What is GMSL2?

Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) is an ADI-specific category name for a range of products that serialise, deserialise and buffer high-speed digital data streams for communications over short distances.

GMSL and GMSL2 (Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link) are ideal for industrial and embedded imaging applications as they are multi-purpose, low-power interfaces for transmitting high-speed, high-resolution video, power and bidirectional control data over coaxial cable or single twisted pair.

With GMSL, signal quality is guaranteed up to 15 metres, while MIPI/CSI cameras are only suitable for short distances (300mm) which can be restrictive for machine builders in embedded and industrial applications. Where space is at a premium especially in automotive applications, our partners use very thin coax making cable runs easier.

GMSL is viewed as the successor to analogue technology. Providing gigabit connectivity and a high bandwidth, suitable for transmitting digital HD video for vehicle applications. There is no transmission delay, as the video signal is not compressed before being transmitted, allowing the image to be displayed on the monitor in real-time without any time lag. As GMSL has a transmission range limit of 21 meters.

If the distance between the camera and monitor is greater than this, GMSL is not the best solution.

The speed of up to 2Gbps (GMSL) and 8Gbps (GMSL2) allows for faster data transfer and low latency, a must-have when it comes to certain applications of industrial AI such as autonomous vehicles, and robotics in manufacturing.