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Camera Bandwidth Calculator
Estimate machine vision camera bandwidth from resolution, frame rate, bit depth, pixel packing, camera count, and protocol overhead. Use it to compare GigE Vision, USB3 Vision, 5GigE, 10GigE, Camera Link, or CoaXPress requirements.
Input Parameters
Results
Use these results as engineering selection values, then verify with actual lens, camera, PCB, or light-source data as appropriate.
Equations Used
Raw data rate:
Data Rate = Width × Height × Frame Rate × Effective Bits per Pixel × Camera Count
Rate with overhead:
Total Rate = Raw Rate × (1 + Overhead / 100)
Bytes per second:
MB/s = Mbps / 8
Packed vs unpacked:
Packed mode uses the selected bit depth. Unpacked mode rounds many 10-bit or 12-bit formats to 16 bits per pixel.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What does this camera bandwidth calculator do?
It estimates the data throughput required by industrial cameras from image size, frame rate, pixel format, overhead, and number of cameras.
Q2: Why include protocol overhead?
Transport protocols, packet headers, resend margin, software buffers, and bus sharing reduce usable throughput.
Q3: What is the difference between packed and unpacked data?
Packed data stores only the selected number of bits. Unpacked data may store 10-bit or 12-bit pixels in 16-bit containers.
Q4: Can this choose an exact camera interface?
It provides guidance only. Actual throughput depends on camera firmware, NIC, host CPU, drivers, cable length, and acquisition software.
Q5: Should I add margin?
Yes. For production machine vision systems, avoid operating at the theoretical limit of the interface.
