Connections

Several types of connection are available on the market, and since the advent of the digital age, analogue connections tend to disappear in scientific imaging, and more particularly in high-speed image acquisition. This is directly linked to the bandwidth and to the transfer speed of the connection and of the relative equipment. Though PAL-type formats (CCIR) and the good old yellow "banana" connectors still exist in the world of 25fr/s video, the general trend is towards connections dedicated to the instrument, such as the IEEE1394 a and b (FireWire 2 or FireWire Gigabit, Fig. 41). They are noted both for the shape of the connector and for their transfer rate, respectively of 100 to 400 Mo/s and of 800 to 3,200Mo/s.Gigabit Ethernet or GigE can also be found, interfaced by RJ45 cables, either for rapid transfer and SATA disk streaming, or to unload the on-board memory of ultra rapid cameras.