BitFlow’s Axion 1xE-DS9T Frame Grabber Delivers High-Performance Camera Link 2.0 Acquisition in a Compact, Space-Saving Design

BitFlow, Inc., a division of Advantech, has launched the Axion 1xE-DS9T, a Camera Link 2.0 compliant frame grabber tailored for machine vision systems where board space is limited but uncompromising image acquisition performance is essential. The new variant reworks the proven Axion architecture by routing I/O through a single 9-pin connector mounted directly on the board bracket, eliminating the need for an external I/O cable. This design is purpose-built for OEMs and system integrators working with compact enclosures, multi-camera arrays, or panel-mount installations where BitFlow’s standard CONN-DEV-C62 I/O Cable is impractical, and where the full set of I/O options is not required.

“Not all applications require every I/O pin of the CONN-DEV-C62,” said Donal Waide, Director of Business Development, iSystems, Advantech. “The Axion 1xE-DS9T has the same Camera Link 2.0 acquisition performance BitFlow customers rely on, in a physical footprint that fits where the full I/O breakout can’t. It’s the right tool for the job when space is the constraint, not capability.”

Performance and Compatibility

The Axion 1xE-DS9T connects via a PCIe x4 Gen 2 interface, providing the bandwidth and low-latency data path required for demanding acquisition tasks. It supports a single Base, Medium, Full, or 80-bit (10-tap) Camera Link camera at clock speeds up to 85 MHz, covering the vast majority of Camera Link configurations in use today. Power over Camera Link (PoCL) is fully supported, including dual-connector PoCL setups, alongside standard non-PoCL cameras, offering integrators flexibility in camera selection without additional external power hardware.

While standard Axion 1xE frame grabbers route the full I/O set through the CONN-DEV-C62 cable for multi-camera triggering, encoder inputs, and general-purpose I/O, the DS9T condenses this to a 9-pin connector on the board bracket. The trade-off is a limited, purpose-fit I/O set with single-ended TTL encoder support only. For applications that do not require differential encoder inputs or the full breakout’s channel count, this is a feature rather than a compromise—resulting in fewer cables, reduced enclosure space, and a cleaner installation.

Under the hood, the Axion 1xE-DS9T leverages BitFlow’s proprietary StreamSync and FlowThru technologies. StreamSync ensures tight synchronization of image acquisition with system timing, while FlowThru manages DMA channel efficiency without requiring on-board frame memory, moving image data directly to host memory for lower latency and simpler system design.

Software and Integration Support

The Axion 1xE-DS9T is fully supported under both Windows and Linux, with native driver support for popular software environments including MATLAB, LabVIEW, HALCON, and VisionPro. Existing Axion-based applications can migrate to the new model with minimal integration overhead.

For more information, visit www.bitflow.com.

The source for this article is https://www.roboticstomorrow.com/news/2026/07/16/bitflows-axion-1xe-ds9t-frame-grabber-brings-uncompromising-reliability-to-space-constrained-machine-vision-systems/26852/.