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Home > Products > Uncategorized > Allied Vision Alecs Open Smart Camera Series with NVIDIA® Jetson ORIN™ system-on-modules
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Allied Vision Alecs Open Smart Camera Series with NVIDIA® Jetson ORIN™ system-on-modules

Key Features:

  • All‑in‑one smart cameras integrating Sony image sensors, NVIDIA® Jetson ORIN™ SoM, storage, and I/O
    • Orin Nano 8GB
      • NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 8GB SoM (6‑core A78AE CPU, 1024‑core Ampere GPU, up to 40 Sparse INT8 TOPS).
    • Orin NX 16GB
      • NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX 16GB SoM (8‑core A78AE CPU, 1024‑core Ampere GPU, up to 100 Sparse INT8 TOPS
  • An open platform design, allowing for seamless integration with third-party software
  • Low-latency CSI‑2 image pipeline for fast, low-latency acquisition.
  • Efficient thermal design:
    • Supports the 25W NVIDIA® Power Mode
    • Prevents power throttling
    • Enables the widest operating temperature range in its class: -20°C to 65°C
  • Rugged IP67 housing with industrial M12 interfaces for harsh environments
  • Optional, external illumination control via I/O interface

 

 Application Examples:

  • Industrial, Robotics, and Automation
    • High‑throughput electronics and semiconductor inspection with deep defect classification.
    • Robotic bin‑picking, depalletizing, and grasp‑planning using deep 3D perception.
    • Synchronized multi‑camera inspection for fast‑moving parts on assembly lines.
    • Advanced surface inspection of metals, plastics, and composite materials.
    • Autonomous robots performing real‑time navigation, SLAM, obstacle detection, and scene understanding.
  • Life Sciences and Microscopy
    • High‑resolution automated microscopy systems requiring on‑device inference for segmentation or phenotype classification.
    • Digital pathology workflows where slides are scanned and analyzed with onboard AI models.
    • Real‑time cellular morphology analysis, including organoid tracking, motion quantification, or neurite outgrowth measurement.
    • Live‑cell imaging systems where rapid processing is required to trigger events or adaptive illumination.
    • High‑content screening systems using compact AI‑enabled imaging modules instead of GPU workstations.

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The Alecs Open Smart Camera Series combines Allied Vision’s advanced Alvium CSI‑2 image sensor core with the NVIDIA® Jetson ORIN™ System on Module (SoM) platform to provide a fully integrated, all‑in‑one machine vision platform.

Each camera model in this series unifies high-performance image acquisition, AI computation, storage, lighting control, and industrial I/O connectivity. Depending on the requirements of their applications, users may choose between two SoMs to meet different performance requirements, all within a robust IP67-rated housing. This integration eliminates the need for external computers, simplifies system architecture, and reduces total cost of ownership. The system provides sufficient computational power to efficiently develop and deploy advanced software and edge-computing AI applications.

Unlike conventional ‘closed’ smart cameras that come with pre-installed software for specific applications, Alecs offers a powerful hardware platform and a comprehensive software support package, incorporating both Allied and NVIDIA® tools. Users are empowered to develop and deploy software to leverage Alecs into an application-specific smart camera.

NVIDIA® Jetson ORIN™ SoM Integration

Alecs NX16 series: Jetson ORIN™ NX16 platform

  • 16 GByte RAM
  • Power modes up to 25 W
  • Deep Learning Accelerator (DLA) with dedicated cores offloading the hosts’ CPU and GPU
  • Programmable Vision Accelerator (PVA) with dedicated cores to extend the Alvium BSP feature set by NVIDIA vision libraries
  • Ideal for advanced AI models and compute-intensive edge detection

Alecs NA8 series: Jetson ORIN™ Nano 8 platform

  • 8 GByte RAM
  • Power modes up to 25 W
  • Without DLA and PVA, so all AI processing uses CPU and GPU
  • Designed for moderate AI applications and externally pre-trained models

Both variants feature 128 GB NVMe storage, providing sufficient space for AI models, datasets, and application software.

Platform Comparison

Feature Orin Nano 8GB Orin NX 16GB
CPU 6‑core Arm Cortex‑A78AE 8‑core Arm Cortex‑A78AE
GPU 1024‑core Ampere (40 Sparse INT8 TOPS) 1024‑core Ampere (100 Sparse INT8 TOPS)
Accelerators None (CPU+GPU only) DLA + PVA accelerators for vision and inference
Memory 8 GB LPDDR5 16 GB LPDDR5
AI Throughput Moderate inference workloads High-performance multi-model pipelines
Recommended Applications Compact automation, OEM devices Robotics, SLAM, advanced inspection, 3D vision

Alvium Camera Core

At the heart of Alecs lies the Alvium camera technology, offering a proven and flexible imaging platform:

  • Available resolutions
    • 5 MP (Sony IMX548)
    • 12 MP (Sony IMX545)
  • Both offered in color and monochrome versions
  • Full Alvium feature set for versatile image acquisition
  • GenICam interface for CSI-2 access
  • Video4Linux2 (V4L2) interface for native Linux compatibility

Industrial-Grade Design

Engineered for reliable operation in demanding industrial environments:

  • Rugged IP67 housing for protection against dust and water
  • Optimized thermal design with minimal internal–external temperature delta
  • Long-term availability of the NVIDIA® SoM platform ensures product stability and investment protection

Software and Connectivity

Alecs provides a flexible software environment to support development and deployment:

  • Board Support Package (BSP) based on the Allied Vimba X & NVIDIA® Jetpack V6.2 tools
  • Includes recovery mode to ensure a defined and stable software state at all times
  • Comes with a 30-day trial version of the Open eVision libraries from Euresys pre-installed, allowing users to immediately explore AI and image processing functions.
  • External lighting interface for connecting optional accessories, such as ring lights (available soon)
  • Two integrated LED strips on the camera body, freely programmable for status indication or visual feedback

Beyond on-board computation and optics, the Alecs platform employs a modular, integration‑centric design philosophy. Each camera incorporates M12 industrial connectors, Gigabit Ethernet, NVMe storage support, GPIOs for triggers and synchronization, and a dedicated lighting output compatible with Allied Vision RMX series ring lights. The result is a compact, cost‑effective intelligent camera well‑suited for embedded OEM designs, robotics, logistics automation, and space‑constrained inspection tools.

Alecs Series G1-510 NA8 G1-1242 NA8 G1-510 NX16 G1-1242 NX16
Key Features 5MP image sensor + NVIDIA® Jetson ORIN™ Nano 8 12MP image sensor + NVIDIA® Jetson ORIN™ Nano 8 5MP image sensor + NVIDIA® Jetson ORIN™ NX16 12MP image sensor + NVIDIA® Jetson ORIN™ NX16
System on Module (SoM) Characteristics
SoM NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 8GB NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX16
SoM CPU 6-core Arm Cortex-A78AE 8-core Arm Cortex-A78AE
SoM GPU 1024-core NVIDIA Ampere GPU with 32 Tensor Cores 1024-core NVIDIA Ampere GPU with 32 Tensor Cores
SoM AI performance (Sparse INT8 TOPS) up to 40 TOPS up to 100 TOPS
SoM Memory 8 GB LPDDR5 16 GB LPDDR5
SoM Memory bandwidth approx. 68 GB/s up to 102.4 GB/s
SoM Storage support NVMe SSD on Alecs carrier NVMe SSD on Alecs carrier
SoM Typical power range approx. 7–15 W approx. 10–25 W
Extended memory (non-volatile) 128 GByte NVMe SSD 128 GByte NVMe SSD
Imaging Subsystem
Sensor Sony IMX548 Sony IMX545 Sony IMX548 Sony IMX545
Resolution 2464 (H) × 2064 (V) 4128 (H) × 3008 (V) 2464 (H) × 2064 (V) 4128 (H) × 3008 (V)
Sensor size Type 1/1.8 Type 1/1.1 Type 1/1.8 Type 1/1.1
Pixel size 2.74 µm × 2.74 µm 2.74 µm × 2.74 µm 2.74 µm × 2.74 µm 2.74 µm × 2.74 µm
Shutter mode GS (Global shutter) GS (Global shutter) GS (Global shutter) GS (Global shutter)
Spectral range 300 to 1100 nm 300 to 1100 nm 300 to 1100 nm 300 to 1100 nm
Lens mount (default) C-Mount C-Mount C-Mount C-Mount
Performance & Throughput
Max frame rate (full resolution) 81 fps (internal speed) 40 fps (internal speed) 81 fps (internal speed) 40 fps (internal speed)
Image buffer (RAM) 256 KByte 256 KByte 256 KByte 256 KByte
ADC 12 Bit 12 Bit 12 Bit 12 Bit
Bit depth 12-bit 12-bit 12-bit 12-bit
Imaging Performance (EMVA 1288)
Quantum efficiency at 529 nm 68 % 68 % 68 % 68 %
Temporal dark noise 2.3 e⁻ 2.3 e⁻ 2.3 e⁻ 2.3 e⁻
Saturation capacity 9400 e⁻ 9400 e⁻ 9400 e⁻ 9400 e⁻
Dynamic range 70 dB 70 dB 70 dB 70 dB
Absolute sensitivity threshold 2.9 e⁻ 2.9 e⁻ 2.9 e⁻ 2.9 e⁻
Pixel Formats
Monochrome pixel formats PFNC: Mono8, Mono10, Mono10p, Mono12, Mono12p; CSI-2: RAW8, RAW10, RAW12; FOURCC: GREY, Y10, Y12 PFNC: Mono8, Mono10, Mono10p, Mono12, Mono12p; CSI-2: RAW8, RAW10, RAW12; FOURCC: GREY, Y10, Y12 PFNC: Mono8, Mono10, Mono10p, Mono12, Mono12p; CSI-2: RAW8, RAW10, RAW12; FOURCC: GREY, Y10, Y12 PFNC: Mono8, Mono10, Mono10p, Mono12, Mono12p; CSI-2: RAW8, RAW10, RAW12; FOURCC: GREY, Y10, Y12
YUV color pixel formats PFNC: YCbCr411_8_CbYYCrYY, YCbCr422_8_CbYCrY, YCbCr8_CbYCr; CSI-2: YUV422 8-bit; FOURCC: UYVY PFNC: YCbCr411_8_CbYYCrYY, YCbCr422_8_CbYCrY, YCbCr8_CbYCr; CSI-2: YUV422 8-bit; FOURCC: UYVY PFNC: YCbCr411_8_CbYYCrYY, YCbCr422_8_CbYCrY, YCbCr8_CbYCr; CSI-2: YUV422 8-bit; FOURCC: UYVY PFNC: YCbCr411_8_CbYYCrYY, YCbCr422_8_CbYCrY, YCbCr8_CbYCr; CSI-2: YUV422 8-bit; FOURCC: UYVY
RGB color pixel formats PFNC: RGB8 (default), BGR8; CSI-2: RGB888 (default); FOURCC: RGB3 PFNC: RGB8 (default), BGR8; CSI-2: RGB888 (default); FOURCC: RGB3 PFNC: RGB8 (default), BGR8; CSI-2: RGB888 (default); FOURCC: RGB3 PFNC: RGB8 (default), BGR8; CSI-2: RGB888 (default); FOURCC: RGB3
Raw color pixel formats (Bayer) PFNC: BayerRG8, BayerRG10, BayerRG10p, BayerRG12, BayerRG12p PFNC: BayerRG8, BayerRG10, BayerRG10p, BayerRG12, BayerRG12p PFNC: BayerRG8, BayerRG10, BayerRG10p, BayerRG12, BayerRG12p PFNC: BayerRG8, BayerRG10, BayerRG10p, BayerRG12, BayerRG12p
Interfaces & I/O
Interface IEEE 802.3 1000BASE-T IEEE 802.3 1000BASE-T IEEE 802.3 1000BASE-T IEEE 802.3 1000BASE-T
GPIO type TTL I/Os Opto-isolated I/Os TTL I/Os
GPIO configuration 2 inputs, 2 outputs, 1 trigger input, 1 strobe output 2 inputs, 2 outputs, 1 trigger input, 1 strobe output 2 inputs, 2 outputs, 1 trigger input, 1 strobe output 2 inputs, 2 outputs, 1 trigger input, 1 strobe output
Power
Power requirements (DC) 24 VDC 24 VDC 24 VDC 24 VDC
Power consumption – SoM Max. 10 W to 25 W Max. 10 W to 25 W Max. 10 W to 25 W Max. 10 W to 25 W
Power consumption – carrier board Max. 2.0 W Max. 2.0 W Max. 2.0 W Max. 2.0 W
Power consumption – camera Max. 3.2 W Max. 2.8 W Max. 3.2 W
Idle power 8.5 W 8.5 W 8.5 W 8.5 W
Mechanical & Environmental
Operating temperature (housing) -20 °C to +65 °C -20 °C to +65 °C -20 °C to +65 °C -20 °C to +65 °C
Mass (without lens, with LT4649 / LT4670) 810 g (LT4649) | 820 g (LT4670) 810 g (LT4649) | 820 g (LT4670) 810 g (LT4649) | 820 g (LT4670) 810 g (LT4649) | 820 g (LT4670)
Body dimensions (L × W × H) 102 × 72 × 111.75 mm (LT4649) | 122.4 × 72 × 111.75 mm (LT4670) 102 × 72 × 111.75 mm (LT4649) | 122.4 × 72 × 111.75 mm (LT4670) 102 × 72 × 111.75 mm (LT4649) | 122.4 × 72 × 111.75 mm (LT4670) 102 × 72 × 111.75 mm (LT4649) | 122.4 × 72 × 111.75 mm (LT4670)

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QE Curve for Sony IMX548 (5MP) Image Sensor

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QE Curve for Sony IMX545 (12MP) Image Sensor

All QE values on this website are the best estimates available from various sources, and not necessarily from the manufacturer of the specific image sensor or from the manufacturer of the cameras in our Product Showcase. They represent the best estimates for the imagers by themselves, with the caveat that glass and other optics in the imaging path can significantly impact the spectral sensitivity of an imaging system.

As described on our Knowledge Base article on this subject, these values exist in a range. Therefore no absolute precision is implied, even when QE values are shown to two decimal places! These values and graphs are intended to be used for reference can be use for making useful comparisons between cameras. They are not intended to be a specification or a performance guarantee.

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