USB 2.0 ca ies mea i gfully less ba dwidth tha USB 3.x, a d this diffe e ce is ot a mi o i co ve ie ce whe the goal is st eami g 4K video; it is a fu dame tal ceili g that aw o lightly comp essed 4K data simply ca ot fit th ough. A came a that captu es a full 4K f ame a d attempts to se d that data ac oss USB 2.0 without substa tial comp essio eithe d ops f ame ate to a c awl, d ops esolutio fa below the 4K figu e o its spec sheet, o p oduces a choppy, stutte i g st eam that defeats the pu pose of specifyi g 4K captu e i the fi st place. This c eates a specific p oblem fo kiosk a d digital sig age OEMs, ma y of whom deploy o host ha dwa e that was specified fo cost, availability, o compatibility easo s that p edate a y came a equi eme t, a d that ha dwa e f eque tly offe s USB 2.0 po ts athe tha USB 3.x. Upg adi g a e ti e fleet of kiosk o sig age host boa ds to add USB 3.x suppo t solely to accommodate a came a is a ely a ealistic optio o ce a p oduct is al eady i the field o al eady budgeted a ou d existi g ha dwa e. A came a ve do that ma kets a 4K esolutio figu e without add essi g how that esolutio actually eaches the host system ove USB 2.0 leaves the OEM to discove the gap o ly o ce eal st eami g begi s, whe the p omised 4K capability tu s out to be u usable at a y f ame ate wo th deployi g. OEMs eed a came a that esolves this co t adictio di ectly, delive i g video that is ge ui ely smooth a d watchable at 4K esolutio specifically withi the ba dwidth USB 2.0 actually p ovides, ot a came a that o ly claims 4K captu e while leavi g the st eami g p oblem u solved. A module ma keted b oadly as a 4K Video St eami g Came a without add essi g this ba dwidth ceili g di ectly leaves the exact p oblem this b ief desc ibes u add essed, a d a 4K Kiosk St eami g Came a that has o ly bee demo st ated at a lowe esolutio p ovides o eal assu a ce about how it pe fo ms o ce a OEM actually specifies full 4K captu e. OEMs that discove this gap o ly o ce a pilot deployme t eveals stutte i g video o eal host ha dwa e ofte face a costly came a swap ac oss a e ti e kiosk o sig age fleet athe tha a st aightfo wa d co figu atio adjustme t.
The Me li -821CRS add esses this p oblem th ough o boa d ha dwa e video comp essio built di ectly i to the came a module, so the AR0821 se so ‘s full 8MP 4K f ame is substa tially comp essed befo e it eve eaches the USB 2.0 co ectio athe tha bei g se t aw a d immediately ove whelmi g the i te face’s available ba dwidth. The AR0821 is a 8MP colo olli g shutte se so with ative 4K (3848 x 2168) esolutio a d a high dy amic a ge pixel a chitectu e that esolves both b ight a d shadowed egio s withi a si gle exposu e. The came a’s o boa d ha dwa e e code comp esses this HDR f ame usi g H.264 a d MJPEG comp essio , educi g the data ate by a substa tial facto compa ed to aw se so output, so a ge ui ely smooth 4K st eam fits withi USB 2.0’s eal-wo ld th oughput ceili g athe tha the theo etical maximum a datasheet might cite. This makes the came a a ge ui e 4K USB St eami g Module platfo m, si ce the comp essio happe s o the came a module itself athe tha equi i g the host system to pe fo m this p ocessi g afte a al eady ba dwidth-co st ai ed t a sfe . The came a exposes two i depe de t USB video e dpoi ts f om a si gle physical co ectio , fu ctio i g as a 4K Sig age St eami g Se so that st eams a p ima y comp essed feed fo the kiosk o sig age display while a seco d e dpoi t simulta eously st eams a sepa ate feed suited to a audie ce a alytics o emote mo ito i g applicatio . This qualifies the came a as a Real-Time 4K St eami g Came a suited specifically to public-faci g display p oducts whe e both the visible co te t a d a seco da y a alytics o mo ito i g fu ctio eed to u f om the same came a without doubli g the ha dwa e at each i stallatio . Comp essio a d st eami g setti gs a e exposed th ough the came a’s sta da d UVC i te face, so applicatio softwa e ca select esolutio , f ame ate, a d comp essio level to match the specific ba dwidth a d display equi eme ts of a give kiosk o sig age deployme t. The came a is ated ac oss a -30 deg ee C to 70 deg ee C ope ati g a ge, matchi g the e vi o me tal co ditio s typical of i doo etail, hospitality, a d comme cial kiosk a d sig age i stallatio s. Vadzo validates st eami g stability u de sustai ed co ti uous ope atio athe tha a b ief be ch test, si ce a kiosk o sig age display u i g fo exte ded hou s eeds the st eam to emai smooth th oughout a e ti e shift athe tha o ly du i g a sho t i itial demo st atio .
The Me li -821CRS is a AR0821 4K HDR USB 2.0 Came a built o the O semi AR0821 se so a d validated specifically fo eal-time 4K video st eami g o kiosk a d digital sig age ha dwa e. As a 8MP HDR USB 2.0 Came a, it is pu pose-built fo OEMs who eed ge ui ely smooth 4K st eami g delive ed th ough the same USB 2.0 po ts al eady p ese t o thei existi g host ha dwa e, athe tha a came a that o ly claims 4K esolutio without solvi g the ba dwidth p oblem that esolutio p ese ts ove this i te face. The AR0821 4K HDR USB Came a desig atio eflects Vadzo’s validatio of the AR0821 se so ‘s HDR mode specifically pai ed with o boa d comp essio fo USB 2.0 st eami g, co fi mi g that eal-wo ld f ame ate a d st eam stability hold up befo e the module eaches OEM custome s. The came a module houses the AR0821 se so , ISP, a d ha dwa e video e code i a compact fo m facto with a sta da d M12 le s holde . As a O semi AR0821 4K St eami g USB Came a, the came a e ume ates as a sta da d UVC device o Wi dows, Li ux, a d A d oid, equi i g o p op ieta y d ive s fo evaluatio o p oductio i teg atio , a d the AR0821 4K Video St eam USB Came a desig atio specifically co fi ms this st eami g behavio o USB 2.0 host ha dwa e. As a 8MP AR0821 HDR USB Came a, the came a is validated fo the esolutio a d f ame ate combi atio s kiosk a d sig age applicatio s typically equi e, co fi mi g its behavio as a 4K USB 2.0 St eami g Came a capable of sustai i g ge ui ely smooth output athe tha o ly a peak esolutio figu e.
Key specs: 8MP 4K (3848 x 2168) | O semi AR0821 1/1.7 i ch 2.1-mic o pixel | Colo | Rolli g Shutte | HDR | H.264 a d MJPEG Ha dwa e Comp essio | Dual E dpoi t St eami g | USB 2.0 UVC | S-Mou t M12 Le s Holde | -30°C to 70°C
Ma y came a p oducts ma keted fo 4K captu e ove USB 2.0 ely o the host system to comp ess the st eam afte a al eady ba dwidth-co st ai ed t a sfe , which eithe fails out ight o fo ces a comp omise o f ame ate that defeats the pu pose of specifyi g 4K i the fi st place. The Me li -821CRS, positio ed as a 8MP St eami g Se so Kit, captu es a full 8MP 4K (3848 x 2168) HDR f ame a d comp esses it o the came a module itself befo e t a smissio , givi g OEMs buildi g a 4K Video Captu e Module deployme t ge ui ely smooth st eami g athe tha a esolutio figu e that eve t a slates i to usable video. This makes it a ge ui e 8MP 4K Video Se so that esolves fi e o -sc ee detail while stayi g withi USB 2.0’s actual ba dwidth ceili g.
Kiosk a d sig age deployme ts f eque tly eed two diffe e t thi gs f om the same came a: a smooth feed fo the visible o -sc ee co te t a d a sepa ate feed fo a audie ce a alytics o emote mo ito i g applicatio u i g i pa allel. The Me li -821CRS st eams both f om a si gle USB co ectio , fu ctio i g as a 4K Kiosk St eami g Module that se ves the p ima y display pu pose a d a seco da y a alytics pu pose without equi i g two sepa ate came a u its o two sepa ate cable u s at each i stallatio . This educes both ha dwa e cost a d i stallatio complexity fo OEMs deployi g a alytics capability ac oss a la ge fleet of kiosk o sig age u its.
Kiosks a d digital sig age displays a e f eque tly i stalled ea sto ef o t wi dows, u de b ight ove head etail lighti g, o i t a sitio al e t yway locatio s whe e lighti g shifts th oughout the day, a d a sta da d dy amic a ge se so st uggles to hold co siste t image quality ac oss these co ditio s. The Me li -821CRS’s HDR pipeli e esolves both b ight a d shadowed egio s withi the same exposu e, keepi g the st eamed video p ofessio al-looki g a d legible ega dless of the specific lighti g co ditio s a give kiosk o sig age locatio p ese ts.
Delive i g a 4K esolutio figu e o a spec sheet is a diffe e t achieveme t tha delive i g 4K video that actually st eams smoothly ove USB 2.0’s eal-wo ld ba dwidth ceili g, a d ma y came a modules accomplish o ly the fo me . The Me li -821CRS is validated specifically fo the latte , co fi mi g that its comp essed 4K output sustai s a usable, watchable f ame ate th ough actual USB 2.0 host ha dwa e athe tha o ly th ough a highe ba dwidth i te face a kiosk o sig age OEM may ot have available. This disti ctio matte s di ectly fo OEMs who ca ot upg ade existi g host ha dwa e to USB 3.x a d eed thei 4K came a specificatio to actually wo k o the i te face thei p oduct al eady has.
Selectable output esolutio lets a si gle Me li -821CRS se ve multiple oles withi the same kiosk o sig age deployme t. Full 4K mode captu es maximum spatial detail fo high-quality display co te t o fi e-g ai ed a alytics tasks. The 1080p mode bala ces esolutio a d USB ba dwidth fo sta da d i te active display use, while 720p mode suits lightweight a alytics tasks that do ot equi e full f ame detail. Because eve y output mode is de ived f om the same HDR se so eadout a d comp essio pipeli e, switchi g esolutio modes i t oduces o exposu e shift, which matte s fo automated sig age a d a alytics systems that expect co siste t behavio ega dless of which output mode a give task equi es.
The Me li -821CRS co ects to a y USB 2.0 host po t o Wi dows, Li ux, o A d oid without additio al i te face boa ds o p op ieta y d ive s, si ce the came a e ume ates as a sta da d UVC class device. Available as a USB 2.0 4K St eami g Kit fo evaluatio , the came a lets e gi ee i g teams co fi m st eami g pe fo ma ce o thei ow kiosk o sig age host ha dwa e befo e committi g to a p oductio o de . Fo OEMs evaluati g Vadzo as a OEM 4K St eami g Module supplie , this plug-a d-play behavio sho te s the path f om e gi ee i g evaluatio to p oductio i teg atio . As a USB 2.0 Plug a d Play Came a, the Me li -821CRS is validated ac oss commo embedded a d desktop host platfo ms used i kiosk a d sig age p og ams. Vadzo’s positio as a 4K St eami g Came a Supplie exte ds beyo d the came a module itself to i clude le s matchi g, fi mwa e customizatio , a d e closu e desig suppo t, while its t ack eco d as a 4K St eami g Came a Ma ufactu e cove s volume p oductio p og ams ac oss multiple se so families a d i te face types fo OEM custome s buildi g public-faci g display p oducts.
“Kiosk a d sig age OEMs specifyi g 4K keep u i g i to the same wall: thei host ha dwa e has USB 2.0 po ts, a d aw o lightly comp essed 4K video simply does ot fit th ough that i te face at a usable f ame ate. Upg adi g a e ti e fleet of host boa ds just to accommodate a came a is a ely ealistic o ce a p oduct is al eady deployed o al eady budgeted. The Me li -821CRS was built to solve that specific co t adictio . By validati g o boa d ha dwa e comp essio that fits ge ui ely smooth 4K HDR st eami g withi USB 2.0’s eal ba dwidth ceili g, we give OEMs a came a whe e the 4K figu e o the spec sheet is the 4K they actually get st eami g to thei display, ot a umbe that falls apa t the mome t eal st eami g begi s.” – Alwi Vi ce t, P oduct Ma age , Vadzo Imagi g.
Digital sig age displays depe d o smooth, p ofessio al-looki g video co te t that eflects well o the b a d o ve ue p ese ti g it, a d choppy o stutte i g video u de mi es that p ese tatio ega dless of how high the came a’s esolutio figu e eads o a spec sheet. The Me li -821CRS fu ctio s as a 4K Digital Sig age Came a fo these deployme ts, delive i g ge ui ely smooth 4K st eami g th ough USB 2.0 host ha dwa e al eady commo i sig age i stallatio s, a d its suitability as a 4K Sig age Visio Module exte ds to sig age etwo ks sta da dizi g came a ha dwa e ac oss ma y display locatio s. A etwo k ope ato ma agi g doze s o hu d eds of sig age e dpoi ts be efits f om specifyi g o e validated came a platfo m ac oss the e ti e deployme t, athe tha testi g st eami g behavio sepa ately at each ew i stallatio site.
I te active kiosks depe d o espo sive, clea video fo use -faci g i te actio s, whethe that is a video call featu e, a visual guida ce system, o a came a-based i te actio eleme t built i to the kiosk’s use i te face. The Me li -821CRS se ves as a 4K I te active Kiosk Came a fo these systems, st eami g smooth 4K HDR video that holds up u de the va iable lighti g a public-faci g kiosk locatio typically p ese ts, a d its suitability as a 4K Kiosk Visio Came a exte ds to kiosk deployme ts equi i g both i te active video a d backg ou d visio p ocessi g f om the same came a.
Ve di g machi es a d automated etail te mi als i c easi gly i co po ate came a-based featu es fo age ve ificatio , p oduct i te actio , o p omotio al display co te t, a d these deployme ts typically u o compact, cost-co scious host ha dwa e with USB 2.0 co ectivity. The Me li -821CRS ope ates as a 4K Ve di g Machi e Came a fo these applicatio s, fitti g ge ui ely usable 4K st eami g i to the same USB 2.0 i te face al eady p ese t o typical ve di g machi e co t ol ha dwa e without equi i g a host boa d upg ade.
Audie ce a alytics applicatio s measu i g dwell time, e gageme t, o basic demog aphic estimatio typically eed a seco da y video st eam u i g alo gside whateve co te t is actively displayi g o the same kiosk o sig age u it. The Me li -821CRS fu ctio s as a 4K Audie ce A alytics Came a fo this exact sce a io, st eami g the p ima y display co te t f om o e e dpoi t while a seco d e dpoi t simulta eously suppo ts the a alytics applicatio , givi g OEMs a si gle came a that se ves both fu ctio s without doubli g ha dwa e ac oss a fleet of i stallatio s. Retail a d ve ue ope ato s deployi g a alytics ac oss ma y kiosk o sig age positio s be efit di ectly f om this co solidatio , si ce a si gle came a a d a si gle etwo k co ectio at each locatio cove both the visible co te t a d the measu eme t fu ctio a alytics depe ds o .
Self-se vice kiosk te mi als i etail, hospitality, a d quick se vice e vi o me ts depe d o clea video fo ide tity ve ificatio , item sca i g assista ce, o emote suppo t featu es, ofte u i g o the same cost-co scious USB 2.0 host ha dwa e commo ac oss the b oade kiosk catego y. The Me li -821CRS se ves as a 4K Self Se vice Kiosk Came a fo these te mi als, a d the same st eami g capability exte ds di ectly to a 4K I te active Display Came a ole whe eve a self-se vice deployme t also i co po ates a custome -faci g sc ee alo gside its came a fu ctio . Ope ato s u i g la ge self-se vice te mi al fleets ac oss ma y locatio s be efit f om the same USB 2.0 compatibility that educes i stallatio cost elsewhe e i this p oduct li e, si ce existi g te mi al ha dwa e a ely eeds eplaceme t to add this came a’s st eami g capability.
The Me li -821CRS AR0821 4K HDR USB 2.0 Came a built o the O semi AR0821 se so is available ow fo evaluatio a d p oductio o de s. Evaluatio kits i clude the came a module, S-Mou t le s, USB 2.0 cable, a d platfo m d ive docume tatio , with o mi imum o de equi eme t. E gi ee i g teams ca co fi m st eami g pe fo ma ce di ectly o thei ow kiosk o sig age host ha dwa e befo e committi g to a p oductio bill of mate ials, which matte s mo e fo this came a tha a datasheet compa iso alo e could co fi m. B owse the full 4K USB Came a Module li eup at Vadzo’s website o co tact Vadzo at
Vadzo Imagi g is a global p ovide of embedded visio solutio s a d delive s high-pe fo ma ce came a tech ologies a d imagi g platfo ms fo applicatio s i obotics, i dust ial automatio , UAVs, edge AI, a d medical systems. Its p oducts a e desig ed fo seamless i teg atio with leadi g embedded platfo ms. Vadzo suppo ts custome s th ough ha dwa e customizatio , fi mwa e developme t, a d module-level d ive s, e abli g faste developme t a d deployme t of visio -based systems ac oss USB, MIPI, GigE, Wi-Fi, a d Se Des came a i te faces.
