E-Con has launched a Linux-driven “e-CAM130_CUXVR” robotics vision kit with up to 4x 13MP, MIPI CSI-2 cameras with synchronized 4K support, designed to work Nvidia’s Jetson AGX Xavier kit.



E-Con Systems’ e-CAM130_CUXVR is its first camera kit based on Nvidia’s latest, Linux-powered Jetson AGX Xavier module. The kit includes a V4L2 Linux driver, Gstreamer 1.0, and sample code, and is designed primarily for “end-to-end AI robotics applications.”







e-CAM130_CUXVR kit (left) and with Nvidia Jetson Xavier Developer Kit and acrylic camera mounts (not included)

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Other E-Con camera modules designed to work with Nvidia’s earlier Jetson TX2 module include (in chronological order), the 6-board, 3.4-megapixel, HD e-CAM30_HEXCUTX2 , the 752 x 480-pixel TaraXL stereo vision camera, the four-board 3.4MP, HD NileCAM3 , and the three-board, 13MP, 4K e-CAM120_TRICUTX2 . The e-CAM130_CUXVR is much like the most recent e-CAM120_TRICUTX2 except that the Xavier has enough power to drive a fourth 13MP camera. The kit can stream uncompressed video 4K @ 30fps with up to 4x simultaneous synchronized 4K @ 30fps UYVY2 streams.

Like the e-CAM120_TRICUTX2, the new kit features E-Con’s e-CAM137_CUMI1335_MOD camera boards, each with an ISP and a 1/3.2″ AR1335 color CMOS image sensor from ON Semiconductor. Other features include 4700 e/lux-sec responsivity, 37 dB SNR, 69 dB dynamic range, and support for async transfers.

Each camera board has a 4-lane MIPI CSI-2 interface that connects to a mainboard. The customer supplies the connected, Arm-driven Jetson AGX Xavier development kit. Unlike E-con’s three-cam kit, the e-CAM130_CUXVR lets you choose between one to four camera boards, with prices ranging from $349 to $679.







e-CAM130_CUXVR with Xavier Developer Kit

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e-CAM130_CUXVR mainboard (left) and maximum transfer rates

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Unlike the Mini-ITX board found on the 3-cam kit, the e-CAM130_CUXVR has a much smaller 75 x 40.7mm mainboard for easier prototyping on a robot. Each camera connects to the mainboard via a customized, 30cm long micro-coaxial cable. The kit includes S-Mount holders and an electronic rolling shutter. The mainboard has a PWM generator circuit and external trigger option to trigger all four cameras synchronously.Nvidia’s 105 x 87 x 16mm Jetson AGX Xavier module has greater than 10x the energy efficiency and more than 20x the performance of the Jetson TX2, claims Nvidia. The module is equipped with 8x ARMv8.2 cores and a high-end, 512-core Nvidia Volta GPU with 64 tensor cores with 2x Nvidia Deep Learning Accelerator (DLA) — also called NVDLA — engines.

The Xavier module is also equipped with a 7-way VLIW vision chip, as well as 16GB 256-bit LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB eMMC 5.1. The $1,300 Xavier Development Kit incorporates up to 4x Xavier modules, although you only need one on the e-CAM130_CUXVR to drive all four cameras.

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e-CAM130_CUXVR demo showing camera controls



Further information

The e-CAM130_CUXVR is available at an $80 discount through Feb. 7 except for the single-board version. Current prices for 1-4 boards are $349, $379, $549, and $679, respectively. More information may be found on E-Con’s e-CAM130_CUXVR product page.

