Knowledge Base

Installation Videos

2 different tutorials…same topic! They both assume the camera is powered with a PoE Power Injector when most shipments today (2025+) are coming with a powered network card with 2 or 4 ports. Both modes of powering the camera are discussed in this document.

1. In EthoVision XT v18 → Open camera tutorial → Help > Video Tutorial.
2. Download a video tutorial showing you how to install and setup this camera:
   • GigE Installation Video

Laptops

• Only 1 camera is supported.
• This will be a dedicated camera network on your 1GB network port.
  • If you want to use the internet on the laptop you will need to use either Wi-Fi or purchase a USB network adaptor like this one: USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter - USB Adapter - TRENDnet TU3-ETG
• Network Card: Section C applies mostly to desktops but please see the end of Section C (Assigning IP to Ethernet Board) for how to configure your laptop's network connection. Then please see Section D for installing the drivers.
• FYI: Maximum supported time for live tracking and/or recording in EthoVision XT v18 with a Basler GigE or USB3 on a workstation laptop is 12 hours.

Cables

• If you bought your camera elsewhere, make sure you bought the correct cables and quality cables. Cheap or incorrect cables will affect frame rate and result in missing samples or interpolated samples.
• Maximum cable length 100 meters.
• See Section E for connections info/wiring diagram.
• Cat5e cable going from camera to power injector: CAT-5e cable from Amazon
• Crossover cable going from power injector to PC: CAT6 cable from Cables to Go

PoE Power Injector

• 2025+ Noldus most often ships a powered network card with 2 or 4 ports. If your order did NOT come with a PoE Power Injector, then it should have shipped with a powered network card.
• If you bought your camera elsewhere (and you are NOT using a 2 or 4 port powered network card), you need a power injector (to power the camera) and it MUST be 1GB.
• Can purchase power injector here: Axis Power Injector 30W Midspan - 1GB - from Amazon

IP Addresses

• When assigning the IP address to either the network card or camera, please follow the red text in the red box on pages 13 and 17. Do not use the IP address shown in the images or whatever IP the PC defaults to.

Tracking in IR

• The monochrome GigE camera is IR sensitive and does not require an IR Pass Filter unless you will be tracking in both light and dark conditions in the same trial.
• Depending on how bright your IR setup is, you might need to open the aperture on the lens all the way (do this first) and/or adjust the camera's Gain (Raw) (see here) and/or adjust the Exposure setting in Pylon Viewer (see here).
• If you need to increase the camera's Gain (Raw) setting in Pylon, do not increase it too much or you will increase camera noise. Consider adding a second IR light if that is the case (and lowering the Gain (Raw)).
• ~Mid-July 2018: Color GigE cameras (model: acA1300-30gc) purchased after this time (from Noldus) had the IR Cut Filter removed, making the color camera IR sensitive like the monochrome version (model: acA1300-30gm).
• If you bought a color GigE camera from Noldus prior to ~July 2018, see below for how to remove the IR Cut Filter to make your color camera IR sensitive.

IR Pass Filter (24-Hour Experiments)

• New Style: It simply screws on to the front of the lens.
• Old Style: It simply screws on to the front of the lens.

Color to Monochrome

• If you have a color camera, you can temporarily change it to monochrome by changing the Pixel Format setting (see here).
  • In Pylon Viewer, change the Pixel Format to Mono8.
  • In EthoVision XT, set the Color Space to Y800.
• Please note this does not make the camera IR sensitive. For that you must either remove the IR block filter (see above) from your color camera OR use a monochrome GigE camera.
• ~Mid-July 2018: Color GigE cameras (model: acA1300-30gc) purchased after this time (from Noldus) had the IR block filter removed, making the color camera IR sensitive like the monochrome version (model: acA1300-30gm).
• If you bought a color GigE camera from Noldus prior to ~July 2018, see above for how to remove the IR block filter to make your color camera IR sensitive.
• If you do want to use your color camera in color, please see Section I for best settings.

Lenses

Image Magnification: If you need to get higher magnification images than is available with a standard lens, you can use one of the following techniques.

• Macro Lens: A true macro lens, that is, a lens of a magnification of at least 1:1 (expressed as 'real world': CCD chip size), usually gives good quality images. However, it is often expensive and probably gives a lower magnification than either a close-up filter or an extension ring.
• Extension Rings: An extension ring inserted between the camera body and the lens enables you to focus on subjects closer to the camera, and so provides a greater magnification. An extension ring is usually cheaper than a true macro lens, but more expensive than a close-up filter. It may give a reduction in optical quality and will reduce the light intensity of the signal, but you can use it to get very high magnifications.
• Close-Up Filter: This is a lens attached in front of the normal lens to give greater magnification. Also known as a close-up lens, it works by shortening the focal length of the lens while keeping the lens-to-camera distance constant, which increases the magnification. The strength of a close-up filter is measured in diopters, which is the fraction by which the lens' focal length is shortened. Thus, a +3 lens reduces the focal length of the lens to which it is attached by 1/3. A close-up filter is usually cheaper than a macro lens or extension ring, but it gives lower magnification and poorer optical quality.
• Microscope: EthoVision XT tracks well from cameras attached to microscopes. Use back-lighting to maximize contrast.

Mounting the Camera

This section only applies if you bought either a Dual Option Mount and/or an Autopole with Superclamp from Noldus. The items below are NOT standard with your camera or EthoVision purchase. Contact sales if you would like a quote to purchase any of these items.

Source: EthoVision XT 18 - GigE Install and Setup, Noldus Information Technology