Managing Bandwidth When Multiple Cameras Share A Single Network Path - Basler ace acA640-90gm User Manual

Network Related Camera Parameters and Managing Bandwidth
B.2 Managing Bandwidth When
Multiple Cameras Share a
Single Network Path
If you are using a single camera on a GigE network, the problem of managing bandwidth is simple.
The network can easily handle the bandwidth needs of a single camera and no intervention is
required. A more complicated situation arises if you have multiple cameras connected to a single
network adapter as shown in Figure 95.
1 Port
GigE
Adapter
GigE
Network
Switch
GigE GigE GigE
Camera Camera Camera
Fig. 95: Multiple Cameras on a Network
One way to manage the situation where multiple cameras are sharing a single network path is to
make sure that only one of the cameras is acquiring and transmitting images at any given time. The
data output from a single camera is well within the bandwidth capacity of the single path and you
should have no problem with bandwidth in this case.
If you want to acquire and transmit images from several cameras simultaneously, however, you
must determine the total data output rate for all the cameras that will be operating simultaneously
and you must make sure that this total does not exceed the bandwidth of the single path (125
MByte/s).
An easy way to make a quick check of the total data output from the cameras that will operate
simultaneously is to read the value of the Bandwidth Assigned parameter for each camera. This
parameter indicates the camera's gross data output rate in bytes per second with its current
settings. If the sum of the bandwidth assigned values is less than 125 MByte/s, the cameras should
be able to operate simultaneously without problems. If it is greater, you must lower the data output
rate of one or more of the cameras.
278
Single Path
GigE
Camera
Basler ace GigE