MONTREAL — October 18, 2016 — Matrox® Imaging today announced the upcoming release of the Matrox Design Assistant 5 software, the latest evolution of its flowchart-based integrated development environment (IDE). On display at Vision 2016 (Stuttgart, DE, Nov. 7-11, booth 1F21) and Pack Expo (Chicago, IL, Nov. 6-19, E-7747), the major update to the Design Assistant software, created with user experience and productivity in mind, will enable system integrators and machine builders to set up vision systems with less effort and greater confidence.
The fifth release of Matrox Design Assistant features a more image-centric approach to project configuration, whereby measurements are set up directly on the image itself, rather than through configuration panes. The update further streamlines flowchart creation by allowing the logic for specific events and actions to be placed in separate sub-flowcharts, decluttering the main flowchart. A newly added ready-to-go communication structure simplifies the interface between the vision system and a programmable logic/automation controller.
Design Assistant 5 adds support for persistent recipes, which makes it possible to create a single flowchart for inspecting similar part types that can be modified or added to by the vision system designer and an operator. A project specific operator interface can now be accessed from any HTML5-based web browser, enabling greater access, not just from PCs, but also from tablets or smart phones as well.
“This new version of Design Assistant is designed with the user in mind. The simplified workflow will not only increase productivity, it will also make vision altogether more accessible for inspection and guidance in electronics assembly, food and beverage production, medical device manufacturing, logistics, automotive manufacturing, consumer products production, pharmaceutical production or semiconductor fabrication,” said Fabio Perelli, product manager at Matrox.
Matrox Design Assistant 5 also integrates Matrox’s SureDotOCR™ technology for reading challenging dot-matrix text as produced in practice by industrial inkjet printers. This new flowchart step handles distorted and rotated text, on uneven backgrounds and under non-uniform illumination.
Development using Matrox Design Assistant 5 is done on a PC running 64-bit Windows®. Resulting projects can be deployed on a Matrox Iris GTR smart camera, Matrox 4Sight GPm vision controller, or any PC with a GigE Vision® or USB3 Vision™ camera.
Availability
Matrox Design Assistant 5 will be made available in Q4 2016 through the software’s update service to registered users with maintenance subscriptions in good standing. At the same time, it will come bundled with specific SKUs of the Matrox Iris GTR smart camera, followed in Q1 2017 by specific SKUs of the Matrox 4Sight GPm vision controller.
About Matrox Imaging
Established in 1976, Matrox Imaging is a leading developer of component-level solutions for machine vision, image analysis, medical imaging and video surveillance. Products include frame grabbers, vision processors, imaging computers, industrial and smart cameras, and application development software. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Matrox is a privately held company with offices in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.matrox.com/imaging.
