Recognition reflects 67% three-year growth of DeWitt-based company.
SYRACUSE, N. Y. – Inc. Magazine announced yesterday that Dewitt-based Critical Link, LLC was named to its list of 5,000 fastest-growing companies in America for the second year in a row. With 2018 revenues of $12.7 million, the company achieved three-year sales growth of 67% earning a rank of No. 4454 on the prestigious list.
“Making this prestigious list a second year in a row is an honor,” said Critical Link president John Fayos. “We are proud of the growth achieved throughout our 22-year history, but are especially pleased with the tremendous increases seen in our product business these last 4 years. It is this success which has driven our overall company performance, and put us in the national spotlight.”
The Inc. 5000 list is an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies and represents the most comprehensive look at America’s entrepreneurs.
“The companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 have followed so many different paths to success,” says Inc. editor in chief James Ledbetter. “There’s no single course you can follow or investment you can take that will guarantee this kind of spectacular growth. But what they have in common is persistence and seizing opportunities.”
Critical Link employees celebrate the company’s 20th anniversary in 2017.
Critical Link is widely respected as a leader in the design and production of embedded system solutions. The DeWitt-based company joins just four others on the list from Central New York, and only 81 engineering firms nationwide. The company specializes in system-on-chip (SoC) and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designs, sensor integration, and signal processing.
Critical Link’s Evaluation Kit for the Canon 3U5MGXSBA Sensor
Among other achievements, the company recently announced it was selected by Canon USA to develop evaluation kits for three of its industrial CMOS image sensors. These cameras are built around Critical Link’s MitySOM-A10S featuring the Intel/Altera Arria® 10 SoC processor for industrial applications.
ABOUT THE COMPANY:
Critical Link, LLC(Syracuse, NY www.criticallink.com), is an embedded system engineering firm providing system on modules (SOMs) and embedded imaging solutions for industrial performance applications. The company’s expertise in image sensor integration, system-on-chip (SoC) and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designs, vision protocols, and signal processing has made it a leader in board-level solutions and custom designs for OEMs and embedded developers around the world.
Privately held, Critical Link is a Platinum member of the Intel FPGA Design Services Network and Intel IoT Solutions Alliance, a Platinum member of the Texas Instruments Design Network, and is ISO 9001:2015 Registered by SRI Quality System Registrar.
MELVILLE, N.Y., JULY 25, 2019— Critical Link, LLC, a leader in embedded solutions is pleased to share thatCanon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions announced the company has selected Critical Link, to develop new Evaluation Kits for three of Canon’s CMOS image sensors: the 120MXS, a high resolution 120MP sensor; the 35MMFHDXS_A, a high sensitivity 19μm pixel size, 2.76MP sensor; and the 3U5MGXSBA, a 5MP global shutter sensor.
Currently in development by the Critical Link engineering team, these kits will allow developers to test the features and performance of each of the Canon CMOS sensors to ensure a fit with their application. In addition to early assessment of sensor performance, image system designers will gain access to assets that accelerate development time including complete sensor board design files. For applications that require on-board image processing, the evaluation kits feature an open architecture design, with the option to embed processing and software with the on-board CPU and FPGA fabric.
“Critical Link is honored to be selected by Canon to develop three new Evaluation Kits,” said Omar Rahim, VP of Imaging Product Sales at Critical Link. “We believe the performance and pixel design of Canon’s CMOS sensors will appeal to OEMs and end users, and that Evaluation Kits will help customers accelerate innovation in industrial vision.”
“We are excited and proud to select Critical Link to help introduce these CMOS Sensor Evaluation Kits into the marketplace. These will allow customers to better test our sensor capabilities and accelerate the design process of their imaging systems,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Each Evaluation Kit consists of a camera with a pre-installed Canon CMOS sensor, and will include:
Accessory package for out-of-the-box operation (quick start guide, power supply, compact tripod, cables)
Embedded software to setup the sensor, acquire image data and communicate over USB 3.1 interface with any USB 3 compliant UI
PC-based UI application available for download to communicate with the camera
Sensor board design files and source code*
VHDL code for the FPGA*
Visit Canon U.S.A. CMOS sensors for updated information and to reserve an Evaluation Kit. The kits will be available later in the year.
About Critical Link Syracuse, N.Y.-based Critical Link (https://www.criticallink.com/) is an embedded systems engineering firm offering customizable system-on-modules (SOMs) and imaging platforms for industrial, medical, scientific, and defense applications. Critical Link’s end-to-end product engineering services include design, development, and production. Critical Link is a Platinum Member of the Intel (Altera) FPGA Design Solutions Network and the Intel IoT Solutions Alliance, and is ISO 9001:2015 Registered by SRI Quality System Registrar.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $36 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2018† and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2019. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA.
###
†Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Embedded Vision is a hot topic in many industrial spaces. The integration of data processing on board a camera without the need for a back-end PC, server, or other costly system has system developers — in industries from factory test and measurement to agriculture, and from autonomous driving to medical diagnostics — looking for ways to move processing closer to the sensor. Doing so can lead to lower recurring costs, faster performance, and an optimized footprint (that is, low size, weight, power, and cost — or low SWaP-C), and systems that are more agile and able to evolve with changing requirements. This means innovation and growth in industrial markets across the world will be heavily affected by advancements in embedded vision.
Cities, factories, and transportation systems are implementing vision-based technologies to improve efficiency, performance, cost, reliability, and safety.
Moving from a traditional PC- or server-supported vision system to an embedded platform does not happen overnight, and it requires an investment in upfront engineering and development. There are several key factors developers should consider early on when planning to transition from a traditional vision system to a new embedded vision design. Evaluating these factors ahead of time will help ensure a product that meets current system performance requirements, while allowing for application growth and long-term design stability.
Processing technology
One of the first questions developers may ask is on which processing technology they should base their design. The answer is becoming increasingly complex because processing performance and speed have escalated so rapidly that developers are able to acquire and process images faster, even when implementing higher-resolution sensors (Figure 1).
Figure 1. An embedded vision board integrated with a camera module.
CPUs (central processing units), GPUs (graphics processing units), and FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays) each offer distinct advantages for embedded vision systems. Furthermore, the growing number of chip and board manufacturers in the marketplace makes the decision not only about the processing technology, but also about the supply chain, quality, support, and longevity of the product being developed.
CPUs
CPUs are easy to program and compile, and they offer versatility in that they can execute a wide range of functionality. Typically, they also include a host of analog and digital peripherals. CPUs perform processing operations in sequence. For vision applications, one operation must run on an entire image before the next operation can begin. Multicore CPUs allow for some level of parallel operation (albeit far less than GPUs or FPGAs), increasing performance but not affecting programmer friendliness.
Given their sequential nature, CPUs remain the best architecture for applications in which algorithms such as pattern matching or optical-character recognition will be used. This type of processing analyzes the entire image and compares it to a master data set. CPUs are most efficient here because of their extremely fast clock speeds and direct access to typically large amounts of memory.
GPUs
GPUs are similar to multicore CPUs in that GPUs are made of a series of logic cores, each of which is capable of performing operations sequentially. GPUs are composed of many more and smaller logic cores, however. So although multicore CPUs — most often with two to four cores — can perform a small amount of parallel processing, GPUs can handle orders of magnitude more, with up to multihundreds of logic cores.
GPUs have grown in popularity in the embedded vision space, in part because they are well suited for applications where simple operations can be performed in parallel and continuously on large data sets. As an example, GPUs offer a tremendous benefit in artificial intelligence (AI) training applications, where the ability to process massive data sets in relatively short amounts of time is essential. When it comes to AI inferencing, however, FPGAs tend to have the best performance, followed by GPUs.
GPUs excel at functions such as video post-processing, and they offer optimized efficiency for floating-point computations and matrix math. The trade-off is that they consume high amounts power, which can pose a challenge in embedded vision systems where portability or low SWaP-C matters.
GPUs tend to be best for consumer designs or products that will go through frequent design upgrades, rather than for industrial, medical, or other long-lifespan products. This is because although the performance lifespan of a GPU can easily extend to a decade, most GPU devices remain on the market for only 18 to 36 months, after which they are considered obsolete and are replaced by next-generation devices.
FPGAs
At the highest levels of processing, FPGAs provide the greatest advantages in speed and flexibility. Given their highly efficient parallel-processing capability, FPGAs are more suitable than CPUs or GPUs for real-time processing and multiple-interface applications. They are reprogrammable, with flexibility for design changes and new functionality that cannot be achieved with any other architecture (Figure 2).
Figure 2. A performance comparison between a CPU, GPU, and an FPGA, noting key image-processing characteristics.
In terms of energy efficiency — an important consideration in embedded systems design — FPGAs are superior to both CPUs and GPUs. This is especially true for performing algorithms based on logic and fixed-precision computations. The two biggest names in FPGAs have supported device families for a decade or more. Going forward, this means developers of industrial, medical, and other long-lifespan applications can depend on device availability and on access to product support for the life of a device’s design.
Traditionally, FPGAs have been the most difficult to program, requiring developers to have special skills in hardware description languages (HDLs), such as VHDL or Verilog. Long cycles to compile a design are also necessary. However, many tools are available today to make programming an FPGA faster and easier, even without expertise in HDLs. Two examples are OpenCL and high-level synthesis (HLS), which enable targeting C/C++ code to the FPGA. Learning to use these tools can take time; fortunately, many manufacturers offer software development kits that make it easier to get started. Developers can then use such tools to leverage other benefits as well, including the ability to accelerate application code, reduce power usage, and drastically reduce compile times.
For an even easier way to program FPGAs, graphical programming tool kits now enable image-processing functions to be implemented using visual-programming pipelines. A growing number of suppliers are launching tools in which image-processing functions — from pixel correction and color processing to trigger functionality and segmentation — can be graphically pipelined and then implemented into the FPGA. These are not yet universal solutions, but expect to see rapid expansion in this area in years to come.
Alternatively, FPGAs allow for off-the-shelf intellectual property (IP) blocks to be integrated into the fabric, bypassing lengthy development cycles and giving streamlined functionality. Many embedded board and camera vendors provide IP blocks already embedded in their solutions for image preprocessing functions such as compression, white balancing, debayering, and noise reduction. Beyond these basics, IP blocks are available from a range of vendors for application-specific processing tasks including object measurement and tracking, stereo vision, motion detection, and many others. IP blocks can also be used to implement a variety of interfaces.
Heterogeneous architecture
In many cases, developers will include more than one processing technology in their design, most often combining an FPGA with either a CPU or GPU. This means the two devices share the processing load, each one taking on the tasks it is best suited to handle.
For example, in a heterogeneous system-on-chip (SoC) architecture where a CPU and FPGA are both present, developers can optimize their design for the strengths of each device. Depending on the interface, the CPU may be best for image acquisition, and then the developer may transfer the image to the FPGA for preprocessing tasks such as noise reduction or debayering. Images can then be processed in parallel in the FPGA or sent back to the CPU for iterative functions. Even with these transfers, such a pipeline can be more efficient than a single- processing architecture.
There is no universally correct answer to the complex question of which processing architecture to choose. Choosing the right technology is a function of multiple factors and is highly dependent on not only the technology but the support system around it.
Design support
Executing a new embedded vision product design typically requires factory support for issues such as sensor integration, software and image processing, interface development, or all of the above. Questions come up throughout the design process that can be answered by an array of sources: data sheets, community forums, application engineering support, and direct factory interaction. Depending on a company’s size and reach, some resources may be more accessible than others. It’s important to consider how support will be delivered for the products you’ve selected (Table 1).
Table 1. Key aspects of CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs
If the in-house team is knowledgeable and has extensive experience in imaging design, access to thorough documentation or community forums may be enough. Previous experience with a sensor, interface spec, and processing technology can mean major efforts will be focused on the application software and processing functions — the IP — that your team is developing.
Although the performance lifespan of a GPU can easily extend to a decade, most GPU devices remain on the market for only 18 to 36 months.
If the technologies being integrated into the design are not familiar to the team, however, it’s important to understand whether access to application engineering support will be available from the manufacturer or its channel partners. As the pressure to operate more efficiently has grown for major manufacturers, many have pulled back on direct support to customers. In some cases, the manufacturers’ distribution partners have stepped in to provide design support through their local branches.
Alternatively, off-the-shelf components can be selected or an outside engineering services provider can be engaged to help with the design. Either option can stream- line the development schedule and allow the team to dedicate its focus on generating value-added IP. Working with an engineering services provider that is familiar with the technologies and brands selected means many design challenges can be cleared faster, sometimes leveraging existing building blocks. Or, if the upfront investment in cost or schedule is not feasible, off-the-shelf development kits can provide a platform for low-cost, rapid prototyping.
Successful transitions
A growing shortage of hardware engineers means fewer companies have the manpower to develop new production-suitable hardware from the ground up. Open-source platforms that help people learn programming have offered relief, and for many applications, these solutions can be viable for production. However, when it comes to industrial or medical-grade systems, a transition path is needed to ensure long-term production and design stability. The question then becomes: What can be done early on to ensure the prototype is suitable for production, or to ensure that a viable transition plan exists?
This question was partly addressed in the discussion of processing technologies above, showing that certain architectures are designed for longer availability than others. The same is true for image sensors and cameras, as well as for all the other components designed into a new product. When selecting any of these components for a final design, it is very important for the system designer to be aware of availability projections. Working with an off-the-shelf board can often alleviate problems of availability, since the board supplier manages the supply chain and deals with obsolescence issues. Developers should look for a reputable supplier that publishes product change notifications (PCNs), that does not change part numbers frequently, and that will provide patches and engineering support in the event that a change is necessary. These are healthy signs that the supplier maintains its board designs over time.
Low-volume, short-term production, or designs that will go through frequent changes will probably not be affected by the above factors. However, if the product is intended for medium- to high-volume production and/or long-term availability, the design team should factor this in up front when evaluating which processing platform to use.
Flexibility for the future
Finally, developers should know how much flexibility or additional headroom is needed to accommodate future application changes, feature growth, or advanced processing. Some designs remain relatively fixed for the life of the product, with little need to integrate new features or capabilities. Others, however, are used in industries that are constantly evolving (Figure 3). The inability to implement new processing techniques or application software upgrades could hurt sales and cripple return on investment. This is true in areas such as manufacturing and warehousing, smart cities and infrastructure, energy and utilities, and transportation. The wave of embedded vision integration is still far from cresting in these areas, and developers who allow room for their design to grow as technology advances will be better positioned for long-term success.
Figure 3. Embedded imaging systems have already made their way into medical and scientific applications, and they are gaining even more momentum as the health care industry drives toward higher standards and leaner processes.
Meet the authors
Dave Rice is co-founder of Critical Link and vice president of its engineering division. He has led the company’s technology development efforts for more than 20 years. Rice has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Penn State University; email: david .rice@criticallink.com.
Amber Thousand is the director of marketing at Critical Link, working with engineering on product development. She has a bachelor’s degree from Elon University and a master’s in business administration from the University of Phoenix; email: athousand@criticallink.com.
Company will present two technical sessions on embedded imaging solutions at the Embedded Technologies Expo Conference, McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, California, while showcasing its award-winning systems, boards, and platforms in Booth #1835, June 25-27, 2019.
Critical Link’s MitySOM-A10S & MityCAM-C50000
Syracuse, N. Y. – Critical Link, a leading provider of electronics and engineering services for industrial embedded applications, will present two technical sessions and showcase its latest board-level embedded imaging solutions at the inaugural Embedded Technologies Expo & Conference (ETC), McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, California, from June 25-27, 2019. The expo will be co-located with the Sensors Expo & Conference, the largest of its kind in North America.
“We’re excited to be part of the first Embedded Technologies Expo & Conference,” said Amber Thousand, director of marketing. “The co-location with the popular Sensors Expo represents a sweet spot for Critical Link’s embedded imaging solutions.”
Critical Link’s technical presentations are part of the “Vision & Imaging for Industrial Applications” track of the conference program. On Thursday, June 27 at 10:00 a.m, co-founder and vice president of imaging applications, Omar Rahim, will present “Using Linux with FPGA Co-Processing for Real-Time Embedded Vision.” Following at 11:25 a.m., Dave Rice, co-founder and technical director, will give a talk entitled “Optimizing Industrial Imaging Development.” Conference registration is required for both sessions which will take place in room 203A.
Critical Link’s System on Modules (SOMs) and embedded imaging platforms are designed for next-generation performance in a variety of scientific, industrial, medical, and defense applications to ensure a faster time to market, lower development costs, and long-term availability. Products on display at ETC will include:
MityCAM-C50000imaging system. Specially designed as an evaluation platform for the CMV50000 high-speed image sensor from ams / CMOSIS. The global shutter sensor features 47.5MP resolution at 30 frames per second, mono and RGB color options, with low dark noise and high dynamic range. The innovative system provides multiple interfaces including USB3 as standard, with custom options that include CoaXPress, Camera Link, GigE, and more.
MitySOM-A10S system on module (SOM) and image processing board. This family features dual core Cortex-A9 ARMs with up to 480KLE user- programmable FPGA fabric, DDR4 memory, and 12 high-speed transceiver pairs, making it an ideal solution for machine vision and scientific imaging applications. The board is available in two configurations: first as a stack- through board for use in camera designs, and second with bottom-side, rugged board-to-board connectors for integration with an industrial baseboard.
The MityCAM-C50000 and the MitySOM-A10S are readily available from Critical Link and select partners. To see a demonstration of these remarkable new embedded imaging solutions, please visit Booth #1835 at the Embedded Technologies Expo & Conference, McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, California, June 25-27, 2019. For more information, please go to www.criticallink.com or email us at info@criticallink.com.
About Critical Link Syracuse, N.Y.-based Critical Link (www.criticallink.com) is an embedded systems engineering firm offering customizable system-on-modules (SOMs) and imaging platforms for industrial, medical, scientific, and defense applications. Critical Link’s end-to-end product engineering services include design, development, and production. Critical Link is a premier Partner in the Imaginghub by Basler, a Platinum Member of the Intel (Altera) FPGA Design Solutions Network and the Intel IoT Solutions Alliance, and is ISO 9001:2015 Registered by SRI Quality System Registrar.
Critical Link’s Director of Marketing Recognized at Crystal Ball Ceremony
SYRACUSE, N. Y. – Critical Linkis
pleased to recognize its Marketing Director, Amber Thousand, with a CNY Sales
& Marketing Excellence Award. This award honors individuals with
demonstrated success in the sales and marketing profession and was presented at
the 43rd Annual Crystal Ball hosted by CNY Sales & Marketing
Executives.
Critical
Link hired Amber in 2013 to establish a dedicated marketing effort. Since that
time, she has become a key contributor to Critical Link’s
business strategy which has propelled the company’s revenue more than 73% in
the last three years.
“One
of Amber’s many strengths is her ability to see gaps in the company and fill
them,” said John Fayos, Critical Link co-founder and president. “She isn’t
afraid to step-up and implement change and there are few areas she hasn’t
improved.”
Among
those improvements, Amber helped redefine Critical Link’s value proposition and
go-to-market approach, implemented a new sales model, and established new
processes to shift Critical Link from a services-based company, to a
product-based one. Her leadership has helped the
company grow, including more than tripling the number of system on modules sold
each year.
“Amber helps us
make our own luck,” said Tom Catalino, co-founder and vice president of sales.
“And as a result, we’re reaching more customers than ever before.”
Without a team or
large budget to execute initiatives, Amber has strengthened and leveraged
relationships to expand Critical Link’s reach. This has included distributors,
technology partners, manufacturers, media, rep firms, and more.
“It’s
an honor to be recognized among such a great group of professionals,” said Thousand.
“I am thrilled every day for my role at Critical Link. But the success we have
had, and will continue to have in the years to come, is made possible because
of the strength and contributions of the entire team.”
Amber accepted her
award at the 43rd Annual Crystal
Ball hosted by CNY Sales & Marketing Executives at the Marriott Syracuse
Downtown on April 30th. Amber was one of 12 professionals bestowed
with this award. Visit www.cnysme.org for a full list of winners.
Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives (CNYSME) was founded in 1935 and is the area’s recognized voice of the sales and marketing profession, the only organization focused exclusively on the needs of the sales and marketing professionals.
About Critical Link
Founded
in 1997, Critical Link designs and manufactures board level processing cards
(called System on Modules) and embedded imaging platforms for industrial
electronic applications worldwide. The company delivers advanced technology
solutions for customers in manufacturing, energy and utilities, defense,
medical, laboratory science, transportation, and many others.
The company is owned and operated by its original co-founders and employs 42 people at its facility in Dewitt. And we’re hiring! To learn more, visit www.criticallink.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
SYRACUSE, N. Y. – Critical Link, Dewitt-based
embedded electronics engineering company, is thrilled to have been selected as
one of the 2019 “Best Places to Work in Central New York” by the Business
Journal News Network and BizEventz.
This award recognizes local employers that rank highest in employee
satisfaction. Critical Link is one of just 18 companies in the “10-50
employees” category.
“This recognition
is a testament to every employee at Critical Link. Our people are what drive us
forward, and what has generated so much of our recent success. We are honored
to be among this impressive list of companies,” said John Fayos, co-founder and
president.
The top 40 honorees
are selected based on an employee satisfaction survey, which measures areas
such as:
Overall job satisfaction
Importance and satisfaction with company direction, supervisors, work, and pay and benefits
Connection employees have with their coworkers and company leaders
Words and phrases that employees associate with organization
This is the first
year Critical Link participated in the Best Places to Work in CNY survey. Full
rankings will be announced later this year at an awards ceremony in September. The
company was also recently named to Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list and
has been honored with several other industry awards—including STEM Company of
the Year and Technologist of the Year from the Technology Alliance of Central
New York.
About Critical Link
Founded in 1997, Critical Link designs and manufactures board level
processing cards (called System on Modules) and embedded imaging platforms for
industrial electronic applications worldwide. The company delivers
advanced technology solutions for customers in manufacturing, energy and
utilities, defense, medical, laboratory science, transportation, and many
others.
The company is
owned and operated by its original co-founders and employs 42 people at its
facility in Dewitt. And we’re hiring! To learn more, visit www.criticallink.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
# #
#
Contact:
Katie Jerome
Marketing Manager, Critical Link kjerome@criticallink.com
315-425-4045 x206
The company was honored with two Innovator Awards – Silver & Bronze Levels from Vision Systems Design (VSD) at a special ceremony in Chicago on April 8, 2019.
SYRACUSE, N. Y. – Critical
Link, LLC, experts in image sensor technology,
system-on-chip (SoC) and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designs, vision
protocols, and signal processing, received two prestigious Innovators Awards, a
silver and bronze, presented at the Fifth Annual Vision Systems Design
Innovators Awards program on April 8 during Automate 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.
The MityCAM®-C50000 was honored with a silver award in the Embedded Vision category by a panel of esteemed
experts. Critical Link’s MityCAM-C50000 is an
open architecture platform that allows for user programming, and a design
that allows for hardware customization. The embedded vision platform
enables developers and OEMs to embed their image-processing algorithms and
application IP on-board the system.
The MityCAM-C50000 was developed
around the CMV50000 sensor from ams / CMOSIS. It is a global shutter sensor
featuring 47.5MP resolution (7920 pixels x 6004 pixels) at 30 frames per
second, mono and RGB color options, with low dark noise and high dynamic range.
The sensor outputs in subLVDS mode and provides special capabilities in
binning, subsampling, and on-chip corrections.
Critical Link’s MitySOM®-A10S-DSC earned a
bronze award in the Embedded Vision category. The
MitySOM-A10S-DSC is a production-suitable image processing board that features
the Intel/Altera Arria 10 SoC. It is part of the company’s latest family of
industrial performance system on modules (SOMs). The board includes dual-core Cortex-A9
ARM, up to 480KLE user-programmable FPGA fabric, 12 high-speed transceiver
pairs, and up to 6GB DDR4 RAM. It features dual-side connectors for use in
stack-through configurations, a unique benefit to developers of next-generation
embedded imaging and machine vision applications.
The Innovators
Awards are judged based on the following criteria:
Originality
Innovation
Impact on designers, systems integrators, end users
Fulfilling a need in the market that hasn’t been addressed
Leveraging a novel technology
Amber Thousand, director of
marketing for Critical Link, notes, “We are very honored to be selected as an
Innovators Award recipient for the second year in a row. Both the
MityCAM-C50000 and the MitySOM-A10S fill gaps in the embedded vision market,
providing developers with open architecture products that enable them to quickly
bring new solutions to market. We are delighted to have our innovative products
acknowledged by these distinguished VSD awards.”
To learn more about Critical
Link’s System on Modules and embedded imaging platforms, visit the company’s
booth #339 at SPIE Defense & Commercial Sensing, Baltimore Convention
Center, April 16 – 18, 2019 or go to: https://www.criticallink.com/products.
About the Company: Critical
Link, LLC(Syracuse, NY www.criticallink.com), founded in 1997, develops
embedded systems solutions, system on modules (SOMs) and imaging systems for a
wide variety of electronic applications.
As experts in image sensor technology, system on chip (SoC) and field-programmable
gate array (FPGA) design, signal processing, and vision protocols, we support
all product development tasks, from concept to final production.
Our flexibility allows us to deliver full
lifecycle support and services at any step along the product development path,
when and where needed, to effectively keep costs down. From engineering to
hardware and software development, and mechanical engineering to prototyping
and manufacture/assembly, Critical Link is committed to helping our OEM
customers reach their project goals quickly and cost-effectively.
“Central NY is
home to a number of impressive technology companies, large and small, with
several well known to local residents. Critical Link, while maybe lesser known,
has been making impressive technology contributions in CNY for more than 20
years,” said Howie Hollander, president emeritus of TACNY. “The
Celebration of Technology Awards review committee is very pleased to recognize
Critical Link as the 2019 STEM Company of the Year.
About The Vision Systems Design 2019 Innovators Awards Program: The VSD 2019 Innovators Awards’ expert judges reviewed and recognized the most innovative products and services in the vision and image-processing industry. Criteria used in the Innovators Awards ranking included: originality, innovation; impact on designers, systems integrators and end-users; fulfilling a need in the market that hasn’t been addressed, leveraging a novel technology, and increasing productivity
SYRACUSE, N. Y. – Dewitt-based embedded electronics engineering
company, Critical Link, LLC, was recently
selected as the 2019 STEM Company of the Year by the Technology Alliance of
Central New York (TACNY). This award recognizes a local STEM company that has
made recent outstanding contributions to new or innovative products, processing
technologies, or productivity leading to enhanced business.
“Central New York
is home to some of the most impressive high-tech electronics companies in the
country,” said Critical Link president John Fayos. “It’s an honor to be
recognized among such outstanding peers in this category.”
“Central NY is
home to a number of impressive technology companies, large and small, with
several well known to local residents. Critical Link, while maybe lesser known,
has been making impressive technology contributions in CNY for more than 20
years,” said Howie Hollander, president emeritus of TACNY. “The
Celebration of Technology Awards review committee is very pleased to recognize
Critical Link as the 2019 STEM Company of the Year.
Critical Link Founders celebrating 20-years in business in 2017.
Founded in 1997, Critical Link designs and manufactures board level
processing cards (called System on Modules) and embedded imaging platforms for
industrial electronic applications worldwide. The company delivers
advanced technology solutions for customers in manufacturing, energy and
utilities, defense, medical, laboratory science, transportation, and many
others.
“Although you
won’t see our name on them, our technology can be found in tens of thousands of
products across the globe,” explained CTO and co-founder, Dave Rice.
Critical Link’s
recent contributions and accomplishments include:
Successful launch
of two new innovative products–the MitySOM-A10S module family and the
MityCAM-C50000 embedded vision platform
Overall company
growth of 73% in the last 3 years
Product sales
tripling in just 4 years
Critical
Link’s principal engineer, Michael Williamson, also won in a second category–
Technologist of the Year. The company will accept both awards at TACNY’s 20th
Celebration of Technology Banquet on April 8th at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool.
For more information about the event, and a full list of winners please visit www.tacny.org.
TACNY
is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote excellence in
technology in Central New York. The Alliance organizes various programs and
events to bring Central New York’s technical community together.
ABOUT THE
COMPANY:
Critical Link,
LLC(Syracuse,
NY www.criticallink.com) is an embedded system engineering firm providing system on modules
(SOMs) and embedded imaging solutions for industrial performance applications.
The company’s expertise in image sensor integration, system-on-chip (SoC) and
field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designs, vision protocols, and signal
processing has made it a leader in board-level solutions and custom designs for
OEMs and embedded developers around the world.
Privately held, Critical Link is a Platinum
member of the Intel FPGA Design Services Network and Intel IoT Solutions
Alliance, a Platinum member of the Texas Instruments Design Network, and is ISO 9001:2015 Registered by
SRI Quality System Registrar.
Principal Engineer at Critical Link to be honored at April 8 Banquet
Mike Williamson accepts 2019 Technologist of the Year Award from TACNY President.
SYRACUSE, N. Y. – Critical Link, LLCis pleased to announce Michael Williamson’s
selection as the 2019 Technologist of the Year by the Technology Alliance of
Central New York (TACNY). This award recognizes a resident of Central New York
who has made recent outstanding contributions to advances and improvements in a
STEM field, not limited to engineering.
“Impressive
technologies depend on having impressive technologists, so TACNY is pleased to
recognize Mike Williamson of Critical Link as our Technologist of the Year,”
said Howie Hollander, president emeritus of TACNY. “Mike’s technical
achievements and leadership have made a tremendous impact, both internal to
Critical Link and with customers and partners in their industry.”
As
principal engineer at Critical Link, Mike is instrumental in defining the
company’s roadmap, which includes numerous recent award-winning products.
Mike’s incredible depth and breadth in his technical capabilities is a rare
combination, and is why everyone at Critical Link looks to him as the de-facto
leader in technology. Mike has led the development of more than a dozen
Critical Link products, totaling millions of dollars in revenue.
“Mike
has been instrumental in helping Critical Link become a recognized leader in
Machine Vision,” said CTO and co-founder, David Rice. “His technical abilities
and enthusiasm for taking on big challenges has increased the rate of
advancement and redefined what’s possible in vision and imaging technology
worldwide.”
“I’m
humbled by this recognition,” said Williamson. “Most of the accomplishments
cited required a pretty sharp team of people to be successful. A lot can be
accomplished when you’re part of a good team.”
Among
those achievements, Mike earned a patent (US20090244536) titled “Two
Dimensional Optical Imaging Methods and Systems for Particle Detection” for his
contributions to a customer project with Particle Measuring Systems that
involved liquid particle counting. Prior to joining Critical Link, Mike spent
10 years at Lockheed Martin as a systems engineer in various roles. He
completed the prestigious Engineering Leadership Development Program before
leading several project teams and surveillance radar programs. He holds
electrical engineering degrees from both RIT (BSEE) and Syracuse University
(MSEE). Mike resides in Fayetteville with his wife and three children.
Critical Link also won in a second category– STEM Company of the
Year. The company will accept both awards at TACNY’s 20th Celebration of
Technology Banquet on April 8th at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool. For more
information about the event, and a full list of winners please visit www.tacny.org.
TACNY is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote
excellence in technology in Central New York. The Alliance organizes various
programs and events to bring Central New York’s technical community together.
ABOUT THE
COMPANY:
Critical
Link, LLC(Syracuse, NY www.criticallink.com) is an embedded system engineering firm providing system on modules (SOMs)
and embedded imaging solutions for industrial performance applications. The
company’s expertise in image sensor integration, system-on-chip (SoC) and
field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designs, vision protocols, and signal
processing has made it a leader in board-level solutions and custom designs for
OEMs and embedded developers around the world.
Privately held, Critical Link is a Platinum
member of the Intel FPGA Design Services Network and Intel IoT Solutions
Alliance, a Platinum member of the Texas Instruments Design Network, and is ISO 9001:2015 Registered by
SRI Quality System Registrar.
Company’s top-rated industrial-performance System on Module families will be displayed at Embedded World Exhibition, Nuremberg, Germany, in Hall 4 / 4-180 and Hall 3A / 3A-528, Feb. 26 – 28, 2019.
Syracuse, N. Y. – Critical Link, a leading provider of electronics and engineering services for industrial embedded applications, will showcase its latest board-level solutions at Embedded World, the premier global event for embedded electronics developers.
Critical Link’s MitySOM-A10S is the newest addition to the company’s line of industrial-performance embedded modules. The system on module (SOM) family is designed with the Intel/Altera Arria 10 SoC which features dual core Cortex-A9 ARMs and up to 480KLE user-programmable FPGA fabric. In addition to the processor, the innovative module includes on-board power supplies, two DDR4 RAM memory subsystems, micro SD card, a USB 2.0 on the go (OTG) port, and a temperature sensor. Multiple configurations are available to meet requirements for a wide range of applications in industrial, medical, broadcast, utilities, defense, and other markets. The MitySOM-A10S Development Kit is now available from Critical Link and its distributors to offer developers a jumpstart on their projects. The MitySOM-A10S will be presented in Critical Link’s Hall 4 / 4-180 booth at Embedded World.
TheMitySOM-5CSx family, based on the Intel/Altera Cyclone V SoC processor, will also be on display in Critical Link’s Hall 4 / 4-180 booth. It will be demonstrated live as part of the company’s award-winning embedded vision development kit featuring BCON dart camera modules from Basler.
Critical Link, in collaboration with A.R. Bayer DSP Systeme GmBH, who represents the company in Germany (and several other European countries), will hold a live drawing for one MitySOM-A10S Development Kit. Booth visitors may enter for a chance to win at Hall 4 / 4-180.
Additionally, Open Systems Media, publisher of Embedded Computing Design, will feature Critical Link’s MitySOM-5CSx Development Kit in Hall 3A / 3A-528. The Embedded Computing Design team will raffle off ten MitySOM-5CSx development kits during the event. Attendees are invited to visit the Embedded Computing Design booth to enter the drawing.
To learn more about board-level solutions and embedded vision systems for industrial applications, please visit www.criticallink.com or email info@criticallink.com.
About Critical Link
Syracuse, N.Y.-based Critical Link (www.criticallink.com) is an embedded systems engineering firm providing system on modules (SOMs) and embedded imaging solutions for industrial performance applications. The company’s expertise in image sensor integration, system-on-chip (SoC) and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designs, vision protocols, and signal processing has made it a leader in board-level solutions and custom designs for OEMs and embedded developers around the world. Critical Link is a Platinum Member of the Intel (Altera) FPGA Design Solutions Network and the Intel IoT Solutions Alliance, and is ISO 9001:2015 Registered by SRI Quality System Registrar.
Syracuse, N. Y. – Critical Link, a leading provider of electronics and engineering services for industrial embedded applications, will showcase its latest board-level solutions at 
Use our SOM Selector