This article will explain 4 different ways to power a
GigE camera. We talk about powering the industrial camera via a PoE Switch, PoE Injector, GigE Power adapter and via an external power source.
The MER2 series power specifications are:
PoE (Power over Ethernet, IEEE802.3af compliant) or 12VDC-10% ~ 24VDC+10% supplied via the camera's 8-pin Hirose connector.
The MER series power specifications are:
PoE (Power over Ethernet, IEEE802.3af compliant) or 12VDC-10% supplied via the camera's 8-pin Hirose connector.
How to use Power over Ethernet with a PoE switch and a GigE PoE industrial Camera?
A Power over Ethernet switch transmits power and data via a CAT6 network cable. This means that if your machine vision application has a GigE industrial camera
with PoE, you do not need an extra external power supply. The maximum length of the CAT6 network cable is 100 meters. This is not due to power limitation, but data transmission limitations.
The example below shows how to transmit data and power between a GigE industrial camera with PoE and a computer using a PoE switch.
How to use Power over Ethernet without a PoE switch?
If you do not use an ethernet switch, but you want a
GigE camera with PoE in your machine vision application, than the following two options will work for you. Option 1: Add a ‘
GigE PoE injector’. The injector has a “Data In”-port and “Data + Power out”-port. The injector does not increase the cable length, since its purpose is to add power to the transmitted data via a CAT6 network cable.
The example below shows how to transmit data and power between a GigE camera with PoE and an computer or ethernet switch without PoE by adding a GigE PoE injector.
Option 2: Add a '
GigE PoE adapter'. By building a PoE adapter into you computer you can plug the CAT6 network cable into the computer and your camera will be powered over ethernet.
The example below shows how to power a GigE camera with PoE and an computer by adding a GigE PoE adapter.
How to power a GigE camera using I/O port instead of PoE?
The traditional way to supply power to a GigE industrial camera, is connecting an external power source to the I/O port of the camera. This is applicable for all GigE cameras (both PoE and non-PoE).
As shown below, you need to connect the cameras I/O port to an external power source. The CAT6 ethernet network cable is only used for data communication (transmitting the images and configurating the parameters of the industrial camera).
*The Mercury 1 series (MER) can be powered with 12V via the I/O connector. The Mercury 2 series (MER2) can be powered with 12V or 24V via the I/O connector.
Need help selecting the right GigE / GigE PoE solution?
Get-Cameras recommended network switches
We have 2 different network switches. A consumer grade switch and an industrial grade switch, both are ideal for connecting 4 industrial PoE GigE cameras to your PC.
Both switches are unmanaged and 1gb connection, they are robust and can be powered ON 24/7, both switches are roughly the same size.
SWITCH 4X POE
INDUSTRIAL SWITCH 4X POE
What are the main differences between our 2 models?
The consumer switch can be wall mounted or used on a table, it has a operating temperature of 0-40 degree, therefore suitable for office use; We provide this with an external power supply.
The industrial switch has a din rail mount, it is less sensible to electrical noise; it can withstand challenging temperatures from -40 - 75 degree, the power supply is sold separately, the suitable model is:
48V-60W-SET Power supply
