Get Started with ZED Link

If you recently purchased a Stereolabs ZED Link GMSL2 capture card, congratulations! This guide aims to help you become acquainted with the GMSL2 protocol and to give you the essential information you need to begin utilizing Stereolabs ZED Link GMSL2 capture cards with NVIDIA® Jetson device and our GMSL2 stereo and mono cameras.

What is GMSL2? #

Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL2) is a serial communication protocol that us Analog Devices’ proprietary technology to transport high-speed, serialized data over coax or shielded-twisted pair (STP) cables for automotive camera and display applications. GMSL2 links operate at fixed data rates, including 3 Gbps or 6 Gbps on the forward channel, and 187Mbps on the reverse channel, depending on device capabilities and configuration. The figure shows a block diagram of a typical GMSL2 system.

From Analog Devices - GMSL2 Channel Specification User Guide - Rev 1

Setting up your system for using a GMSL2 camera #

📌 Note: If you own a ZED Box Orin NX (8 GB or 16 GB) that is GMSL2 enabled, you can directly proceed to the guide to Install the ZED Link driver.

Make sure to have the necessary hardware to support the GMSL2 connection of the Stereolabs GMSL2 cameras.

In this section, we will explain which configurations work with the GMSL2 capture cards and provide instructions on how to set them up.

Please note that our GMSL2 cameras are only compatible with NVIDIA® Jetson platforms. Here is the list of currently supported NVIDIA® Jetson models along with the corresponding setup guide link for your hardware.

⚠️ Warning ⚠️

It is not possible to disassemble a ZED Box Orin NX that was purchased without a pre-installed GMSL2 capture card with the intention of installing it later

The ZED Box Orin NX features a passive heat dissipation system that could be damaged if the device is disassembled, potentially causing failures and serious damage to the NVIDIA® Jetson module. As a result, the warranty will be void if the device is opened.

ZED Link Mono capture card #

The ZED Link Mono enables you to connect ZED X, ZED X Mini, ZED X One GS, or ZED X One 4K cameras to specific NVIDIA® Jetson devices:

ZED Link Duo capture card #

The ZED Link Duo enables you to connect ZED X, ZED X Mini, ZED X One GS, or ZED X One 4K cameras to specific NVIDIA® Jetson devices:

ZED Link Quad capture card #

The ZED Link Quad enables you to connect ZED X, ZED X Mini, ZED X One GS, or ZED X One 4K cameras to specific NVIDIA® Jetson devices: