Support Support Home » USB3 » Compatible hardware » How to use cameras with Laptop - tips

How to use cameras with Laptop - tips


Since it is very convenient to use USB 3.0 cameras like xiC or xiQ or even xiD due to their plug and play qualities a lot of people start getting acquainted with the cameras at first on laptop and therefore we decided to share some tips that can help getting started.

1. Hardware check

Please refer to this information before using the camera in order to choose the right laptop with the needed components for the setup.

2. Cables

With USB 3.0 being more and more popular a lot of cable vendors now provide reliable accessories that support XIMEA cameras especially well.
There are even options that offer connection distance up to 100m with fiber based extenders.
To be on the safe side with the laptop we would suggest to use accessories tested by XIMEA with length around 3-8m.

3. Helpful software

XIMEA is staying true to the continuous effort in making use of our products as effortless as possible, which is why a special tool called xiCOP was created and it is ideal to help you with monitoring your setup and discovering possible bottlenecks, most of which can be resolved fairly quickly when noticed.

4. Power

USB3 Vision standard allows a single cable to stream both data and power without additional hardware needed.
However, this may not apply to some laptops due to restrictions in power or cable length.
One USB 3.0 port should be able to provide up to 4.5 W of power.
You have to be careful with USB 2.0 ports because even though USB 3.0 is backward-compatible with USB 2.0, the power delivery aspect is rather different for both.
USB 2.0 mostly provides 500mA at 5V or 2.5 W of power. Small variations in the amount of power can be possible.
xiQ cameras usually need even less than 1W, with maximum consumption around 1.8W.