Allied Vision Alvium Series User manual

V1.1.0
Allied Vision Technologies GmbH // Taschenweg 2a, 07646 Stadtroda / Germany 2019-Jul-01
MIPI CSI-2 CAMERAS
Alvium CSI-2 Cameras
User Guide

Alvium CSI-2 cameras at a glance
2Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Alvium CSI-2 cameras at a glance
Shipping contents
• Alvium CSI-2 camera
• Alvium CSI-2 Cameras Safety and Usage Instructions document
What else do you need?
This is a selection of helpful downloads:
Read this document carefully
Learn to avoid damage to your Alvium CSI-2 camera and use it in the most safe and
efficient way.
NOTICE
Damage to camera and embedded hardware by improper handling
Setup and operation for Alvium CSI-2 cameras in embedded systems is different
than for cameras in PC-based systems. Components can easily be damaged.
• If you are unfamiliar with embedded systems, be extremely careful.
• Follow the safety notes.
• Follow the instructions in Installing the hardware on page 62.
Document Link
Alvium CSI-2 Cameras Safety and User Instructions (multilingual)
https://www.alliedvision.com/
en/support/
technical-documentation/
alvium-documentation.html
Alvium Cameras Accessory Guide
Alvium Cameras Features Reference
Optimum Heat Dissipation for Housed Alvium Cameras application
note
Electromagnetic Compatibility for Open Housing Alvium Cameras
application note
FPC Cables and Embedded Boards for Alvium CSI-2 Cameras
requirement specification
Avoiding Ground Loops in Vision Systems application note
Download or information Link
Driver for Alvium CSI-2 cameras, code examples, and more https://www.alliedvision.com/
en/products/software/embedd
ed-software-and-drivers.html

Contact us
3Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Contact us
Connect with Allied Vision by function
https://www.alliedvision.com/en/meta-header/contact
Find an Allied Vision office or distributor
https://www.alliedvision.com/en/about-us/where-we-are
Email
[email protected]
[e-mail]
Sales offices
Europe, Middle East, and Africa: [phone]
North, Central, and South America: +1 877 USA-1394
Asia-Pacific: [phone]
China: [phone]
Headquarters
Allied Vision Technologies GmbH
Taschenweg 2a
07646 Stadtroda
Germany
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
CEO/Geschäftsführer: Andreas Gerk
Registration Office: AG Jena HRB 208962
Tax ID: DE 184383113

Contents
4Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Contents
Alvium CSI-2 cameras at a glance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Shipping contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
What else do you need? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Contact us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Document history and conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Document history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Conventions used in this manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Symbols and notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Product naming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Camera model naming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Third-party product naming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Terms and abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Compliance, safety, and intended use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Compliance notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
For customers in Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Bare board and open housing cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Avoid electromagnetic interferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Camera applications and intended use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
General use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Use in medical devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Copyright and trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Your safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Handling lens mounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Housed cameras: handling hot cameras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Providing optimum heat dissipation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Product safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Embedded systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Electrical connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Camera mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Handling bare board cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Optical components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Heat sinks and conductive media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Applied standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
GenICam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
MIPI CSI-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
V4L2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Contents
5Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Shock and vibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Notes on specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Exposure time and frame rate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Frame rate jitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Sensor shutter types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Black Level Compensation for certain sensors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Power consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Specifications for 1500 C-050m/c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Dimensions, mass, and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Quantum efficiency (QE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Frame rates vs. Cropping/ROI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Specifications for 1500 C-120m/c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Dimensions, mass, and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Quantum efficiency (QE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Frame rates vs. Cropping/ROI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Specifications for 1500 C-500m/c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Dimensions, mass, and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Quantum efficiency (QE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Frame rates vs. Cropping/ROI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Camera dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
CSI-2 bare board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
CSI-2 open housing S-Mount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
CSI-2 open housing CS-Mount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
CSI-2 open housing C-Mount. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Lens mounts, filters, and maximum protrusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
IR cut filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Compensation for the rolling shutter effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Lenses: Focal length vs. field of view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
About this chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Parameters in tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Optical vignetting with certain lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
About S-Mount lenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Focal length vs. field of view tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
1500 C-050, type 1/3,6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
1500 C-120, type 1/3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
1500 C-500, type 1/2.5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
V4L2 controls vs. GeniCam features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Access modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Access modes data flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
V4L2 controls vs. GenICam SFNC features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Functionalities comparison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Using controls and features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Exposure time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Contents
6Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
White balance and balance ratio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Region of interest / Cropping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Value changes by controls interdependencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Effects for the related controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Installing the hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Scope of the instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Software installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Hardware installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Connecting FPC cable and FPC connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Mounting the heat sink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Mounting the camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Mounting bare board cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Mounting open housing cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Mounting the lens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Mounting and focusing S-Mount lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Camera interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Recommended accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Back panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
FPC connector pin assignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Status LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
LED codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Error conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Image data flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Alvium CSI-2 cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Firmware update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0 7
Document history and conventions
This chapter includes:
Document history ................................................................... 8
Conventions used in this manual............................................ 8
Product naming....................................................................... 9
Terms and abbreviations....................................................... 11

Document history and conventions
8Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Document history
Conventions used in this manual
To give this manual an easily understood layout and to emphasize important
information, the following typographical styles and symbols are used:
Styles
Symbols and notes
Version Date Remarks
V1.0.0 2019-Jun-04 Release version
V1.1.0 2019-Jul-01 • Removed separate bit depth for maximum
frame rates in Specifications on page 24.
• Corrected ADC bit depth for Alvium 1500
C-500 in Specifications on page 24 and for all
models in Image data flow on page 78.
Table 1: Document history
Style Function
Emphasis Programs or highlighting important things
Publication titles Publication titles
Web links and references Links to webpages and internal cross references
Table 2: Styles
CAUTION
Personal injuries
Precautions are described.
NOTICE
Material damage
Precautions are described.

Document history and conventions
9Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Product naming
Camera model naming
Alvium cameras are named to identify model properties.
For example, Alvium 1500 C-500c is composed of:
Third-party product naming
Practical Tip
Additional information helps to understand or ease handling the camera.
Avoiding malfunctions
Precautions are described.
Additional information
Web link or reference to an external source with more information is shown.
Alvium 1500 C500 c
Content
element
Camera
series
Camera series Interface Resolution Color/
monochrome
Examples Alvium 1500: Video4Linux Access
(CSI-2 cameras only)
1800: Vimba Access
C: MIPI CSI-2
U: USB
500: 5.0 MP
050: 0.5 MP
c: color
m: monochrome
MP: Megapixel
Table 3: Camera model naming
Hardware options
Alvium CSI-2 cameras are available as bare board or open housing models with
different lens mounts. For ordering, see hardware options and product codes in the
Alvium Cameras Hardware Options document at https://www.alliedvision.com/
en/support/technical-documentation/alvium-documentation.html.
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Document history and conventions
10Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Names of third-party products in this document are partly shortened to ease
reading. Nevertheless, we respect all manufacturer rights and trademarks.
Naming in this
document Official naming or description Reference
Nitrogen6_MAX Boundary Devices Nitrogen6_MAX embedded
board
https://boundarydevices.com
Wandboard i.MX6 Wandboard i.MX6 embedded board https://www.wandboard.org/
Table 4: Naming for third-party products

Document history and conventions
11Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Terms and abbreviations
Term Description Reference
adapter board Printed circuit board (PCB) that connects
embedded boards, cameras, and I/Os,
dedicated to an individual embedded board
Alvium Cameras Accessory Guide at
https://www.alliedvision.com/
en/support/
technical-documentation/
alvium-documentation.html
bare board Camera consisting of electronics and sensor on
a common printed circuit board (PCB), to be
designed into a housing with heat sink and lens
mount
CSI-2 bare board on page 41
CRA Chief ray angle Specifications for 1500 C-050m/c on
page 30
EMVA European Machine Vision Association https://www.emva.org/
ESD Electrostatic Discharge Electrostatic discharge (ESD) on page
18
FPC cable (MIPI CSI-2 FPC cable, to be exact) Flexible
printed circuit cable, component that connects
embedded boards and cameras via adapter
board
See the Alvium Cameras Accessory
Guide at
https://www.alliedvision.com/
en/support/
technical-documentation/
alvium-documentation.html
FPC connector Hirose FH55-22S-0.5SH connector https://www.hirose.com
fps Frames per second Specifications for 1500 C-050m/c on
page 30
FOV Field of view Lenses: Focal length vs. field of view
on page 48
GenICam Generic Interface for Cameras, EMVA https://www.emva.org/
GND Ground (power) FPC connector pin assignment on
page 75
GPIOs General purpose inputs and outputs
(non-isolated)
Status LED on page 77
H × V Horizontal × Vertical (sensor resolution
measurement)
Specifications for 1500 C-050m/c on
page 30
PCB Printed circuit board Connecting FPC cable and FPC
connectors on page 64
PCBA Printed circuit board assembly PCBAs on page 18
open housing Camera housing that is open at the back side to
be designed into an encompassing housing with
other components
CSI-2 open housing C-Mount on page
44
QE Quantum efficiency Quantum efficiency (QE) on page 31
RoHS Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive For customers in Europe on page 14
ROI Region of interest V4L2 controls vs. GenICam SFNC
features on page 55
Table 5: Terms and abbreviations (Sheet 1 of 2)

Document history and conventions
12Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
SFNC Standard Feature Naming Convention
(GenICam)
https://www.emva.org/
S-Mount M12-Mount Mounting and focusing S-Mount
lenses on page 70
Term Description Reference
Table 5: Terms and abbreviations (Sheet 2 of 2)

Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0 13
Compliance, safety, and intended use
This chapter includes:
Compliance notifications ...................................................... 14
Camera applications and intended use ................................ 15
Your safety............................................................................. 16
Product safety ....................................................................... 17

Compliance, safety, and intended use
14Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Compliance notifications
For customers in Europe
Bare board and open housing cameras
Bare board and open housing cameras are designed for integration and are
delivered without closed housing on customer's request. Housing design is critical
for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the camera..
Avoid electromagnetic interferences
Interface cables, power cables, and I/O cables are sensitive to electromagnetic
interference.
• Use shielded cables only.
• We recommend using cables offered by Allied Vision.
• Avoid coiling.
• We recommend using GPIOs only in environments with low electromagnetic
interference.
Moreover, avoid unnecessary bending to prevent damaging the cables.
Allied Vision has demonstrated the fulfillment of the requirements relating to
the Alvium CSI-2 camera family:
• Directive 2011/65/EU, including amendment 2015/863/EU (RoHS)
• Directive 2012/19/EU (Waste of Electric and Electronic Equipment, WEEE).
Requirements for an EMC-protective housing
See the Electromagnetic Compatibility for Open Housing Alvium Cameras
application note at https://www.alliedvision.com/en/support/
technical-documentation/alvium-documentation.html.
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Compliance, safety, and intended use
15Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Camera applications and intended use
General use
• For usage in product with specific safety requirements, a Quality Assurance
Agreement with Allied Vision is required.
• The camera is intended for use in a commercial, industrial, or business
environment. The test phase and programming should be carried out by
advanced users.
• The user is responsible for operating the camera within the specifications
defined in the user guide, and within appropriate environmental conditions
and technical prerequisites, to ensure proper camera operation.
• The user is responsible to ensure that the application complies with the
corresponding standards.
• The camera is compliant with current data communication standards; however,
those standards do not allow for self-monitoring. Therefore, the camera
cannot be used as a standalone device for security-related monitoring
operations.
• The camera is a hardware product. Only when used with appropriate
accompanying software, the camera will produce the desired results. The
realization of intelligent solutions requires additional software that is suitable
for the camera.
• The camera is a component, it is neither a finished product, nor is it a
ready-made technical solution.
• The camera-supporting software can be obtained and installed separately from
the camera. Usage of the software is solely the responsibility of the user.
• The camera must not be disassembled. For all repair tasks, contact Allied Vision
or one of Allied Vision's authorized representatives.
• Observe the intended use. The camera must only be used for purposes that are
in conformity with the stated intended use.
• Additionally, refer to the warranty information on alliedvision.com.
Use in medical devices
The camera provides basic adequacy to be used in medical devices. However, it is
not specially designated for operation in medical devices. When used as part of a
medical device, a review of the specific application is necessary in cooperation
with Allied Vision. Users who integrate the camera into an application must comply
with the rules and regulations concerning medical devices.
Copyright and trademarks
All texts, pictures and graphics are protected by copyright and other laws
protecting intellectual property. All content is subject to change without notice.
All trademarks, logos, and brands cited in this document are property and/or
copyright material of their respective owners. Use of these trademarks, logos, and
brands does not imply endorsement.
Copyright © 2019 Allied Vision Technologies GmbH. All rights reserved.

Compliance, safety, and intended use
16Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Your safety
This section informs about issues related to your personal safety. Descriptions
explain how to avoid hazards and operate Alvium CSI-2 cameras safely.
Handling lens mounts
The lens mount thread has sharp edges. Be careful these edges do not cut your
skin when mounting or unmounting lenses.
Housed cameras: handling hot cameras
During operation, cameras can reach a housing temperature of +65 °C. If operating
temperature exceeds +65 °C, the camera is powered off automatically. However, if
you hold the camera in your hands during operation, your skin may get hurt. If you
touch the camera when it is heated up, we recommend wearing protective gloves.
Providing optimum heat dissipation
Design bare board and open housing cameras into a heat dissipative housing with
a high thermal conductivity. For more information, see Mounting bare board
cameras on page 68. Keep the housing temperature of open housing cameras
between +5 °C and +65 °C for operation. This way, you enable best performance
and protect the camera from damage.
For your safety and to improve camera performance, operate the camera:
• Mounted to a base with a high thermal conductivity
• With lens mounted
• With a heat sink mounted that has large surface areas.
• With active cooling of camera, mounting base, and heat sink, such as by
ventilation.
More information
For more information on heat dissipation, see the Optimum Heat Dissipation for
Housed Alvium Cameras application note at https://www.alliedvision.com/
en/support/technical-documentation/alvium-documentation.html.
65 °C
Max.
Heat sink Camera housing Lens
Base
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Compliance, safety, and intended use
17Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Product safety
To prevent material damage, read the following and understand how to safely
handle and operate the camera.
Embedded systems
Setup and operation of Alvium CSI-2 cameras in embedded systems is different
than for cameras in PC-based systems. Components can easily be damaged.
If you are unfamiliar with embedded systems, be extremely careful. Follow the
instructions in Installing the hardware on page 62.
Supported embedded boards
We have tested that Alvium CSI-2 cameras can be operated properly with the
referenced embedded boards. For information on using these components safely,
please see the documentation provided by the manufacturers of the embedded
boards.
Electrical connections
The MIPI CSI-2 standard does not specify electrical connections as extensively as
USB or GigE standard. Read specifications carefully.
Allied Vision accessories help to avoid damage to the camera and connected
components. See the Alvium Cameras Accessory Guide for suitable accessories.
See Specifications on page 24 and Installing the hardware on page 62.
Alvium CSI-2 cameras are not protected against damage caused by reverse polarity.
• For specifications, see FPC connector pin assignment on page 75.
• For instructions, see Connecting FPC cable and FPC connectors on page 64 to
avoid electronics damage.

Compliance, safety, and intended use
18Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Electrostatic discharge (ESD)
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is dangerous for electronic devices, especially when
tools or hands get in contact with connectors and electronic components. We
recommend measures to avoid damage by ESD:
• Unpacking: Remove the camera from its anti-static packaging only when your
body is grounded.
• Workplace: Use a static-safe workplace with static-dissipative mat and air
ionization.
• Wrist strap: Wear a static-dissipative wrist strap to ground your body.
• Clothing: Wear ESD-protective clothing. Keep components away from your
body and clothing. Even if you are wearing a wrist strap, your body is grounded
but your clothes are not.
• Bare board and open housing cameras: use a special ESD protective housing.
Cable connections
Provide sufficient strain relief for all cable connections to avoid short circuits and
malfunctions.
PCBAs
Alvium CSI-2 cameras enable access to PCBAs (printed circuit board assemblies).
Keep away from camera electronics to avoid damage.
Camera power
Operating the camera beyond the specified range damages the camera. Cameras
are powered using the FPC connector at a maximum input of 5.5 VDC, using a
limited power source (LPS), according to IEC62368-1: 2014 (Second Edition) with
maximum 1.5 A. The camera is not intended to be connected to a DC distribution
network.
GPIOs
To avoid damage to the camera, keep maximum input voltage below 5.5 VDC and
maximum current less than 12 mA per output. See Specifications on page 24. The
maximum length for I/O cables must not exceed 30 m.
Technical details
•FPC Cables and Embedded Boards for CSI-2 Cameras application note
• Accessories documentation
See https://www.alliedvision.com/en/support/technical-documentation/
alvium-documentation.html.
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Compliance, safety, and intended use
19Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Ground loops
Unsuitable connections can lead to different potentials between the camera
system GND and the environmental shield/chassis GND caused by ground loops.
This can damage the camera and the connected devices or cause malfunctions.
• Avoid potential differences between the camera housing and GND.
• All wiring must be done by authorized personnel, according to the
corresponding technical standards.
• You may mount the camera electrically isolated.
• Read the Avoiding Ground Loops in Vision Systems application note.
FPC connectors
Hirose FH55-22S-0.5SH FPC connectors enable compact camera design.
The small-sized connectors are sensitive to mechanical stress and are specified for
maximum 20 mating/unmating cycles. Especially if you are inexperienced with this
connector, be very cautious. If the FPC connector is broken, the camera must be
replaced. To install and operate cameras safely, read this section carefully.
Instructions in Installing the hardware on page 62 include helpful information to
enable proper installation.
• Avoid stress to FPC connectors.
• Allow only the FPC cable to touch conductors.
Handling the actuator
• Move the actuator only between 0° (locked position) to 105° (open position).
• Carefully flip the actuator at the middle with your finger nail, see Connecting
FPC cable and FPC connectors on page 64.
More information
See the Avoiding Ground Loops in Vision Systems application note at
https://www.alliedvision.com/en/support/technical-documentation/
alvium-documentation.html.
Figure 1: Hirose FH55-22S-0.5SH FPC connector
Additional information
For technical data and more instructions on the Hirose FH55-22S-0.5SH connector,
see the manufacturer data sheet at https://www.hirose.com/.
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Compliance, safety, and intended use
20Alvium CSI-2 Cameras User Guide V1.1.0
Soldering
Improper soldering can cause short circuits. FPC connectors and FPC cables
delivered by Allied Vision do not need to be soldered.
MIPI CSI-2 FPC cables
FPC cable position
Short circuits of the FPC cable can damage the camera or connected hardware.
• Insert the FPC cable into the connector with cable guiding tabs matching the
connector’s side guides. See Connecting FPC cable and FPC connectors on
page 64.
• Connect the camera and the embedded board (adapter) only as shown by the
arrow printed on the FPC cable, see Connecting FPC cable and FPC connectors
on page 64.
FPC cables and stress
Over-stressed FPC cables can damage the camera and connected hardware. When
camera and embedded board are twisted against each other or pulled apart from
each other with too much force, the FPC cable is over-stressed. Spring contacts of
FPC connectors are worn out, causing short circuits and unreliable electrical
connections.
• Insert the FPC cable into the FPC connector at 12° to the PCB board surface.
See Connecting FPC cable and FPC connectors on page 64.
• Allow only slight bending of the FPC cable (minimum bending radius: 10 mm).
• For strain relief, fasten the FPC cable by a cable tie on both cable ends if
possible.
No hot-plugging for MIPI CSI-2
Alvium CSI-2 cameras do not support hot-plugging. Hot-plugging can destroy
camera and connected hardware by high inrush current.
• Disconnect power supplies before connecting FPC cables.
FPC cables signal quality
Noise and electromagnetic interference can disable camera functions.
• Avoid contact to metal surfaces, causing electromagnetic interference.
• Please use cables recommended by Allied Vision.
Manufacturing FPC cables or embedded boards
If you want to manufacture FPC cables or embedded boards for Alvium CSI-2
cameras, see the FPC Cables and Embedded Boards for CSI-2 Cameras requirement
specification at https://www.alliedvision.com/en/support/
technical-documentation/alvium-documentation.html.
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