Vision
system and method. The
system includes a vision
system, including: a camera, a processor and memory, coupled to the camera, and an
EtherCAT interface, coupled to the processor and memory, possibly contained in a
chassis, and operable to couple to an
EtherCAT network that provides for deterministic low-latency communication between the vision system and devices coupled to the
EtherCAT network. The vision system may be configurable to operate as any of: an EtherCAT master device, an EtherCAT slave device, or a TCP / IP
Ethernet device. One or more additional vision systems may couple to the EtherCAT network. The vision systems may be synchronized using an EtherCAT distributed
clock technique, time-based triggered, and / or
event triggered, via the EtherCAT network, e.g., in a multi-view vision,
collaborative processing, control, I / O, or video servoing application, e.g., using an EtherCAT deterministic low latency
closed loop feedback system, including
processing, control, or I / O devices.