The Basler boost boA4096-180cc is a high-speed area scan camera built around the 12 MP Sony IMX535 Pregius S CMOS sensor (1/1.1" format, 2.74 um pixels) with global shutter and color output. It connects over CoaXPress 2.0 using two CXP-12 channels (2.5 to 12.5 Gbps each) and reaches about 181 fps at the full 4096 x 3000 resolution. The camera uses a universal front for C-mount, F-mount and M42 lenses, is powered by Power over CoaXPress or external 24 VDC, and draws roughly 12 W. It complies with CoaXPress 2.0 and GenICam standards and carries an IP30 box housing.
The Basler boost boA4096-180cc is a 12 MP color area scan camera built around the Sony IMX535 Pregius S CMOS sensor, a 1/1.1" (11.2 x 8.2 mm, 14.0 mm diagonal) format part with very small 2.74 um square pixels. The combination of 4096 x 3000 resolution on a compact sensor means high spatial detail packed into a modest optical format, so an installer can resolve fine features without needing an oversized large-format lens. Critically, the sensor uses a global shutter: every pixel is exposed simultaneously, so fast-moving parts on a conveyor or rotating fixture are captured without the skew and smear a rolling shutter would introduce. That is what makes this camera honest at speed rather than merely fast.
Speed is the headline. Over CoaXPress 2.0 the camera uses two CXP-12 channels (each 2.5 to 12.5 Gbps) to sustain roughly 181 fps at the full 12 MP resolution. That bandwidth is the enabling factor: a 12 MP frame is large, and only a high-throughput link like dual CXP-12 can clear it 180 times a second. CoaXPress also runs over single coax cable with long reach and carries Power over CoaXPress (PoCXP), so the camera can be powered down the same coax from the frame grabber, or alternatively from external 24 VDC, drawing about 12.3 W. It is GenICam-compliant and conforms to the CoaXPress 2.0 standard, so it drops into any compliant CXP frame grabber and software stack.
On the front the camera carries a universal mount that accepts C-mount, F-mount and M42 optics, which gives flexibility when matching a lens to the 14.0 mm sensor diagonal and the demanding 2.74 um pixel pitch. Because the pixels are so small, the lens must genuinely resolve at that pitch, so a high-resolution lens with adequate MTF is part of the design, not an afterthought. The body is a 45 x 80 x 80 mm box housing weighing 442 g, rated IP30 (an indoor enclosure-grade rating, not a washdown rating), and specified for 0 to 50 C operation. As a color camera it suits applications where chromatic information matters; paired with controlled lighting and an external trigger through the CXP link, it is set up for stop-motion capture of fast lines.
Best for
High-speed surface and defect inspection on fast-moving electronics, semiconductor, and printed-web lines where 12 MP detail must be frozen at up to 180 fps
Color print and packaging inspection where chromatic differences and registration must be verified at line speed
Dimensional measurement and metrology of small features, using the 2.74 um pixel pitch for fine spatial sampling on a 1/1.1" sensor
Industrial OCR/OCV reading of codes and printed text moving quickly past the camera, where global shutter prevents character smear
High-throughput logistics sortation where many objects per second need to be imaged sharply without motion blur
Selection notes
Plan the cabling and host around CoaXPress: this camera needs a CXP-12 frame grabber with two channels to reach full-resolution 180 fps, plus appropriate coax cabling; a single channel or a slower interface will cap the achievable frame rate.
Budget for power and heat: at about 12.3 W you can use Power over CoaXPress from the grabber or external 24 VDC, but confirm your grabber supplies enough PoCXP power; operating range is 0 to 50 C, so manage enclosure temperature.
Specify a high-resolution lens: with 2.74 um pixels and a 14.0 mm diagonal, the optic must resolve at that pitch to realize the full 12 MP; the universal front accepts C-mount, F-mount or M42, so size the mount to the lens needed for your field of view and working distance.
Account for the IP30 rating: this is a box housing for clean indoor or enclosed installations, not a washdown or dusty environment; add protective housing if the line is wet or contaminated.
Match lighting and triggering to the speed: at 180 fps exposure times are short, so bright, controlled lighting and an external trigger (delivered over the CXP link) are needed to freeze motion and keep exposure consistent across frames.
Matched automatically by: lens mount fits the camera mount · lens image circle covers the camera sensor — this camera: C-mount (universal front: C-mount, F-mount, M42) · 1/1.1" (11.2 x 8.2 mm, 14.0 mm diagonal) sensor.
By category
All 90C-mount lenses 66Telecentric lenses 24
By brand
All 90Basler 34iRAYPLE 26Omron / Sentech 24Datalogic / Datasensing 6
Get a first image quickly with the pylon Viewer, then move into the pylon SDK for your application. These cameras are GenICam/GenTL-compliant, so any compliant vision software can drive them as well.
Download and install the pylon Camera Software Suite for your OS from Basler. This provides the pylon Viewer, the GenTL transport-layer producers and the pylon SDK (C/C++/.NET/Python). On Windows the installer adds the needed drivers; on Linux follow the included setup notes for USB and network permissions.
2. Connect the camera and check the link
Cable the camera to its matching interface: GigE Vision to a GigE port (use a quality cable and, ideally, a dedicated NIC with jumbo frames enabled), USB3 Vision to a USB 3.x port with the supplied cable, or CoaXPress to the frame grabber. Provide power where required (PoE, USB bus power, or PoCXP). Open the pylon Viewer and confirm the camera appears in the device list; for GigE, make sure the camera and NIC are on the same subnet.
3. Grab a first image and set exposure, gain and pixel format
Select the camera in the pylon Viewer and start a continuous grab. Adjust exposure time and gain until the image is well exposed (avoid clipped highlights), set the pixel format (e.g. Mono8 or a Bayer/RGB format), and focus the lens. Use a test pattern if the lens or scene is not ready yet.
4. Configure triggering and acquisition
Decide between free-run and triggered acquisition. For synchronized capture, set the trigger source (software or a hardware line on the I/O connector), trigger mode and any debounce or exposure mode, then verify timing. Note the parameter names you change in the Viewer feature tree, as you will reuse them in code.
5. Move to the SDK or a GenICam-compliant library
Recreate your settings in code with the pylon SDK (C, C++, .NET or Python) to open the device, apply the same features and pull frames into your pipeline; pylon vTools and pylon AI can add processing blocks. Because the cameras are GenICam/GenTL standard, third-party vision libraries work too. Once the image stream is stable, you can route frames to a deep-learning inspection such as Rosepetal for automated defect detection.
Frequently asked questions
It uses the Sony IMX535 Pregius S CMOS sensor, a 1/1.1" (11.2 x 8.2 mm) color sensor with 2.74 um pixels and a global shutter, which exposes all pixels at once to capture moving objects without distortion.
It reaches up to about 181 fps at the full 4096 x 3000 (12 MP) resolution when running over two CXP-12 channels.
It connects over CoaXPress 2.0 using two CXP-12 channels, each running 2.5 to 12.5 Gbps, to a compliant CXP frame grabber, and it is GenICam-compliant.
It can be powered by Power over CoaXPress (PoCXP) through the coax link or from external 24 VDC, drawing about 12.3 W.
It has a universal front supporting C-mount, F-mount and M42 lenses, and the box housing is rated IP30 for indoor or enclosed use, weighing 442 g in a 45 x 80 x 80 mm body.
It is a color camera, making it suitable for applications where chromatic information matters, such as color print and packaging verification.
