Robust Long-Distance Rear-View Camera System for Truck ECU

Rugged design. Real-time vision

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Project Overview

This project developed a heavy-duty vehicle ECU with a dependable rear-view camera system for our client in the commercial vehicle sector. A camera set at the trailer’s extreme back (15–20 meters distant) was linked to a truck cabin-based Electronic Control Unit (ECU). ECU running a bespoke Linux Board Support Package (BSP) on an automotive-grade SoC (e.g., NXP i.MX8QXP version) was needed to show low-latency rear camera live footage on the primary infotainment display.

Long-Distance Reliable Video Feed

Deliver a stable 1080p camera signal over 15–20 meters in a noisy automotive environment.

Ultra-Low Latency for Safe Reversing

Achieve glass-to-glass latency well under 100 ms for real-time driver visibility.

Automotive-Grade Integration & Power

Ensure rugged hardware, seamless Linux BSP/V4L2 support, and PoC-based power delivery.

Business Challenges

Legacy truck rear-view camera systems failed to handle long-distance footage, low-latency, and severe situations. The customer sought a dependable solution. Power supply and Linux BSP integration complicated things.

Signal Integrity over Long Distance

MIPI CSI-2 is meant for <30 cm runs, so sending it 15–20 m in a noisy truck environment risks severe signal integrity issues.

Low-Latency Video Requirement

Safety-critical reversing operations demanded sub-100 ms glass-to-glass latency.

Environmental Robustness

Equipment needed to endure vibration, temperature extremes, moisture, and dirt.

Power Delivery

Supplying power to the camera over long distances without voltage drop or noise.

Linux Integration

Camera system needed full V4L2/Media Controller integration within the custom Yocto-based BSP.

Silicon Signals’ Solution

Silicon Signals designed and delivered a GMSL-based SerDes link architecture to meet all performance and reliability requirements

Camera Module

OV2311 image sensor + GMSL serializer converts MIPI CSI-2 into high-speed serial video stream.

Cable

Automotive-grade coax/STP carries video, I²C control, GPIOs, and power over PoC in a single link.

ECU

NXP i.MX8QXP ECU with GMSL deserializer linked to CSI-2 receiver, featuring integrated PoC circuit.

V4L2 Driver

Custom Linux V4L2 sub-device driver handles GMSL link init, PoC management, and error reporting.

Sensor Driver

Standard V4L2 sensor driver routed via GMSL’s virtual I²C bridge ensures reliable image streaming.

Display Pipeline

Optimized GStreamer userspace display with kmssink enables ultra-low latency video performance.

Engineering Facts That Matter

Proven Engineering Outcomes That Delivered Our Client Low-Latency Video, Rugged Design, and Automotive Reliability.

System Reliability
0 %
Ultra-Low Latency Delivery
< 0 ms
Camera Link Integrity
0 m+

Build the Next Generation of Safe, Low-Latency Vehicle Systems.

Engineering You Can Count On

Tech Stack

Hardware

NXP i.MX8QXP SoC, OV2311 sensor, Maxim GMSL SerDes (e.g., MAX9296), automotive coax/STP.

Software

Linux Yocto BSP, V4L2, Media Controller, Device Tree bindings, GStreamer, DRM/KMS.

Drivers & Config

Custom Device Tree bindings, deserializer & sensor drivers, latency-optimized pipelines.

Tools

Oscilloscope, photodiode, signal generator, v4l2-ctl, debugfs, custom V4L2 test apps, truck simulator/real vehicle.

Proven Outcomes

We provided our client with low-latency, dependable video performance, simplified wiring architecture, cost savings, and full automotive compliance.

Stable Video

Stable 1080p video transmission acquired over 20 meters with zero signal loss or interference.

Simplified Cabling

Power-over-Coax streamlined cabling design, reducing wiring complexity and providing power.

Low Latency

Glass-to-glass latency is preserved below 80 ms, guaranteeing safe reversing and fast driver response.

Robust Design

Rugged automotive-grade design guaranteed reliability under heat, vibration, dust, and moisture.

Let’s build smarter, safer, automotive systems together

If you're ready to build a dependable, low-latency, long-distance automotive camera system, this case study shows what’s possible when engineering and innovation align.

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