A new camera board for the Beagleboeard XM - Vifff-024

[Hristo Laftchiev]

This is the most sensitive* camera add-on ever produced for the Beagleboard XM (and I think also for the whole Beagle family of boards). Oriented towards computer vision, CCTV etc. applications.
We launched it 2 days ago.
The authors are some crazy physicists, engineers and mathematicians from bas.bg with Visensi start-up. It comes directly with Angstrom mSD, drivers and example for OpenCV use installed. It must work immediately when you open the box.
(providing you put the mSD and the camera module in the right holes and in the right direction).
The important things are:
1. It starts, works immediately (no more asking this group what to do to install the driver etc.) and you do your program job without caring about hardware stuff.
2. Really exceptional sensitivity - we managed to follow and characterize objects in midnight video stream (providing at least half moon illumination) at 3-4 fps, which is enough for CCTV for example. I never saw a Beagleboard XM compatible board with such capability*.
3. Very configurable sensor - we are just beginning to use its most advanced features.
4. You do not need capes and other additional stuff to put it working.
5. One developed and use a Media Controller driver (kernel 3.4), which allows to employ the power of the Image capture processor of the DM3730 co-processor which has many interesting functions - black level calibration, histogram and man others. With older drivers (as those, used in the 2.6 kernels) this is simply not possible.

For now we are selling it at eBay in small series. Just search for Vifff-024 or ViSensi or "camera for Beagleboard" at eBay.com or see for links on our site.

*Please, if somebody doubts it - see the Aptina specifications here , compare with other camera boards and write in the group if you find me wrong. I would like to know it!

[Rick Mann]

Will you be making one for BBB?

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Rick Mann
rm...@latencyzero.com

[Robert Nelson]

On Thu, Dec 18, 2014 at 2:33 AM, Rick Mann <rm...@latencyzero.com> wrote:
> Will you be making one for BBB?

This is using the dedicated camera interface on the xM, the am335x
used on the BBB doesn't contain this IP block, thus would have much
"MUCH" slower performance. (if any performance at all)

Regards,

--
Robert Nelson
http://www.rcn-ee.com/

[Rick Mann]

Oh, I didn't realize a camera port wasn't available on the am335x on the BBB. Hmm. That puts a damper on a different project idea I had. Maybe I'll pick up an xM.

[John Syn]

On 12/18/14, 1:49 PM, "Rick Mann" <rm...@latencyzero.com> wrote:

>Oh, I didn't realize a camera port wasn't available on the am335x on the
>BBB. Hmm. That puts a damper on a different project idea I had. Maybe
>I'll pick up an xM.

Better to wait for the BeagleBoard-X15 which will have the camera
interface.

Regards,
John

[Rick Mann]

> On Dec 18, 2014, at 13:56 , John Syn <john...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Better to wait for the BeagleBoard-X15 which will have the camera
> interface.

Oh, goodness, how long do I have to wait for that beauty?

--
Rick Mann
rm...@latencyzero.com

[John Syn]

On 12/18/14, 1:58 PM, "Rick Mann" <rm...@latencyzero.com> wrote:

>
>> On Dec 18, 2014, at 13:56 , John Syn <john...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Better to wait for the BeagleBoard-X15 which will have the camera
>> interface.
>
>Oh, goodness, how long do I have to wait for that beauty?

Scheduled for Feb, 2015

[Hristo Laftchiev]

I think that the problem with every processor is to manage also the Image Signal Processor, which is
the entry port of the video stream toward the main processor memory space. With the new processor
(compatible with Cortex A-15 but which one? - omap5 or ?) one must redo the drivers for the ISP
and also change the boaromap3beagle.c file in the Linux kernel with appropriate settings
for the camera. I hope also that the camera port will be also pin to pin compatible with the cameras
for Beagleboard XM. So, let me resume:
1. Beagle Bone can have camera attached, but not through the natural ISP of the processor.
2. BBB - I must see.
3. BB-XM is for now the ideal choice from the Beagle family of boards to attach a camera.
4. BB-A15 is in the future and we do not know how much time will take to write the appropriate drivers for the ISP
of the unknown processor. For the BB-XM (DM3730 is OMAP3 architecture), before the drivers became really well functioning
it took 2,5 years of development. The right persons to ask about future camera compatibility of this are J. Kridner or L. Pinchart.
Because the software support for the ISP of the processor is decisive for the appearance of working camera boards for it.
So for now, we stay with BB-XM, which works, it has enough processor power + DSP and is very stable.
Cheers,
Hristo

[John Syn]

From: Hristo Laftchiev <laft...@gmail.com>
Reply-To: "beagl...@googlegroups.com" <beagl...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Thursday, December 18, 2014 at 8:37 PM
To: "beagl...@googlegroups.com" <beagl...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [beagleboard] A new camera board for the Beagleboeard XM - Vifff-024

I think that the problem with every processor is to manage also the Image Signal Processor, which is
the entry port of the video stream toward the main processor memory space. With the new processor
(compatible with Cortex A-15 but which one? - omap5 or ?) one must redo the drivers for the ISP
and also change the boaromap3beagle.c file in the Linux kernel with appropriate settings
for the camera. I hope also that the camera port will be also pin to pin compatible with the cameras
for Beagleboard XM. So, let me resume:
1. Beagle Bone can have camera attached, but not through the natural ISP of the processor.
2. BBB - I must see.
3. BB-XM is for now the ideal choice from the Beagle family of boards to attach a camera.
4. BB-A15 is in the future and we do not know how much time will take to write the appropriate drivers for the ISP
of the unknown processor. For the BB-XM (DM3730 is OMAP3 architecture), before the drivers became really well functioning
it took 2,5 years of development. The right persons to ask about future camera compatibility of this are J. Kridner or L. Pinchart.
Because the software support for the ISP of the processor is decisive for the appearance of working camera boards for it.
So for now, we stay with BB-XM, which works, it has enough processor power + DSP and is very stable.

You raise some good points. Beagleboard-X15 is based on DRA7 architecture which is the next generation after OMAP5 targeted at the Automotive industry (at least that is my understanding). One issue with DM3730 is that there is no SysLink equivalent (RPMSG/REMOTEPROC) that works in Linux Kernels after V3.4, which means you cannot use the DSP unless you implement RPC and Remote DSP load yourself. RPMSG/REMOTEPROC is already working on Beagleboard-X15 and TI expect to push this into mainline early 2015. From what Robert Nelson tells us, Beagleboard-X15 kernel V3.18 is mostly in mainline and there are very few patches. I’ll wait for Robert to respond as to the status of X15 camera support. 

Regards,

John

[Hristo Laftchiev]

We tried to create MT9V034 driver for the OMAP4/Panda board . But the ISP

is based on a smaller ARM core and there were virtually no documentation how

it works. So to change the pandaboard board compatible file in the kernel to accommodate

the camera board was completely impossible.

I suppose that the new ISP (depending what is the processor) could be even more
difficult to implement as a software. Is it so? Somebody to answer?

Hristo

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--

Hristo Laftchiev
Institute of Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy-Sofia

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career.
I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the
game winning shot and missed.
I've failed over and over again in my life.
And that is why I succeed."
        -- Michael Jordan

[roman.p...@gmail.com]

Hristo,

Is this camera board still available and supported? 

I could not find any places where I can order it, 0 listings on eBay and no links at Visensi.

Are there any alternatives?

Thank you,

Roman

[jignes...@gmail.com]

I think they drop out this product