# Image Buffers

In-Sight vision systems have a default number of 6 pre-allocated image buffers, which you can increase in the Acquisition panel. The maximum number of image buffers is 16.

The vision system uses image buffers to allow for an acquisition to occur while the job is still executing. The image buffering and job execution process is as follows:

1. The first available buffer is used for image acquisition.
2. Once the acquisition is complete, another buffer is locked to use for the next acquisition.
3. The previously buffered image is sent to the Spreadsheet for job execution, and the buffer stays locked until the job is executed.

Note: After a job execution, the buffer holds the job results so that it can be sent to a Web HMI or In-Sight GUI. Once the next job execution completes, the previous job result releases the image buffer.

This process is highly dependent on job complexity, timing requirements, and the number of clients using the image such as the Web HMI and the In-Sight GUI.

Image buffers allow acquisitions to be overlapped with Spreadsheet execution. The Spreadsheet can process the next image as soon as it completes processing the previous image, without having to wait for another acquisition.

Once the Spreadsheet completes its use of the image, the image is retained long enough to refresh any connected clients such as the Web HMI or the In-Sight GUI.

If all of the pre-allocated image buffers are currently in use (for example, queued for the Spreadsheet or pending GUI refresh), external trigger events will be reported as missed acquisitions until another image buffer becomes available.