Using multiple GigE cameras

Aim

To track from two up to four GigE cameras. This topic applies to Basler GigE cameras only.

important You cannot use a combination of analog and digital cameras. Also, mixing video images of different camera types is not supported.

Connect the cameras

How you connect multiple GigE cameras depends on which Ethernet interface board you have installed.

▪If you have multiple, 1-port Ethernet boards, connect each camera to a Ethernet board. If the boards are not powered, you must connect the cameras through PoE injectors to a power supply. Only use 1Gbit/s PoE injectors.

▪If you have a 4-port Ethernet board, you can connect up to four cameras.

important Make sure the Ethernet board also receives power from the PC. See the connection in Power the Ethernet board for the GigE cameras

▪For a 16-camera configuration, see 16-camera configuration

▪important Each camera must always be connected to the same port on the Ethernet board, because the IP address of the camera and that of the Ethernet port must match. In the case of a multi-port Ethernet board, each port is viewed as a network adapter, with its own IP address. The information of which port is linked is stored in the driver software of each camera. If you swap cameras, they will not be recognized. Therefore, always label the Ethernet ports and the cameras.

tip When using one Ethernet interface board per camera, rename the network adapters listed in the Windows Control Panel, for example Front camera and Top camera.

Assign the IP addresses to multiple cameras

You can assign IP addresses with pylon IP Configurator.

1.Assign an IP address to each Ethernet port on your PC. See Assign IP addresses.

2.Assign an IP address to each camera. See Assign IP addresses

Here are the main rules:

▪Each camera must have a unique IP address.

▪Always set the first two numbers to 192.168.

▪The third number must be the same for the camera and the Ethernet port the camera is connected with.

example

▪Camera 1: IP address 192.168.1.101 connected to Ethernet port with IP address 192.168.1.51

▪Camera 2: IP address 192.168.2.102 connected to Ethernet port with IP 192.168.2.52.

In pylon IP configurator, the first camera looks like this.

Video resolution

You can set the video resolution in EthoVision XT. See Select multiple GigE cameras in EthoVision XT.