Learn how to choose industrial camera and communication interfaces—GMSL2, CAN FD, RS485, Y-series IO boards—for Beilai EA series edge AI controllers.
Case Details
Video Interfaces: Distance and Bandwidth Matter
- USB 3.0/3.1 – Universal, 5 Gbps, up to 5 m. Good for desktop inspection.
- Gigabit Ethernet (GigE Vision) – Standardized, PoE, up to 100 m. Ideal for fixed production lines and multi-camera setups.
- MIPI CSI-2 – High bandwidth, but very short (≤30 cm). Common in phones, not industrial sites.
- GMSL2 – The new industrial vision standard: 6 Gbps, 15 m over coax, power-over-coax (PoC). Automotive-grade EMI/EMC, minimal wiring, growing ecosystem. Choose GMSL2 for mobile or vibrating platforms.
Industrial Communication: CAN FD vs RS485
- CAN FD – Fast (up to 5 Mbps data phase), reliable, multi-master, hardware arbitration. Best for robot joints, servo drives, and microsecond synchronization.
- RS485 – Low cost, simple, up to 1200 m, but master-slave polling with linear delay growth. Best for low-speed sensors and cost-sensitive end devices.
They often coexist: CAN FD for the backbone, RS485 for the edges. A controller supporting both is ideal.
Y-Series IO Boards: LEGO Bricks for Industrial Interfaces
Y-series IO boards are modular expansion boards—DI/DO, AI/AO, RTD/TC, PWM, CAN FD, RS485. Change the board, not the machine. Example: the Y80 board provides 2× CAN FD, 4× RS485, 16× DI, 8× DO, 2× GPI, 2× GPO. One EA230 Pro can then talk to chassis controllers, servo drives, sensors, and actuators simultaneously.
EA Series Interface Layout
- EA230 / EA230 Pro – NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano, up to 67 TOPS. 1× 1GbE + 1× 2.5GbE, 4× USB 3.1, onboard 2× GPI, 2× GPO, 1× RS485/RS232, 1× CAN FD. Pro adds 4× USB 3.0 and flexible camera options: 4× GMSL2, 4× GigE, or 4× MIPI CSI-2.
- EA250 / EA250 Pro – Jetson Orin NX, up to 157 TOPS. Similar interfaces, but higher compute and video codec: 1× 4K60 encode / 1× 8K30 decode. For autonomous driving and humanoid robots.
- EA270 (coming soon) – Jetson AGX Orin, up to 275 TOPS. 4× SFP+ (10G fiber), HBA storage, 8× GMSL2. Flagship for multi-camera, high-bandwidth vision.
FAQ
Q:GMSL2 or Ethernet camera?
A:Mobile/vibrating → GMSL2. Fixed line → Ethernet.
Q:CAN FD and RS485 together?
A:Yes—EA230 Pro supports both via Y80 board.
Q:Hot-swap Y-boards?
A:Not recommended; power off first.
Q:Can EA230 Pro run AI on 4 GMSL2 cameras?
A:Yes—67 TOPS handles 4 HD streams. EA250 Pro (157 TOPS) handles more complex models.
