ALIGN - software for vision applications requiring pattern recognition, object registration, alignment, or tracking. ALIGN is implemented using normalized gray-scale correlation. ALIGN is an open architecture solution that can migrate to new and faster frame grabbers, microprocessors, or DSP platforms as they become available.

ALIGN Application - Integrated Circuit Alignment. ALIGN is a pattern search algorithm that uses a two dimensional (2D) gray scale subimage to characterize a target that is to be found in subsequent images. ALIGN is used to track objects in images (e.g., following blood cells in a microscopic slide), find reference marks (e.g., in finding patterns on integrated circuits (IC) for use in assembling ICs into packaged parts, or in registering images for a multicolor photographic printing application). In the application shown, two different corners of an IC are being shown to the ALIGN software. ALIGN memorized characteristic features of the two corners for later usage. In this application, ALIGN will be used to find corners of subsequently presented ICs. This information will be used to direct a robotic manipulator to the correct position and orientation for picking up the IC and installing it into a larger packaged assembly. ALIGN has also been used in applications such as optical character verification, printing pattern verification, wire bonding, pick and place robotics, and quilt manufacturing.

ALIGN Application - Integrated Circuit Alignment on a Blurry Image. This illustration shows the robustness of ALIGN in its tolerance to very blurry images. In this case, even though the image is quite out of focus, ALIGN can find the patterns on the IC so that the assembly robot can accurately pick and place the IC into the finished package. Not illustrated here is ALIGN's robustness to image brightness. ALIGN can operate over several orders of magnitude of brightness variation with no degradation in performance.

Features:
•Pattern quality scores to aid in pattern selection
•Gray scale and edge based patterns
•High immunity to noisy images and image degradation
•High robustness to brightness, contrast, and focus changes
•Programmable sub-pixel resolution
•Menu-driven interactive program is provided for user
  experimentation
•Compatible with other MNEMONICS software (BLOB, TIPS,
  OCR, OCV)
•Available in Windows^tm, Windows/NT, and DOS versions
•Compatible with hardware vendors’ software libraries

Functions:
•Teach a pattern at a user-selected size and location
•Teach a vision system selected pattern (auto-learn)
•Set a search window
•Locate pattern in search window
•Development support functions
•Menu utilities for rapid prototyping

ALIGN Versions Available:
	Compatible Frame Grabbers
•ALIGN for DOS   16-bit, ISA	Imagenation CX-100 MuTech MV200
•ALIGN-FGI for DOS    32-bit, Watcom extender	Frame Grabber Independent
•ALIGN for Windows 3.x	Imagenation CX-100 (ISA) MuTech MV-200 (ISA) MuTech MV-1000 (PCI)
•ALIGN-FGI for Windows 95/98 or NT	Frame Grabber Independent

ALIGN Software $2,795.00 Single Quantity, End User Price - OEM and Volume Discounts are Available