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High Performance ISIS Toolkit for Scanner Control

    PixTools/Scan DataSheet.pdf

With the growing popularity of production and personal scanners, users are integrating paper-based information into their applications more than ever before. And, with the proliferation of Intranet/Internet and fax communications, businesses need to be able to access information at their desktops in real time. Since most business information is still on paper, users are seeking new ways to acquire documents both easily and efficiently.

PixTools/Scan is based on The Image and Scanner Interface Specification (ISIS). Since the introduction of ISIS in 1990, it has become the dominant method for scanner control used in major scanning applications, like document imaging and OCR. ISIS forms the basis of the scanning API standard from the Association for Imaging and Information Management, a member body of the International Standards Organization (AIIM, MS61).

Whether you are a corporate programmer writing applications for your company’s internal use, or a software developer at an ISV creating a product to be used by millions, the right tools will make your job easier. Pixel Translations is the choice of industry leaders for adding document imaging capabilities to applications, even new ones that are tapping the Internet. Our PixTools products provide core imaging technologies that can be integrated readily with your software. Pixel Translations sets the standard for professional imaging tools.

Pixel Translations created the ISIS (Image and Scanner Interface Specification) API, and since its introduction in 1990, it has become the dominant method of scanner control for serious scanning applications like document imaging and OCR. It forms the basis of the scanning API currently being standardized by AIIM (the Association for Image and Information Management, a member body of the International Standards Organization) as MS61.

Pixel focuses on providing peak performance from every scanning device. SCSI and video scanners run at or beyond rated speeds. Features like ScanAhead™ maintain maximum throughput by caching image data in the ISIS driver even when an application temporarily can't keep up with the scanner.

PixTools/Scan also includes image de/compression, import, conversion, and file handling. For additional document imaging application support, the Scan toolkit can be used in conjunction with other PixTools products such as PixTools/View and/or PixTools/IP.

Wide Range of Scanners

Pixel’s ISIS drivers allow an application program to work with more than 300 different scanners made by over 50 different manufacturers. Most scanners supported are mid to high-speed desktop or production scanners, including Agfa, BancTec, Bell & Howell, Canon, Epson, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Kodak, Microtek, Minolta, Panasonic, Ricoh, Sharp, and Umax. New: now supports low-speed TWAIN scanners with the PixTWAIN™ feature!

Efficient

PixTools/Scan drives scanners at their rated speeds up to 200+ pages per minute. It imposes very little overhead on the scanning process, providing maximum available CPU to the application which needs to accept and process the data. The ScanAhead feature allows an ISIS driver to pre-fetch and buffer additional image data and pipeline the process to maintain peak throughput.

Interface Independent

ISIS drivers are available for scanners with SCSI, serial video, parallel port, serial port, GPIB, and proprietary interfaces. The developer is completely shielded from issues surrounding the choice of physical interface, and the choice of interface should be dictated by issues of cost, flexibility, and maintainability. With ISIS, serial video interfaces are fully supported, but are not required to deliver maximum scanner performance.

Flexible

The ISIS API provides access to the full range of available scanner features. Image data can be black-and-white (binary), gray, or 24-bit color. Resolution can range from 50 dots-perinch (dpi) to 2400 dpi or more. Automatic feeder, printer/endorsers, and transparency units are supported. Bar code recognition and page separation features are available, as well as advanced image processing functions. The API allows an application to “ask” about available features and provides appropriate defaults.

Optional GUI

Each ISIS driver provides a graphical user interface (GUI) which is completely optional. Each of the features provided in the driver GUI can be provided instead by your application’s interface. The GUI’s provided by ISIS drivers have a consistent look and feel.

Modular Structure

The ISIS specification provides an elegant method for connecting “building blocks” to complete specific imaging tasks. For example, a scanner driver can be connected to a CCITT Group 4 compressor, which is connected in turn to a TIFF packager. To scan to a proprietary file format, you may only need to replace the TIFF packager with a proprietary packager. Alternatively, you can replace the scanner driver with a TIFF CCITT G3 reader, and use PixTools/Scan for file conversion.

Cross Platform

PixTools/Scan is available for Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows NT. A variety of UNIX environments are supported by a Pixel Translations strategic partner.

Localization Support for:
 
English
 
French
 
German
 
Spanish
 
Swedish

PixTools/Scan Interface Overview

Normal use of ISIS involves the following steps:

• initialize library
• load driver
• query scanner capabilities
• (get user input)
• set scanner parameters
• initiate scan
• display/store image
• unload driver

Drivers are loaded dynamically regardless of environment. A "tagged" mechanism is used to get and set parameters and capabilities, so a small number of routines (plus a set of tags) provides access to the scanner, e.g.:

PixTagGetLong() gets the current value of a tag
PixTagGetLongDefault() gets the default value of a tag
PixChoiceGetCount() gets the number of choices available for a tag
PixChoiceGetLong() gets a particular choice for a tag
PixTagSetLong() sets the current value of a tag

Corresponding ASCII and Rational routines exist for tags which are of that type. The tags consist of the set of tags used in TIFF plus some additional tags necessary for scanner control. These tags include:

TAG_BITSPERSAMPLE TAG_YRESOLUTION
TAG_CONTRAST TAG_IMAGELENGTH
TAG_BRIGHTNESS TAG_IMAGEWIDTH
TAG_XRESOLUTION etc.

After scanning is initiated, the application provides buffers which the driver fills with data. This data can be displayed, compressed, stored, or whatever is appropriate for the application. ISIS provides a very convenient and efficient mechanism for compressing and storing scanned images to a variety of file formats. New: MultiStream™ feature produces color and bitonal images at scan time.

Product Contents

The PixTools technology is provided in the form of a toolkit which includes:
 
The software libraries
 
Documentation
 
Sample source code
 
Engineering support via phone, fax, and Internet

Our Developer Support group will work with you throughout your development project to get your application up and running. After development is complete, we’ll keep you at the forefront with updates and new technology.