GMSL (Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link) is a serial interface for video transmission. With high data rates and low latency, it is ideal for sensor fusion—though it comes with challenges.
High-speed data transmission is a critical component of modern sensor fusion applications. Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) plays a key role in this context. This video interface allows efficient transmission of high-resolution sensor data, enabling multi-stream applications. Another key advantage of GMSL is its reliability and robustness. Common applications include advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and camera monitoring systems (CMS/CCTV).
GMSL was originally developed by Maxim Integrated of California. That company no longer exists, having been acquired by Analog Devices in 2021. However, GMSL has continued its global success story in the automotive industry and is now valued in a wide range of sectors, including automated guided vehicles (AGVs), collaborative robots (cobots), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), agriculture and off-highway applications.
The success of GMSL technology is based on its superior characteristics in terms of data rate, latency, low power consumption, full-duplex communication and high data integrity.
GMSL3 supports data rates up to 12 Gbps and GMSL2 up to 6 Gbps, both with very low latency. This enables the transmission of high-resolution sensor data in real-time applications. As such, GMSL is often used in sensor fusion scenarios where data from multiple high-resolution cameras and other sensors such as radar or lidar need to be transmitted, consolidated and processed by the same processor in real time.
GMSL significantly reduces cabling complexity by carrying both power and video signals over the same coaxial cable (PoC) - meaning only a single cable is required. Sensors such as cameras connected via GMSL can be powered directly from this interface without the need for an additional power cable. With GMSL2 and GMSL3 in particular, it is possible to transmit not only video and power, but also control commands, synchronisation signals, haptic and touch data, software updates, status messages and more - all over a single connection. GMSL also supports the simultaneous transmission of sensor, power and control data using serial protocols such as SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) or I²C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) in both directions (duplex communication). By optimising the use of bandwidth, GMSL achieves extremely low latency and supports high resolution cameras due to its high data rates. This reduces costs, improves reliability and increases the overall life of the application, as cables and connectors are among the most common sources of failure.
