Scanner Access Now Easy

Scanner Access Now Easy, short SANE is a free application programming interface ( API) for accessing imaging devices such as scanners, digital cameras, video cameras and other various interfaces (USB, SCSI etc. ). It is mainly used on Linux use, with ports to OS / 2 and eComStation, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It is an alternative to TWAIN as a programming interface.

The members of the distribution of applications and utilities are under the GNU GPL, the interface description itself, however, public domain.

Construction

In contrast to the functionalities of TWAIN frontend and backend are strictly separated in SANE.

The object of the backend is to communicate with the respective image capture device via one of the many supported interfaces (USB, FireWire, SCSI, parallel port or serial port ). In addition, backends exist without a physical image source, such as to generate white noise or any other image data from a process or an image file. Then there is the special net backend ( see below). Regardless of their implementation provide all backends a uniform interface for the response they support sources, which forms the core of the SANE definition.

The front-ends represent the wearer facing portion of the work process and are usually integrated into an application program. The standardized interface all front-ends can be used with all backends without any problems, the available options are limited only by the actual capabilities of the image source ( resolution, color depth, with or without an ADF, slide changer, etc. ) is limited. A special form of a front-end presents (see below) of belonging to the project saned. The SANE distribution already contains some ready-made front-ends, such as the program scanimage, which automatically let in a script read images, without the need for a graphical user interface.

Examples of front end

Front-ends can be either limited to the pure image reading, as well as provide advanced functions.

  • Scanimage is a simple command line program
  • Xscanimage the X11 version of these, and serves as a scanning plugin for GIMP
  • Xsane is a GTK based program from which also a port for Windows exists.
  • Kooka is a KDE program for scanning, which offers built-in support for various text-processing programs
  • Gscan2pdf is a Gnome program that can very easily scan and create PDF files directly from the collected images.
  • In addition to cameras Digikam also supports the SANE interface.
  • Simple Scan is a simple program to scan under GNOME
  • Skanlite is a simple program to scan under KDE.
  • WIASANE is a WIA driver for Windows, which allows the use of a SANE network service and requires.

Scanning with Kooka

Scanning with xsane

Scanning with xscanimage

Network Scanner

The division of tasks between backend and frontend makes it relatively easy to operate via a SANE available on the network scanner. The supplied saned daemon accesses as special frontend at the scanner belonging backend and provides its services via TCP / IP ( Port 6566 ) are available. At the other end of the network, the net backend acts against the local frontend and provides for the forwarding of all data to the daemon. Result is that all other frontends and thus application programs do not require adjustments in order to use one (or more ) network scanner.

SANE does not protect the access to the scanner, there is no authentication or authorization, all data is transferred unencrypted. Via TCP wrappers can be limited or run via SSH through a secure tunnel to use. Thanks to the net backends is this only changes to its configuration, but not the programs set up required.

Utilities & Additional Information

  • Similar to SANE project for video sources is Video4Linux
  • Specifically for access to digital cameras, there is also the project gPhoto
  • Sane- find-scanner can look for locally attached scanners, even if they are not (yet) properly configured
  • Scanadf for the command line ( Online)
  • Flscan ( Fast Light Scan) ( Online)

Installation Instructions

  • Instructions in German
  • Instructions in English and English
IEEE 1394 Windows Image Acquisition Daemon (computing) Secure Shell
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