It is possible to connect multiple ZED cameras on a single Windows or Linux computer. For sample code, check out the Multi-Camera sample on GitHub.
Hardware Recommendations
- Use PCIe expansion cards: The ZED in 1080p30 mode generates around 250MB/s of image data. USB 3.0 maximum bandwidth is around 620MB/s, so the number of cameras, resolutions and frame rates you can use on a single machine will be limited by the USB 3.0 controller on the motherboard. When bandwidth limit is exceeded, corrupted frames (green or purple frames, tearing) can appear.
To use multiple ZED at full speed on a single computer, we recommend adding USB 3.0 expansion cards such as Inateck 3.0 PCI-E Expansion Cards.
- Increase GPU memory: The ZED SDK needs up to 500MB of GPU memory when using a camera in 2K resolution with ULTRA depth mode. To make sure you don't run out of GPU memory when using the SDK with multiple cameras, we recommend using Geforce 900 series or above with 6GB of memory.
How to List Connected Cameras
The ZED SDK can list the connected cameras using getDeviceList(), and provide their serial number for identification. Once you know which ZED should be opened, you can request a specific serial number with InitParameters.input.setFromSerialNumber(1010).