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Basler boA5120-230cm machine vision camera
BaslerHigh-speed cameras
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Basler boost boA5120-230cm

boA5120-230cm

The boA5120-230cm belongs to Basler's boost series, the company's first cameras featuring a CoaXPress 2.0 interface for very high bandwidth data transfer over a single Micro-BNC coaxial cable. It uses a 1.84"/APS-C format Gpixel GSPRINT4521 progressive-scan CMOS sensor with global shutter, 5120 x 4096 px (21 MP) resolution, 4.5 µm pixels and a 29.5 mm diagonal, reaching 230 fps in Mono 8 over 4x CXP-12. Power is supplied via Power over CoaXPress (PoCXP) at 24 VDC, with typical consumption around 16-18 W, and the camera complies with CoaXPress 2.0 and GenICam standards. It ships without a lens and supports multiple front mounts (C-mount, F-mount, M42x1, M58x0.75).

Brand
Basler
Camera type
Area scan
Interface
CoaXPress 2.0 (4x CXP-12 / 2x CXP-12 / 4x CXP-6 / 2x CXP-6)
Resolution
21 MP
Horizontal resolution
5120 x 4096 px
Mono / color
Mono
Sensor manufacturer
Gpixel
Sensor model
Gpixel GSPRINT4521
Shutter
Global shutter
FPS
230 fps @ 4x CXP-12 (Mono 8)
Mount
Universal front: C-mount, F-mount, M42x1, M58x0.75
Sensor size
1.84" (APS-C), 23 x 18.4 mm, 29.5 mm diagonal
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Technical overview

The boost boA5120-230cm pairs a Gpixel GSPRINT4521 global-shutter CMOS sensor with a CoaXPress 2.0 interface running up to 4x CXP-12, and that combination is the whole point of the camera. The sensor delivers 5120 x 4096 px (21 MP) of monochrome detail across a 1.84-inch / APS-C optical format (23 x 18.4 mm, 29.5 mm diagonal) built from 4.5 um pixels. Twenty-one megapixels at 230 fps is roughly 4.8 gigapixels per second, a data rate that GigE or USB3 simply cannot move; CoaXPress 2.0 over four CXP-12 links carried on Micro-BNC coaxial cabling is what makes the throughput possible, and the interface degrades gracefully to 2x CXP-12, 4x CXP-6 or 2x CXP-6 when a smaller frame grabber configuration is used.

Global shutter is the defining behavior for what this camera can do. Every pixel is exposed simultaneously, so fast-moving parts on a conveyor, indexing turntable or web are captured without the geometric skew a rolling shutter would introduce. That makes the camera honest for dimensional measurement and for any inspection where edges and feature positions must be trusted at speed. The monochrome sensor concentrates all photosites on luminance rather than splitting them across a color filter array, which yields maximum spatial resolution and sensitivity per pixel; with controlled, often wavelength-specific lighting it is the right choice for surface defect detection, OCR/OCV and code reading where contrast, not color, carries the information. The 23 mm sensor width and 21 MP count mean very fine pixel-level sampling: a small field of view yields micron-class detail, while a larger field still resolves features that lower-resolution cameras would miss.

On the integration side the camera draws power either from Power over CoaXPress (PoCXP) or from a 24 VDC supply in the 22.8-25.2 VDC window, with a 16 W consumption figure, so the same coax links that carry data and trigger can also carry power to the camera head. It runs GenICam over CoaXPress 2.0 for standardized configuration and triggering with any compliant CXP-12 frame grabber. The housing measures 76 x 65 x 65 mm, weighs 400 g, is rated IP30 and operates from 0 to 50 C, marking it as a controlled-environment machine rather than a washdown unit. It ships without a lens and exposes a universal front supporting C-mount, F-mount, M42x1 and M58x0.75 - important because a C-mount lens cannot cover the 29.5 mm diagonal, so the larger F-mount or M58 threads exist specifically to mount lenses with an image circle big enough for the APS-C sensor.

Best for

  • High-speed surface and defect inspection on fast-moving webs or conveyors where global shutter prevents motion distortion at 230 fps
  • High-resolution dimensional measurement and gauging that needs 21 MP of detail across an APS-C field without geometric skew
  • Industrial OCR/OCV and traceability code reading where monochrome contrast and fine pixel sampling resolve small characters and marks
  • Semiconductor, electronics and battery inspection where large flat parts must be imaged at full resolution and high frame rate
  • Robot-guidance and in-line vision cells that require a high-bandwidth CoaXPress link carrying data, power and trigger together

Selection notes

  • This is a CoaXPress 2.0 camera: it requires a CXP-12 frame grabber and Micro-BNC coaxial cabling. Plan the grabber link count (4x CXP-12 is needed for the full 230 fps in Mono 8) and budget a PCIe slot in the host PC.
  • The 230 fps figure is specified at 4x CXP-12 in Mono 8; running fewer links (2x CXP-12, 4x/2x CXP-6) or deeper bit depths will reduce the achievable frame rate, so size the interface to the throughput you actually need.
  • Lens selection is constrained by the 29.5 mm sensor diagonal. A standard C-mount lens will vignette on the APS-C format; specify an F-mount or M58x0.75 lens with an image circle that covers 23 x 18.4 mm, and match it to the 4.5 um pixel pitch for sufficient optical resolution.
  • It is a monochrome camera, so color discrimination is not available; the application must rely on luminance contrast, which usually means designing dedicated lighting (and potentially wavelength-specific illumination) to bring out defects, marks or edges.
  • Mechanically and environmentally it is an IP30, 0-50 C, 400 g, 76 x 65 x 65 mm head powered by PoCXP or 24 VDC (22.8-25.2 V) at 16 W - suited to enclosed industrial cabinets and cells, not dusty or washdown locations, and the heat load should be considered in tight enclosures.

Specifications: General
BrandBasler
Camera typeArea scan

Specifications: Sensor
Resolution21 MP
Horizontal resolution5120 x 4096 px
Mono / colorMono
Sensor manufacturerGpixel
Sensor modelGpixel GSPRINT4521
ShutterGlobal shutter
Sensor size1.84" (APS-C), 23 x 18.4 mm, 29.5 mm diagonal
Pixel size4.5 µm x 4.5 µm

Specifications: Performance
FPS230 fps @ 4x CXP-12 (Mono 8)

Specifications: Interface
InterfaceCoaXPress 2.0 (4x CXP-12 / 2x CXP-12 / 4x CXP-6 / 2x CXP-6)
ProtocolsGenICam, CoaXPress 2.0

Specifications: Optics
MountUniversal front: C-mount, F-mount, M42x1, M58x0.75

Specifications: Electrical
PowerPoCXP or 24 VDC
Supply voltage22.8–25.2 VDC
Power consumption16 W

Specifications: Environment
IP ratingIP30
Operating temperature0–50 °C

Specifications: Mechanical
Dimensions76 x 65 x 65 mm
Weight400 g

Frequently asked questions

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