In the world of machine vision, as in any tech field, there is a distinct divide between hardware and software. The hardware includes components of machine imaging systems such as the physical camera, lensing, cable interfaces, the PC or processor, etc. and are defined by rigid specifications (i.e. resolution of a camera, processing power, bandwidth of interface). 

Profile sensors and smart cameras are two products with different technologies that have some overlap in their applications. This can make it difficult to determine which to use and when.