Hardware Notes on KnightLi Blog

Installing fnOS on TerraMaster F2-220: F3 Backplane, NVMe, and BIOS Module Injection

Mon, 04 May 2026 06:09:40 +0800

This is a practical note on installing fnOS on a TerraMaster F2-220. The goal is to replace the original TOS and keep using the NAS after official support for the F2-220 has ended. The process also verifies that the F3 backplane can work on the F2-220, and solves the issue where the BIOS cannot boot from NVMe.

The original F3 backplane project was verified on the F2-221 with a J3355 platform. The F2-220 uses the J1800 platform, so compatibility was not guaranteed. A V1.1 version existed in a project fork with fewer components, lower cost, and less assembly difficulty, so that version was used for testing.

PCB Fabrication and Soldering

Backplane project: arnarg/f3_backplane. The board used here is the V1.1 version from a fork. Its core goal is to keep the original SATA drive bays while exposing an NVMe SSD position from the backplane connector.

Multiple PCBs were received after fabrication. One detail appeared during soldering: after soldering the M.2 connector, it became clear that the SATA connector was different from common SATA connectors.

A fully matching native SATA connector was not found on Taobao, so an existing connector was modified instead: the pins were pulled out, positions were swapped, and then the connector was soldered back to the board.

The key takeaway is that the F3 backplane approach can be tried on the F2-220, but SATA connector selection needs special attention. Do not order only by looking for a generic SATA connector.

VGA Output

The F2-220 has no exposed video output, but it has an internal 12-pin VGA header. You need an internal motherboard 12Pin VGA adapter cable. One end connects to the 12-pin header inside the machine, and the other end is usually a standard DB15 VGA female connector for an external monitor.

Useful search keywords include “12Pin VGA adapter cable”, “motherboard 12-pin VGA adapter cable”, and “2.0mm 12Pin to VGA”. Before buying, compare the connector direction, pitch, and pinout against a photo of the internal header. Do not order based only on the “12Pin” label.

This step is important for installation. Without video output, BIOS and installer troubleshooting becomes much harder.

Installing fnOS

Boot the fnOS installer through Ventoy. The installer can see the NVMe SSD, which means the backplane and NVMe hardware path are working.

However, after installation, removing the boot drive causes the machine to reboot into the BIOS screen instead of entering fnOS. The BIOS boot list does not contain the NVMe SSD. If fnOS is installed to a USB drive and booted from there, the system can still see the NVMe drive normally.

This indicates:

NVMe hardware detection is fine.
Linux can access the NVMe drive.
The failure point is the BIOS boot stage.
The F2-220 platform is old, and the stock BIOS likely lacks an NVMe boot module.

Backing Up the BIOS

At this point, fnOS can already boot from a USB drive. Since fnOS is Debian-based, flashrom can be used inside the system to back up and flash the BIOS.

Flashing BIOS is risky. Prepare a programmer if possible, so recovery is still possible after a failed flash.

Install flashrom:

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sudo apt update
sudo apt install flashrom -y

Check whether the BIOS chip can be detected:

`1`	`sudo flashrom -p internal`

Detected chip information may look like this:

`1`	`Found Winbond flash chip "W25Q64.W" (8192 kB, SPI) mapped at physical address 0x00000000ff800000.`

Back up the original BIOS. Replace the chip model in the command with the actual result from your machine:

`1`	`sudo flashrom -p internal -c "W25Q64.W" -r backup_factory.bin`

Injecting the NVMe Module

The backed-up BIOS is a .bin file. You can transfer it to a PC with WinSCP, then refer to the Bilibili tutorial 让老主板用上 Nvme 协议的固态 to inject the NVMe module into the BIOS file.

After processing, transfer the modified BIOS file back to fnOS.

Do not blindly reuse someone else’s BIOS file. Different machines, BIOS versions, and flash chips may differ. The safer approach is to back up your own original BIOS and modify that backup.

Flashing the New BIOS

The flash command is shown below. Replace the chip model, firmware path, and file name according to your actual setup:

`1`	`sudo flashrom -p internal -c "W25Q64.W" -w /vol1/NEW_NVME.bin`

When the output shows this line, verification has passed:

`1`	`Verifying flash... VERIFIED.`

After flashing, the BIOS boot list may show a PATA entry. On older BIOS setups with an injected NVMe module, the NVMe boot entry often appears as PATA. Seeing it means the BIOS can now recognize the NVMe boot path.

Result

Final result:

F3 Backplane V1.1 can detect NVMe on the TerraMaster F2-220.
The fnOS installer can see the NVMe SSD.
The stock BIOS cannot boot directly from NVMe.
After injecting the NVMe module into the BIOS, a PATA boot entry appears.
The machine can boot fnOS from NVMe after the BIOS modification.

Testing feedback also notes that this NVMe channel is only a little over 300MB/s. That is enough for a system drive. There is no need to use a high-end SSD; even a small Optane drive can be sufficient.

Notes

This is not a risk-free general tutorial. It is closer to a hardware and BIOS modification record. Before trying it, note the following:

F2-220 and F2-221 use different platforms, so F2-221 results should not be treated as identical to F2-220 results.
The F3 backplane requires PCB fabrication and soldering. The SATA connector may also require pin modification.
A suitable internal VGA adapter cable is needed for installation and troubleshooting.
BIOS flashing can brick the machine. Prepare a programmer and keep the original backup.
The chip model in the flashrom command must match the chip detected on your own machine.
Do not directly flash someone else’s modified BIOS. Inject the NVMe module into your own backup first.

The value of this note is that it adds real F2-220 test results: the F3 backplane idea is not limited to the F2-221, and the F2-220 can also use an NVMe system drive. The real blocker is not Linux detecting NVMe, but whether the BIOS supports NVMe booting.

fnNAS forum test thread: 铁威马F2-220折腾飞牛OS过程

TerraMaster F2-221 NAS Backplane Pinout Notes

Mon, 04 May 2026 06:02:56 +0800

This note documents the non-standard backplane connector pinout of the TerraMaster F2-221 NAS. The connector looks close to a PCIe edge connector, but it is not a standard PCIe slot. It is a custom TerraMaster backplane interface.

The connector carries SATA, power, reset, and PCIe signals at the same time. Once PCIe1 x1 is confirmed usable, a custom backplane can expose an M.2 M-key slot and use an NVMe SSD as an internal system drive.

The same idea also applies to the TerraMaster F2-220. Although the F2-220 and F2-221 use different platforms, a fnNAS forum test shows that F3 Backplane V1.1 can detect NVMe on the F2-220, and the NVMe drive is visible inside the OS installer. The extra work is that the old BIOS may not support booting from NVMe.

Summary

The F2-221 backplane connector contains:

Signals for two native SATA ports
12V, 5V, 3.3V, and GND
SATA drive power-control related signals
PERST#
At least one usable PCIe Gen2 x1 signal group
Partial clues for a second PCIe signal group, but not fully verified

PCIe1 can be used to expose an M.2 M-key NVMe slot. In testing, the NVMe drive runs at PCIe Gen2 x1, and the BIOS can detect and boot from it.

F2-220 testing points in the same direction: the hardware can detect NVMe, but the BIOS boot stage may require injecting an NVMe module, and the boot entry may appear as PATA.

Backplane Connector Pinout

The connector has B/A sides. ? means unknown or unconnected, and NC means not connected.

Pin	B side	A side
1	12V	?
2	12V	12V
3	12V	12V
4	GND	GND
5	SATA1 A+	SATA1 B+
6	SATA1 A-	SATA1 B-
7	GND	NC
8	5V	5V
9	5V	5V
10	?	5V
11	?	?
12	3.3V	GND
13	GND	3.3V
14	SATA2 A+	3.3V
15	SATA2 A-	GND
16	GND	SATA2 B+
17	PERST#	SATA2 B-
18	GND	GND
19	PCIe1 TX+	NC
20	PCIe1 TX-	GND
21	GND	PCIe1 RX+
22	GND	PCIe1 RX-
23	PCIe1 REFCLK+	GND
24	PCIe1 REFCLK-	GND
25	GND	PCIe2 RX+
26	GND	PCIe2 RX-
27	PCIe2 TX+	GND
28	PCIe2 TX-	GND
29	GND	PCIe2 REFCLK+
30	?	PCIe2 REFCLK-
31	?	GND
32	GND	?

PCIe1 has higher practical reference value. PCIe2 is not fully verified and should only be treated as a clue, not a reliable design basis.

Signal Source Reasoning

The stock F2-221 dual-bay backplane does not include a PCIe-to-SATA controller. SATA signals go directly from the motherboard connector into the backplane. The extra PCIe signals are mainly inferred from other multi-bay models in the same product family.

The TerraMaster F5-422 backplane uses two ASMedia ASM1061 chips. ASM1061 is a PCIe Gen2 x1 to dual-SATA controller. Combined with the Intel J3355 having 2 SATA ports and 6 PCIe Gen2 lanes, this suggests that multi-bay models expand SATA ports through PCIe.

Therefore, it is reasonable for the F2-221 motherboard connector to retain PCIe signals. The vendor likely reuses motherboard designs across models with different bay counts and changes functionality through the backplane.

PCIe Differential Pair Identification

PCIe differential pairs often go into inner layers after vias, so photos alone cannot trace the complete routing. One useful rule is that, in traditional PCIe designs, TX differential pairs usually have AC coupling capacitors.

The direction must be viewed in reverse:

TX from the ASM1061 controller’s perspective corresponds to RX on the CPU or motherboard side.
RX from the ASM1061 controller’s perspective corresponds to TX on the CPU or motherboard side.
REFCLK needs to be judged together with neighboring differential pairs and routing location.

This kind of pinout is better treated as hardware reverse-engineering material, not as an official specification.

Validation

F3 Backplane designs based on this pinout have completed the following validation:

The original two SATA drive bays remain usable.
PCIe1 can be routed to an M.2 M-key slot.
The NVMe SSD can be detected by BIOS.
The NAS can boot directly from the NVMe SSD.
btrfs scrub found no disk errors.
The system ran from the NVMe SSD for weeks without obvious issues.

The test NVMe SSD was a Patriot P300 128GB. hdparm result:

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/dev/nvme0n1:
 Timing cached reads:   4554 MB in  2.00 seconds = 2279.68 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads: 1222 MB in  3.00 seconds = 407.22 MB/sec

This speed matches the PCIe Gen2 x1 limitation. The goal is not to fully utilize NVMe performance, but to replace an external USB SSD with an internal system drive.

Notes

This pinout is useful as a reference for hardware reverse engineering and custom backplanes, but it should not be treated as official documentation.

The connector is not standard PCIe and cannot directly accept generic PCIe devices.
? pins are unverified and should not be connected to critical circuits casually.
PCIe2 is not fully verified and carries higher risk than PCIe1.
CLKREQ is not fully routed like a normal M.2 design, so ASPM may not work.
SATA power includes hot-swap related load switch and slow start logic; do not route only signal lines while ignoring power control.
If reproducing the design, measure your own motherboard and backplane again instead of relying only on photos.

Original project write-up: I made a new backplane for my Terramaster F2-221 NAS
F3 Backplane KiCad project: arnarg/f3_backplane
F3 Backplane pinout CSV: f3_backplane.csv
F2-220 compatibility test: 铁威马F2-220折腾飞牛OS过程

A Detailed Look at PCIe Bifurcation Modes

Sat, 02 May 2026 10:15:49 +0800

PCIe bifurcation is the process of splitting PCIe lanes. It answers a simple question: should a group of PCIe lanes from the CPU or chipset work as one wide link, or be split into multiple narrower links for different devices?

For example, a group of 16 PCIe lanes can be configured as x16, split into x8+x8, or split into x8+x4+x4. This is the basis behind a motherboard running one graphics slot at full x16, two graphics slots at x8 each, or one graphics slot plus two CPU-attached M.2 slots.

What Is a PCIe Lane

PCIe is a serial bus. Each lane consists of differential signaling pairs and can be treated as an independent high-speed data channel. Multiple lanes can be bonded together to form a wider link:

Link width	Common use
`x1`	Network cards, sound cards, capture cards, USB expansion cards
`x4`	NVMe SSDs and some high-speed expansion cards
`x8`	Secondary graphics slots, RAID cards, network cards
`x16`	Primary graphics slot

PCIe link widths usually grow in powers of two, so common widths are x1, x2, x4, x8, and x16. On consumer motherboards, x1, x4, x8, and x16 are the ones you see most often.

The physical slot length is not the same as the actual link width. A long x16 slot may only be wired for x4 or x8; an M.2 slot is usually x4, but whether it connects to the CPU or chipset also matters.

When Bifurcation Happens

PCIe device initialization can be roughly divided into several stages:

Decide PCIe bifurcation, meaning how the lanes are split.
Run Root Port Training to train link speed and width.
Perform PCI enumeration so the system can discover devices.
Configure PCIe features such as power management, error reporting, and timeout control.

Bifurcation happens very early. The system must first know whether a group of lanes is one x16, two x8 links, or several x4 links before later Training and enumeration know how many Root Ports should be handled.

When bifurcation is configured incorrectly, common symptoms include:

An expansion card only detects one SSD.
Devices disappear after a riser or adapter card is installed.
A graphics card link width drops from x16 to x8.
The expected bifurcation option is missing from the BIOS.
The motherboard manual says a split mode is supported, but only on a specific slot or with a specific CPU.

Mode One: Hard Strap

Hard Strap is a hardware method. The motherboard uses fixed pins, pull-up or pull-down resistors, or wiring to determine the PCIe split mode at the hardware level.

This is common for CPU-attached PCIe lanes on consumer desktop platforms. For example, if the CPU provides one group of x16 lanes, the motherboard vendor can design the board as:

Configuration	Typical use
`x16`	One primary graphics slot
`x8+x8`	Two graphics slots
`x8+x4+x4`	One graphics slot plus two CPU-attached M.2 slots

Hard Strap is stable, simple, and low-cost. The motherboard vendor decides lane routing during PCB design, and users usually cannot freely change it in the BIOS afterward.

Its downside is poor flexibility. Once the board layout is fixed, a slot designed only as x16 cannot become x4+x4+x4+x4 unless the PCB is redesigned. That is why many consumer motherboards do not expose bifurcation options in the BIOS even if the CPU theoretically supports splitting.

For ordinary users, the most direct takeaway is this: whether a board supports PCIe bifurcation depends first on motherboard design, not only on CPU specifications.

Mode Two: Soft Strap

Soft Strap is a software-configured method, but it does not necessarily mean a user-facing BIOS menu option. In many cases, this configuration is stored in the BIOS image or platform description area and is set by the motherboard vendor before shipping.

PCIe Root Ports under the chipset often use a similar approach. Based on the actual board routing, the vendor can configure some Root Ports as independent x1 ports, or combine them into x2 or x4. These settings are usually fixed in the BIOS image and take effect during platform initialization.

Soft Strap has several traits:

Some settings can be adjusted without changing the PCB.
The configuration usually takes effect during early initialization.
Changes generally require reflashing the BIOS or at least rebooting.
The user interface may not expose the related options.

This is why two motherboards with similar-looking hardware can distribute PCIe slots, M.2 slots, and onboard devices differently depending on BIOS version or vendor configuration.

Soft Strap is still not magic. It can only adjust within the limits of the existing hardware routing; it cannot assign lanes to a slot that is not physically connected to them.

Mode Three: Wait For BIOS

Wait For BIOS is the more flexible approach. Before PCIe Training begins, the platform waits for the BIOS to write the relevant registers, and the BIOS decides how wide each group of lanes should be.

This is common on more expandable platforms, such as workstations, servers, and some Xeon platforms. These platforms provide more lanes and more complex slot combinations. If everything were fixed in hardware, motherboard adaptability would be much worse.

The advantage of Wait For BIOS is flexibility:

The BIOS can offer options such as x16, x8+x8, x8+x4+x4, and x4+x4+x4+x4.
One motherboard can adapt to different expansion cards.
It is better suited for multi-NVMe adapters, PCIe backplanes, and server riser cards.
Users can adjust the layout based on device count and bandwidth needs.

The cost is that the platform and BIOS must work together. The CPU or chipset must support the desired split, the motherboard routing must match it, and the BIOS must expose or configure it. If any of those pieces is missing, users may not see usable bifurcation settings.

Common Split Combinations

Different platforms support different combinations, but common split modes look like this:

Original link	Common split	Typical use
`x16`	`x16`	Single graphics card
`x16`	`x8+x8`	Dual graphics cards, or GPU plus high-speed expansion card
`x16`	`x8+x4+x4`	GPU plus two NVMe SSDs
`x16`	`x4+x4+x4+x4`	Four-drive NVMe adapter
`x8`	`x4+x4`	Dual NVMe drives or dual-port high-speed expansion
`x4`	`x2+x2` or multiple `x1` links	Less common; depends on platform support

In DIY builds, the most common request is splitting one x16 slot into x4+x4+x4+x4 for a four-M.2 adapter card. The key detail is that cheap adapter cards without a controller chip only physically route the slot to multiple M.2 connectors. The card itself does not split PCIe lanes.

If the motherboard does not support x4+x4+x4+x4, such an adapter usually detects only the first SSD. To use a multi-drive card on a board without bifurcation support, you need an expansion card with a PCIe Switch chip, which costs much more.

Bifurcation vs PCIe Switch

Bifurcation splits existing upstream lanes into multiple downstream ports. It does not increase the number of lanes; it only changes how they are allocated.

A PCIe Switch is more like a PCIe switching chip. It connects one upstream link to multiple downstream devices, so the system can see more devices. It also cannot create extra upstream bandwidth out of nothing, but it can solve the problem of attaching multiple devices when the motherboard does not support lane splitting.

The difference can be summarized like this:

Solution	Requires motherboard bifurcation support	Cost	Suitable scenario
Chipless M.2 adapter	Yes	Low	Motherboard supports `x4+x4+x4+x4`
Expansion card with PCIe Switch	Not always	High	Board does not support splitting but needs multiple devices

Before buying a multi-M.2 expansion card, check whether the motherboard BIOS supports the required split mode. A specification that only says “supports PCIe x16 slot” does not mean it can recognize four drives at once.

Buying and Troubleshooting Advice

If you want to use PCIe bifurcation, check things in this order:

Confirm that the CPU or platform supports the target split mode.
Check the motherboard manual to see whether the target slot supports x8+x8, x8+x4+x4, or x4+x4+x4+x4.
Enter the BIOS and look for options such as PCIe bifurcation, PCIe lane configuration, or slot configuration.
Confirm whether the expansion card is a chipless adapter or a card with a PCIe Switch.
Check whether fully populating devices shares lanes with M.2, SATA, onboard networking, or other devices.
After booting into the OS, use tools to inspect actual link width and device enumeration.

If an expansion card detects only one drive, check the BIOS split option first. If the BIOS has no related setting, it is probably not a driver issue; the motherboard is likely not splitting that group of lanes into multiple devices.

If all devices are detected but speed is wrong, then check link Training. Cable quality, adapter card quality, slot routing, PCIe generation, and device compatibility can all cause a link to fall from Gen4 to Gen3, or even lower.

Summary

PCIe bifurcation is about deciding how lanes are organized during early PCIe initialization. Hard Strap fixes the layout in hardware, Soft Strap uses platform configuration, and Wait For BIOS lets the BIOS set the mode before link training.

For ordinary PC builders, the three most important conclusions are:

A physical x16 slot does not necessarily split into multiple x4 links.
Chipless multi-M.2 adapter cards depend on motherboard bifurcation support.
Split support depends on the CPU, motherboard routing, and BIOS options together.

Once you understand these points, x16, x8+x8, and x4+x4+x4+x4 in a motherboard spec sheet stop being just slot-length labels. They become clues for judging whether the board can meet your actual expansion needs.

Sony IMX Camera Module Guide: IMX335, IMX678, IMX415, IMX219, IMX273, IMX766, IMX307 Specs, References, and Taobao Price Notes

Fri, 01 May 2026 04:15:28 +0800

When building embedded vision, security cameras, Raspberry Pi cameras, Jetson cameras, or machine vision projects, you will often run into a pile of Sony IMX model names.

They all look like “camera sensors”, but the differences are large. Some are better for low-light surveillance, some are built for 4K video, some are for industrial global-shutter vision, some mainly appear as phone repair parts, and some are friendly to the Raspberry Pi ecosystem.

This article整理 several Sony IMX camera modules that are common on Taobao and in development-board ecosystems:

IMX335
IMX678
IMX415
IMX219
IMX273
IMX766
IMX307
Additional models: IMX290, IMX462, IMX477, IMX585, IMX708

One note first: the prices below are common retail ranges seen around Taobao, development-board accessory shops, module vendors, and cross-border retail channels as of 2026-05-01. They are only useful for selection budgeting. Real prices are affected by lens, interface, driver board, enclosure, onboard ISP, UVC support, invoice/tax handling, and purchase volume.

Quick conclusion

For quick selection, start by use case:

Use case	Recommended models	Why
Raspberry Pi entry-level	`IMX219`	Mature ecosystem, low price, lots of documentation
Better Raspberry Pi image quality	`IMX477`, `IMX708`	Higher resolution and good official ecosystem support
Low-light surveillance	`IMX307`, `IMX335`	STARVIS series, good night performance
4K security / industrial video	`IMX415`, `IMX678`	4K, common MIPI/USB modules
Newer 4K low-light	`IMX678`, `IMX585`	STARVIS 2, better low-light and dynamic range
Industrial trigger / moving objects	`IMX273`	Global shutter, suitable for machine vision
Phone repair / modification	`IMX766`	Common phone main-camera sensor, but less open for development

For ordinary projects, start with IMX219, IMX335, IMX415, or IMX678. They are easier to find as ready-made modules on Taobao and in development-board accessory markets.

Common model parameter table

Model	Common positioning	Pixels / resolution	Optical format	Pixel size	Shutter	Common interfaces	Approximate public timing	Module retail price reference
`IMX219`	Raspberry Pi V2, entry-level CSI camera	8MP, 3280×2464	1/4"	1.12 μm	Rolling shutter	MIPI CSI-2	Popularized with Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2 in 2016	20-80 RMB
`IMX307`	1080p starlight night vision, security	2.13MP, 1920×1080	1/2.8"	2.9 μm	Rolling shutter	MIPI CSI-2 / LVDS	Public materials around 2017-2018	60-180 RMB
`IMX335`	5MP starlight night vision, security, dashcams	5.14MP, 2592×1944	1/2.8"	2.0 μm	Rolling shutter	MIPI CSI-2	Widely commercialized after around 2018-2019	90-260 RMB
`IMX415`	4K security, industrial cameras, Jetson	8.46MP, recommended 3840×2160 output	1/2.8"	1.45 μm	Rolling shutter	MIPI CSI-2	Sony announced it on 2019-06-26, with a 2019 mass-production path	120-450 RMB
`IMX678`	STARVIS 2 4K low-light	8.40MP class, 4K	1/1.8"	2.0 μm	Rolling shutter	MIPI CSI-2 / USB modules	Entered module markets after around 2022	250-900 RMB
`IMX273`	Industrial machine vision	1.58MP, about 1456×1088	1/2.9"	3.45 μm	Global shutter	MIPI/LVDS/industrial camera interfaces	Public materials around 2017	300-1500+ RMB
`IMX766`	Phone main camera, repair parts	50MP	1/1.56"	1.0 μm, about 2.0 μm after 4-in-1 binning	Rolling shutter	Phone module interfaces	Popularized in phone market around 2020-2021	50-300 RMB repair modules, high development difficulty

The “module retail price” here is not the official bare sensor price. A 30 RMB IMX219 on Taobao is usually a small Raspberry Pi ribbon-cable board; a several-hundred-RMB IMX678 often already includes USB conversion, ISP, lens, or even an enclosure; industrial IMX273 cameras cost more.

IMX219: the most common entry-level model in the Raspberry Pi ecosystem

The most common form of IMX219 is Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2 or compatible modules.

Raspberry Pi official documentation says Camera Module 2 replaced the original Camera Module in April 2016, using the Sony IMX219 8MP sensor with a resolution of 3280×2464.

Its advantages are clear:

Low price
Lots of documentation
Mature Raspberry Pi ecosystem support
Very easy to buy on Taobao
Suitable for entry-level photography, monitoring, time-lapse, and simple vision recognition

Its weaknesses are also obvious:

Small sensor size
Average low-light performance
Limited image-quality ceiling with default module lenses
Rolling-shutter distortion in high-speed motion scenes

Taobao keywords:

IMX219 树莓派摄像头
IMX219 NoIR
IMX219 广角
IMX219 Jetson Nano

Common prices are about 20-80 RMB. Ordinary fixed-focus boards are the cheapest; wide-angle, night-vision, stereo, and enclosure versions cost more.

References:

IMX307: a proven 1080p starlight night-vision sensor

IMX307 is a very common 2MP STARVIS model in security cameras.

Sony’s official Flyer lists these key points:

1/2.8" optical format
2.13MP effective pixels
Recommended 1920×1080 output
Up to 60fps in Full HD 1080p
2.9 μm pixel size
HDR support
LVDS and MIPI CSI-2 support

It does not chase high resolution. It focuses more on 1080p low-light performance. Its 2.9 μm pixels are larger than those of many small-format 4K sensors, so it is still common in night surveillance, low-light recognition, and indoor low-light projects.

Common Taobao forms:

IMX307 USB 摄像头模组
IMX307 MIPI 模组
IMX307 星光夜视
IMX307 低照度监控板

Common prices are about 60-180 RMB. Versions with ISP, USB UVC, enclosure, or IR-cut switching cost more.

Reference:

Sony IMX307LQD/LQR Flyer

IMX335: common for 5MP low-light and security projects

IMX335 can be understood as a very common 5MP STARVIS choice in the Taobao module market.

It has higher resolution than IMX307, while usually being less expensive than some 4K models, so it is often used in:

Security cameras
Dashcams
Jetson/RK platform MIPI cameras
USB UVC cameras
Low-light imaging projects

Common parameters:

About 5.14MP
2592×1944
1/2.8" optical format
2.0 μm pixel size
STARVIS back-illuminated technology
Common MIPI CSI-2 output

IMX335 performs better in low light than IMX219, and it is a practical 5MP route compared with IMX415. For 2K video, night scenes, and surveillance recognition, it is usually more comfortable than entry-level Raspberry Pi modules.

Taobao keywords:

IMX335 USB 摄像头
IMX335 MIPI 摄像头
IMX335 Jetson
IMX335 星光夜视

Common prices are about 90-260 RMB. USB driver-free versions are usually more expensive than simple MIPI boards.

References:

IMX415: a compact 4K choice for security and industrial video

IMX415 is often mentioned in 4K security and industrial video.

Sony announced IMX415 and IMX485, two 4K security sensors, on 2019-06-26. The official news release describes IMX415 as a type 1/2.8 4K-resolution stacked CMOS image sensor for smart cities, surveillance, traffic monitoring, and related scenarios.

Core parameters from the official Flyer:

1/2.8" optical format
8.46MP effective pixels
Recommended recording pixels: 3840×2160
1.45 μm pixel size
About 60.3fps in 12-bit all-pixel mode
About 90.9fps in 10-bit all-pixel mode
Multiple exposure HDR and Digital overlap HDR
MIPI CSI-2, 2 Lane / 4 Lane, RAW10 / RAW12

Its strength is compact 4K. The weakness is that the pixel size is only 1.45 μm. If the lens and lighting are not good enough, low-light images may not necessarily beat IMX307 or IMX335.

Taobao keywords:

IMX415 4K 摄像头模组
IMX415 USB 摄像头
IMX415 MIPI CSI
IMX415 Jetson
IMX415 星光夜视

Common prices are about 120-450 RMB. Cheap ones are MIPI bare modules, while USB3.0, onboard ISP, enclosure, or Jetson-adapted versions cost more.

References:

IMX678: a popular STARVIS 2 4K low-light model

IMX678 is a popular STARVIS 2 4K model in recent years. It appears in dashcams, low-light cameras, USB cameras, and development-board modules.

Key points from public Flyers:

1/1.8" optical format
8.40MP class
2.0 μm pixel size
STARVIS 2
Designed for visible-light and near-infrared low-light scenarios

Compared with IMX415, IMX678 has a larger format and larger pixels, giving it better low-light headroom. The downside is higher module cost and stricter requirements for lens, power, driver, and bandwidth.

Taobao keywords:

IMX678 摄像头模组
IMX678 USB
IMX678 MIPI
IMX678 STARVIS2
IMX678 Jetson

Common prices are about 250-900 RMB. Cross-border branded USB3.0 modules can even exceed 1000 RMB. Arducam’s IMX678 USB 3.0 module has a public retail price starting at 159.99 USD, which can serve as a high-end retail reference.

References:

IMX273: industrial machine vision cares more about global shutter

IMX273 is different from the security-oriented models above.

It is a common global-shutter model for industrial and sensing applications, suitable for moving objects, triggered capture, positioning inspection, production-line vision, and measurement projects. The point of global shutter is full-frame exposure at the same time, which reduces skew and distortion caused by rolling shutter in motion scenes.

Sony’s Flyer for the series containing IMX273LLR/LQR emphasizes:

Industrial and sensing applications
3.45 μm / 6.9 μm pixel series
Global shutter function
Related models include IMX287, IMX296, and IMX297

IMX273 does not have very high resolution, but industrial vision often cares more about trigger synchronization, exposure consistency, low distortion, global shutter, lens support, and camera SDKs than raw megapixels.

Taobao keywords:

IMX273 工业相机
IMX273 全局快门
IMX273 USB3 工业相机
IMX273 GigE

Common prices are about 300-1500+ RMB. Standalone modules are not always cheap, and finished industrial cameras are more expensive.

Reference:

Sony IMX273/287/296/297 Flyer

IMX766: a phone main-camera sensor, not a good beginner module for development boards

IMX766 is a very common 50MP sensor in phones and has appeared in many Android main-camera solutions.

Common public parameters:

50MP
1/1.56" optical format
1.0 μm pixel size
About 2.0 μm equivalent pixel size after 4-in-1 binning
Related full-pixel autofocus capabilities

But it is different from development-board-friendly modules such as IMX219, IMX335, and IMX415. On Taobao, most IMX766 products are phone repair camera modules designed for specific phones. FPC, power rails, drivers, initialization registers, focus motors, OIS, and ISP cooperation may all be undocumented.

It is suitable for:

Phone repair
Teardown research
Hardware enthusiasts interested in mobile imaging pipelines

It is not very suitable for:

Direct Raspberry Pi connection
Quick Jetson development
Ordinary USB camera projects
Embedded projects without driver development capability

Taobao keywords:

IMX766 摄像头模组
IMX766 手机摄像头
IMX766 主摄

Common prices are about 50-300 RMB, but this is usually the price of phone repair parts. It does not mean the module can be directly connected to a development board.

Reference:

IMX766 Sensor Overview

Other common Sony IMX models on Taobao

In addition to the models above, several other models are also easy to find.

IMX290

IMX290 is an older 2MP STARVIS low-light model, common in security, astronomy, and low-light USB cameras. It is close to IMX307, and many projects compare the two.

Taobao keywords:

IMX290 USB 摄像头
IMX290 星光夜视
IMX290 MIPI

Common prices are about 80-300 RMB.

IMX462

IMX462 is also often discussed for low-light and near-infrared performance. It appears in astronomy cameras, low-light cameras, and security applications.

Taobao keywords:

IMX462 USB 摄像头
IMX462 天文相机
IMX462 低照度

Common prices are about 150-600 RMB.

IMX477

The most common entry point for IMX477 is the Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera.

It is a 12.3MP, 1/2.3" class sensor. With the C/CS lens ecosystem, it is better than IMX219 for serious image capture, machine vision experiments, microscopy, and telephoto projects. Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera was released in 2020, with an official price once listed at 50 USD.

Taobao keywords:

IMX477 树莓派 HQ
IMX477 C口
IMX477 CS镜头

Common prices are about 180-450 RMB.

Reference:

Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera Product Brief

IMX585

IMX585 is a higher-spec 4K low-light model in the STARVIS 2 series. Its 1/1.2" larger format gives it better low-light advantages than small-format 4K sensors.

On Taobao, IMX585 appears as USB, MIPI, astronomy-camera, or industrial-camera products, but prices are usually much higher than IMX415 and IMX335.

Taobao keywords:

IMX585 摄像头
IMX585 STARVIS2
IMX585 USB3

Common prices are about 500-2000+ RMB.

IMX708

IMX708 is the 12MP sensor used by Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 and supports autofocus. It is friendly to the Raspberry Pi ecosystem and is suitable for projects that do not want to fight drivers but want better image quality and functions than IMX219.

Taobao keywords:

IMX708 树莓派
树莓派 Camera Module 3
IMX708 自动对焦

Common prices are about 150-350 RMB.

Reference:

Raspberry Pi Camera Documentation

Do not select only by the IMX model name

Many product titles say things like “Sony IMX415 4K starlight night vision”, but the sensor is not the only thing that decides whether it will work.

At least confirm these points:

Interface: whether MIPI CSI-2, USB UVC, GigE, or LVDS matches your host
Platform: whether it explicitly supports Raspberry Pi, Jetson, RK3568, RK3588, Windows, or Linux
Drivers: whether device tree, kernel driver, register settings, and example code are available
Output format: RAW10, RAW12, YUYV, MJPEG, H.264, H.265
Frame rate: whether 4K 30fps, 4K 60fps, or 1080p 60fps is actually available
Lens: M12, C/CS, fixed focus, autofocus, field of view, distortion
Filters: normal IR-cut, NoIR, auto switching, whether it suits IR illumination
ISP: whether there is onboard ISP, and whether exposure, white balance, denoising, and HDR are supported
Power and heat: whether 4K/USB3.0 modules remain stable over long runs

The experience of using a MIPI RAW board and a USB driver-free camera can be completely different even if both use IMX415. The former is better for embedded low-level development, while the latter is better for quick connection to a PC or industrial computer.

Taobao buying advice

Before buying, ask these questions:

Is there a driver and configuration file for your platform?
Does it support the resolution and frame rate you need?
Can it provide raw RAW output, or only compressed video?
Is the lens replaceable, and are distortion parameters available?
Does it support auto exposure, auto white balance, HDR, and gain control?
Are there Linux test commands or an SDK?
Can it be supplied long term, or is it one-off stock?

For Raspberry Pi projects, prioritize modules that explicitly support Raspberry Pi OS / libcamera.
For Jetson projects, prioritize modules that explicitly support Jetson Nano / Xavier / Orin and provide device trees and driver packages.
For PC projects, USB UVC modules are the easiest.
For industrial inspection, consider finished industrial cameras first instead of only buying cheap bare modules.

Final selection notes

A simple summary:

Lowest budget and most documentation: choose IMX219
Better Raspberry Pi image quality: choose IMX477 or IMX708
1080p low-light surveillance: choose IMX307
General 5MP low-light use: choose IMX335
Compact 4K security / industrial use: choose IMX415
Better 4K low-light: choose IMX678
Industrial global shutter: choose IMX273
Phone repair part research: look at IMX766, but do not expect direct development-board use

When actually building a project, do not look only at the words “Sony IMX”. A camera module is a combination of sensor, lens, ISP, interface, driver, and platform adaptation. If any one part is wrong, even a beautiful parameter table may not help you bring it up.

Hardware Notes on KnightLi Blog

Installing fnOS on TerraMaster F2-220: F3 Backplane, NVMe, and BIOS Module Injection

PCB Fabrication and Soldering

VGA Output

Installing fnOS

Backing Up the BIOS

Injecting the NVMe Module

Flashing the New BIOS

Result

Notes

Related Links

TerraMaster F2-221 NAS Backplane Pinout Notes

Summary

Backplane Connector Pinout

Signal Source Reasoning

PCIe Differential Pair Identification

Validation

Notes

Related Links

A Detailed Look at PCIe Bifurcation Modes

What Is a PCIe Lane

When Bifurcation Happens

Mode One: Hard Strap

Mode Two: Soft Strap

Mode Three: Wait For BIOS

Common Split Combinations

Bifurcation vs PCIe Switch

Buying and Troubleshooting Advice

Summary

Sony IMX Camera Module Guide: IMX335, IMX678, IMX415, IMX219, IMX273, IMX766, IMX307 Specs, References, and Taobao Price Notes

Quick conclusion

Common model parameter table

IMX219: the most common entry-level model in the Raspberry Pi ecosystem

IMX307: a proven 1080p starlight night-vision sensor

IMX335: common for 5MP low-light and security projects

IMX415: a compact 4K choice for security and industrial video

IMX678: a popular STARVIS 2 4K low-light model

IMX273: industrial machine vision cares more about global shutter

IMX766: a phone main-camera sensor, not a good beginner module for development boards

Other common Sony IMX models on Taobao

IMX290

IMX462

IMX477

IMX585

IMX708

Do not select only by the IMX model name

Taobao buying advice

Final selection notes

References