Point Grey Flea3 FL3-U3 - Configuring Camera Setup; Configuring Camera Drivers; Maximum Number of Cameras on a Single Bus

Point Grey Flea3 USB 3.0 Technical Reference 2 Getting Started with Flea3 USB 3.0
by such properties as resolution, frame rate, region of interest (ROI) size and position, and packet size. Additionally,
conversion formulas can change between firmware versions. Point Grey therefore recommends using absolute value
registers, where possible, to determine camera values.
For more information, see Absolute Value Registers on page 148.
2.5 Configuring Camera Setup
After successful installation of your camera and interface card, you can make changes to the setup. Use the tools
described below to change the driver for your interface card.
For information on updating your camera's firmware post installation, see Camera Firmware on page 39.
2.5.1 Configuring Camera Drivers
Point Grey has created its own Extensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI) driver that is compatible with several USB
3.0 host controller chipsets. The PGRxHCI driver offers the best compatibility between the camera and host controller;
Point Grey recommends using this driver when using Point Grey USB 3.0 cameras.
Point Grey’s PGRxHCI driver does not support USB devices from other manufacturers.
Title Article
Recommended USB 3.0 System Components
Knowledge Base Article 368
How does my USB3.0 camera appear in Device Manager?
Knowledge Base Article 370
Related Knowledge Base Articles
To manage and update drivers use the DriverControlGUI utility provided in the SDK. To open the DriverControlGUI:
Start Menu-->All Programs-->Point Grey Research-->FlyCapture2-->Utilities-->DriverControlGUI
Select the interface from the tabs in the top left. Then select your interface card to see the current setup.
For more information about using the DriverControlGUI, see the online help provided in the tool.
2.5.2 Maximum Number of Cameras on a Single Bus
A single USB port generally constitutes a single 'bus.' The USB 3.0 standard allows for multiple devices to be connected
to a single bus. The number of cameras is limited by the following considerations:
n Adequate power supply. The camera requires a nominal 5 volts (V) to operate effectively. While a standard,
non-powered bus provides 500 milliamps (mA) of current at 5V, an internal, bus-powered hub provides only
400 mA. Externally-powered hubs provide 500 mA per port.
n Adequate bandwidth. The effective bandwidth available via the USB 3.0 bulk transfer method is 384 MB per
second. However, many USB 3.0 interface cards currently available are built on PCIe 1.0 architecture, and
cannot exceed 180 MB per second. In contrast, the PCIe 2.0 interface can transfer just under 400 MB per
second. Regardless of PCIe interface, bandwidth must be shared on the system, depending on the operating
configuration of the cameras (resolution, frame rate, and pixel format).
Revised 9/27/2012
Copyright ©2011-2012 Point Grey Research Inc.
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