Transitioning from the Flea3 FireWire to the Flea3 GigE Camera

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Frequently Asked Questions About Upgrading from the Flea3 FireWire to the Flea3 GigE

Is the Flea3 FireWire camera being discontinued?

No, there are no plans to discontinue Flea3 FireWire models at this time. The new GigE Vision models are intended to give customers an alternative to address issues such as cable length, as well as provide next-generation functionality.

What other new hardware do I need to use the Flea3 GigE?

Cable—Category 5, 5e or 6 cables up to 100 meters in length can be used (a significant improvement in distance over the FireWire standard). A 5-meter Category 5e cable can be purchased directly from Point Grey (Part No. ACC-01-2100)

Interface Card—The camera will require a Gigabit Ethernet network interface card (NIC) with support for “jumbo packets” to run at full 1 Gbit/s transfer rates. We strongly recommend customers use PCI Express NICs with Intel PRO 1000 chipsets. An Intel PRO 1000CT-based card can be purchased directly from Point Grey (Part No. ACC-01-1100). GigE network interface cards are also widely available at consumer electronics stores, or supported on board existing hardware.

Power Supply—Power must be provided through the HR25 8-pin GPIO interface. The required input voltage is 12-24 V DC. A compatible 12 V wall-mount power supply and wiring harness can be purchased directly from Point Grey (Part No. ACC-01-9006). 

A tripod adapter is included with the Flea3 at no extra charge.

Can I run the Flea3 GigE with my existing FlyCapture-based application?

FlyCapture version 2.1 or later is required to control the Flea3 GigE and acquire images. Earlier versions do not support the GigE Vision-specific functionality that the camera implements.

How easy will it be to migrate my FireWire-based application for Flea3 FireWire to the Flea3 GigE?

The Flea3 FireWire is an IIDC-1394 (FireWire) camera, while the Flea3 GigE is a GigE Vision camera. However, the IIDC-based control and status registers in the camera firmware, which are accessed by Point Grey’s FlyCapture API, remain mostly the same between the two cameras. As a result, upgrading an application from the Flea3 FireWire to the Flea3 GigE should be fairly straightforward. Among the factors to consider are supported pixel formats and modes (Flea3 GigE supports Format_7 only), and network management requirements for GigE Vision cameras. These differences, and others, are outlined in the following sections of this application note. Additionally, the FlyCapture SDK includes a GigEGrabEx sample program to show developers the basics of getting started in grabbing images with a GigE camera.

Can I use a GenICam-compliant application with the Flea3 GigE?

Yes. The camera is loaded with a GenICam-compliant XML device description file. For a list of supported features or to access the file, consult the Flea3 FL3-GE Technical Reference.

How does performance of the GigE network compare to that of the FireWire bus?

Data throughput on the IIDC-1394b bus is 800 Mb/s, while on the GigE network it is 1000 Mb/s. In practice, there is little measurable difference in performance, as approximately 15% of the GigE bandwidth is reserved for communications control data. Performance differences may be more noticeable in terms of load on the host CPU. GigE Vision applications may consume more resources because the CPU must process both data packet handling and image processing tasks. The CPU in FireWire systems handles only image processing tasks because data packets are delivered directly to main memory using direct memory access (DMA). To reduce GigE packet load on the CPU, Point Grey provides an Image Filter Driver, which is installed and enabled by default as part of downloading and installing the FlyCapture SDK. This driver works by isolating GigE Vision Streaming Protocol (GVSP) packets, and is recommended for improved image streaming performance on Windows systems. (On Linux systems, GigE Vision cameras communicate directly with native Ubuntu drivers.)

How does bandwidth management differ between GigE and FireWire in multiple-camera configurations?

The FireWire bus provides dedicated bandwidth and guaranteed timing for data packets, which guarantees packet delivery, particularly on systems with multiple cameras on the bus. In contrast, the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) used by the GigE Vision standard provides no guaranteed transmission or fixed timing mechanism. Bandwidth must be managed by adjusting packet size and packet delay, based on desired resolution and frame rate. These parameters are configurable using Point Grey’s FlyCapture API or the FlyCap demo program. Additional information about GigE bandwidth management is available in the Flea3 FL3-GE Technical Reference.

How do I enumerate the Flea3 GigE camera on the GigE network?

Point Grey’s FlyCapture SDK includes an easy-to-use graphical interface tool for configuring the IP address of the camera and interface card. The Point Grey GigE Configurator provides IP configuration options based on the DHCP protocol, a persistent IP, or a link-local address (LLA). The IP address can also be configured programmatically using the FlyCapture SDK.

Does the Flea3 GigE support automatic inter-camera synchronization?

Not at this time. However, like all Point Grey cameras, the Flea3 provides a GPIO connector and trigger functionality, which allows the start of exposure to be synchronized between multiple cameras using an external electrical signal.

General Considerations

Other Reference Documentation

Other useful sources of information regarding specific features of the Applicable Product(s) include:

Flea3 FireWire Getting Started Manual

Flea3 GigE Getting Started Manual

Flea3 FireWire and Flea3 GigE Technical Reference Manuals

Testing Tools

To configure and test the information presented in this TAN:

Connect the camera’s GPIO pins to an oscilloscope or external trigger source. By connecting the appropriate GPIO pins to an external trigger source or oscilloscope, you can observe the differences in general purpose input/output capability of the Applicable Product(s). Consult your camera’s Technical Reference or Getting Started manual for GPIO connector pin layouts and electrical characteristics.

Download the FlyCapture SDK.  The SDK includes numerous example programs that demonstrate various camera features. Specific examples that relate to this TAN include CustomImageEx, AsyncTriggerEx and GigEGrabEx.

Access the camera’s register space. The easiest way to try this is using the FlyCap demo software included with the FlyCapture SDK. For register definitions and individual bit descriptions, please refer to your camera’s Technical Reference manual.

Detailed Comparison Between Flea3 FireWire and Flea3 GigE

Mechanics

The Flea3 FireWire and Flea3 GigE share many of the same form factor and general mechanical properties.

GPIO Properties

The cameras have the same 8-pin GPIO connector with the same properties. Consult either the Flea3 FL3-FW or Flea3 FL3-GE Technical Reference for pin assignments.

Other Hardware and Electronics

Firmware

This section does not address the significant number of firmware enhancements that have been added in the Flea3 GigE, but focuses on functional differences between the two cameras that could affect integration of the Flea3 GigE in existing Flea3 FireWire-based applications. Users are encouraged to download the documents listed in Section 1.5.1: Other Reference Documentation for assistance with terms, camera specifications, and register definitions.

Format_7

Other Firmware Changes

Software and Driver Support