Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 and  3.0 interfaces demonstrate a serious jump in the growth of industrial camera development.

Experience has shown us that camera technology strives for that next innovation, and this advancement clearly proves it.

Take the evolution of the 'Universal Serial Bus'. From the initial USB 1.0 interface version which debuted in January 1996, the USB 2.0 in April of 2000, which now has sufficient bandwidth for streaming video, and now the USB 3.0 standard released in November 2008. While each version maintained a major increase in transfer rates, the new USB 3.0, a SuperSpeed (SS) mode was defined. This cutting-edge SuperSpeed mode is able to transfer data at up to 5 GigaBits per second (625 MegaBits per second) through a single cable -  more than ten times faster than the USB 2.0 standard. The USB 3.0 was in fact designed to decrease power consumption, while increasing its ability to support and deliver additional power. Universal Serial Bus is a plug-and-play interface, and as such, a computer doesn't have to be turned off to plug in or unplug a component. Other port varieties do require that the computer is completely shut down before a component can be added. Digital cameras use these data ports, making the popularity of the USB 2.0 interface highly successful. With this effortless connectivity and installation, and its single-cable process, there is no need for an external control unit or frame grabber. This results in a convenient and straight forward plug-and-play functionality – the key attributes of the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 camera families. [caption id="attachment_6145" align="alignright" width="300"]Universal Serial Bus 2.0 and 3.0 cables Universal Serial Bus 2.0 and 3.0 cables[/caption] Cost-effective and versatile, the Universal Serial Bus 2.0 digital interface cameras present reliable imaging for a variety of industrial and non-industrial applications - anywhere high speed, high performance and outstanding image quality is a necessity. Automation, quality assurance, security, surveillance and medical applications, are just a portion of the USB 2.0 camera family’s uses. Partner these applications with cost-effective price and reliable imaging, and you have a camera performance ratio whose versatility has made a name for itself. However, the maximum approved length for a USB 2.0 cable is about 16 feet (5 meters), and is based on how quickly a signal travels through the cable. If it takes too long, then the connected devices indicates that it was lost, and anything over this 16 feet exceeds this time. Immediate differences between the USB2 and USB3 are visual, i.e., the number of wire connections. Simply stated, the USB2 uses four wires, and the USB3 adds five wires (totaling nine wires). Bandwidth increases from the USB 2.0’s 40 MB/s to the USB 3.0’s 400 MB/s or greater. Power differences for the USB 2.0 is 2.5 watts, whereas for the USB 3.0, it is 4.5 – 7.5 watts. While cabling is 5 meters for the USB 2.0, and 3 meters for the USB 3.0, both are able to support Windows and Linux. These USB 3.0 connectors are easy to tell apart from their USB 2.0 counterparts by a blue color-coding of receptacles and plugs, and the initials ‘SS’. The USB 3.0  is one of the most recognizable digital interfaces now found in cameras, and signifies definite progression in the highly popular plug and play Universal Serial Bus design. It is  backward compatible with previous versions, making it is possible to plug USB 2.0 cables into USB 3.0 connectors, including "hi-speed" and "full speed" rates and will function with older USB 2.0 devices. USB 3.0 delivers power over the same cable, up to 4.5 watts, completely eliminating the need for a separate power cable. USB 3.0 is certainly progressing as a relevant interface technology for applications in industry, medicine, machine vision, all directly benefit from USB 3.0 camera expertise. With the increased transmission bandwidth speeds at rates of up to 350 Megabytes (MB) per second, fewer cameras are necessary for a system, and no costly frame grabbers or adapter cards are necessary! And then, there’s the enhanced power management and reduction in power consumption with plug and play capability, all reasons to persuade you to utilize USB 3.0 cameras for your machine vision applications. Aegis Electronic Group, Inc., stocks USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 cameras from established providers, so your camera purpose will more than be met! As mentioned previously, Sentech’s USB 3.0 Vision cameras family is ideal for security surveillance, education, industrial and inspection purposes, and are readily available. Lumenera has monochromatic and color USB 3.0 cameras that are perfect for applications in traffic, tolling, high-speed inspection and machine vision, again, speed is the name of the game! Basler’s variety of digital line scan cameras for vision applications are available for your specification, and Ximea has USB 2.0 cameras for machine vision and medical applications that will fulfill your requirements. Not sure which Universal Serial Bus cameras are right for your application? Give us a call and based on your requirements one of our technical sales reps can give you an idea of the best options available!