September 29, 2010 - Point Grey announced the Grasshopper2 GigE Vision digital camera series.Grasshopper2 GS2-GE models incorporate a Gigabit Ethernet digital interface and are based on mono and color versions of the Sony ICX274, a 2 megapixel CCD that runs at 30 FPS; and the ICX625, a 5 megapixel CCD that runs at 15 FPS. The compact Grasshopper2 measures just 44 x 29 x 58 mm in size, and offers features such as opto-isolated GPIO for industrial triggering and strobe output, new multi-exposure trigger modes, and improved on-camera status monitoring. Every Grasshopper2 GS2-GE camera is equipped with a 14-bit analog-to-digital converter, 32 MByte frame buffer, 512 KByte non-volatile flash memory, and on-board temperature and power sensors to monitor camera status.
Like all Point Grey cameras, every model provides automatic control of most camera properties, such as gain, exposure, and white balance; user configuration sets for defining custom power-up settings; and customizable region of interest and binning modes. Mechanical features of the Grasshopper2 GS2-GE include an industry-standard C-mount lens holder, removable optical window (monochrome models) or IR cut filter (color models), and RJ-45 connector with screw locks.The Grasshopper2 GS2-GE complies with the GigE Vision v1.2 specification, which allows it to be used with many third-party software packages. Existing Point Grey camera users will benefit from the seamless software integration that is available using the FlyCapture Software Development Kit (SDK).
The FlyCapture SDK is compatible with Point Grey FireWire, USB 2.0, and GigE cameras using the same API, and includes support for 32- and 64-bit Windows and Linux. The GS2-GE-20S4 (1/1.8-inch 1600x1200 at 30 FPS), is list priced at USD $1845, and the GS2-GE-50S5 (2/3-inch 2448x2048 at 15 FPS), list priced at USD $3195.
