VA Imaging MER2-160-227U3C-VA 1/2.9" Color CMOS (Sony IMX273) Camera, 1.6 Megapixels, 1440 x 1080, 227 fps, Global Shutter, C-Mount, USB 3.0 Output

Industrial USB 3.0 Vision camera IMX273

The Mercury2 USB3.0 camera represents a professional-grade vision device featuring a USB 3.0 connection. This interface is well-suited for cameras demanding both high resolution and rapid data transfer rates. It integrates seamlessly with embedded systems like Raspberry Pi (version 4 or newer), NVIDIA platforms, as well as conventional PC setups.

This particular industrial vision camera is ideal if your application meets the following criteria:
- Designed for industrial use
- Cable length up to 4.5 meters (extendable to 10 meters with optical USB3 cable)
- Single-cable connection for simplicity
- Compact size of 29x29x29mm
- Compatible with x86 computers and embedded ARM V7 & ARM V8 systems
- Supports hardware triggering (requires I/O cable)

For comprehensive information about our industrial USB 3.0 vision cameras, please refer to our manual.

MTBF, warranty & product life cycle

Daheng Imaging manufactures over 100,000 industrial cameras annually, adhering to stringent quality controls. The mean time between failures (MTBF) exceeds 400,000 hours, equating to roughly 45 years of continuous operation. These industrial cameras hold TÜV Rheinland certification and come with a 3-year warranty. Post-launch, each camera model remains available for a minimum of 7 years, with many models supported for significantly longer periods. For further details, consult our product life cycle management article.

Industrial Color Camera

A color camera employs a Bayer filter array to generate color images. The RGB values for each pixel are computed by analyzing the pixel s data in conjunction with adjacent pixels. This approach results in images that are generally less sharp compared to monochrome cameras. Because of the RGB filter, each pixel captures up to 66% fewer photons under white light than a monochrome sensor, making color cameras less sensitive to light. To address this limitation, you can consider the following options:

- Increase illumination intensity
- Raise the gain setting
- Extend shutter speed or exposure duration
- Choose a sensor with higher light sensitivity
- Use a lens designed for enhanced light gathering

Compared to typical security cameras or webcams, industrial color cameras feature larger and more light-sensitive pixels, delivering superior image quality.

I/O port for hardwaretrigger, strobecontrol or PLC communication

The USB camera s I/O interface utilizes an 8-pin HR25 Hirose connector, a common standard within industrial machine vision. This camera includes an input port for hardware triggering. Its output can activate external devices such as industrial lighting systems. Additionally, the camera provides two programmable GPIO pins accessible via our SDK. Electrical wiring diagrams for the I/O connector are available in the user manual. For more information, see our article on hardware triggering multiple industrial cameras.

If the I/O port is not needed, you may order a version of the camera without I/O. For bulk orders, this option reduces the camera cost by 10 per unit. The minimum order quantity for a USB3 camera without I/O is 10 units. Please contact us if you wish to purchase the industrial USB3 camera without the I/O interface.