Should I upgrade my camera firmware or software?

Last Revision Date: 6/5/2014

This article discusses our recommendations on when to upgrade camera firmware or software. 

We are continually offering new versions of camera firmware and software that attempt to resolve known bugs or issues, as well as introduce new features and functionality.

As a first step, we recommend fully reading the Release Notes and associated documentation for the firmware or software release. We encourage customers to contact Technical Support for any specific questions regarding a listed change or bug fix. We also strongly recommend reading the details on Machine Vision Software and firmware version numbering, which addresses questions related to "Alpha", "Beta" and "Release" versions of firmware or software. Please note that support staff cannot comment on the effect of different firmware versions on customer applications. In these cases, we strongly recommend the customer put the firmare or software through their standard qualification process to determine its suitability.

In general, if customer systems are stable and not affected by the bugs which were corrected in a particular version, and do not need the feature enhancements listed in the Release Notes or technical documentation, we recommend staying with the firmware or software version currently being used. Conversely, if a customer is being affected by specific bugs, or requires functionality only available in new versions, they should consider upgrading.

Note: In cases where a customer has decided to upgrade, we recommend making note of the current firmware or software version that they are upgrading from in case there are any unforeseen issues or problems. This makes rolling back to previously existing versions much easier, and allows Technical Support to effectively troubleshoot any issues.