Ethernet Switch Requirements For Flir A68/A38 Series - Teledyne FLIR A68 Series User Manual

While CamExpert can be used for evaluating a camera, an application typically uses the
Sapera LT API to configure the camera's parameters and acquire images. Sample
applications are provided along with source code, to speed up application development.
By default they are installed under the directory:
C:\Program Files\Teledyne DALSA\Sapera\Demos\
Of particular interest is the GigE Camera Demo (available in pre-compiled form, with
C++ and C# source projects). This project provides everything needed to acquire
images from the camera. It can be easily modified to write required values to
parameters (called 'features' in GenICam). For example, in C++ it can be implemented
as:
m_AcqDevice->SetFeatureValue("PixelFormat", "Mono16");

Ethernet Switch Requirements for FLIR A68/A38 Series

When there is more than one device on the same network or a camera-to-PC
separation greater than 100 meters, an Ethernet switch is required. Since the FLIR
A68/A38 series cameras comply with the Internet Protocol, they should work with all
standard Ethernet switches. However, switches offer a range of functions and
performance grades, so care must be taken to choose the right switch for a particular
application.
IEEE 802.3x Pause Frame Flow Control
Ethernet Switches supporting Full-duplex IEEE 802.3x Pause Frame Flow Control must
be used in situations where multiple cameras may be triggered simultaneously. In such
a case the NIC maximum bandwidth would be exceeded if there was no mechanism to
temporarily hold back data from cameras. A68/A38 cameras support the IEEE 802.3x
pause frame flow control protocol automatically so that images from many cameras
can be transmitted through the switch to the NIC efficiently, without data loss. As a
working example, one such switch tested at Teledyne DALSA is the NETGEAR GS716T.
Even if a given Ethernet switch supports Flow Control, often this feature
is disabled in the switch configuration to provide best compatibility with
older equipment. Please refer to the switch's documentation.
IEEE 1588 / PTP Transparent Mode
GigE switches which support PTP Transparent mode will help reduce the variability of
timestamp adjustments when cameras are synchronized with PTP/IEEE1588, but are
not required.
Important: The maximum frame rate possible from a large number of
A68/A38 cameras which are simultaneously triggered will depend on the
A68/A38 model, frame size, and network details. Each imaging system
should be tested for data rate limits.
FLIR A68/A38 Series IR Camera User's Manual FLIR A68/A38 Series Overview • 21