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CONTENTS


Intro


The  Intel® RealSense™ cameras are a popular 3D imaging solution for variety of applications such as robotics, logistics, smart-agriculture, computer vision, and gesture recognition to name a few. However, some of these installations require a more rugged camera design and/or require reliable connectivity for multiple cameras. This is where FRAMOS’s Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) based D400e series cameras, like D415e and D435e, is important.


In manufacturing or other industrial spaces, cameras are subjected to harsher conditions that include dust and debris or motion vibration. On top of this, they have a need for longer cable lengths not easily or cheaply provided by standard USB cables. The FRAMOS D400e cameras are IP66 rated for protection against dust and water. The GigE interface implemented by these cameras offers reliable connectivity and low cost, long cable lengths.


It is common to see engineers starting their application development with a USB camera but then switching to the FRAMOS D400e GigE camera for final deployment in the field. This application note explains how to migrate from the Intel® RealSense™ D400 (D435 & D415) USB depth cameras to the FRAMOS D400e series cameras.



FRAMOS D400e Cameras


In more detail, here the key benefits of the enhanced cameras:


  • Industrial grade threaded connectorsthat are not disconnected easily.
    • Ethernet: M12, X-Coded
    • Power +I/O: M8, A-Coded (12V-24V)
  • Ethernet cables with secure data transmission up to 100m

  • Industrial grade IP66 housing, which is water resistant and dust-proof
  • Compatibility with FRAMOS proprietary Intel® RealSense™ SDK with a GigE Ethernet device driver



Key differences between FRAMOS D400e and Intel® D400 camera series


Intel®FRAMOS
Connection TypeUSB 3.0GigE
IP RatingN/AIP66
Bandwidth5 Gbps1 Gbps
Cable Length2-5m100m
Weight72 gr (D415,D435)250 gr (D415e,D435e)
Dimension99mm x 20mm x 23mm (D415),
90mm x 25mm x 25mm (D435),
124 mm × 26 mm × 29 mm(D455)		100mm x 47mm x 38mm(D415e), 100mm x 47mm x 38mm(D435e), 132mm x 47mm x 51mm(D455e)


Note: Refer to the FRAMOS D400e data sheet and chapters 3 and 4 of the FRAMOS D400e Series User Manual for more detailed information on specifications of the camera series.



FRAMOS Ethernet additional features


The D400e camera series as network cameras have additional features to set that are provided through its GigE interface. Notice in terms of image acquisition and quality, both the USB and the Ethernet cameras are identical since they both use the same Intel® technology. Here are some of the additional features of the FRAMOS D400e cameras.



Note: Refer to Chapter 8.8 of the FRAMOS D400e Series User Manual for more detail descriptions of each feature.



USB to Ethernet Migration


The following section introduces some important points to consider when migrating from the Intel® RealSense® USB interface cameras to the FRAMOS ethernet based cameras.


Note: For more complex setups or to enquire about additional information, please refer to the following documentation:

D400e Camera Series User Manual 

App Note: Tuning System for Best Performance

App Note: External Event Camera Synchronization

App Note: Multi-Camera Synchronization

FRAMOS RealSense™ Cameras - Knowledge Base


Hardware Setup


When moving to a new communication interface, many factors should be reviewed from a hardware perspective. This is important to ensure a good setup to minimize issues that might appear during evaluation and testing.


Intel®’s D400 USB Cameras are simpler to connect to a computer as the data and power supply are provided through the same interface. Via PoE, FRAMOS’s D400e can provide data and power supply through the same interface as well. Compared to USB, some things need to be considered to ensure best performance.


To ensure that the FRAMOS camera is correctly powered and connected to the system, the following list shows minimum hardware requirements:

  • A gigabit network interface card (NIC) with or without PoE (Power over Ethernet)
  • PoE standard 802.3af or 803.3at Type1 if using PoE
  • RJ45 to M12 X coded ethernet cable
  • M8 A-Code power with optional GPIO cable if not using PoE and/or GPIO
  • Power source for M8 power supply, if not using PoE
Note: The D400e starter kit includes a RJ45 to M12 ethernet cable and M8 to wall plug 12v power supply. NIC is not included in the starter kit.



Connections Examples


The Ethernet network architecture offers the possibility for different configurations, including multi-camera setups. This document will focus on a single camera connection for simplicity. Feel free to reach out to our technical support team for further instructions on setting up your unique configuration at support@framos.com.


In all cases below, it is recommended to use a dedicated NIC on the host PC to ensure the best performance from the camera(s).


Direct Connection to NIC
For this setup, the camera is connected directly to the ethernet card of the host PC. Most NICs do not have PoE ports, thus its necessary to externally power the cameras as shown in the figure below.

If your NICs have PoE injectors, no dedicated power supply is required. Please ensure that your NICs support either 802.3af or 803.3at Type1 PoE standards.


Note: We recommend using direct connection to a NIC whenever possible to avoid having heavy traffic routed through a switch or miscommunication from other devices that share the same network.


Using a Network Switch with External Power Supply
In this configuration, the camera is connected through a network switch to the NIC on the host PC, as shows in the preceding image. Most switches do not provide PoE so ensure to have an adequate power supply for the camera nearby.



Another option is to use a switch with PoE injectors. This setup utilizes a similar architecture as the preceding example. The main difference is that the camera does not require a separate power supply and cable as the Ethernet connection provides both the data interface and power for the camera, allowing for a simpler layout which is beneficial for integrations in a tight space. It is important that the used Switch complies with the previously listed PoE standards.



One thing to keep in mind is that the energy consumption of the camera is higher when powering over PoE. This will cause it to heat up much more than if it is powered with a separate power supply. Refer to Section 4.7 of the user manual for more information.


Common Configuration Practices


To ensure the best results from any network configuration, the following points provide some suggested best-practices when planning and deploying the FRAMOS D400e cameras.

  1. Keep connections as simple as possible.
  2. Ensure the correct IP settings are assigned for the network.
    • Both the camera and the host adapter must have an IP address on the same subnet. The FRAMOS D400e camera does not support cross-subnet GigE traffic load on a given network topology due the large volume of data been transmitted.
    • There are three ways to assign IP addresses: Persistent, Dynamic and Default (LLA). Ensure to use the most appropriate IP address assignments that best suits your application. Please, refer to the GigE Camera Setup knowledge base article for more information.
  3. Asses the bandwidth requirements for the network/application.
    • Each camera will utilize a certain amount of network bandwidth based on the image data that it provides. The overall network traffic will be the sum of all the data streams from all the cameras which needs to share the total max throughput of a Gigabit Ethernet pipe (Theoretical Max throughput for Gigabit Ethernet is 125 MB/s).
    • Refer to Chapter 8.1 of the FRAMOS D400e Series User Manual to help estimate the expected network bandwidth needs for the application.
    • The How to Estimate Data Rate Knowledge Base article can also be used for this estimation as it provides an MS Excel spreadsheet for this calculation.
  4. Make the network as efficient as possible.
    • Define and asses the appropriate packet and buffer sizes for the application to ensure no data loss while minimizing latency.
    • Leverage the FRAMOS D400e camera specific features, as described previously, to ensure proper operation, diagnosis any issues or avoid network traffic bursts.



Software Setup


The necessary FRAMOS D400e software package and firmware can be downloaded here. The software package provides the components to connect the D400e cameras to the Intel® RealSense™ SDK. The software package contains two parts: the necessary camera software (GigE device drivers, APIs, etc.) and the modified version of the Intel® RealSense™ SDK that supports the D400e series of products. Below there is an example of software package content for Windows:


Depending on the downloaded version of the FRAMOS D400e camera software, the supported Intel® RealSense™ SDK may differ from the latest release available on Intel®’s website. It is important to verify within the software’s Readme file or its changelogs the version that is supported. The image below provides an example of the supported version information.



Note: We recommend to always use the latest Software and Firmware to ensure best operation while gaining access to the latest features and support for the most recent Intel® RealSense™ SDKs. Keep track of updates by signing up to the D400e release notifications.



Installation


Prior to installing the FRAMOS RealSense™ SDK (FRAMOS-librealsense.exe), uninstall any other Intel® RealSense™ SDK. Once complete, follow the instructions within the FRAMOS Software’s ReadMe file. It outlines the specific OS installation instructions.


Building From Source
It is typically recommended to build libraries and applications from the source code where possible as some dependencies required for the wrappers are not included in the default installation. The How to Build the FRAMOS RealSense™ SDK Knowledge Base article has a section called, Locating DLLs and Python Libraries, that provides more information on how to do this.


Note: FRAMOS Software Package includes all the source code to rebuild the included libraries to support the D400e cameras within the RealSense SDK.


Common Software Configuration Practices


The items listed below provide common practices that might make using and developing applications against the FRAMOS RealSense™ SDK simpler.

  1. Portability:
    • USB and Ethernet cameras can be used with FRAMOS RealSense™ SDK
    • Ethernet Cameras cannot be used with Intel® RealSense™ SDK
  2. Guidance:
    • Review all additional ReadMe files. Some wrappers require extra files that are necessary to ensure proper detection and operation of the ethernet cameras. These files typically have “d400e” as part of their filename.
    • The Intel® RealSense™ website is a great source of information. The FRAMOS SDK is almost 99% compatible with Intel®s. The FRAMOS SDK Documentation, downloads and useful links knowledge base article includes a comprehensive list of useful links.
  3. API extensions:
    • There are additional functions and features that are unique to the ethernet products that extend the standard RealSense™ library.
    • A full description of these features and functions are described in the “d400e_api_extensions.md” document included in the FRAMOS Software package.
  4. OS portability:
    • Though every effort is made to ensure similar performance and results when running the D400e cameras in the supported Operating Systems, small variations may still be present when comparing between them.
    • Refer to the changelogs for OS specific updates.
  5. Debugging Issues
    • If the issue can be replicated with the USB camera, it is likely that the issue is within the Intel® RealSense libraries. Check Intel®’s Github repository for updates related to the issues at hand.   
    • For issues that are only reproduceable with the Ethernet camera, check the Troubleshooting Section of the Knowledge Base prior to reaching out to FRAMOS’s technical support team to find a solution.


Quick Start to Migrating from USB to GigE


The sequence below demonstrates how to install the FRAMOS D400e camera with a direct connection to a host PC.


Remove the Intel® RealSense™ software if it is present on the host PC.

Install FRAMOS D400e software package.

  • Install the GigE driver though CameraSuite installer.
  • Install the FRAMOS librealsense2 package.

Connect the dedicated power supply via M8 to the camera (only if PoE is not used

Use ConfigureIP tool located on the host PC to configure IP address of D400e camera. For a direct connection of the camera to the PC, the most common IP configuration is LLA with corresponding Subnet mask.


Open the FRAMOS RealSense™ Viewer application. Camera is listed with the IP settings assigned in the previous step. See example below.

Test camera in FRAMOS RealSense™ Viewer application. Below are some example screenshots of the D435e camera in operation.


Notice that both the USB and the Ethernet versions of the cameras are both detected and operational within the FRAMOS RealSense™ Viewer application.

Once camera is verified to work recompile your code with FRAMOS librealsense2 libraries.