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ZED SDK Installation#

The ZED SDK provides drivers and APIs for ZED stereo cameras and ZED Link capture cards. This is a manual installation step required before running the AutoSDV setup script.

When Do You Need This?#

Install ZED SDK if you're using: - ZED X Mini camera (standard AutoSDV configuration) - ZED 2/2i cameras - ZED Link capture cards (Mono/Dual/Quad)

Skip this step if you're using only LiDAR sensors (Velodyne, Blickfeld, Robin-W).

Prerequisites#

  • Ubuntu 22.04 with NVIDIA drivers (550+) installed, OR
  • Jetson AGX Orin with JetPack 6.0

Installation Steps#

Step 1: Download ZED SDK 5.1#

Visit the ZED SDK Downloads page.

Download the appropriate installer:

For Jetson AGX Orin (JetPack 6.0): - ZED SDK 5.1 for JetPack 6.0

For Ubuntu 22.04 PC: - ZED SDK 5.1 for Ubuntu 22 + CUDA 12

Step 2: Install ZED SDK#

# Make the installer executable
chmod +x ZED_SDK_*.run

# Run the installer
sudo ./ZED_SDK_*.run

Follow the on-screen prompts: - Accept the license agreement - Install all components (SDK, tools, Python API, samples) - Allow AI model downloads (required for object detection)

Installation takes 10-20 minutes depending on internet speed.

Step 3: Verify Installation#

# Run ZED diagnostic tool
/usr/local/zed/tools/ZED_Diagnostic

# Expected output should show:
# - ZED SDK Version: 5.1.x
# - CUDA version detected
# - Camera detection status (if connected)

If you're using ZED Link capture cards for multi-camera setups, install the appropriate driver:

  • ZED Link Mono: Single camera input
  • ZED Link Dual: Two camera inputs
  • ZED Link Quad: Four camera inputs

Download and Install#

  1. Visit Stereolabs Download Center
  2. Download the ZED Link driver for your model and Ubuntu version
  3. Install the debian package:
# For ZED Link Mono
sudo dpkg -i zed-link-mono_*.deb

# For ZED Link Dual
sudo dpkg -i zed-link-dual_*.deb

# For ZED Link Quad
sudo dpkg -i zed-link-quad_*.deb
  1. Verify installation:
# Check if ZED Link is detected
lspci | grep -i stereolabs

# Should show PCIe device for your ZED Link model

Troubleshooting#

CUDA Not Found#

If the installer cannot find CUDA:

# Verify CUDA installation
nvcc --version
nvidia-smi

# CUDA should be 12.3 or compatible
# If not installed, return to Step 1 of the main installation guide

Python Dependencies#

The installer may install Python packages. To avoid conflicts:

# After installation, verify numpy location
python3 -c "import numpy; print(numpy.__file__)"

# Should be in /home/user/.local or /usr/lib
# NOT in /usr/local (which can cause conflicts)

Camera Not Detected#

If ZED camera is not detected after installation:

# Check USB connection
lsusb | grep -i stereo

# Add user to video group
sudo usermod -aG video $USER

# Reload udev rules
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger

# Log out and back in for group changes to take effect

Permission Errors#

# Fix ZED SDK directory permissions
sudo chown -R root:root /usr/local/zed
sudo chmod -R 755 /usr/local/zed

# Fix calibration directory permissions
sudo chmod 777 /usr/local/zed/settings

Next Steps#

After successfully installing ZED SDK: