GigE Networking Equipment Selection

[DJ_001]

I'm building out a network for 6 BFS-PGE-63S4C-C PoE GigE Blackfly S cameras and I need to choose a PCIe network card and an 8 port switch.  This network will be it's own island from PC to 6 cameras.  The intent is to have a second network adapter on the PC to interface to the corporate LAN.

Could anyone suggest equipment that is compatible with GigE vision with POE?

This switch supports 802.3af and jumbo frames.  However the jumbo frames are listed as 15k instead of the typical 9k I've seen.  I assume it can handle anything less than 15k but haven't found any documentation about it:  https://www.tp-link.com/us/business-networking/unmanaged-switch/tl-sg1008pe/

I've no idea how to select an appropriate PCIe network card.  I've read here and there that Intel Pro 1000 is proffered, but nothing more concrete that that

Any guidance is appreciated.  If you've already put something together that works well, I'd really like to know what pieces you've selected

Thanks

[elcalverado]

Hi DJ_001,

For the switch, you're thinking is correct. The switch shouldn't have any problem handling jumbo packets smaller than 15KB. That option looks good to me.

For the network card, Intel Pro1000 are often suggested because that chipset is compatible with the IMAQdx GigE High Performance driver. However, in newer versions of the IMAQdx driver, the universal GigE driver (which is compatible with any gigabit network card) is almost as good as the high performance driver. 

Just to clarify, is your intent to have just 2 ethernet ports: one to the corporate LAN and one to the switch containing 6 cameras? You will want to be careful about having 6 cameras share the bandwidth of one GigE port. Depending on how fast you are acquiring and the size of the images, you are running the risk of limiting your frame rate or losing data because you're trying to push two much data through one port.

Jordan

[DJ_001]

Jordan, 

thanks for helping.  I ordered the switch and a Intel Gigabit CT PCI-E Network Adapter EXPI9301CTBLK  card.

Our use case is to either acquire a still image from each camera in a round robin fashion, or to stream video from on camera while the others are idle.  Therefore bandwidth isn't really an issue

Thanks

Denis