Cognex Corporation Adds EtherNet/IP to Networkable In-Sight Vision Sensors.

Business/Technology Editors

NATICK, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2001

Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX), the world's leading supplier of machine vision systems, today announced the addition of the Ethernet Industrial Protocol (EtherNet/IP) to its In-Sight(TM) family of networkable vision sensors. This enables direct, real-time communications between In-Sight vision sensors and other factory automation devices over a single Ethernet wire. EtherNet/IP is a new industrial networking standard for factory device communications that offers the reliable, deterministic performance of industrial networks such as ControlNet and DeviceNet, with the speed and convenience of standard Ethernet.

"With our networkable In-Sight vision sensors introduced earlier this year, customers have been able to realize many of the benefits of networked vision over Ethernet, including the ability to link multiple vision sensors together, and remotely monitor and manage vision activity throughout the manufacturing process," said Justin Testa, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Cognex. "By being the first vision company to offer EtherNet/IP in its products, Cognex provides a simple, low-cost method for linking In-Sight vision sensors to control products and devices."

In addition to making it even easier for users to integrate vision into the production line, EtherNet/IP broadens the range of factory automation devices that In-Sight vision sensors can communicate with. The new standard has already been adopted by more than 80 automation equipment vendors, including makers of PLCs, motion controllers, and operator interface stations, and is supported by the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA), ControlNet International (CI) and the Industrial Ethernet Association (IEA).

The In-Sight family of networkable vision sensors includes the In-Sight 1000, a low-cost, general-purpose sensor combining a full library of vision software tools and Ethernet communications in a single, compact unit; the In-Sight 3000, a general purpose vision sensor featuring a separate camera and processor and dual processors; the In-Sight 1010 code reader, an integrated vision camera and processor designed for reading 2D Matrix codes and linear bar codes on parts; and the In-Sight 1700 wafer reader, a compact, self-contained vision sensor for 2D matrix, alphanumeric and bar code identification on semiconductor wafers.

Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets machine vision systems, or computers that can "see." Cognex is the world's leader in the machine vision industry, having shipped to date more than 150,000 machine vision systems, representing over $1 billion in cumulative revenue, since the company's founding in 1981. Cognex's Modular Vision Systems Division, headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, specializes in machine vision systems which are used for automating the manufacture of a wide range of discrete items and for assuring their quality. Cognex's Surface Inspection Systems Division, headquartered in Alameda, California, specializes in machine vision systems which are used for inspecting the surfaces of products that are manufactured in a continuous fashion, such as metals, paper, and plastics. In addition to its corporate headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts, Cognex also has regional offices located throughout North America, Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Visit Cognex on-line at http://www.cognex.com.