ix Industrial Ethernet

GigE Vision cameras transmit image data over standard Ethernet infrastructure, and in most installations the RJ45 connector handles that job adequately. Where the RJ45 becomes a constraint (in compact camera housings, high-density mounting arrangements, or environments with significant vibration), ix Industrial Ethernet provides an alternative that carries the same Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet signal in a noticeably smaller and more mechanically secure connector format.

The standard is defined under IEC 61076-3-124 and is supported by The Imaging Source upon request in the 38 Series GigE camera line, among other products. Engineers specifying compact GigE Vision systems will encounter it on camera bodies where the conventional RJ45 footprint would otherwise limit the housing design.

How ix Industrial Ethernet Works

Electrically, ix Industrial Ethernet is standard Ethernet. The same 1000BASE-T or 10GBASE-T signaling used in conventional GigE runs over the same Cat 5e, Cat 6, or Cat 6A cable, with the same 100-meter distance limit on copper. No protocol conversion is required, and the connector is fully compatible with GigE Vision.

The mechanical difference is significant. The ix connector body is approximately 70% smaller than a standard RJ45 housing, which allows tighter port spacing on camera bodies and junction boxes. The connector uses a push-pull snap-in locking mechanism rather than the RJ45's plastic latch, with a rated locking force of 80 N and a specified service life of 5,000 mating cycles. This makes it more suitable for applications where cables are connected and disconnected regularly, or where the camera is subject to vibration during operation.

The standard defines three connector codings:

In machine vision, Type A is the relevant variant. Type B uses a different key position to prevent accidental mating with Ethernet ports.

Where ix Industrial Ethernet Is Used in Machine Vision

The connector appears most commonly in applications where the camera body size is a design constraint, where multiple cameras are installed in close proximity, or where mechanical reliability under vibration is a system requirement. The Imaging Source offers ix Industrial Ethernet connectivity as an option for 38G Series industrial cameras, providing a compact connector alternative to the standard RJ45 interface where space constraints or mechanical robustness are important.

ix Industrial Ethernet vs. RJ45

For the majority of machine vision installations, RJ45 remains the practical default. It is available from every cable supplier, supported by every switch and network interface card, and adequate for most fixed-installation environments where vibration is low and connectors are rarely disturbed.

ix Industrial Ethernet addresses specific constraints RJ45 does not handle as well. The smaller form factor is relevant when the camera housing is space-constrained or when multiple ports must fit within a compact enclosure. The active locking mechanism provides higher retention force and is less susceptible to accidental disconnection than the RJ45 plastic latch. For cameras on moving platforms or in high-vibration environments, this can be relevant to system reliability.

The practical consideration for system integrators is ecosystem availability. Standard RJ45 cables and connectors are universally stocked. ix Industrial Ethernet cables and field-assembly tools are less broadly available and require planning during procurement and maintenance. Adapters between ix and RJ45 exist and function correctly with no protocol conversion involved, which simplifies connecting an ix-equipped camera to standard network infrastructure.