Scitech has announced the VisionLink XF – a new Camera Link fibre optic extender by Engineering Design Team (EDT). It is a remote extender for Camera Link (base through extended full mode) over fiber optic cabling. The extender allows the camera can be tens to thousands of metres from the host computer, depending on the cabling and transceivers.
It supports data rates up to 850MB/s, with a pixel clock of 20-85 MHz. The extenders work in pairs and combine to form an extension system between the camera and an EDT or third-party Camera Link frame grabber. Through the SDR26 connectors on each device, one extender attaches to the camera and the other to the frame grabber. A fiber optic cable connects the two extenders by the SFP+ transceiver on the back of each.
Triggering/serial is provided via Camera Link, or externally via an optional Lemo connector. The VisionLink XF complements the VisionLink RCX for base mode by supporting up to extended full (80-bit) mode.