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With the exception of a prototype camera I used in 1993, every cooled camera I have ever used has run over USB cables. However, while researching possible upgrade options for my trusty Trius 694, I have been looking at Sony 571/455 based cameras and noted that there seem to be a number of cameras – the Moravian for example – that provide an ethernet option.
Now, my networking experience died circa 1992 and involved SunOS and OSF, so is no help. The only recent networking experience I have arises from using TPlink adaptors to get a signal from our hub to a dome about 50ft away in the garden, where an adaptor provides an ethernet socket that connects to a NUC. That connection is recognised by Windows, so I can RDP into the NUC readily. All hunky dory, but how does the software work when using an ethernet connection straight to the camera?
The optimist in me supposes that the software you run indoors just requires an IP address to talk directly some minimalist computer (rather than a pic chip type system) in the camera. Is that how it goes? The small computer in the camera head does the heavy lifting?
Any thoughts very welcome.
Grant,
The issue is that USB cables are severely limited in length, because they have poor RF shielding and USB was never designed for long cables. Five metres is the absolutely maximum, and speed may drop off beyond about 1 metre. By contrast, Ethernet is designed to work over really long cables (at least 100m). Because Ethernet is everywhere, you can buy really well-shielded CAT6 Ethernet cable very cheaply. So, running the signals down Ethernet cables is a very cost-effective way to allow your PC to be much further away from your camera.
In this case, I believe you would buy a “Moravian Camera Ethernet Adapter” which is a separate box sits next to the camera(s) and talks to them over USB-3. This probably contains some kind of small computer that converts the USB data to TCP-IP network traffic which some proprietary software you run on your PC can turn back into useful images.
I have no personal experience of this, but that is how it seems to work.
Best wishes,
Dominic
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