If you use standard third-party GigE or USB3 Vision cameras (e.g., Basler, FLIR, Allied Vision), you must purchase a physical USB security dongle (frequently referred to as a Cognex Security Dongle or MVS license ) to unlock the software on your PC. Development vs. Run-Time Licenses
Pricing is often significantly discounted when the software is "locked" to Cognex hardware, such as their vision controllers or frame grabbers. Estimated Price Ranges
Most licenses are delivered via a USB security dongle . If the dongle is lost or damaged, the software will not run in licensed mode.
Do not rely only on third-party resellers. Local Cognex representatives often provide training and better volume pricing.
Note: Buying from unofficial sources (eBay, etc.) is not recommended, as licenses may be counterfeit or locked to previous owners.
When calculating your total budget, do not look at the software license alone. A complete VisionPro deployment requires accounting for:
Required by the engineer to write the code, train the vision tools, and build the user interface (QuickBuild or .NET environment). This is a one-time purchase per developer PC.
