Carrier Boards for Embedded Vision
A carrier board provides the physical and electrical interface between a compute module and embedded cameras. It exposes the connectors, power supply, signal routing and system interfaces needed to connect cameras and peripherals in an embedded vision system. The Imaging Source offers carrier board options for embedded vision projects using MIPI CSI-2, FPD-Link III and GMSL2 cameras. The right carrier board depends on the compute module, camera interface, number of cameras, cable distance and software requirements.
Carrier board options for embedded cameras
A carrier board defines how embedded cameras connect to the processing hardware.
MIPI CSI-2 is suitable for direct camera-to-processor connections. FPD-Link III and GMSL2 cameras are used when longer cable distances or remote camera placement are required, usually with a compatible deserializer board.
NVIDIA carrier board options are suitable for embedded vision projects that need local image processing and multi-camera support.
NXP carrier board options are suitable for compact embedded vision systems with reliable camera integration.
Raspberry Pi hardware is not sold by The Imaging Source as a standalone carrier board. For Raspberry Pi, the focus is camera compatibility.
Carrier board support for MIPI CSI-2 cameras
Carrier boards with MIPI CSI-2 support are used for direct camera-to-processor integration.
MIPI CSI-2 is suitable for compact embedded vision systems where the camera and processing hardware can be placed close together. It supports low-latency image transfer with a small hardware footprint.
Carrier board support for FPD-Link III and GMSL2 cameras
Carrier boards can support FPD-Link III and GMSL2 cameras when longer cable distances or remote camera placement are required.
These camera interfaces usually require a compatible deserializer board. The deserializer board converts the camera signal so it can be used by the carrier board and processing hardware.
Carrier board software support
Carrier board integration depends on the selected hardware and software stack.
Depending on the carrier board and camera setup, software support may include camera drivers, board support packages, IC Imaging Control 4 SDK, libcamera, GStreamer or OpenCV.
Need help choosing a carrier board?
Selecting the right carrier board depends on the camera interface, number of cameras, cable length, processing requirements and software environment. The Imaging Source can help compare NVIDIA, NXP and Raspberry Pi-compatible carrier board setups, cameras, deserializer boards and software options.
Contact The Imaging Source for technical advice on carrier board selection.