Hello everyone,
I am working on an underwater robotics project using the ZED 2 camera. We are planning to deploy the camera in a waterproof housing mounted on an ROV, and we need a cable length of approximately 10 meters to reach the topside computer.
We are currently weighing two options and would appreciate any insights from the community:
Option 1: Keep our existing ZED 2 camera and use a third-party USB 3.0 active optical (or active copper) extension cable to extend the reach to 10m.
Option 2: Purchase a new ZED 2i with the 10m cable option.
Main concern: latency and bandwidth at 10m
We have heard that standard USB 3.0 connections can introduce noticeable latency beyond 3m. We need real-time performance for visual servoing and relative pose estimation, so latency is critical for us.
Specific questions:
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Is the 10m cable option for the ZED 2i an active optical cable, or an active copper cable?
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What is the expected latency at 10m compared to the standard 1.2m integrated cable?
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Has anyone here tested or validated the 10m ZED 2i cable for real-time applications such as visual servoing, SLAM, or closed-loop control?
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For those who have used third-party USB 3.0 extension cables (e.g., Newnex FireNEX-uLINK series) with ZED 2 or ZED 2i — how was your experience in terms of latency, bandwidth, and IMU data integrity?
Thank you in advance for any guidance or shared experience!