GigE Vision cameras from Baumer now contain extended firmware with advanced functions that increase their versatility and usefulness. For example, the new release provides innovative functions like Timer and Multicast. The Timer function permits independent and flexible exposure control for the camera sensor, allowing the illumination to be triggered before or delayed after the start of the exposure time and the ex-posure time to be set independently. Inputs such as TimerDelay and TimerDuration can be adjusted separately. The Multicast function enables the sending of single images to one or a defined group of computers within a network. Used properly, the Multicast function allows different machine vision tasks to be solved simultaneously using separate computers. This improved firmware is contained in the new TXG models ordered and shipped after April, 2010.