Re: Are USB3 Vision cameras any better than GigE Vision cameras?

[Steven Hunt via Tech-talk <tech-talk@aps.anl.gov>]

Simple thing we have done is to add a heatsink with a fan to some of our cameras - both fan and heatsink 40mm square,very simple only costs about $5, and reduced the camera temperature from 35deg to 25 deg !!!!   fans can be 12V or 24V DC, so often can work from same power supply as the camera  

On Wed, Aug 27, 2025 at 12:14 PM Engbretson, Mark S. via Tech-talk <tech-talk@aps.anl.gov> wrote:

When these fall offline due to higher temps – there isn’t any warning that they are about to fail – they just do. But rather reproducible at what temp that they will fail again,   The blink light patterns indicate a problem, but a lot of them don’t document *what* that particular  led light color/pattern means. Not sure why some of the older hardware can get so hot, when some of the FLIR ones start getting unhappy at 55 C or so.  But problematic ones kept a few degrees cooler seem to become more stable. If I deploy these, try to keep them at 50 or below, or make a note to maybe watch the temps if and when they run hot.

Have moved hardware to a different location and had them fails there since they run slightly hotter.  The FLIR people have said that this hardware *should* run to 80 C or so, but when it reproducibly stops at 55, their statements don’t tend to reflect reality.   One of the first things that I do with problematic cameras is look at the temps – and if  possible place it on a better heat sink that it might currently be on.

 

From: Henrique F. Simoes <henrique.simoes@lnls.br>
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:33 PM
To: Engbretson, Mark S. <engbretson@anl.gov>; Rivers, Mark L. <rivers@cars.uchicago.edu>
Cc: Ana Clara de Souza Oliveira <ana.clara@lnls.br>; tech-talk@aps.anl.gov
Subject: Re: Are USB3 Vision cameras any better than GigE Vision cameras?

 

Hi Mark, On Mon Aug 25, 2025 at 1: 14 PM -03, Engbretson, Mark S. wrote: > A common issue on both of these cameras are overheating, especially > with PoE GigE models - but I have seen the same problems with USB3 > models. Okay. It makes

ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerStart

This Message Is From an External Sender

This message came from outside your organization.

ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerEnd

Hi Mark,

On Mon Aug 25, 2025 at 1:14 PM -03, Engbretson, Mark S. wrote:

> A common issue on both of these cameras are overheating, especially

> with PoE GigE models - but I have seen the same problems with USB3

> models.

Okay. It makes sense to happen to both of them.

> In that case, both types of hardware jam or drop offline throwing led

> blinks patterns that basically show an issue.

One problem is that most cameras we have deployed, which are Basler

acA1300-75gm, don't have a status LED. When they are online, we can

query their TemperatureStatus GenICam feature to see if it is "Error",

"Critical" or "OK", or their internal temperature measurement. I haven't

seen any of them change their status before going offline; although we

still have a pending task to monitor this more thoroughly.

> You either then have to put more active cooling in (like a fan), or a

> mount that actively sinks heat.

That's something we don't have. I'm curious to know if Mark Rivers needs

these on his cameras as well.

I cannot forget John Dobbins' comment about thermal connection of some

models [1], which made myself question what's the best way to cool them

if that's really our main issue.

> While I have seen some units seem to work at 80 degrees C,

The ones we use are supposed to reach almost that temperature level

without failing; they seem to keep below their limit as I've mentioned

in the other thread [2].

> other seem to start falling offline at slightly over 50 C.

Do these signal they are falling offline because of temperature as well?

> Not sure that I have even seen issues when the temps are kept below 50

> C.

What is the average temperature in this case?

Thanks for your comments ;)

[1] epics.anl.gov/tech-talk/2025/msg00639.php

[2] epics.anl.gov/tech-talk/2025/msg00638.php

--

Henrique F. Simões

Control Software Group (SwC)

Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS)

Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM)

Aviso Legal: Esta mensagem e seus anexos podem conter informações confidenciais e/ou de uso restrito. Observe atentamente seu conteúdo e considere eventual consulta ao remetente antes de copiá-la, divulgá-la ou distribuí-la. Se você recebeu esta mensagem por engano, por favor avise o remetente e apague-a imediatamente.

Disclaimer: This email and its attachments may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Observe its content carefully and consider possible querying to the sender before copying, disclosing or distributing it. If you have received this email by mistake, please notify the sender and delete it immediately.