Image transfer over a manufacturing automation protocol network

In just a few short years, image capture and image processing in general have progressed from somewhat impractical, expensive, and specialized applications into the mainstream of office and production computing. Scanners, image capture boards, facsimile machines, and other image related digitizers have been used for a variety of purposes in many office and laboratory environments. The increasing use of these devices has reduced the problem of data acquisition, however, the problem of data isolation is intensified. This thesis addresses the distribution of captured or live video images over the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) network. In a manufacturing context, layouts and specifications are usually generated in a design lab, but used on the plant floor. Multiple hardcopies of a particular drawing may cause confusion and mistakes by using an old revision. A solution to this problem is an image server on a network for remote access to electronic documentation. With advances in the capabilities of image analysis, a remote vision system for quality control or monitoring purposes is now practical. This thesis examines the ramifications of image transfer and manipulation using the Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS) over a well defined MAP network at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of Tennessee. Two distinct methods were used; file transfer and domain downloading. In addition to static images, real time image capture was explored in anticipation of the expanding applications of machine vision in manufacturing.