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CoaXPress Introduction
Introduction to CoaXPress Industrial Cameras


CoaXPress (CXP) is a digital interface standard known for fast communication between devices like digital cameras and host systems. It usually uses a single coaxial cable. In 2011, experts approved CoaXPress, and it quickly gained popularity in the machine vision market. People appreciate its ability to transmit data at speeds up to 6.25 Gbps.

MindVision's CoaXPress industrial cameras are specifically optimized for high-speed imaging applications, incorporating advanced image sensors and signal processing technologies to perfectly meet the demands of various challenging industrial automation and professional vision scenarios. Featuring high-performance CoaXPress digital interface technology, these cameras support ultra-high-speed data transfer rates of up to 12.5Gbps, enabling real-time, stable processing of high-resolution, high-speed vision data while ensuring precision and reliability in image acquisition. Thanks to their outstanding performance, MindVision's CoaXPress camera series has become the preferred solution for high-end machine vision applications such as industrial inspection, intelligent transportation, and semiconductor manufacturing. In the medical imaging field, their exceptional image quality and transmission stability have also gained widespread recognition, meeting the specialized requirements of professional medical applications like endoscopy imaging and surgical navigation. Whether capturing fast-moving targets with precision or maintaining stable imaging in complex environments, this series delivers professional-grade vision solutions.
—— CoaXPress Interface Benefits for High-Speed Machine Vision ——
This high performance standard has important features like high bandwidth, low latency, and reliable data transport. These qualities make it a popular choice for systems that need quick image processing and longdistance transmission.The interface's design allows for multichannel transmission of image data and metadata. This means you can connect one camera or multiple devices.

With CoaXPress version 2.0, transmission speeds got a significant increase. They now reach an impressive 12.5 Gbps over one coaxial cable. This development gets closer to the limits of coaxial cable transmission. It opens the door for better imaging applications.Recognizing the limits of coaxial cables, new technology added a protocol. This protocol uses fiber optic cables for data transmission. This enhancement markedly overcomes previous bandwidth limitations, leveraging the extraordinary capabilities of fiber optics for long-range data transport. Fiber optics facilitate even greater distances and faster speeds, which transform CoaXPress into a versatile solution for various sectors.

This significant expansion in technological capability broadens CoaXPress’s usability to include demanding fields such as industrial inspection, where precision and speed are critical. Medical imaging greatly benefits from this advancement. It allows for more precise scans and faster data processing. This is important for accurate diagnoses and better patient outcomes.Huge observation also depends on this improved interface. It helps manage the large amounts of data from high-resolution telescopes. This allows scientists to explore space more than ever before.

In essence, CoaXPress continues to evolve beyond its initial foundations, adapting to modern needs and technological advancements. A great example of innovation exists. It combines simple connections with strong performance. This helps meet the growing needs of many high-tech fields.CoaXPress is always improving. Ready to handle the growing challenges of digital imaging and data transfer. This ensures it stays a top communication standard for the future.
—— The Evolution of CoaXPress Speeds ——

The first version of the CoaXPress standard was CXP-6. It supported a speed of 6.25 Gbps over one coaxial cable. Due to the use of 8B/10B encoding, the actual effective bandwidth was 5.0 Gbps.


The CoaXPress 2.0 version increased the maximum speed to CXP-12. It can now reach 12.5 Gbps using one coaxial cable. Similarly, employing 8B/10B encoding results in an actual effective bandwidth of 10.0 Gbps.

Standards and Rates: CXP is a high-speed point-to-point serial communication digital interface standard. Under the 2.0 standard, single-channel bit rates vary by level, such as CXP-1 at 1.250 Gbps, CXP-2 at 2.500 Gbps, CXP-3 at 3.125 Gbps, CXP-5 at 5.000 Gbps, CXP-6 at 6.250 Gbps, CXP-10 at 10.000 Gbps, and CXP-12 at 12.500 Gbps. Bandwidth can also be increased through multi-channel aggregation. For example, four cables can provide a maximum data rate of 50 Gbps. Transmission Characteristics: CXP offers high bandwidth and low latency, supporting transmission over coaxial cables across certain distances (e.g., up to 100 m at 3.125 Gbps and approximately 35 m at 12.5 Gbps). Some versions also support "Power-over-Coax" (using the cable to power the camera). A single cable can extend up to 100 m, meeting the demands of industrial applications for high-speed, stable image data transmission. It is commonly used in ultra-high-speed imaging (e.g., 3D scanning, medical imaging) and large-resolution sensor applications.
CXPoF uses optical fiber as the transmission medium, and its bandwidth entirely depends on the speed of the optical module. Currently, commonly used optical module bandwidths are as follows:
This table focuses on fiber optic communication scenarios, presenting the corresponding relationships between different optical module types and the maximum operational bit rate per fiber: The SFP+ optical module is suitable for 10Gbps, and is often used in enterprise campus networks and other scenarios to balance costs and 10G transmission; QSFP+ corresponds to 40Gbps, and is mostly applied in scenarios such as data center server interconnections that require high density and high bandwidth; QSFP28 matches 100Gbps and is the mainstream choice for 100G Ethernet in data centers and the like; QSFP56 corresponds to 200Gbps and targets scenarios with extreme bandwidth demands, such as in ultra - large - scale data centers. These corresponding relationships provide key references for equipment selection and network design in fiber optic communication systems, covering the evolution from basic 10G bearer to high - speed 200G.
—— Implementation of CoaxPress over Fiber ——

CoaXPress over Fiber (CXPoF) is an extended protocol of the CoaXPress protocol. It allows the CoaXPress protocol to operate on the standard Ethernet physical layer. A CXP - PHY Bridge connects the camera (Device) and the frame grabber (Host). It links the CXP protocol to the Ethernet physical layer (Ethernet PHY).


In systems that use QSFP+/QSFP28/QSFP56 optical modules, each module has 4 sets of TX (Transmit) and RX (Receive) transceivers. For the camera side (Device), CXPoF uses 4 pairs of TX and 1 pair of RX. For the frame grabber side (Host), CXPoF uses 4 pairs of RX and 1 pair of TX.

This diagram presents the architecture of an Ethernet data transmission link based on the CXP interface in an FPGA system, showing the data interaction process between the "FPGA Device (device side)" and the "FPGA Host (host side)". The CXP module initiates and responds to protocol communication. The CXP - PHY Bridge converts the protocol format and connects to the Ethernet PHY via nGMII to process physical - layer signals. The PMD is associated with the optical fiber to complete photoelectric conversion and adaptation. Relying on the optical fiber as the physical medium, a "protocol conversion + physical - layer adaptation + medium transmission" path is built to achieve high - speed data transmission between the two ends, and it is suitable for FPGA interconnection scenarios with requirements for bandwidth and transmission distance.
This design allows fast and reliable data transfer between the FPGA and the host using optical fibers. It is a common setup for modern high-speed communication systems.
This is a diagram of the high - speed Ethernet communication architecture based on optical fibers between an FPGA (Field - Programmable Gate Array) device and a host. It shows the signal processing and transmission link of the Physical Layer, with the core revolving around the PCS/PMA sub - layers, the PMD sub - layer, and the optical fiber medium. The PCS/PMA (Physical Coding Sublayer / Physical Medium Attachment) includes the PCS/FEC, where the PCS is responsible for encoding/decoding Ethernet data (such as 8b/10b, 64b/66b encoding, etc.) to adapt the data to high - speed serial transmission, and FEC (Forward Error Correction), an optional function that realizes automatic detection and correction of transmission errors by adding redundant check codes to improve link reliability; the PMA connects the PCS and the PMD, processes analog signals (such as signal amplification, clock recovery, serialization/deserialization, etc.), and converts the digital encoded signals output by the PCS into analog electrical/optical signals suitable for PMD transmission (or vice - versa), serving as a "bridge" between the digital domain and the physical medium. The PMD (Physical Medium Dependent) is directly associated with the optical fiber physical medium and realizes "electrical - optical"/"optical - electrical" conversion: the transmitting end converts the electrical signal from the PMA into an optical signal and injects it into the optical fiber; the receiving end restores the optical signal from the optical fiber into an electrical signal and sends it back to the PMA, acting as an "interface" for signals to enter/leave the physical medium. The Fibers, as the physical transmission medium, rely on optical signals to achieve high - speed and long - distance data transmission between the FPGA Device (device side) and the FPGA Host (host side), serving as the "physical channel" of the link. The overall process is that data enters the PCS/FEC inside the FPGA to complete encoding (and optional FEC processing), is converted by the PMA into a signal suitable for the PMD, and then converted by the PMD into an optical signal and injected into the optical fiber; the receiving end performs the reverse operation, where the optical signal is converted by the PMD into an electrical signal, processed by the PMA, and then sent to the PCS/FEC for decoding to restore the original data. This architecture is often used in scenarios with high requirements for bandwidth and reliability, such as high - speed Ethernet (e.g., 10G/25G/100G, etc.), data center interconnection, and high - speed test and measurement, reflecting the complete link design of the Ethernet physical layer from "digital encoding - analog processing - optical transmission".
In the CoaXPress system, a QSFP+/QSFP28/QSFP56 optical module can achieve a high-speed upstream channel, along with one main channel and three extended channels. In the traditional CXP electrical interface scheme, as the high-speed upstream channel increases additional costs, almost no manufacturers adopt it. However, in the CXPoF scheme, using the high-speed upstream channel does not incur any extra costs.
This is a diagram of the high - speed interconnection architecture of an FPGA system, showing the signal transmission link between the FPGA Device (device side) and the FPGA Host (host side) connected by optical fibers and based on the CXP high - speed interface protocol. The signal, from the Device to the Host or in the reverse direction, sequentially passes through the CXP - PHY Bridge (protocol adaptation), PCS/PMA (including FEC forward error correction, handling encoding, etc.), and PMD (the optical module realizes electrical - optical/optical - electrical conversion). High - speed and long - distance transmission and interaction are achieved by means of optical fibers. It is suitable for ultra - high - speed and long - distance interconnection scenarios such as data centers, industrial control, and high - performance computing, ensuring high bandwidth, low latency, and reliability, and presenting a complete link of "encoding → conversion → transmission → recovery → decoding".
Application cases
1.High-speed industrial inspection
CXP cameras can perform high-speed and high-resolution inspections on products in assembly lines, significantly improving production line efficiency and the precision of quality control.
2.Precision detection
For example, in the semiconductor industry, especially in applications requiring high sensitivity and resolution (such as front-end and back-end semiconductor processes), scenarios like advanced process node inspection, evaluation of complex lithography masks, and identification of tiny defects rely on high-bandwidth CXP cameras to achieve high-precision flaw detection.
3.Medical imaging
High-resolution and real-time images help doctors make more accurate and rapid diagnoses.
4.Scientific research imaging
Scientific research projects with extremely high requirements for real-time performance and resolution, such as particle physics experiments and high-speed motion analysis.
In summary, due to their superior technical performance and wide range of application fields, CXP cameras have become important tools in many high-demand industries. With the further development of technology in the future, CXP cameras will surely play a greater role in more fields. The development of CMOS sensors has driven the advancement of camera technology, and the high-bandwidth characteristics of CXP cameras meet this demand, facilitating the implementation and development of various high-information applications.
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