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
See BitFlow at Vision 2008, Stuttgart GermanyIf you are planning on visiting the biggest machine vision trade shows on the planet, Vision 2008 in Stuttgart, you'll find BitFlow everywhere. Of course we we will be in our German distributor's booth (Cosyco), but we'll also have boards in the Components Express booth, in the NorPix booth and many others. We hope to see you there.
BitFlow Announces New Reseller IkonaThe imaging reseller Ikona Corporation has just signed an agreement with BitFlow to resell BitFlow's products in the US. Ikona's extensive imaging expertise and long history in the machine vision industry combined with BitFlow's product line will make for a powerful sales/service combination. Ikona also has a wide product line and can meet most of your machine vision needs. See www.ikonacorp.com for contact information.
BitFlow's Karbon-CL Now Supports the New Basler A406kBitFlow is very pleased to announce that it now supports the new Basler A406k 10-tap camera link camera with their Karbon-CL PCI Express bus frame grabber. Read more >
IDT/Redlake M3 Camera InterfacedBitFlow has completed the integration of the IDT/Redlake M3 camera with its Karbon frame grabber family. The M3 is a 1280 x 1204 area scan camera that runs at 500 FPS at full resolution. In ROI mode, the camera can run at speeds of 20,000 FPS and beyond. BitFlow's karbon is up for the job, not only is it able to capture from this type of 10 tap Full CL camera, but it is also able to capture at these extremely high frame rates without losing frames. Contact BitFlow support for camera configuration files.
BitFlow Announces New Canadian DistributorBitFlow is pleased to announce that is has signed up Covistec to distribute its products in Canada. Covistec was founded by Kevin Cooper, whom BitFlow has worked with for years in various capacities. See the U.S. and Canadian Sales Page for contact information.
Happy Birthday BitFlowThis month marks BitFlow's 15th anniversary! BitFlow started July of 1993 and has been cranking out high quality products every since. Congratulations to all BitFlow employees and here's to another 15 years!
BitFlow President Speaks at the The Vision ShowBitFlow president Reynold Dodson will be speaking in a conference called "Connectivity Performance in Machine Vision System Design" at The Vision Show, June 10-12, Boston, MA. This session will be held June 11, at 8 AM. Mr. Dodson will addressing the frame grabber side of the connectivity issues involved in machine vision systems. For more information visit The Vision Conference page one the AIA web site.