The AIA has released the final draft of the USB3 Vision camera interface standard to the AIA USB3 Vision standard coordinating committee. The committee members will review and provide any final modifications needed before the standard is released, which is due to occur before the end of the year.
The new camera interface standard is based on the USB 3.0 interface (SuperSpeed USB) and was developed specifically for the global vision and imaging market. USB3 Vision offers fast bandwidth of 350MB/s with both power and data over the same cable. USB3 Vision, like GigE Vision, does not require a frame grabber.
This standard covers four basic operations: device discovery, device control, event handling, and streaming data. A device can optionally support device functionality with USB 2.0. USB3 Vision takes advantage of the USB 3.0 ports that will soon be standard on most PCs. The standard defines the mechanics of screw locks on the micro-USB 3.0 connector.
Cable lengths are still being tested, with probable outcomes of three to five metres over passive cables and 10 metres or more using active cables. The standard will give users plug-and-play capability using components from different manufacturers.
