PL-U board-level cameras provide a GPIO interface through an 8-pin JST connector and a powered I2C interface through a 8-pin 1.25mm Molex connector located on the IO board. The mating connector for the GPIO interface is a JST NSHR-08V-S receptacle, and the mating connector for the powered I2C interface is a Molex 51021-0800 receptacle with Molex 50079-8100 wire crimp terminals.
Please note that the GPIO pins on the Molex connector are not programmable by default, and the connector is included for legacy reasons. If you would like to enable the GPIO pins on the Molex connector, please contact Pixelink support at pixelink.support@ametek.com to discuss customization options.
Similar to the Molex connector, there is an additional 6-pin JST connector with non-programmable pins. For further details on using this connector, please contact pixelink.support@ametek.com.
8-Pin JST Connector - GPIO Interface Pinout and Description
| Pin | Pin Name | Function | Comments |
| 1 | VBUS | 3.3V or 5.0V power output | GPIO2 must be enabled as either 3.3V or 5.0V. The maximum current available from this output pin is 100mA. |
| 2 | TRIGGER+ or GPI+ | Positive terminal of optically isolated trigger input or General Purpose Input. | See trigger or GPI notes below chart. |
| 3 | TRIGGER- or GPIO- | Negative terminal of optically isolated trigger input or General Purpose Input or Output. | See trigger or GPI notes below chart. |
| 4 | GPO1+ | Positive terminal of optically isolated General Purpose Output 1. | Optical isolator open collector output. Provides current sink to pin 3 when GPO1 is active. Maximum 15 mA. Maximum 40 V. |
| 5 | GPIO2 | HCMOS General Purpose Input / Output 2 | The maximum HCMOS output current is 5mA |
| 6 | GPIO3 | HCMOS General Purpose Input / Output 3 | The maximum HCMOS output current is 5mA |
| 7 | GPIO4 | HCMOS General Purpose Input / Output 4 | The maximum HCMOS output current is 5mA |
| 8 | GROUND | Logic ground. | Logic ground is internally connected to the camera metal enclosure. |
Notes
Trigger pulse duration must be at least 300 us, otherwise trigger pulses might be ignored.
Only one of the 4 potential hardware trigger lines can be used as the hardware trigger source at a given time, and setting the line as hardware trigger will prevent you from using that line as GPIO.
If the user chooses to use the first GPIO (GPIO#1) as the hardware trigger, then the hardware trigger must be optically isolated. Otherwise, it will use CMOS input as the trigger.
GPIO#1 cannot be used simultaneously as Input, and Hardware1 as a Trigger Type.
Trigger Polarity
The trigger polarity can be set to Positive or Negative. (See the Triggers and GPO Tab - Pixelink Capture or External Control Tab - Capture OEM). Please note that board level cameras have reversed polarity compared to enclosed models.
With the trigger polarity set to Positive, a camera will trigger on the falling edge of the trigger signal.
With the trigger polarity set to Negative, a camera will trigger on the rising edge of the trigger signal.
Molex Connector (Legacy) - GPIO Interface Pinout and Description
| Pin | Pin Name | Function | Comments |
| 1 | 3.3V | 3.3V power output | Maximum current available from this pin is 50mA. Maximum external capacitive load on this pin is 50uF. |
| 2 | TRIGGER | HCMOS hardware trigger input | 3.3V HCMOS input with an internal 1K ohm pull up resistor. A voltage transition from 3.3V to 0V will initiate a positive trigger. |
| 3 | GROUND | Logic and Chassis Ground | |
| 4 | GPO1 | General Purpose Output 1 | Legacy / Custom Only - GPIO#2 enabled in one of the GPO modes |
| 5 | GPO2 | General Purpose Output2 | Legacy / Custom Only - GPIO#3 enabled in one of the GPO modes |
| 6 | CLOCK | I2C-SCL | Has an internal 1.5K ohm pull up resistor to 3.3V. Pixelink API - Refer to I2C Bus Communications. |
| 7 | DATA | I2C-SDA | Has an internal 1.5K ohm pull up resistor to 3.3V. Pixelink API - Refer to I2C Bus Communications. |
| 8 | GPI+ | Higher current open collector used for GPIO#1 | Legacy / Custom Only - GPIO#1 enabled in one of the GPO modes |
Notes
Pin 4 and Pin 5 cannot be used or modified for additional I2C communication interface.
6-Pin JST Connector (Legacy) - GPIO Interface Pinout and Description
| Pin | Pin Name | Function | Comments |
| 1 | VBUS | 5V power output | Actual voltage level depends on the computer, cable length, and total current load. The maximum current available from this output pin is 100mA. |
| 2 | GROUND | Logic and Chassis Ground | |
| 3 | DATA | I2C Data | Has an internal 1.5K ohm pull up resistor to 3.3V |
| 4 | CLOCK | I2C Clock | Has an internal 1.5K ohm pull up resistor to 3.3V |
| 5 | N/C | No connection | |
| 6 | N/C | No connection |
Notes
Pin 3 and Pin 4 are interconnected with Pin 6 and Pin 7 of the 8-pin Molex connector. Thus, only one I2C communication interface can be used.