The GO-5000-USB is built around the same 5-megapixel CMOS imager featured in the company’s high performance Spark SP-5000 cameras, but offers a smaller form factor (29 mm x 29 mm x 41.5 mm, excluding lens mount) and weighs only 46 grams – one of the lightest cameras available at this resolution.

The camera’s combination of 5 micron square pixels and versatile ROI capabilities, enables it to be easily configured to meet a wide range of customer requirements for resolution, speed, and optical formats.

For example, by creating a centered 1920 x 1080 ROI, users can configure the GO-5000 to provide 1080p HD video that fits completely within the optical format of a 2/3” C-mount lens (at 117 fps for 8-bit or 58 fps for 10 or 12-bit unpacked formats). This is in contrast to CMOS cameras with 5.5 micron pixels which generate 1080p image sizes that are slightly larger than the standard 2/3” optical circle, thus requiring more expensive 1” optics to ensure that vignetting will not occur.

Other ROI possibilities include configuring the GO-5000 to operate as a VGA camera (640 x 480 pixels) with 1/4” optics at a frame rate of over 260 fps. Or, users can apply 2×2 binning to the GO-5000M-USB monochrome camera to create a camera with 1.3-megapixel output and the high sensitivity and signal-to-noise characteristics that come from what is effectively an array of 10 micron square pixels. 4×4 binning is also supported (monochrome only).

Two models are available. The GO-5000M-USB is a monochrome camera, while the GO-5000C-USB provides raw Bayer output for host-based interpolation.

Like the original Spark SP-5000, the GO-5000’s imager features a combination of analog and digital gain controls to reduce the amount of quantized noise in low-light images compared to conventional CMOS cameras. On the color model, an on-chip 4-channel analog gain function is utilized to allow individual adjustment of R, G, and B information for better white balancing with reduced noise.

Also included is JAI’s Auto Level Control (ALC) that combines auto gain, and auto shutter capabilities in an integrated function to let users optimize their auto exposure control for lowest noise, fastest shutter, or other priorities.

Power can be supplied through the USB3 Vision interface or via a 6-pin Hirose connector which also provides connections for external triggers and GPIO.

With their small size and light weight, GO-5000-USB cameras are ideal for applications which require repetitive camera movement, and are well suited for use on robotics/unmanned vehicles or in applications that require mounting in tight spaces.

Note: these cameras can also be ordered with Power-over Mini Camera Link (PMCL), or Power-over GigE Vision interfaces.