The choice of camera interface shapes the architecture and cost of a vision system early on. Here is an overview of the three most common options.
The candidates
- MIPI CSI-2: short, low-cost, directly at the SoC — the standard inside the device
- GMSL/FPD-Link: serialises MIPI over up to 15 m of coax — for remote camera heads
- GigE Vision: network camera on standard infrastructure — flexible, but more expensive
Rule of thumb
MIPI inside the enclosure, GMSL in vehicles or at the machine, GigE Vision in distributed plants. Hybrid setups are possible — the key is to plan the conversion early in the design.
