How do I use multiple ZED cameras on one computer?

Last updated: October 23, 2026

It is possible to connect multiple ZED cameras to a single host, such as a Windows or Linux PC, a server, or an NVIDIA® Jetson™ device. For sample code, see the multi-camera samples in the ZED SDK repository on GitHub.

StereoLabs cameras come in two connectivity families, and the hardware recommendations depend on the family you use:

Both families can be combined on the same host.

Hardware recommendations for USB cameras

  • Watch the USB bandwidth: a stereo camera in HD1080 at 30 FPS generates about 250 MB/s of image data, and the maximum USB 3 bandwidth is about 620 MB/s. The number of cameras, resolutions, and frame rates you can use on a single machine is therefore limited by the USB 3 controllers of the motherboard. When the bandwidth limit is exceeded, corrupted frames (green or purple frames, tearing) can appear, and cameras may even disconnect. See How can I check the USB 3.0 bandwidth?

  • Use PCIe expansion cards: to use multiple USB cameras at full speed on a single computer, distribute them across several USB controllers by adding multi-channel USB 3 PCIe expansion cards.

Hardware recommendations for GMSL2 cameras

GMSL2 cameras do not connect over USB: they use dedicated, low-latency serial links provided by the ZED Link capture card. This removes the USB controller bottleneck and makes GMSL2 the recommended option for dense multi-camera rigs.

  • Choose the right hardware: each GMSL2 link drives one camera. Choose the capture card according to the number of cameras to connect to a single Jetson™: ZED Link Mono for 1 camera, ZED Link Duo for up to 4 cameras, ZED Link Quad for up to 8 cameras. The ZED Box 2 and the ZED Box 2 Max (T4000 / T5000) provide 8 GMSL2 inputs out of the box.

  • Mind the power budget: connecting several GMSL2 cameras increases the current draw on the capture card, especially when powering accessories over the GMSL2 link. Check the GMSL2 Power Requirements before scaling up a rig.

  • Install the ZED X Driver: GMSL2 cameras require the ZED X Driver to be installed on the Jetson™ before they can be opened by the ZED SDK. See Install and Upgrade the Drivers.

GPU memory

The ZED SDK needs up to 750 MB of GPU memory per camera when retrieving depth in NEURAL LIGHT mode. To avoid running out of GPU memory with multiple cameras, we recommend an NVIDIA® GPU with at least 6 GB of memory. On NVIDIA® Jetson™ platforms, where memory is shared between CPU and GPU, make sure the device has enough total RAM for the number of cameras and the depth modes you plan to run.

Frame synchronization

  • GMSL2 (hardware triggering): cameras connected to the same ZED Link capture card are frame-synchronized by the hardware. On the ZED Link Quad, the cameras connected to the same GMSL2 connector are natively synchronized; to synchronize all 8 cameras, follow the procedure in the setup guides of the card. A capture card can also act as trigger master or slave, so multiple cards can share the same trigger. See the GPIO triggering guides of the ZED Link Mono, ZED Link Duo, and ZED Link Quad.

  • USB: USB cameras do not provide a hardware trigger. To align frames across USB cameras, use the image timestamps provided by the ZED SDK, or a local network setup with PTP synchronization.

How to list the connected cameras

The ZED SDK lists the connected cameras with getDeviceList(), which also provides their serial numbers. To open a specific camera, set its serial number with InitParameters.input.setFromSerialNumber().

For more details, see Setting Up Multiple 3D Cameras.