Integrating Sony FCB-EV9500L/FCB-EV9520L with NVIDIA ORIN NX
Custom LVDS to MIPI CSI-2 Bridge Hardware & V4L2 Driver Development.
Introduction
High-performance Edge AI applications rely on real-time, high-resolution video capture. However, one of the biggest challenges is integrating industrial camera blocks with embedded AI computing modules, especially when the input and output video standards differ.
At OPPILA, we successfully integrated the Sony FCB-EV9500L (Full HD, 60 FPS) and Sony FCB-EV9520L camera blocks with the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX. These camera modules output LVDS-based Digital Y/Pb/Pr 4:2:2 video, while the Orin NX supports only CSI-2 MIPI inputs.
To bridge this gap, our engineering team developed:
- A custom LVDS to MIPI CSI-2 Bridge Board,
- A fully optimized V4L2 camera driver,
- A complete testing pipeline for performance validation,
- And a future-ready compact dual-camera carrier board design.
This solution enables real-time, low-latency Full HD streaming on Orin NX for AI inference and imaging applications.
Problem Statement
Sony camera blocks such as:
- FCB-EV9500L
- FCB-EV9520L
output video in:
-
Digital Y/Pb/Pr 4:2:2 format over LVDS while the Jetson Orin NX natively accepts:
-
CSI-2 (MIPI) camera input only This mismatch introduced three major challenges:
- Converting LVDS → MIPI CSI-2 without compromising video quality.
- Designing custom hardware that supports high-speed 1080p60 transmission.
- Developing a V4L2 driver that integrates seamlessly with the NVIDIA multimedia pipeline.
To solve these, we built an optimized LVDS to MIPI CSI-2 conversion platform tailored for Orin NX.
-
Hardware Innovation: Custom LVDS to MIPI CSI-2 Bridge Board
Our custom adapter board enables direct connectivity between Sony camera blocks and the Orin NX development platform via a 30-pin micro-coaxial cable.
Block Diagram
Connection Diagram
Key Features of the Adapter Board
✔ LVDS → 4-lane MIPI CSI-2 conversion
- Supports Full HD streaming from Sony camera blocks.
✔ Full HD 60 FPS support
- Real-time performance with zero frame drops.
✔ End-to-end latency < 50 ms
- Optimized for AI processing and real-time analytics.
✔ Compact & ruggedized
- Designed for embedded field deployments.
✔ Electrical isolation & signal integrity optimization
- Enhanced reliability under long-run operation.
This hardware ensures high-fidelity, low-latency video suitable for AI inference workloads.
Software Development: V4L2 Camera Driver for Orin NX
To complement the hardware, we developed a fully custom V4L2 (Video4Linux2) camera driver for the Sony EV9500L/EV9520L camera blocks.
Driver Development Highlights
- Proper LVDS to MIPI CSI-2 pipeline initialization
- Resolution negotiation (1920×1080 @ 60 FPS)
- DMA buffer handling for high-speed 60 FPS streaming
- Seamless integration with NVIDIA’s JetPack media stack
- Optimized for low latency and zero frame loss
Both the hardware and driver create a fully integrated imaging pipeline, making the camera behave like a native MIPI CSI-2 sensor on Orin NX.
Video Demo :
🎥 https://youtu.be/b57pXNZQZ3U
Performance Summary
| Metric | Results |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 (Full HD) |
| Frame Rate | Stable 60 FPS |
| End-to-End Latency | < 50 ms (excluding display) |
| Reliability | 24+ hrs continuous, no frame drops |
| Thermal Performance | Stable under full load |
This makes the setup ideal for:
- AI inferencing
- Robotics vision
- Surveillance
- Industrial inspection
- Embedded imaging systems
Future Development: Compact Carrier Board for Dual-Camera Input
Building upon the success of this integration, OPPILA is developing a compact carrier board that supports two cameras simultaneously on Orin NX.
Camera Inputs Supported
-
First Camera (LVDS)
- Sony FCB-EV9500L or EV9520L
- LVDS → MIPI handled on-board
-
Second Camera (HDMI)
- Sony FCB-ER8530 (4K 30 FPS HDMI camera block)
- On-board HDMI → MIPI conversion
The board uses the two dedicated 4-lane CSI-2 interfaces of the Orin NX for parallel real-time imaging, enabling applications such as:
- Multi-camera perception
- 3D stereo imaging
- Sensor fusion
- AI co-processing
Additional Adapter Boards Developed by OPPILA
To support a wide range of camera inputs, we have developed multiple conversion solutions:
| Conversion Type | Application |
|---|---|
| LVDS → 4-lane MIPI | Sony EV9500L / EV9520L |
| HDMI → 4-lane MIPI | Sony ER8530 (4K HDMI camera) |
| PAL/Analog → 2-lane MIPI | Legacy analog cameras |
| MIPI → MIPI Adapter | Direct FCB-EV9500M integration |
Every adapter board is supported by a dedicated V4L2 driver, ensuring plug-and-play use with the Orin NX platform.
Conclusion
OPPILA successfully delivered a high-performance edge imaging pipeline by integrating:
- Sony FCB-EV9500L / FCB-EV9520L camera blocks
- Custom LVDS to MIPI CSI-2 Bridge Board
- Custom V4L2 camera driver
- NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX
- 24/7 stability testing and validation
This platform offers:
- Real-time Full HD 60 FPS streaming
- Low latency
- High reliability
- Future scalability for multi-camera use
This integration is ideal for advanced AI vision systems, enabling next-generation applications in defense, surveillance, robotics, medical imaging, and industrial autonomy.
FAQs
No. It outputs LVDS, while Orin NX supports MIPI CSI-2. A custom LVDS to MIPI CSI-2 Bridge Board is required.
Yes, the solution supports 1920×1080 @ 60 FPS with stable performance.
Digital Y/Pb/Pr 4:2:2 (LVDS) uncompressed video.
Yes. The adapter and driver support both EV9500L and EV9520L models.
No. The custom board includes signal integrity optimization and electrical isolation.
End-to-end latency is < 50 ms, suitable for real-time AI vision.
Yes. To achieve 60 FPS, buffer control, and format mapping, custom V4L2 drivers were developed.
Yes — tested for 24+ hours with zero frame drops.
The development uses JetPack 5.1.2 (L4T 35.4.1).
Yes. Once V4L2 is active, the camera can be used with DeepStream, TensorRT, or Jetson-Inference.
Yes. The Orin NX handles 1080p60 video easily for AI workloads.
A 30-pin micro-coaxial cable is used for LVDS connection.
Yes, it is rugged, compact, and thermally optimized.
Yes. OPPILA offers PAL-to-MIPI, HDMI-to-MIPI, and MIPI-to-MIPI adapters.
Not for EV9500L or EV9520L, but 4K is supported for Sony FCB-ER8530 via HDMI-to-MIPI.
Yes. A new dual-camera carrier board is under development.
Absolutely. Designed for AI perception, tracking, and analytics.
Defense, robotics, surveillance, industrial automation, medical imaging.
Yes. The V4L2 driver exposes the camera as /dev/videoX, enabling plug-and-play use.
It combines custom hardware, custom drivers, signal integrity, and real-time performance, making it ideal for production-grade Edge AI systems.