Knowledge Base

Hardware

Computer

EthoVision XT has been tested with the workstations listed below. If you order a complete solution from Noldus Information Technology, you will obtain one of these computers or its successor, with EthoVision XT installed and ready to use. See also Ordering a PC from Another Supplier.

Dell Precision 3680 Tower Workstation (Desktop)

• Processor: Intel Core i7-14700, 20 CPU cores, 3.4 GHz.
• Internal memory: 32 GB DDR5.
• Hard disks: M.2 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD.
• Graphics card: NVIDIA T1000, 4 GB GDDR6.
• PCIe slots (full-height): 1x Gen5 PCIe x16, 1x Gen3 PCIe x4, 1x Gen4 PCIe x4 (open-ended).
• Operating system: Windows 11 Pro.

Dell Precision PCs are recommended when tracking subjects with the Deep Learning method. See Deep Learning: Requirements.

Dell Precision 3591 Workstation (Laptop)

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H vPro Essentials, 16 cores, up to 4.8 GHz.
• Internal memory: 16 GB DDR5.
• Hard disks: M.2 2280 1 TB PCIe NVMe SSD.
• Graphics card: NVIDIA RTX 1000, 6 GB GDDR6.
• Operating system: Windows 11 Pro.

Ordering a PC from Another Supplier

If you choose to order a PC from a supplier other than Noldus or its distributors, you can use the above specifications as a guideline.

Use a Professional Workstation

We recommend that you use a professional workstation. It is possible to buy consumer-range computers with a high processor speed and plenty of memory, but in order to remain competitive regarding price, the manufacturers often economize on the underlying system architecture. That means those computers are suitable for home use, but not for running professional scientific software. You should select a computer which is intended for professional use or labeled by the manufacturer as a workstation.

Desktop or Laptop?

• If you plan to purchase a desktop computer, always choose a tower mid-size or full tower size. Do not use mini or small form factor desktops. When in doubt, ask your Noldus representative.
• If you plan to use a laptop or a desktop with an unpowered network interface board (also known as network interface card, NIC), you need a Power over Ethernet Injector to power a GigE camera.
• If you plan to use analog cameras (e.g. for PhenoTyper 1), you need a desktop computer with at least one PCI slot.
• The Ethernet interface board should support data transfer of 1 Gb/s (one port).
• If you plan to use a laptop, please consider the following:
  • Only one camera is supported, either GigE (Basler acA1300-60gm) or USB 3.0 (acA1920-155um). We recommend using a laptop with an RJ45 Ethernet port. Some laptops have a USB-C port for internet; in that case you need a USB-C to Ethernet adapter, but not all of them work properly when connecting a digital camera. Test a few adapters if needed.
  • If you need internet, use Wi-Fi or a second USB-Ethernet adapter.
  • There may be restrictions in terms of maximum resolution and/or maximum recording time. Check carefully what has been tested. See Cameras Supported by EthoVision XT.
  • Always acquire data with the laptop plugged in. In Windows, click Settings, then type power. Click Power, sleep and battery settings. Next, click Screen and sleep. Next to When plugged in, put my device to sleep after, select Never.

Intel Processor (CPU)

We strongly recommend using a computer with Intel x64-compatible processors, Intel Xeon or i7 CPU. In Intel processors, the acceleration required by the IPP (Integrated Performance Primitives) software is guaranteed. That may not be the case for other manufacturers which offer high-quality and fast processors.

IPP is an extensive library of ready-to-use, domain-specific functions. It is used by EthoVision XT during image processing and data acquisition, and therefore affects performance of video tracking. Processors from other manufacturers are compatible with EthoVision XT, but tracking could be significantly slower. Consider this when you plan to purchase a computer to acquire large amounts of data from high-resolution video, or to analyze video with Behavior Recognition or Deep Learning.

• Other processors such as AMD may well work with the IPP, although Noldus does not support them. Always test your computer thoroughly before running the actual experiments.
• EthoVision XT will not work on Qualcomm/ARM chips.

Important Factors to Keep in Mind

• The more animals and arenas you track, the more processor load you require.
• Nose-tail tracking requires more processor load than tracking the center-point only.
• The optimal sample rate depends on the species you track. Mice, for example, require a higher sample rate than rats. See Sample Rate for more information about the optimal sample rate.
• A larger image requires more computer resources for tracking, so a larger image does not necessarily lead to better tracking.

GPU

• Full support for NVIDIA RTX 50 series GPUs and CUDA 13.1. Pascal architecture (GTX 10 series) is no longer supported for deep learning features.

RAM Memory

• For desktop computers, we recommend 32 GB RAM memory.
• For laptops, 16 GB RAM memory should suffice.

USB 3.0 Port

Current PCs have USB 3.x ports installed as standard. USB ports are necessary if you use a USB 3.0 camera. See Install USB 3.0 Cameras. If you use hardware like the USB-IO box, you need an additional USB port.

Power Supply Unit (PSU)

Powerful graphics cards need additional power. Ensure that the computer has a Power Supply Unit (PSU) that can provide enough power to the graphics card. Take note of the Suggested PSU for a specific card and make sure the PC can handle it. See also More Information on Graphics Cards (GPUs) and Install a Graphics Card for Deep Learning.

Virtual Machines

Virtualization allows you to run different operating systems on the same computer. However, EthoVision XT was not designed to work on a virtual machine, and its use on virtual machines is not supported.

Ethernet Interface Board

Ethernet Interface in Desktop Computers

In order to use high-quality GigE cameras, your computer must have a 1 Gb Ethernet Interface Adapter (board), also known as a Network Interface Card (NIC). Depending on the number of Ethernet ports, you can connect one to four cameras per board. The following boards have been tested successfully:

• CT1000 Pro (1 camera)
• Adlink PCIe-GIE74 (1–4 cameras)
• Basler GigE Interface Card, 4 port PoE (1–4 cameras)
• FS X550AT2-2TP (1–16 cameras)

Make sure that the board has the necessary number of ports when you use multiple cameras. See Install an Ethernet Board for GigE Cameras and Using Multiple GigE Cameras.

Ethernet Interface in Laptop Computers

If you have a laptop, you can connect only one GigE camera. The RJ45 Ethernet port on your laptop will be the dedicated camera port. If you want to connect the laptop to the internet, use a Wi-Fi connection or a USB-Ethernet adapter.

Some laptops have a USB-C port for internet. In that case you need a USB-C to Ethernet adapter. However, not all of those adapters work properly when connecting a digital camera. There may be issues such as video signal interruption and frame drops. Test a few adapters if needed.