Powering Your Blackfly S

The USB3 connector provides a power connection between the camera and the host computer. The ideal input voltage is nominal 5 V DC. For the USB3 connector to provide power, the host controller must be connected to the computer's power supply.

Power can also be provided externally through the GPIO interface: 12 V nominal (8 - 24 V). Power consumption is 3 W maximum.

If both power sources are connected the camera always uses external power over the GPIO connector.

Note: Some systems, especially those with laptop computers or longer cable lengths, may not provide adequate power through the USB3 cable which could result in intermittent operation. The use of external power through the GPIO is required for these systems.

The camera does not transmit images for the first 100 ms after power-up. The auto-exposure and auto-white balance algorithms do not run while the camera is powered down. It may therefore take several images to get a satisfactory image.

When the camera is power cycled (power disengaged then re-engaged), the camera reverts to its default factory settings, or if applicable, a saved user set.

Related Knowledge Base Articles
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Blackfly®S BFS-U3-63S4-BD
Camera Reference