Hi

I am working in a project that use Omnivision's OV7740 image sensor with AT91SAM9XE512 processor. Using AT91LIB, I successfully could initialize OV7740, ISI, DMA, etc... and I can capture frames at QVGA ( up to 120 FPS ) and VGA ( up to 30 FPS ) formats to a SDRAM buffer. All running perfectly. I am using AT91SAM9XE-EK evaluation board and GCC+Eclipse environment to develop applications.

Now I need to port all things to Linux.

But, I didn't find any ISI and OV7740 linux driver available.

Any help or advice will welcome.

Thanks.

Can you share your code? There is an ISI driver for the linux kernel, it is part of the 2.6.27 Linux4sam experimental kernel patch, perhaps you can merge your OV7740 initialization into the driver code? I'm working on an IP camera project using the at91sam9g series ('g20,'g25 or 'g45) processor.

Yes, I can share the code. As a matter of fact, it is the example in the package 5 of AT91SAM9XEEK with some additions, and using AT91LIB routines. Tell me what you need and I can post it to you.
Yes, I found the ISI linux driver in the 2.6.27 kernel version. In this right moment, I am adapting the OV9655 linux driver to OV7740 image sensor. Curiously I didn't find any ISI support in higher kernel version, such 2.6.30. May be I am doing something wrong when patching the kernel.
Did you already used ISI under Linux 2.6.30?

[quote="serkam"]Yes, I can share the code. As a matter of fact, it is the example in the package 5 of AT91SAM9XEEK with some additions, and using AT91LIB routines. Tell me what you need and I can post it to you.
Yes, I found the ISI linux driver in the 2.6.27 kernel version. In this right moment, I am adapting the OV9655 linux driver to OV7740 image sensor. Curiously I didn't find any ISI support in higher kernel version, such 2.6.30. May be I am doing something wrong when patching the kernel.
Did you already used ISI under Linux 2.6.30?[/quote]
Actually I'm still just fighting sam-ba trying to re-flash an at91sam9g45ek-es dev board with a stock kernel downloaded from linux4sam. The only way I can connect to the board without bluescreening my XP computer is with the sam-ice. I can't get the linux version of sam-ba to connect at all (no sam-ice support in linux for sam-ba??)

Anyway, from what I've read the ONLY version of the kernel that an ISI driver exists for is the 2.6.27 version. The patches for 2.6.30 REMOVED the ISI driver (as per the release notes) and I don't think it has re-appeared since then. SO we are on our own to get the version in 2.6.27 ported to later kernels.

I don't (yet) know which camera module we will end up using but it will probably be one of the OV series, probably VGA or SVGA, though I think we may end up running only QVGA or VGA resolution at the most.

I experimented with the use of FFserver and FFMPEG to stream a webcam using a desktop Ubuntu (actually Linux Mint) system, I now need to port this to an embedded arm system using the video4linux drivers and the necessary kernel ISI driver. However, this will be my very first time doing a LOT of things, including installing an embedded arm linux of any kind, building an embedded kernel and file system. (I've compiled kernels before in the days before plug-n-play distros such as ubuntu). So I will need all the guidance I can get! Thank you.

Well, I have no experience in other Atmel's processors, but AT91SAM9XE512. But, I already had lot of troubles to realize how to use the SAM-BA.

SAM-BA only connects to the processor when the internal bit "boot from flash" is erased ( AT91SAM9XE512 has 512K internal flash ), otherwise, it can't connect to. When this bit is erased, the internal BOOT ROM is active and talks with SAM-BA.

Look for some similar bit in your processor. May be it is not erased, so, internal BOOT ROM isn't active and SAM-BA does not talk with it. When internal BOOT ROM is active, you can see the message ">bootROM" in the console connected to DEBUG serial interface. So, when you get it, try SAM-BA.

In time, I am using XP too and SAM-BA works fine here.

Good luck.

My problem seems to be with the USB windows driver to connect to SAM-BA.

The processor I'm using does NOT have on board flash, so getting into the bootstrap is only a matter of un-jumpering the CS for the off board flash (nand,nor,data, or SD card flash). This at least does work, and I can modify the flash using the sam-ice (at least I managed to ERASE the flash with the jtag!). I've yet to get a working linux image flashed back to the board.

I'd like to see how you modified the ISI kernel driver. I'm sure that the differences between the different OV models are mostly in the register initialization, and maybe the frame buffer sizes. The frame buffer dma code shouldn't need much tweeking (except for size). Figuring out the required register settings would require a good read of the camera module spec sheet. Thankfully Omnivision's documents are fairly well written.

As I said, I din't use other Atmel's processor yet, so, forgive me if I say garbages. But, I think that you have some kind of straps where you can choose how to boot from internal ROM ( internal bootrom ). The only way SAM-BA connects with your processor is through internal bootrom. Is the bootrom that initializes the USB device interface and this the way how SAM-BA can see other devices, such NAND, NOR flashes and so on. You must see in the first line of the first window of SAMBA: USB\arm0

Don't forget to choose your EVB in the second line.

Regarding OV7740, I am confortable about, because I am using and programming this image sensor for a year now, and with a strong support from Omnivision.

But, it is not an easy task to adapt the linux driver. There are some "hidden" details that must be found in other modules, for example, from ISI driver. Anyway, I am in the process right now. I hope next monday, I will have the first draw of OV7740 linux driver.

The problem connecting to the board via usb seems to be on my PC NOT with the board. I do not connect with \usb\arm0, but rather \jlink\jtag using the sam-ice. sam-ba supports this option but the jtag must be connected and powered up before the board, and the board must run though the bootstrap and id the jtag is connected for this to work.
Also if the board is not connected with the jtag or usb you won't see the choice of boards. I selected the correct board. My problem is getting the right image formatted and loaded at the right address, I DID get at91bootstrap and uboot loaded, and they both seem to work.

Let me know how your driver works out when you get further along with it.

Hello ...serkam

This is Raghu ..in my project i am also using ov7740 but i dont kow how to configure the Register values..( VGA_60fps) can u please send me ur ov7740 driver please...


Thank you in advance .