MIPI Camera Module Integration Checklist

What to confirm before ordering

A MIPI label is a starting point, not a complete compatibility specification. Before ordering, match the exact module revision to your host hardware, software, image requirements, and mechanical design.

Use this checklist to prepare your questions. The specifications and included items for each module are stated on its product page; anything not listed needs confirmation before you rely on it in a design.

If you are still choosing an interface, compare the host and software requirements in our MIPI vs USB camera guide.

1. Start with the host and software

Record your exact host board or system-on-chip, board revision, operating system, and kernel version. Ask whether a driver and configuration instructions are available for that combination. On Linux, sensor drivers expose supported configurations; a familiar connector alone does not establish that the sensor will work with your software.

• Identify the camera port you plan to use and the module revision you intend to buy.
• Request the supported driver version, installation instructions, and image-mode list.
• For two sensors, confirm how both streams reach the host and whether your intended setup can receive both.

2. Match the connector, pinout, and power

Request a module-level pinout and power specification for the exact revision. Compare them with your carrier-board documentation before connecting the module. Do not infer supply voltage, lane count, or control wiring from a sensor name, a matching pin count, or the word MIPI.

• Confirm connector type, pitch, pin numbering, cable orientation, and required cable length.
• Confirm the physical-layer type, data-lane or trio mapping, clocking method, control signals, power and ground assignments, and startup sequence. Check whether a separate clock lane applies.
• Confirm supply voltages and current requirements, including any separate rails.

3. Ask for the actual image modes

A resolution such as 1080p does not specify frame rate, pixel format, or simultaneous operation. Ask for the supported modes of each sensor, and confirm whether the output is raw sensor data or processed video. Link configuration and sensor timing affect what can be delivered to the host.

• Specify the resolution, frame rate, bit depth, and pixel format your application needs.
• Ask whether both sensors can stream at those settings at the same time.
• Request a mode table for the module and host combination, rather than relying only on a sensor datasheet.