Why does the ZED SDK report "Unknown" model and incorrect serial number for my ZED X camera?

Last updated: October 21, 2026

Context

In some cases, a ZED X camera that was previously working correctly may suddenly be reported by the ZED SDK as Model: "Unknown" with an incorrect serial number (for example, S/N: 166). This can happen even when the GMSL link, image sensors, and V4L2 video nodes all appear to be functioning normally. The camera may be detected as AVAILABLE, but the ZED SDK cannot open it, and launching the ZED ROS 2 Wrapper results in errors such as:

Cannot find a valid camera.
Camera Open Internal Error: 3
CAMERA FAILED TO SETUP

This issue is typically caused by corrupted or incorrectly read EEPROM/device identity information on the camera, and has been observed after reflashing the Jetson to a different JetPack/L4T version.

Answer

This behavior indicates that the camera's EEPROM identity information (which stores the serial number and model) is either corrupted or being misread. The first byte of the zed_eeprom_data reported via V4L2 corresponds to the incorrect serial number being shown (e.g., 0xA6 = decimal 166).

To resolve this issue, Stereolabs can provide a serial number restore script specific to your camera. Follow these steps:

  1. Contact Stereolabs Support at support@stereolabs.com with your camera's physical serial number (found on the label on the camera body) and a description of the issue.

  2. Stereolabs will provide a restore script tailored to your camera's serial number.

  3. Make sure only one camera is connected to the Jetson before running the script.

  4. Run the script on your Jetson as follows (replacing the filename and serial number with those provided by support):

    chmod +x restore_eeprom_<serial_number>.sh
./restore_eeprom_support.sh <serial_number>

  5. The script will rewrite the serial number correctly into the camera's EEPROM memory. After completion, reconnect the camera and verify that the ZED SDK now reports the correct model and serial number.

If the EEPROM cannot be restored remotely through this procedure, the camera may need to be returned for repair or replacement via the Stereolabs Return Portal (RMA).