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
The BitFlow SDK 5.60 has just been released. The main focus of this release is support for 32-bit applications on 64-bit Windows. Previously only 64-bit applications were supported on 64-bit Windows. Now both types of applications are supported. There are also numerous small enhancements and fixes. All the major drivers and adapters for 3rd party applications have also been updated to work with this new release. It is available for download on the downloads page. As always, there is no charge for this upgrade.
BitFlow will be exhibiting at VISION 2011 in Stuttgart, Germany. The show runs from November 8th to 10th, 2011. We will be in Hall 6, booth 6C50. Contact us for free tickets to the show (email: sales @ bitflow.com). Hope to see you there!
Positioning itself aggressively for leadership in the machine vision marketplace, BitFlow today launched its Karbon-CXP line of frame grabbers, one of the world's first to incorporate the CoaXPress (CXP) standard for moving high-speed serial data from a camera to a frame grabber. Read more >
BitFlow will be exhibiting at AUTOMATE 2011 in Chicago, Illinois USA. The show runs from March 21st to 24th, 2011. We will be in booth 1027. Contact us for free tickets to the show (email: sales @ bitflow.com). Hope to see you there!
The BitFlow SDK 5.40 has been released. The release supports our new quad base Neon CLQ frame grabber. All of the new firmware and camera configuration files that has been release since SDK 5.30 had been rolled into the 5.40 release. This release also includes many small improvements and bug fixes.The release is available on the downloads page.
The latest member of the Neon-CL family, The Neon-CLQ, is now shipping. The Neon-CLQ supports simultaneous capture from up to four base Camera Link cameras using a single a PCIe x4 slot. Separate triggers and encoders are available for all four cameras, as well as the usual industrial I/O. From a software point of view, the Neon-CLQ just looks like four single camera CLB boards (or two dual camera CLD boards), so upgrading to the CLQ is trivial. For more information, see the Neon-CLQ Product Page.
BitFlow is moving its corporate offices. BitFlow's new address is:
Note that only the street address is changing. City, State, Zipcode and phone numbers all remain the same.