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Matrox Imaging Announces New Imaging Platform

Introducing Matrox 4Sight - a cost-effective imaging platform for machine vision, medical imaging, video surveillance and embedded applications

May 11, 1999, Detroit, MI, USA – Matrox Imaging, a division of the Matrox Corporate Group and leading supplier of PC-based vision hardware and software components to OEMs and system integrators, today announced a new imaging platform for cost-sensitive machine vision, medical imaging, video surveillance and embedded applications at the Robots and Vision Show '99.

Matrox 4Sight is a compact, self-contained platform with the core functionality needed for factory floor assembly and inspection systems, endoscopy machines, security systems and many other applications that rely on or can be improved by using digital imaging technology and computer based vision. Image capture, processing and display, along with networking and general purpose I/O, are all integrated into a small, cost-effective package that has a footprint measuring a mere 8.2 inches by 7.25 inches (20.828 cm by 18.415 cm). With its unique combination of compact size, leading-edge technology, ruggedness, software support and price, Matrox 4Sight is an ideal imaging solution for OEMs and system integrators alike.

Matrox 4Sight leverages PC technology to offer high performance without a high price. An Intel x86 compatible processor with MMX technology and a PCI peripheral bus are just some of the components adapted from the PC world and featured on Matrox 4Sight. Other PC technology that makes Matrox 4Sight a powerful imaging platform includes built-in hardware support for IEEE 1394. This next generation high-speed digital serial interface promises to revolutionize the link between electronic devices and is present to connect digital video cameras and other devices to Matrox 4Sight.

The Matrox 4Sight Imaging Platform

Matrox Imaging has integrated a number of components onto a single compact platform that system builders can use for their computer vision and imaging needs. At the heart of Matrox 4Sight is a small footprint EBX motherboard that hosts all processing, display, networking and I/O functionality. An Intel x86 compatible processor with MMX technology is the processing core for Matrox 4Sight, with an integrated graphics controller providing display. Up to 128 MB external memory is available for both CPU and graphics controller. The motherboard also hosts audio I/O. System software can permanently reside on either a flash disk or hard drive.

Matrox Meteor-II frame grabbers redesigned for the PC/104-Plus™ form factor provide analog video capture functionality for Matrox 4Sight. These compact modules plug directly onto the Matrox 4Sight motherboard. Multiple frame grabber modules from Matrox Imaging can be plugged onto a single motherboard. The Matrox Meteor-II MJPEG compression and decompression module for PC/104-Plus is also available for the Matrox 4Sight. Because the industry standard PC/104-Plus form factor is used, third party modules like motion controllers can be added to expand functionality. Matrox 4Sight provides a number of communications interfaces. A standard 10/100BaseT Ethernet interface as well as 3 built-in 400 Mbit per second IEEE 1394 ports provide networking services as well as connectivity to digital cameras and other devices. 20 discreet TTL compatible digital I/Os with hardware interrupt capabilities are available for controlling equipment such as conveyor belts, strobe lights, motors, alarms, etc. RS-232 serial ports, as well as parallel and PS/2 ports are also present.

Matrox 4Sight can be purchased as an integrated unit in a steel chassis that can be rack-mounted or affixed to other equipment. The Matrox 4Sight motherboard is also available stand alone, for mounting in custom enclosures.

Field-Proven and Award-Winning Software

Matrox 4Sight is programmed using the field-proven and award-winning Matrox Imaging Library (MIL), a software development toolkit optimized for Intel MMX technology and available as high-level 'C' functions or ActiveX (OCX) components. MIL gives developers the power to rapidly create applications using today's popular Windows-based development environments. MIL offers OEMs and system integrators an extensive set of field-proven, high-level functions for image capture, transfer, processing (point-to-point, statistics, filtering, morphology, geometric transforms, FFT, JPEG Codec, and segmentation), pattern matching, blob analysis, gauging, calibration, bar and matrix code reading, OCR, graphics, display and archiving. MIL-Lite, a subset of MIL that provides image capture, transfer and display control, is also available. Matrox Intellicam, a Windows-based camera configuration utility, is bundled with MIL or MIL-Lite for quick and easy camera interfacing.

About Matrox

Established in 1976, Matrox is a privately owned Canadian company based in Dorval, Quebec. The Matrox Imaging division designs, manufactures, markets and sells high-performance, PC-based vision/imaging hardware and software. Customers include OEMs, system integrators and professional users worldwide who build or retrofit machine vision, medical imaging, and image analysis systems. Products include standard frame grabbers to real-time, scalable, vision processors and integrated imaging platforms; as well as application software development packages and interactive imaging tools.

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