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The future belongs to “embedded Vision” — a networked, decentralized image processing of hard- and software in one housing. With VisualApplets Embedder, this is already achievable today. The solution for real-time image processing in FPGA devices such as industrial cameras is easy to integrate and operate. End users and image processing hardware manufacturers program on software applets tailored to their applications and industries with Embedder directly on the device’s FPGA in almost no time. To accomplish this, they use the VisualApplets graphical development environment as the basis for Embedder, without using a labor-intensive hardware description language. In 2006, it was awarded the VISION Innovation Prize. With VisualApplets, they develop an unlimited number of individual and industry-specific image processing applications as applet designs. To create an applet design, they flexibly combine by drag-and-drop operators which represent over 200 image processing functions to create a data flow model. The model is synthesized into a program code (bitstream) from which the FPGA is configured. VisualApplets supports users with unique tools for automatic error recognition, notification, and correction, as well as an intuitive, image-based high-level simulation. VisualApplets makes it possible to use standard designs, to create proprietary image processing designs as data flow models or to individualize for customer groups. On the hardware side, Embedder makes it possible to quickly adapt the integration design to new devices after the initial implementation, and to construct different product lines using image processing designs. In so doing, Embedder makes FPGA devices intelligent and reduces their time to market considerably. This innovative “embedded vision” solution has arrived on the market and has been honored numerous times as an integral component of Baumer’s LX VisualApplets camera series. Numerous honors for Embedder in Baumer’s LX VisualApplets cameras Existing device hardware can easily be equipped with embedded VisualApplets technology so that a large part of the image pre-processing can be calculated on the device’s FPGA, conserving resources. Alongside image processing solutions, it is also possible to program and process data signals using VisualApplets. Signal in- and outputs as well as connections to external digital peripherals, such as PLC, lighting, rotary encoders and other control devices, are directly programmable in the device using VisualApplets. VisualApplets verifies Embedder’s implementation process. Has the installation effort been accomplished for one hardware platform, it is possible with the development environment to create every type of image processing design as often as desired. Designs can then be very easily adapted for new device platforms or ported onto compliant devices using VisualApplets’ user interface. FPGA device manufacturers can allow their customers to program applications on the devices by themselves. During installation, the new Embedder platform is integrated into a pre-installed version of VisualApplets. Any number of Embedder platforms can thus be added to VisualApplets. Read more about Embedder installation in our white paper. Third-party hardware such as cameras can be easily equipped with embedded VisualApplets technology. For the most part, image pre-processing takes place on the device’s FPGA. Pre-processing tasks in real time, such as image improvement, data reduction and process monitoring raise the throughput and reduce system costs. In- and outputs as well as connections to further external digital interfaces such as PLC, lighting and other devices, can be integrated with Embedder and programmed directly using VisualApplets from third-party equipment. Expert FPGA hardware programming knowledge is not required, since the VisualApplets graphical development environment allows intuitive FPGA programming via data flow models, making Embedder interesting for end-user programming. Thanks to the FPGA devices’ programmability, manufacturers and end users remain flexible when demands change. End users profit from better know-how protection, since image processing functions can be implemented independent of the camera manufacturer.