT cameras
today. Working from his home in Wetzlar, he supports
clients in northwest Germany. He spends his
free time playing music and seasonal types of fitness
and sports. Roland likes new challenges and is
devoting himself to the further expansion of the
camera market.
Since June 1, 2008, Jens
Oberrauch has been
resonsible for Strategic
Purchasing at AVT in
Stadtroda. His main jobs
are purchasing and procurement
projects for
materials and services
and expanding supplier
management. After studying economics at
Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena, he worked as
a purchaser in the electronics industry. In his free
time, he is off riding his racing bike or hiking in the
woods and hills near Jena.
Markus Jürgens has been
responsible for in-depth
optimization of all company
processes and their
best-possible representation
in supporting user
systems, especially ERP,
since April 1, 2008. He
has already spent several
years as an independent corporate consultant to
firms in various industries on re-organizing the process
landscape and choosing ERP best-fit systems.
Since his studies in management information
systems (MIS) in Hamburg, he has called the
Hanseatic city home, and moving to Jena gives him
a special opportunity to improve his DIY skills.
With the newly created position in the main headquarters
in Stadtroda, AVT is taking into account
the strong growth in recent years and thus creating,
besides double the production capacity, the best
EyesOnVision
August 2008
Page 7
Jan Kuczora, new Production Planner,
optimizes processes as AVT continues to expand
its capacity in Stadtroda.
Human Resources Manager and Jürgen Sergejew,
Manufacturing Director. “The fact that our 100th
employee is a production planner says a lot,“ commented
Frank Grube, CEO of Allied Vision
Technologies.
“It proves that we are adapting our processes to the
company’s new size so we can continue to guarantee
our clients a high standard of service, even with
rising demand.“
foundation for further expansion of its high quality
standards and short throughput times
Sebastian Götze is 23
years old and lives in
Camburg. He completed
a 3-year program as a
power-electronics/plant
engineer. Since November
2007, Sebastian has
been working in the prep
area at AVT in Stadtroda.
Along with his colleagues, he makes sure that production
runs smoothly and clients receive their
goods on time. In his free time, he likes to play with
his dog Satchmo.
Andrea Tanneberger
comes from Gera. She is
41, married and has one
son. Andrea is a trained
precision mechanic and
works at AVT as an
electromechanic in the
assembly of precision
mechanical/optical/electronic
components and cameras. Her hobbies are
her family, her dog and good books.
Olga Babich was hired in
January 2008 in
Stadtroda in the Room
Service and Housekeeping
Service. She is
responsible for meticulous
cleanliness in AVT’s dustfree
production room. A
Cossak by birth, Olga
lives in Stadtroda, is 34 years old, is married and
has two daughters, three years old and eleven years
old. Her hobbies are traveling with her family and
surfing the Internet.
Yvonne Schmidt (25) is
working at the disposition
purchasing department in
Stadtroda at Allied Vision
Technologies. In her leasure
time she enjoys
cycling and beeing outdoors.
She prefers cultural
traveling and sightseeing
and likes to potter around her house and garden.
Imprint
Publisher:
ALLIED VISION
TECHNOLOGIES GmbH
Taschenweg 2a
D-07646 Stadtroda
Tel.: +49-36428-677-0
Fax: +49-36428-677-24
www.alliedvisiontec.com
Editor-in-chief:
Jean-Philippe Roman
Editorial staff:
Staff of Allied
Vision Technologies
Print:
Haase-Druck GmbH
printed in Germany
ALLIED VISION
TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
Managing Director:
Frank Grube
Taschenweg 2a
D-07646 Stadtroda
Tel.: +49-36428-677-0
Fax: +49-36428-677-24
Allied Vison Technologies GmbH is exempt from any inapplicable or erroneous reproduction
of contents. Design, specifications and delivery capacity are subject to
change. Copyright: All contributions published in EyesOnVision are protected by
copyright. All rights, including translations, reserved. Any reproduction (reprint,
photocopy, electronic creation and storage, etc.) requires prior written permission
by ALLIED VISION TECHNOLOGIES. The publications do not indicate that described
solutions, terms, company/product names or trademarks are not subject to industrial
property right.

Page 8
EyesOnVision
August 2008
A
utomobile shock absorbers must
withstand thousands of kilometers
of wear and tear under the
most arduous conditions. The quality
and the durability of the suspension
system depends significantly on the quality
of the seals, which provide smooth
range of motion, while preventing the
loss of hydraulic fluid and keeping dirt
and dust from entering the shocks.
Freudenberg Dichtungs- und Schwingungstechnik
GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary
of the Freudenberg consortium, is
one of the leading manufacturers of such
seals, which are distributed to nearly all
the major international auto producers.
With the assistance of Freudenberg
Anlagen- und Werkzeugtechnik GmbH,
an affiliate, they developed an innovative
automated quality assurance facility
for shock absorber and radial seals.
Customized Automated Solutions
“Our seals must meet very high quality
standards“, explains Dr. Thomas
Bauernhansl, director of production at
Freudenberg Dichtungs- und Schwin–
gungstechnik. “Previously, the variety of
product styles required that quality control
be performed manually “. For several
years a cutting-edge, automated plant has
taken over the examination of the finished
parts. The FVision 60 inline-System
was custom-designed specifically for the
overall inspection of various rotationsymmetrical
parts. For this purpose, the
Freudenberg-subsidiary could rely on
colleagues from their own affiliate: the
Freudenberg Anlagen- und Werkzeugtechnik
GmbH supported by the SAC
Sirius Advanced Cybernetics GmbH.
In the final stage of production, the seals
are carefully inspected using digital
image processing to detect up to twentyfive
different types of flaws. In addition
to the shape of the part, the quality of the
elastomer material is also examined.
Blisters, tears, holes or burrs at the rubber
lips can lead to malfunctions. In
some seals the rubber is strengthened
with a supporting spring, which the
system also recognizes for both construction
and quality. To enable the system to
examine the surface of this intricate
material, SAC custom designed the software
system for this application with the
assistance of the Coake © image processing
interpreter.
The inspection is made more difficult by
the shape of the seal: not only the surface,
but also the exterior and interior contours
of the ring must be examined from
every angle. To obtain precise measurements,
engineers at FAW joined the
image capture process from three different
vantage points with a mechanism
that turns the ring on its axle. After the
measurement of a particular side, the
mechanism tilts the seal to examine the
other side. This clever design takes 48
pictures of every ring in approximately
3.5 seconds; thereby, ensuring a complete
inspection process.
Highest Precision with Three
Vantage Points and Rotation
The image processing system is constructed
with three digital cameras from
Allied Vision Technologies. One camera
is situated vertically and surveys the outside
diameter and the lip of the seal from
above. A second camera, positioned
horizontally, examines the exterior of the
ring, while a third camera, positioned at
a 45° angle, targets the whole interior.
The cameras are the Marlin F-080B
from Allied Vision Technologies. They
are equipped with XGA sensors, which
supply the high resolution required to
recognize the smallest errors in the surface
of the rubber. The cameras are connected
to the image processing system
by a digital FireWire interface (IEEE
1394a) and can capture up to 20 pictures
per second. They are hardware triggered
at 70ms intervals.
“We needed digital cameras that produce
high quality images despite difficult
lighting conditions and the rotation of
the seals,” stated Dr. Helmut Hamfeld,
director of the FVision project at
Freudenberg Anlagen- und Werkzeugtechnik.
“Thanks to the integration
of the Smart Features and the rapid
shutter time, the AVT cameras have a
very high image quality“.
The high functionality and transmission
rate of the FireWire standard also convinced
the developers of the FVision 60
system. “We could develop a system that
combines high precision with industrial
speed”, raves Hamfeld. “The Marlin
cameras of Allied Vision Technologies
operate flawlessly and reliably”.
Lord of
the Rings
Allied Vision Technologies Joins JIIA
Leading camera producer becomes “Associate Member“ of Japan
Industrial Imaging Association and seeks to expand its presence in Asia
A
llied Vision Technologies has
become an “Associate Member“
of the Japan Industrial Imaging
Association JIIA. A leading producer of
digital cameras for industrial image processing,
AVT is seeking to expand its
presence in Asia.
Plans for Growth in Asia
Freudenberg relies on Marlin digital cameras from
Allied Vision Technologies for automated quality
control of seals for the automotive industry
The FVision 60 inline system allows the
seals to be examined during production.
After inspection, the system sorts the
parts according to four categories:
“The Asian market for industrial image
processing is experiencing above-avera-
i PRACT CE
.
“good”, “poor”, “questionable” and
“needs improvement”. In addition, the
plant is able to represent graphically the
results of the measurements.
ge growth and accounts for an increasing
percentage of our total sales,“ explained
Jochen Braun, Manager International
Sales. “Japan is and will remain the largest
market in Asia, so we are very
happy to strengthen our presence there
as an Associate Member of the JIIA and
to improve our knowledge of local market
conditions.“
“We are glad to have Allied Vision
Technologies, one of the leading camera
manufacturers in Europe, as one of our
This innovative automatic inspection
method has the capacity to substantially
increase the reliability and speed of quality
assurance.
members, to bring to the JIIA its knowledge
of the European market and its
technical expertise, especially in the area
of FireWire,“ commented Sachio Kiura,
Director and Secretary General of the
JIIA.
Allied Vision Technologies already has distributors in
seven Asian countries (China, India, Malaysia, Taiwan,
South-Korea, Singapore and Japan). AproLink Corp.
(Kabushiki Kaisha AproLink) has been the company’s
exclusive sales partner in Japan since June 2006
(www.aprolink.jp).