> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.nvidia.com/holoscan/sensor-bridge-e2e-latency-tool/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.nvidia.com/holoscan/sensor-bridge-e2e-latency-tool/_mcp/server.

# Overview

**Version 1.0** | **April 2026**

The Holoscan Sensor Bridge (HSB) Native Latency Measurement Tool provides precision timing analysis for real-time computer vision pipelines built with the Holoscan SDK. This FPGA-based solution eliminates input-side measurement jitter by synchronizing directly to camera frame events, delivering sub-millisecond accuracy for camera-to-display latency analysis from camera sensor to display output.

## The Challenge

As technology advances, real-time AI systems demand ultra-low latency with predictable timing behavior. Traditional measurement approaches suffer from:

* **Software-only measurement limitations**: Cannot capture true sensor-to-display latency, only measures software pipeline boundaries
* **External controller limitations**: Arduino-based systems cannot synchronize with camera frame events, lacking precise timing control
* **Manual synchronization errors**: Human-induced measurement inconsistencies
* **Camera compatibility constraints**: Not all measurement setups work with both global shutter and rolling shutter cameras

## What Makes It Different

The HSB Native tool leverages the HSB FPGA for hardware-timed precision:

* **Hardware-synchronized timing** eliminating software jitter through direct FPGA event detection
* **Direct camera event coupling** using camera frame start/end signals for precise frame timing
* **Sub-millisecond precision** with \~10us resolution
* **Real-time analysis** without impacting system performance through dedicated timing hardware
* **GPIO-controlled LED triggers** synchronized to camera frame events at the hardware level

## Measured Performance (HSB Native)

Based on extensive testing with 1000+ samples using IMX274 at 1920x1080 @ 60fps (Holoscan pipeline, CPU scheduler):

| Metric                           | HSB Native |
| -------------------------------- | ---------- |
| **Average Latency (ms)**         | 16.20      |
| **Min Latency (ms)**             | 14.00      |
| **Max Latency (ms)**             | 18.80      |
| **Std Dev (ms)**                 | 1.20       |
| **Coefficient of Variation (%)** | 7.40       |
| **Max Jitter (ms)**              | 4.80       |

## Target Audience And Applications

This tool is designed for developers building real-time applications using camera sensors with the HSB. Whether you're developing autonomous vehicle perception systems, industrial automation solutions, medical imaging applications, or any real-time computer vision pipeline, the HSB Native Latency Measurement Tool provides the precision timing analysis needed to validate and optimize your system's performance.

## Key Results

### Measurement Precision

* **Sub-millisecond accuracy**: \~10us resolution
* **Hardware-synchronized timing**: Direct FPGA event detection eliminates software scheduling jitter
* **Frame-accurate triggering**: LED activation synchronized to exact camera frame start/end events

### Measured Performance (HSB Native)

* **Rolling Shutter (IMX274)**: Avg 16.20 ms, Std Dev 1.20 ms, Max Jitter 4.80 ms
* **Global Shutter (VB1940)**: Avg 42.72 ms, Std Dev 0.87 ms, Max Jitter 6.80 ms
* **Universal compatibility**: Works with all HSB-supported camera sensors

### Technical Innovation

* **Input-side jitter elimination**: Addresses the primary source of measurement uncertainty
* **Shutter-type adaptability**: Optimized configurations for both rolling and global shutter cameras
* **Hardware event sequencing**: Precise GPIO control with nanosecond-level timing

## Production-Ready Capabilities

### System Integration

* **Holoscan SDK compatibility**: Seamless integration with existing AI/ML pipelines
* **Multiple platform support**: NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin and IGX Orin validated

## Technical Boundaries and Limitations

### System Constraints

* **Camera compatibility**: Limited to HSB-supported sensors (VB1940, IMX274 validated)
* **Physical setup requirements**: LED positioning critical for rolling shutter cameras (lower right)
* **Hardware timing limits**: 19.2ns GPIO event detection, 100us photodetector response

## Support and Resources

* **HSB User Guide**: [https://docs.nvidia.com/holoscan/sensor-bridge/latest/index.html](https://docs.nvidia.com/holoscan/sensor-bridge/latest/index.html)
* **HSB GitHub Repository**: [https://github.com/nvidia-holoscan/holoscan-sensor-bridge](https://github.com/nvidia-holoscan/holoscan-sensor-bridge)
* **Holoscan SDK Documentation**: [https://docs.nvidia.com/holoscan/sdk/latest/](https://docs.nvidia.com/holoscan/sdk/latest/)