DataMan 8000 is the First Handheld Industrial ID Reader to Support Ethernet and Industrial Protocols

December, 2010. Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX) today announces Cognex Connect™ for DataMan® ID readers. Cognex Connect is a comprehensive suite of communication capabilities including EtherNet/IP and PROFINET, and is already available with In-Sight® vision systems and the DataMan 200 fixed-mount ID reader series. Now Cognex Connect enables industrial protocol connectivity for Cognex DataMan 8000 ID readers through EtherNet/IP support—a first for an industrial handheld ID reader.

By supporting open standard industrial Ethernet communications protocols, Cognex Connect makes it easy to configure and monitor a network of Cognex ID readers and vision systems. As a network device, DataMan and In-Sight devices can be accessed from any terminal connected to the network. This means that no host PC is required to translate RS-232 or USB communications to a PLC or central network. The protocols also allow for data files and images to be archived directly through FTP support for later review and analysis. DataMan ID readers also offer a .NET based command library for customising user-specific GUIs and terminal interfaces as well as providing control via a simple command line interface.

“By adding industrial protocols, the DataMan 8000 series is the first and only handheld ID reader to allow a direct connection to a PLC—acting as a node on the factory network,“ said Carl Gerst, Business Unit Manager for ID Products at Cognex. “DataMan readers with Cognex Connect completely eliminate the need for a PC and simplify the integration into the factory network, reducing costs and downtime.” The Cognex Connect suite of communication capabilities is supported on the DataMan 200 series of fixed-mount readers, the DataMan 8000 series of handheld readers and on all Cognex In-Sight vision system models. For more information about the most advanced handheld ID reader ever, visit www.cognex.com/8000.

About Cognex
Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and markets machine vision sensors and systems, or devices that can "see." Cognex vision sensors and systems are used in factories around the world where they guide, inspect, gauge, identify and assure the quality of a wide range of items during the manufacturing process. Cognex is the world's leader in the machine vision industry, having shipped more than 500,000 machine vision systems, representing over $2.5 billion in cumulative revenue, since the company's founding in 1981. Headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, USA, Cognex has regional offices and distributors located throughout North America, Japan, Europe, Asia and Latin America. For details, visit Cognex on-line at http://www.cognex.com.