E-con’s 2MP, HD “STURDeCAM20” camera offers a MIPI-CSI-2 to GMSL2 interface and IP67 protection and is available in a $699 kit for the Jetson AGX Xavier with 15-meter coaxial cable and FAKRA connectors.

In 2018, E-con Systems launched a 3.4-megapixel NileCAM30 camera and Nvidia Jetson TX2 kit claimed to be the world’s fastest camera to use the Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) standard. Now, it has introduced a STURDeCAM20 camera and STURDeCAM20_CUXVR kit for Nvidia’s high-end Jetson AGX Xavier Developers Kit that uses the next-gen GMSL2 interface. Like E-Con’s SurveilsQUAD camera system for the AGX Xavier, th STURDeCAM20 has 2-megapixel, HD resolution and a MIPI-CSI-2 link.

STURDeCAM20_CUXVR (left) and attached to Jetson AGX Xavier Developers Kit
(click images to enlarge)
The STURDeCAM20 camera is available for $279 in volume on its own or $699 in single units as part of the Xavier kit. The STURDeCAM20_CUXVR kit is designed for industrial and outdoor environments such as autonomous mobile robots (AMR), delivery and sidewalk robots, blind spot cameras for large vehicles, mining vehicles, forklifts, and surround view systems.

The STURDeCAM20_CUXVR kit provides both a 2-lane MIPI-CSI-2 interface and a connected GMSL2 adapter board. Like GMSL, GMSL2, which is supported on Adlink’s ROScube-X robotics controller, is a SerDes derived technology for supporting bi-directional data, power, and control through a single cable at up to 15 meters without losing latency. GMSL cams are typically supplied with a 15-meter coaxial cable with FAKRA connectors, which E-Con includes with the kit.

STURDeCAM20, front and back
(click image to enlarge)
The STURDeCAM20 has a “high performance” ISP that supports low lighting environments and incorporates a 1/2.7″ optical AR0230 CMOS sensor from On Semi with 2MP, 1928 x 1088 pixel resolution. The camera offers single frame, 3.0 um dual conversion gain pixel technology and 96 dB high dynamic range (HDR) says E-con.

Other specs include 41 dB SNR and 4.0 V/lux-sec responsivity. The camera supports synchronous operation when used with multiple cameras.

STURDeCAM20 (left) and coaxial cable with FAKRA connectors
The 42 x 42mm, aluminium enclosed camera has an electronic rolling shutter and an S-mount lens holder. The camera and kit support -40 to 85°C temperatures and the camera and cable are protected against water and dust ingress per IP67.

The STURDeCAM20_CUXVR kit ships with a V4L2 Linux driver for MIPI-CSI-2 and supports the AGX Xavier dev kit’s Nvidia Jetpack 4.4 software. A sample application and source code are available for video preview and image capture and there are a variety of camera controls.

Further information

The STURDeCAM20_CUXVR kit is available for $699, including the STURDeCAM20, which is also available separately for $279 in volume. More information may be found in E-con Systems’ announcement and its STURDeCAM20_CUXVR and STURDeCAM20 product and shopping pages.