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#