FAQs | Active Silicon

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On this page you’ll find answers to the most common questions about our products and services.

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Frame Grabber FAQs

Using a vision system with a frame grabber has many advantages.
In a nutshell, Frame grabbers deliver
- high-speed, low-latency image capture
- reduce CPU load
- ensure reliable data transfer
- improve synchronization for demanding vision applications
Find more detailed information in our white paper, Understanding Frame Grabbers in Vision Systems. In this paper, we explain what a frame grabber is, its main components, its benefits and integration.
If your application demands high levels of vision processing or employs machine learning, a GPU-based processing path is an efficient solution. Active Silicon frame grabbers support GPU processing.

GPU manufacturers, including NVIDIA and AMD, provide specific APIs to aid integration with third-party devices such as FireBird frame grabbers, making data acquisition and processing extremely fast, as the grabber can access the GPU memory directly.

Active Silicon’s software development kit, ActiveSDK, includes C++ examples for some APIs (GPUDirect for Video, DirectGMA) with full source code. Find more information on our GPU solutions page.
ActiveCapture assists with image acquisition and display when using CoaXPress and Camera Link cameras. It is provided with FireBird frame grabbers. Camera and frame grabber can be easily accessed and controlled via the program’s GenICam feature browser and GenTL acquisition control.

The ActiveCapture software page describes the application in more detail, and the FireBird QuickStart Guide gives a brief introduction to using ActiveCapture.

To get an overview of ActiveCapture, see also our tutorial video: ActiveCapture Software – Introduction on YouTube. Further language versions are ActiveCapture Introduction – Chinese or Korean.
GenICam (Generic Interface for Cameras) is a global standard in industrial imaging and machine vision. It provides a universal software interface for industrial cameras regardless of the manufacturer. The standard ensures that any GenICam-compliant camera can communicate with any GenICam-compliant hardware (e.g. frame grabbers) and software packages.

Find more information on our GenICam resources page.

Active Silicon frame grabbers are all fully GenICam compliant and support a long list of manufacturers of compatible cameras.
Yes, we provide CoaXPress and Camera Link cables as well as fiber optic cables and accessories for CXP over Fiber frame grabbers.

CoaXPress cables

We offer high-quality CoaXPress cables with the following connectors:
- HD-BNC to HD-BNC (stock: 3m, 5m, 10m; compatible with CXP-12 hardware)
- DIN to HD-BNC (stock: 3m, 10m)
- BNC to HD-BNC (stock: 3m, 10m; compatible with CXP-12 hardware)
Cable lengths as indicated above; other lengths are available for higher quantity orders.

Ganged cables (where multiple single cables are bundled together) are available to order. Find more information on our CoaXPress cables product pages.

CXP over Fiber cables

We offer cables and accessories for CoaXPress over Fiber systems:
- Fiber Optic Cable Assembly cable and two transceivers (stock: 3m, 100m)
- Active Optical Cable QSFP+ (AOC) (stock: 10m)
- Direct Attach Copper QSFP+ (DAC) Cable (stock: 1m)
- Optical Transceiver QSFP+
Cable lengths as indicated above; other lengths are available on request and with a minimum quantity order. Find more information on our product pages for CXP over Fiber accessories.

Camera Link cables

We offer high-quality Camera Link cables with the following connectors:
- SDR to SDR (stock: 4m)
- MDR to SDR (stock: 4m)
- MDR to MDR (stock: 3m, 5m).
Cable lengths as indicated above; other lengths are available on request and with a minimum quantity order. Find more information on our Camera Link cables product pages.
For FireBird frame grabbers, triggers can be set directly in ActiveCapture. We provide step-by-step guides for the following scenarios:
Guides for CoaXPress systems:
- Using a CXP Uplink Trigger & FireBird Timers (Tech Note TN011)
- Using an External Trigger Input with a FireBird CoaXPress board (Tech Note TN13)
Guides for Camera Link systems:
- Using a Camera Link Trigger & FireBird Timers (Tech Note T010)
- Using an External Trigger Input with a FireBird Camera Link Board (Tech Note TN012)
A .pcf file is a parameter configuration file to save camera parameters for repeated use in image acquisition systems. While this is usually not necessary in GenICam-compliant systems, e.g., when working with CoaXPress cameras or with CLProtocol and GenCP Camera Link cameras, it will come in handy when using non-GenICam Camera Link cameras.

Watch this tutorial video on how to set up a .pcf file in ActiveCapture. The video refers primarily to non-GeniCam Camera Link cameras, but the procedure would be the same for any camera.
Find general features and benefits of CoaXPress on our CoaXPress standard page.

For more information on CXP 2.0 / CXP 2.1 please refer to the following articles:
- CoaXPress v2.0 addresses need for speed (IMVE Interview with Chris Beynon, Technical Chair for the CoaXPress standard and Active Silicon CTO)
- CoaXPress update: new release -CXP 2.1 (Report from the standard meeting in 2021)
CoaXPress Version 3.0 is nearing completion, with plans for release later in 2026. Read more about the progress from the IVSM Fall 2025.
CoaXPress is a robust, dedicated real-time machine vision interface that allows for the fastest image data acquisition.

It plays an important role in high-speed vision systems, especially those with demanding triggering or those using cameras with state-of-the-art fast sensors.

To see how it compares to other available machine vision interfaces, check out the “Guide to Understanding Machine Vision Standards” published by the leading industry associations in machine vision.
CoaXPress over Fiber (COF) is an extension of the CoaXPress Machine Vision standard for high-speed imaging in professional and industrial applications.

CXP over Fiber allows the CoaXPress protocol to run over a fiber optic cable. The fiber optic cables and connectors needed for transmission are sourced from mainstream Ethernet technology, which keeps their costs to a minimum and availability plentiful.

Fiber Optics brings many advantages:
- Noise immunity
- Low loss (so long distances can be spanned)
- Galvanic isolation
These features make optics a useful technology for machine vision applications.

Working with CXP over Fiber technology

Find an introduction to this technology in our White Paper: Optical fiber technology for CoaXPress over Fiber.

When first working with Fiber Optics, you will be confronted with many acronyms and unfamiliar terms. The white paper addresses those and hopefully makes the start easier.

CoaXPress over Fiber products at Active Silicon:
All FireBird frame grabbers are provided with a GenICam-compliant driver package, known as a GenTL Producer, to support applications that use GenApi, GenTL, GenCP or CLProtocol protocols.

Interoperability is one of the key benefits of using the GenICam standard. For Camera Link frame grabbers, that means they seamlessly support any CLProtocol and GenCP camera and provide immediate compatibility with any GenICam-compliant software packages.

If all hardware is GenICam-compliant, camera and frame grabber control work “out-of-the-box” in acquisition software such as ActiveCapture (Active Silicon’s GenICam front-end application).

Learn more about the standard GenICam on our GenICam-compliant frame grabber solutions page.
Yes, ActiveCapture can also be used with non-GenICam cameras.

In this case, the software and frame grabber cannot communicate directly to the camera and you will need to collect the camera parameters manually. The frame grabber requires information on the resolution, bit depth and tap mode of the camera. These values can be found in the camera manuals provided by the camera manufacturer.

We recommend saving these values in a configuration file (.pcf). The information then becomes quickly accessible by simply uploading the .pcf file into ActiveCapture any time needed. See this tutorial video on how to set up a .pcf file and how the setup works within ActiveCapture.

Camera FAQs

Evaluation Kit

For all our camera products, we provide an evaluation kit. If this is your first time using an Active Silicon camera product, we advise that you purchase the product evaluation kit, as this contains everything that you need to get the camera up and running without risking damage due to incorrect wiring or connection. Active Silicon products/evaluation kits come with a QuickStart guide and full product documentation.

Documentation and Tools

Find the product page for your camera, then go to the downloads tab and download the Quickstart guide and any other documents or tools (e.g. HarrierControl) that you may need. If, after this, you are still having trouble, please download and review the “Troubleshooting guide for Harrier camera interface boards”.

If you are still having problems, please contact our support team at techsupport@activesilicon.com directly with the product part number, serial number and a full description of the setup and the problem.
Please check the product documentation and verify that the product is not working correctly.

If this is the case, please e-mail techsupport@activesilicon.com with the following information:
- Product part number
- Serial number
- Date of purchase
- Full description of the setup and the problem
- Photographs and videos are usually very helpful
Our technical support team will work with you to resolve the issue remotely and/or identify the issue and potential cause. If a product is found to be faulty and under warranty, then we will send an RMA number so that you can return the product for repair /replacement under warranty.
For more information, see the Warranty & Repair page.
Active Silicon camera products are covered by a warranty period of six months from the date of shipment of the Product to the Buyer’s site, as is the usual practice for camera products.

All Harrier camera interface boards and BlueBird products have a warranty period of twelve months from the date of shipment of the Product to the Buyer’s site. For all other products, the warranty period will be two years, unless otherwise stated.

For more information, see the Warranty & Repair page.
Active Silicon offers evaluation kits for camera products that include all necessary cables for testing the camera. Certain cables, cable sets, and board camera lenses can be purchased individually.

For each camera product, we list the accessories in the order info on the camera product pages. Find an overview of all accessories and cables on the Accessories & Cables page.
High-Definition Visually Lossless CODEC (HD-VLC™) is an innovative technology developed by Semtech Corporation. It comprises a unique CODEC, which encodes HD data to the same rate as standard definition video and allows for cable lengths of at least 3x that of HD/3G-SDI products.

The advantages of using HD-VLC include:
- Visually Lossless HD video transmission over coax cables up to 700m, twisted pair cables up to 150m and fiber optic cables over many kilometers.
- No additional latency is introduced to the system and images are transmitted in real-time.
- Superior image quality.
- Multiple slip rings can be used.
Learn more on our webpage, Long-reach HD video transmission.
The characteristics of the data and the physical cable affect the maximum cable length that can be used.

There are a few things to consider and we provide a technical note with advice on choosing the right coaxial cable for your SDI video application (75 Ohm).

Download the technical note: Coaxial cable selection for Harrier and BlueBird SDI products
To set up a Harrier SDI camera, the following is needed:
- 12V power supply
- H.FL cable adapter
- SDI monitor
- ability to send VISCA commands across a serial port and header connector
All parts required are available in the evaluation kits we provide:
- Evaluation Kit for Harrier 3G-SDI (for all Harrier cameras with a 3G-SDI Camera Interface Board)
- Evaluation Kit for Harrier SDI Cameras (for AS-CAM-10SHD-A and AS-CAM-36SGHD-A)
Please also refer to the Quickstart Guide, which will be available under downloads on the product page of the Harrier camera you purchased.
The analog/CVBS output from the Harrier 3G-SDI interface board/camera is located on pins 3 and 4 of the J3 header connector. To get the analog video running, set the camera video to 720p50 (for PAL output) and 720p59.94/60 (for NTSC output).

The interface board will downscale the camera’s LVDS video to produce the CVBS output video. There are custom interface VISCA commands to change the aspect ratio of the video (4:3 or 16:9) and turn the analogue video output on/off. Simultaneously, the interface board will output 720p SDI video.
For all our Harrier IP cameras, we provide evaluation kits, Quickstart Guides and also setup tutorial videos.

Harrier Cameras

For all cameras with a Harrier IP Camera Interace Board:
- Evaluation Kit
- Harrier IP Camera Interface Board Quickstart Guide
- Tutorial video (This video explains all parts needed for the setup, the software use and the camera control.)
For the Harrier 23x AF-Zoom IP 4K Camera:
- Evaluation Kit
- Quickstart guide Harrier 23x AFZ IP 4K
- Tutorial video (This video explains all parts needed for the setup, the software use and the camera control.)
Oriole IP Board Camera

For an easy setup and evaluation of the Oriole HD-IP Board Camera, follow the Quickstart Guide.