VA Imaging MER2-280-139U3C-VA 2/3" Color CMOS (Sony IMX421) Camera, 3 Megapixels, 1936 x 1464, 139 fps, Global Shutter, C-Mount, USB 3.0 Output

Industrial USB 3.0 Vision camera IMX421

The Mercury2 USB3.0 camera is designed for industrial vision applications, featuring a USB 3.0 interface. This interface supports high-resolution and fast frame rate cameras effectively. It is well-suited for embedded systems like the Raspberry Pi (version 4 or newer) and NVIDIA Jetson platforms, as well as conventional PCs.
This model is ideal if your project meets the following criteria:
- Industrial-grade camera
- Cable length up to 4.5 meters (extendable to 10 meters with optical USB3 cable)
- Single cable connection required
- Small form factor (29x29x29mm)
- Compatible with x86 computers and embedded ARM V7 & ARM V8 platforms
- Supports hardware triggering (requires I/O cable)

For additional information on our industrial USB 3.0 vision cameras, please consult the 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 (equivalent to 45 years of continuous operation). These cameras carry TÜV Rheinland certification and include a 3-year warranty. Each camera model remains available for a minimum of 7 years following its release, with many models supported for even longer periods. For further details about our product life cycle management, see this article.

Industrial Color Camera

This color camera utilizes a Bayer filter array to generate color images. The RGB values for each pixel are computed by combining the pixel s own data with that of surrounding pixels. Consequently, images are less sharp compared to those from monochrome cameras. Because of the RGB filter, each pixel captures roughly 66% fewer photons under white light than a monochrome sensor, resulting in lower light sensitivity. To address this, you can:
- Increase illumination
- Raise the gain
- Extend shutter speed or exposure time
- Choose a sensor with higher light sensitivity
- Use a lens optimized for light sensitivity
Compared to typical security or webcam cameras, industrial color cameras have larger, more light-sensitive pixels, delivering superior image quality.

I/O port for hardware trigger, strobe control or PLC communication

The USB camera s I/O interface uses an 8-pin HR25 Hirose connector, a standard in industrial machine vision. This camera includes an input for hardware triggering. Its output can control external devices such as machine vision lighting. Additionally, it has two programmable GPIO pins accessible via our SDK. Electrical schematics for the I/O connector are included in the manual. You may also refer to our article: hardware triggering multiple industrial cameras.

If the I/O port is not needed, the camera can be ordered without it. For bulk orders, this option reduces the camera price by 10. The minimum order quantity for cameras without I/O is 10 units. Please contact us if you wish to purchase the industrial USB3 camera without the I/O port.