FRAMOS Implements D400e User Space Drivers 

FRAMOS, a global leader in machine vision systems, is introducing a GigE user space driver to simplify the setup of container virtualisations – such as Docker – for the FRAMOS D400e depth camera series.

Customers of the company can use this solution to roll out all the required software, including their application and drivers, in one package – known as a container – to all host systems in the field. Deploying the drivers and software in Docker containers simplifies installation and setup, especially where many systems use the same configuration.

Docker is free software for container virtualisation. Containers simplify software deployment because they package up all dependencies (such as libraries, configuration files, etc.) together with the actual software. Containers are portable, meaning they can be quickly and easily multiplied and rolled out for many systems.

Once a container is packaged, it can be deployed on any supported host without manual installation or setup. This process could not be fully done with the previous D400e Software packages as they contained a GigE kernel level driver which needed to be installed on the host system first before the rest of the software could be installed in the container. To address this issue, the new version 2.4 of the software package contains a user space-based GigE driver for the first time.

The new driver can also be installed at the same time as the rest of the software which allows it to be included in the same container as the rest of the software being installed. All customers who implement D400e depth cameras with the same configuration can now take advantage of containers to combine all their software into one package. Deploying the entire software stack in a container is aimed at simplifying the rollout, maintenance and monitoring of the software.

FRAMOS depth cameras offer industry-standard Gigabit Ethernet connectivity with a housing that is dust-tight, waterproof and IP66 rated. The plug-and-play solutions enable real-time positioning, orientation and tracking for robots, automatic guided vehicle (AGV) navigation systems, or for many other smart machines – such as those used in medical engineering, logistics, automotive or smart agriculture.

You can find more information about FRAMOS and the GigE user space driver for the FRAMOS D400e depth camera series on its website.

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