WHITE PAPER

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Comparison of the Most Common Digital Interface

Technologies in Vision Technology
Camera Link, USB3 Vision, GigE Vision, FireWire
When setting up a vision system, the choice of the camera interface is one of the most important ones. Customers,
integrators and manufacturers must consider different factors to find the optimum between performance, costs
and reliability. This white paper compares the most common digital interfaces in vision technology, and outlines
advantages and disadvantages for each. It considers cost issues, and the latest technical trends such as USB 3.0,
when comparing the interfaces.
The GigE Vision standard works in tandem with the
physical interface defined by the Gigabit Ethernet
standard, providing a clear logical implementation and
supporting easy integration in all image processing
programs via the use of software libraries. Also,
because the exchange of one GigE Vision-compatible
camera for another can be performed without
changing the application software, new investments
and follow-up costs can be estimated and
well-planned.

Content
1. Gigabit Ethernet
Flexible Interface Without Frame Grabber,
Multi-camera Excellence, Long Cable Lengths........ 1
2. USB3 Vision Speedy Interface Without
Frame Grabber, Low CPU Load, Easy to Use........... 2
3. FireWire Older Interface With Limitations............ 2
4. Camera Link Very High Data Throughput,
but Complex System Setups........................................... 3

Gigabit Ethernet already dominates many areas of

image processing, from production to intelligent traffic
systems. However, the system manufacturer must meet
some requirements when implementing Gigabit
Ethernet. First, they must take into account the
computing power needed for image acquisition. This is
typically 3 % to 8 % when using appropriate drivers
such as the Basler pylon driver. Second, the end-user
must decide what trigger interval is required. The
Gigabit Ethernet interface can trigger GigE cameras
within approximately one millisecond. This is sufficient
for many applications. Users who need to operate the
camera in the microsecond range can use the hardware
I/O (Input) for triggering.

5. CPU Load comparison of FireWire, USB3 Vision

and GigE Vision................................................................... 4
6. Conclusion and Outlook.................................................. 4

Gigabit Ethernet Multi-Camera Strenghts,

Long Cable Lengths, Flexible Interface
Without Frame Grabber

Summary of Gigabit Ethernet/GigE Vision:

Gigabit Ethernet has been an established technology in
industrial image processing since 2006. By number of
installations, it is the fastest-growing interface on
digital cameras used for industrial image processing.
This popularity is the result of Gigabit Ethernet solving
some central problems. Gigabit Ethernet removes the
cable length restrictions present in earlier interfaces
and simplifies the usage of several cameras with one
computer. With a data rate of more than 100 MB/s and
a maximum 100-meter cable length, Gigabit Ethernet is
a universally applicable digital interface that does not
need any frame grabber. This saves a lot in the overall
system cost. GigE has the potential to replace analog
camera systems in almost every application.

Speed: 100 MB/s net

Cable Length: up to 100 meters passive
Advantages:
Standard interface on nearly all PC hardware
Easy infrastructure setup for multi-camera use
Long cable distances
One cable solution possible
(POE Power over Ethernet)
Limitations: CPU load must be optimized

USB 3.0 High-Speed Interface Without

Frame Grabber, Low CPU Load, Easy to Use

Summary of USB 3.0/USB3 Vision:

Speed: 350 MB/s net
Cable Length: up to 8 meters passive
Advantages:
USB 3.0 is a standard hardware interface
Easy to use due to plug & play functions
Low CPU load, signal latency and jitter
(real-time capability)
Energy Management with low power consumptions
and suspend modes

Since USB 3.0 has become a standard in the

consumer market, a lot of hardware supports native
USB 3.0. Compared to USB 2.0, the USB 3.0 successor
interface offers nine times more bandwidth, better
error management, higher power supply, longer cable
lengths and lower latency and jitter times. There is a
native energy management system included which
allows the host to set the devices (camera) to a
suspend mode. This suspend mode is configurable,
and can save energy in outdoor or battery-powered
camera setups.

One cable solution (power via USB 3.0 cable)

Limitations:
Cable lengths
Challenges with complex multi-camera setups

FireWire Older Interface with Limitations

Released in 2013, the official USB3 Vision standard

defines the necessary elements that make USB 3.0
industry-compliant for vision applications. It takes in
connectors and cable characteristics. It also defines
the communication between a USB3 Vision device
and USB3 Vision-compliant software. As with GigE
Vision, this standard is an important step in allowing
customers to rely on one interface choice over a long
period of time.

FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394) has been a very

successful digital interface for many years. Why did
people like the FireWire interface? Because there has
been a well-defined standard with DCAM, and the
interoperability between software and device worked
well. The power support per port was excellent, and a
wide variety of camera options exists in the market.

The major advantages of USB 3.0 are: the high

bandwidth of over 350 MB/s, without the cost and
effort for a separate frame grabber. The possibility of
plug-and-play is another strength of the USB 3.0
interface. This gives flexibility for applications which
depend on different PC setups. At the same time, the
hardware for USB 3.0 is widely available. Most of the
new PCs and even the smallest embedded boards do
offer USB 3.0 ports. The Direct Memory Access
(DMA) reduces the CPU load for data transfer to a
minimum. This means more calculation power for
library and SDK software. The low latency and jitter
behavior built into the USB 3.0 protocol further help
to position USB 3.0 as an ideal replacement for older
digital interfaces like FireWire or USB 2.0.

Nevertheless, the FireWire market percentage

continues to shrink. There are several reasons: first of
all, FireWire only supports up to 64MB/s (IEEE 1394b),
and this drastically limits resolution and frames per
second. The official cable length is also very short, at
4.5 meters. Meanwhile, the FireWire interface has been
disappearing from the mass consumer market. Increasing prices and decreasing availability of the hardware,
and support within the software are the result.

Since it was designed especially for industrial cameras,

Camera Link has clear advantages such as extremely
high bandwidth, relative ease of use, and high data
security. All components in a Camera Link solution
must adhere to the Camera Link Standard. Cables,
connectors, and frame grabber cards that adhere to
this standard are not typically used in applications
other than image processing. These components, and
therefore the whole Camera Link solution, are relatively
expensive. Also, each component must be certified by
the manufacturer and compatible with the other
components in the system. Only this will guarantee
completely smooth interaction.

Overall, when planning new setups, FireWire should no

longer be considered as a vision interface. A suitable
replacement with similar characteristics but far higher
bandwidth could be USB 3.0.

Summary of FireWire
Speed:
IEEE 1394a: max 32 MB/s
IEEE 1394b: max 64 MB/s
Cable Length: up to 4.5 meters

For guidance related to system setups with Power over

Camera Link (PoCL) please see also the Basler white
paper What to Consider in Modern (Po)CL Systems
(Setup, Advantages and Costs).

Advantages:
Low CPU load
Low signal latency and jitter (real-time capability)
Limitations:

Summary of Camera Link:

Decreasing hardware and software support

Speed:

Cable lengths

Base (max 24 bits per clock) e.g. 255 MB/s

Bandwidth

Medium (max 48 bits per clock) - e.g. 510 MB/s

Full (max 85 bits per clock) e.g. 850 MB/s

Camera Link Very High Data Throughput,

but Complex System Setups

Cable Length: up to 10 meters for 85 MHz

Advantages:
Proven standard
High data streams
One cable solution possible
(PoCL Power over Camera Link)
Limitations:

Camera Link is and will remain an extremely robust and

powerful interface for industrial cameras in all
performance categories. Today, most camera types are
available in a version that can be connected to a
computer via Camera Link. The bandwidth available
with Camera Link can accommodate very small
cameras (the size of a sugar cube) up to cameras with
several megapixel resolution and often several hundred
frames per second speed. The Camera Link full
configuration supports data rates up to 850MB/s.
Camera Link has become the standard interface for
line scan cameras, based on the high line rates and the
large amount of data that these cameras can generate.

Needs special frame grabber

High end peripherals (grabber + cables)
Cable lengths

CPU Load Comparison for FireWire,

USB3 Vision, and GigE Vision
The following graph illustrates the differences in CPU
load between the 3 different frame grabber-less
interfaces. For the same image size transfer there is a
low CPU load with FireWire and USB 3.0, because both
interfaces work with DMA (Direct Memory Access).
The CPU load with GigE is slightly higher, because
GigE requires copy processing.
CPU Load in %

GigE, USB 3.0 and Camera Link Full currently dominate

the future landscape. Basler makes the choice of
interface as easy as possible for users, by offering all
major interfaces in its cameras, from small area scan
cameras up to line scan cameras. All the cameras work
with the same software platform (Basler pylon). These
factors combine to offer the highest flexibility and
lowest effort for integration when switching over to a
new interface.

10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%

48.8 MB/s

85 MB/s

IEEE 1994b

GigE Vision

In addition, USB 3.0 will continue to rise, thanks to the

stability it achieves through the USB3 Vision standard.
USB3 Vision combines high speed, low CPU load and
low system costs. USB 3.0 will particularly replace
older setups with FireWire or USB 2.0. Users whose
highest priorities include speed and resolution should
choose Camera Link Full as an interface. Another expected trend will see the replacement of Camera Link
Base and Medium by USB 3.0 (for reasons of cost. )
Other high-speed interfaces also have some
advantages, but at this point they do not have
relevant market share, due to high system costs.

350 MB/s
USB3 Vision

The following chart summarizes this white paper for

quick reference.

Figure 1 - CPU Load Comparison for FW, GigE, USB3 Vision*

Interface

Conclusion and Outlook

USB 2.0

A one size fits all interface for digital industrial

cameras does not exist, but there are clear contenders
for future applications.
Industry watchers expect some interfaces to decline
and disappear in vision technology over time: FireWire,
because of its disappearance on the mass consumer
market, and USB 2.0 because of its limited stability for
image transfer. Both interfaces are also not suitable for
current trends towards higher resolutions and speeds,
due to their low bandwidth.
Because the Gigabit Ethernet interface has the most
technological flexibility with regards to cable length
and multi-camera functionality, it will play a particularly
important role in many different applications.

Cable
Lengths

Bandwidth
max. in MB/s.

5m

40

4.5m

64

100m

100

8m

350

10 m

850

MultiCamera

Cable
Costs

Realtime

Plug &
Play

Figure 2 - Summary Interface Comparison

* Windows 7 Professional, x86Intel Core i5 650, only core active, not hyperthreading, 4GB RAM, USB3.0 Host Controller:
Renesas Electronics (5Gb/s), CPU Load was measured withperfmon, average measurements 10min, Driver: Win USB 3.0 and
IEEE 1394 Basler Pylon, AOI= 1600x1000, Pixel Format= Mono12 (16bit pro Pixel), Framerate= 16fps at 48,8MB/s

Author

Contact

Ren von Fintel is responsible for

the Basler ace camera platform
and manages the market
introduction of new technologies
like USB3 Vision.
He holds a diploma in industrial
engineering and business
management. Before joining
Basler, Ren worked in sales and
marketing of a well-known German medical technology
company for eight years.

Ren von Fintel - Senior Product Manager

Tel. +49 4102 463 332
Fax + 49 4102 463 46 332
E-Mail: rene.vonfintel@baslerweb.com
Basler AG
An der Strusbek 60-62
22926 Ahrensburg
Germany

About Basler
Basler is a leading global manufacturer of digital
cameras for industrial and video surveillance
applications, medical devices, and traffic systems.
Product designs are driven by industry requirements
and offer easy integration, compact size, excellent
image quality, and a very strong price/performance
ratio. Founded in 1988, Basler has 25 years of
experience in vision technologies and has designed
and manufactured high quality digital cameras for
15 years. The company employs around 300 people
at its headquarters in Ahrensburg, Germany, as well
as at international subsidiaries and offices in the U.S.,
Singapore, Taiwan, and Korea.

03/2013

Basler AG
Germany, Headquarters

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