TechNexion TEVS Camera for Raspberry Pi 5

Introduction

TechNexion Embedded Vision Solutions provide embedded system developers access to high-performance, industrial-grade camera solutions to accelerate their time to market for embedded vision projects.

Support Camera Modules

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Supported Raspberry Pi

• Raspberry Pi 5

Support System Version

• Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) 2024-03-15 [kernel 6.6.y]

Install TN Camera on Raspberry Pi

Adaptor for Raspberry Pi Camera

TEVS-RPI22 Adapter for TEVS

Connect TEVS camera and TEVS-RPI22 adapter to Raspberry Pi 5 - "CAM/DISP 1" directly.

Method 1 - Using Technexion Pre-built modules

1. Make a SD card with "Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) 2024-03-15 [kernel 6.6.y]" with Raspberry Pi Imager.

2. Boot RPI5 with SD card.

3. Download pre-built modules.

wget https://download.technexion.com/demo_software/EVK/RPI/RPI5/pre-built-modules/latest/tn_camera_module_rpi5_6.6.y.tar.gz

4. Uncompress the modules.

tar -xf tn_camera_module_rpi5_6.6.y.tar.gz

5. Run installation script.

cd tn_camera_module_rpi5_6.6.y/
sh tn_install.sh
****** TechNexion Camera Driver Installation ******
This installation is easy to install TechnNexion Camera Drivers for Raspberry Pi 5.
Before start to install camera driver, You should BACKUP your image and config
to avoid any file you lost while installing process.
Do you want to continue?[Y/n]y
Continuing with the installation...
Install TN-CAM modules: tevs.ko.xz
Installed TN-CAM module file Done.
Install TN-CAM DTBO file: tevs-rpi22.dtbo
Installed TN-CAM DTBO file Done.
Add TN-CAM Configuration for modules: tevs
Install TN-CAM service...
Launch TN-CAM Service...
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/tn_cam.service → /etc/systemd/system/tn_cam.service.
Finish Camera Driver Installation. Return Code:[1]
You should Reboot Device to enable TEVS Cameras.
Do you want to reboot now?[Y/n]y
Rebooting....

Method 2 - Build drivers from source code (cross-compiling)

1. You can reference Raspberrypi Documentation - Building the kernel.

2. Make sure the dependencies are installed.

sudo apt install -y git bc bison flex libssl-dev make libc6-dev libncurses5-dev

# Install the 64-bit toolchain for a 64-bit kernel
sudo apt install -y crossbuild-essential-arm64

3. Get the kernel sources

# raspberrypi linux kerbel
git clone --depth=1 -b rpi-6.6.y https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux

# technexion rpi camera driver
git clone --depth=1 -b tn_rpi_kernel-6.6 https://github.com/TechNexion-Vision/tn-rpi-camera-driver.git

4. Copy TN rpi camera driver to raspberrypi linux kernel

cp -rv tn-rpi-camera-driver/drivers/media/i2c/* linux/drivers/media/i2c/
cp -rv tn-rpi-camera-driver/arch/arm64/boot/dts/overlays/* linux/arch/arm64/boot/dts/overlays/

5. Build sources

cd linux
KERNEL=kernel_2712

# default configuration
make distclean
make ARCH=arm64 CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu- bcm2712_defconfig

configuring camera and building kernel image.

# config camera
make menuconfig
# -> Device Drivers
#   -> Multimedia support
#     -> Media ancillary drivers
#       -> Camera sensor devices
#         -> TechNexion TEVS sensor support
#            Set "VIDEO_TEVS" to module,
#            Press "m", save to original name (.config) and exit

# build kernel
mkdir -p modules
MODULE_PATH=./modules
make ARCH=arm64 CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu- LOCALVERSION="-tn-raspi" -j$(nproc) Image modules dtbs
sudo make ARCH=arm64 CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu- INSTALL_MOD_PATH=$MODULE_PATH modules_install

6. Plug in the SD card which burned "Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) 2024-03-15 [kernel 6.6.y]" to PC

7. Install onto the SD card

sudo cp arch/arm64/boot/Image /media/$(users)/bootfs/$KERNEL.img
sudo cp arch/arm64/boot/dts/broadcom/*.dtb /media/$(users)/bootfs
sudo cp arch/arm64/boot/dts/overlays/*.dtb* /media/$(users)/bootfs/overlays/
sudo cp arch/arm64/boot/dts/overlays/README /media/$(users)/bootfs/overlays/
# you can use "make kernelversion" to check kernel version 
sudo cp -ra modules/lib/modules/$(make kernelversion)-v8-16k-tn-raspi/ /media/$(users)/rootfs/lib/modules/.
sync

8. Boot RPI4 with SD card.

9. Modify the config.txt file to add the camera configuraion.

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

# Automatically load overlays for detected cameras
> camera_auto_detect=0
> dtoverlay=tevs-rpi22

Modify camera_auto_detect=0 and add dtoverlay=tevs-rpi22 after the line.
Then Ctrl+s to save file and Ctrl+x to exit.

10. Ensure dependent modules loading order.

sudo touch /etc/modprobe.d/tevs.conf
sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/tevs.conf
> softdep tevs pre: gpio_pca953x

Add a configuration file for loading dependent modules.
Then Ctrl+s to save file and Ctrl+x to exit.

11. Restart system.

sudo reboot

Bring up Camera by GStreamer

If you succeed in initialing the camera, you can follow the steps to open the camera.
RPi5 always requires Media Controller to configure the pipeline as the front end is more complex since you can't just drive it from /dev/video0.

1. Check the media device.

   Note:

   The /dev/media node number (for example /dev/media0) may not be the same in your system, as they are not fixed allocations. We use “/dev/media0“ in our example below.

   If the node number is correct, you can find the entity name “tevs 4-0048“ in the device topology.

   media-ctl -d /dev/media0 -p
   Device topology
   - entity 1: csi2 (8 pads, 8 links)
               type V4L2 subdev subtype Unknown flags 0
               device node name /dev/v4l-subdev0
           pad0: Sink
                   [fmt:SRGGB10_1X10/640x480 field:none colorspace:raw xfer:none ycbcr:601 quantization:full-range]
                   <- "tevs 4-0048":0 [ENABLED,IMMUTABLE]
           pad1: Sink
                   [fmt:unknown/16384x1 field:none]
           pad2: Sink
                   [fmt:SRGGB10_1X10/640x480 field:none colorspace:raw xfer:none ycbcr:601 quantization:full-range]
           pad3: Sink
                   [fmt:SRGGB10_1X10/640x480 field:none colorspace:raw xfer:none ycbcr:601 quantization:full-range]
           pad4: Source
                   [fmt:SRGGB10_1X10/640x480 field:none colorspace:raw xfer:none ycbcr:601 quantization:full-range]
                   -> "rp1-cfe-csi2_ch0":0 []
                   -> "pisp-fe":0 []
           pad5: Source
                   [fmt:unknown/16384x1 field:none]
                   -> "rp1-cfe-embedded":0 []
           pad6: Source
                   [fmt:SRGGB10_1X10/640x480 field:none colorspace:raw xfer:none ycbcr:601 quantization:full-range]
                   -> "rp1-cfe-csi2_ch2":0 []
                   -> "pisp-fe":0 []
           pad7: Source
                   [fmt:SRGGB10_1X10/640x480 field:none colorspace:raw xfer:none ycbcr:601 quantization:full-range]
                   -> "rp1-cfe-csi2_ch3":0 []
                   -> "pisp-fe":0 []
   
   - entity 10: pisp-fe (5 pads, 7 links)
                type V4L2 subdev subtype Unknown flags 0
                device node name /dev/v4l-subdev1
           pad0: Sink
                   [fmt:SRGGB16_1X16/640x480 field:none colorspace:raw xfer:none ycbcr:601 quantization:full-range]
                   <- "csi2":4 []
                   <- "csi2":6 []
                   <- "csi2":7 []
           pad1: Sink
                   [fmt:FIXED/16384x1 field:none]
                   <- "rp1-cfe-fe_config":0 []
           pad2: Source
                   [fmt:SRGGB16_1X16/640x480 field:none colorspace:raw xfer:none ycbcr:601 quantization:full-range]
                   -> "rp1-cfe-fe_image0":0 []
           pad3: Source
                   [fmt:SRGGB16_1X16/640x480 field:none colorspace:raw xfer:none ycbcr:601 quantization:full-range]
                   -> "rp1-cfe-fe_image1":0 []
           pad4: Source
                   [fmt:FIXED/16384x1 field:none]
                   -> "rp1-cfe-fe_stats":0 []
   
   - entity 16: tevs 4-0048 (1 pad, 1 link)
                type V4L2 subdev subtype Sensor flags 0
                device node name /dev/v4l-subdev2
           pad0: Source
                   [fmt:UYVY8_1X16/640x480@1/30 field:none colorspace:srgb xfer:srgb ycbcr:601 quantization:full-range
                    crop.bounds:(0,0)/640x480
                    crop:(0,0)/640x480]
                   -> "csi2":0 [ENABLED,IMMUTABLE]
   
   ...
   

2. Install GStreamer. (only for the first time)

   sudo apt-get install -y libgstreamer1.0-dev libgstreamer-plugins-base1.0-dev libgstreamer-plugins-bad1.0-dev \
   gstreamer1.0-plugins-base gstreamer1.0-plugins-base-apps gstreamer1.0-plugins-good gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad \
   gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-tools gstreamer1.0-x gstreamer1.0-alsa gstreamer1.0-gl \
   gstreamer1.0-gtk3 gstreamer1.0-pulseaudio

3. Enable csi2 link for video0 node.

   media-ctl -d /dev/media0 -l '1:4 -> '\''rp1-cfe-csi2_ch0'\'':0 [1]'

4. List camera formats, resolutions and frame interval.

   Note:

   You can find “/dev/v4l-subdev2“ in entity of tevs 4-0048.

   # formats
   v4l2-ctl -d /dev/v4l-subdev2 --list-subdev-mbus-codes
   ioctl: VIDIOC_SUBDEV_ENUM_MBUS_CODE (pad=0)
           0x200f: MEDIA_BUS_FMT_UYVY8_1X16
   
   # resolutions
   v4l2-ctl -d /dev/v4l-subdev2 --list-subdev-framesize code=0x200f
   ioctl: VIDIOC_SUBDEV_ENUM_FRAME_SIZE (pad=0)
           Size Range: 640x480 - 640x480
           Size Range: 1280x720 - 1280x720
           Size Range: 1280x800 - 1280x800
   
   # frame interval of resolution
   v4l2-ctl -d /dev/v4l-subdev2 --list-subdev-frameintervals width=640,height=480,code=0x200f
   ioctl: VIDIOC_SUBDEV_ENUM_FRAME_INTERVAL (pad=0)
           Interval: 0.017s (60.000 fps)
   
   v4l2-ctl -d /dev/v4l-subdev2 --list-subdev-frameintervals width=1280,height=720,code=0x200f
   ioctl: VIDIOC_SUBDEV_ENUM_FRAME_INTERVAL (pad=0)
           Interval: 0.017s (60.000 fps)
   
   v4l2-ctl -d /dev/v4l-subdev2 --list-subdev-frameintervals width=1280,height=800,code=0x200f
   ioctl: VIDIOC_SUBDEV_ENUM_FRAME_INTERVAL (pad=0)
           Interval: 0.017s (60.000 fps)
   

5. Bring up the camera (/dev/video0) with 640x480 by Gstreamer pipeline.

   media-ctl -d /dev/media0 -V '16:0 [fmt:UYVY8_1X16/640x480 field:none colorspace:srgb xfer:srgb ycbcr:601]'
   DISPLAY=:0 gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! \
   "video/x-raw, format=(string)UYVY, width=(int)640, height=(int)480" ! \
   fpsdisplaysink video-sink=glimagesink sync=false

6. Change resolution with 1280x720 and bring up by Gstreamer pipeline directly.

   media-ctl -d /dev/media0 -V '16:0 [fmt:UYVY8_1X16/1280x720 field:none colorspace:srgb xfer:srgb ycbcr:601]'
   DISPLAY=:0 gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! \
   "video/x-raw, format=(string)UYVY, width=(int)1280, height=(int)720" ! \
   fpsdisplaysink video-sink=glimagesink sync=false

Troubleshooting

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