BitFlow has been developing industrial frame grabbers and software for the imaging industry since 1993. We specialize in interfacing to cameras with very high data/frame rates; working in environments with complex triggering and I/O requirements; and running in applications where every CPU cycle is precious. Our software is some of the easiest to use, yet incredibly powerful and reliable. With thousands of boards installed throughout the world, into hundreds of imaging applications, we are confident that we can solve your imaging problems.
Frame Grabbers
Have a Camera?
BitFlow products support all cameras: differential (LVDS/RS422), Camera Link (Base, Medium, Full, and 10-tap) as well as all analog (progressive scan, NTSC/PAL, RS170/CCIR, and most custom formats).
Need Speed?
BitFlow frame grabbers uniquely support all cameras at all frame rates, even their highest frame rates. Our Karbon board can DMA images at up to 2 gigabytes per second into your host memory.
Using Multiple Cameras?
BitFlow has frame grabbers that can support up to four independent cameras, even mix/match cameras on the same frame grabber. Every camera gets its own triggers, encoders and general purpose I/O.
Need PoCL?
BitFlow's new Neon-CL supports the Power over Camera Link standard (PoCL). PoCL is the new small footprint method for powering high speed digital cameras with a single cable.
Need PCI Express?
All of BitFlow's current frame grabber families are available for the PCI Express bus
Require Precise Control?
All BitFlow products have all the I/O you will need for inputs/outputs/triggers/encoders, no matter how complex, and the software/architecture to control them.
Need reliability?
Our industrial strength frame grabbers have what it takes to run on the factory floor for years, yet are priced to make you forget the competition.
Need longevity?
We know it often takes years to deploy and new machine. More importantly, once it's in the field, an OEM wants to ship the same product for years. We design and build our frame grabbers so support long product cycles. In fact we are still building frame grabbers that first shipped in 1997.
3rd-Party Software Development
Using ImageWarp?
ImageWarp can acquire directly from all of BitFlow's frame grabbers. BitFlow also supports changing camera files, triggering modes and much more directly from the GUI.
Using HALCON?
MVTec's HALCON is a powerful machine vision environment. All of BitFlow's frame grabbers are supported. Our driver has many custom modes and parameters that let HALCON users take full advantage of our board's capabilities
Using LabView?
LabView is a enormous graphical programming environment. BitFlow's boards are available as Virtual Instruments (VI) that let you connect them right up to your image processing algorithms.
Using another 3rd party application?
BitFlow supports many 3rd party applications, for more information click here. If you don't see your package, let us know.
Application Development
Want to roll your own?
Of course, many customers like to write their own software. Our Software Development Kit provides hi-level APIs that make integrating our boards into your application quick and simple.
Need a special mode?
There's also an API that provides direct register level access to the board.
Need a monstrous amount of memory?
We have a true 64-bit SDK that runs on 64-bit versions of Windows (currently supports up to 128 gigabytes). You can allocate as much memory as you can fit in your PC and out boards will DMA images to all of it without using any CPU cycles.
Have multiple image-based products?
Our "write once, use anywhere" architecture means that you only have to create one code base for use on any/all our products, greatly simplifying your product development and production.
Business
Need to contact a sales person?
BitFlow sells through world-wide through distrubutors, and in the United States through Manufacturer's Representatives. Our Sales Channel has been fully trained in our products and can answer you pre- and post-sales questions. Should you not have a representative in your territory, you can contact us directly with your questions.
Need support?
BitFlow provides some of the best technical support in the industry. We know you have a sophisticated application with a tight deadline, most of our customers do, and we'll do whatever is needed to get your application up and running quickly and reliably. Our customers start their first project with us because of our products' features, but the design their second, third, etc. project with us because of our support.
Need to know more about BitFlow?
BitFlow was founded in 1993 by a group of folks that had been in the imaging industry for years. Our first product provided a giant leap forward for machine vision customers by leveraging the emerging power of the Personal Computer. We have been designing sophisticated, yet easy to use, hardware and software for the machine vision market ever since. All along we have found and kept customers by providing personal and comprehensive technical support. As we look into the future, we see faster products with more power, more sophisticated software, but the same personal attention to our customers.
News
BitFlow in the NewsBitFlow President Reynold Dodson was interviewed for an article in the May issue of Vision System Design. The article looks at the current state and future of camera-PC interconnects for machine vision. This includes proposal for a next generation Camera Link 2. View the complete article, Camera Link 2 awaiting market drivers on Vision System Design web site.
BitFlow Announces Support for the Toshiba Teli 12M cameraBitFlow has completed its interfacing to Toshiba Teli's CSC12M25MP19 (aka 12M) camera. This is a 12 megapixel camera that runs at 25 FPS! The output is medium camera link and supports both 8 and 10 bit pixels. This camera has been interfaced to BitFlow Karbon frame grabber. Camera control is provided by BitFlow's new GenCom camera control utility. Please contact BitFlow support department (support @ bitflow.com) for camera files and further information about GenCom and other interfacing details.
BitFlow Announces Support for Cognex VisionPro Imaging SoftwareBitFlow is very pleased to announce that it now supports Cognex Corporation's CVL Software Developer's Kit with its Camera Link and Analog camera frame grabbers. For the first time, anyone that develops applications using Cognex's CVL can select any of BitFlow's powerful frame grabbers when building advanced camera based systems. BitFlowframe grabbers support all Area and Line scan Camera Link and machine vision Analog cameras. Read the press release.
BitFlow SDK 5.20 Available Now!We are pleased to announced the Official Release of Version 5.20 of our Software Development Kit. This release supports all of our current frame grabbers on all 32-bit and 64-bit current versions of Windows (including Vista). This release includes many new features both in software and hardware (via new firmware) that have been requested by our customers. This is Final Release and had been undergoing intense testing for a few months. For more information, see the SDK product page. The release is available on the downloads page.
Come see BitFlow at The Vision Show in Phoenix, ArizonaBitFlow will be exhibiting at The Vision Show in Phoenix, Arizona, March 31, 2009 to April 2, 2009. We will be in booth 507. Hope to see you there!
BitFlow Announces Support for Cognex VisionPro Imaging SoftwareBitFlow is pleased to announce that BitFlow's own Camera Link and Analog frame grabbers now support Cognex Corporation's VisionPro image application software. This means that all Cognex VisionPro developers, end users, and integrators can use any of BitFlow's powerful PCI Express bus frame grabbers when building advanced industrial or medical systems. By using BitFlow frame grabbers all VisionPro-based systems can use any Camera Link (base, medium, full, or 10-tap) or machine vision Analog (1-tap, 2-tap or RGB) camera, allowing system builders to select the very best area or linescan cameras for their specific application. Read the press release.
BitFlow Announces New Taiwan Distributor Photo-TechBitFlow is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Photon-Tech Instruments for distribution of BitFlow's products in Taiwan. Photon-Tech is a very big player in the Taiwanese machine vision industry. BitFlow is pleased to have such a strong partner. Photo-Tech has years of experience not only selling imaging equipment but also solving real world problems with its own integration and product-building services. For more information about Photon-Tech please visit www.idsvision.com.tw