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Most of the important features and registers are now documented, however there are still some mysterious registers...
The software support is far from complete, there exists a simple kernel module that sends the isochronous data to user level. All processing and controlling is done in an user level application. There's no Video4Linux-support (but see below!) nor great adjustment options, as this was just a weekend project...
The quick-hack software allows the resolutions 176*144 and 352*288 (the camera's maximum) and works on 24Bit/16Bit Displays.
Mark Cave-Ayland (mca198@ecs.soton.ac.uk) wrote the PB0100 support, it works for his setup (TM).
There are apparently two versions, my camera has the Hewlett-Packard/Agilent sensor HDCS1000, there's no datasheet available on their webpage, but I got one from Agilent, Germany (download here). The I2C-address is 0xAA.
The other sensor seems to be the Photobit PB-0100, the datasheet is on here , the I2C-address is 0xBA. The chip is packaged in a lead-less PLCC case, whereas the HDCS1000 has "gull-wing" pins.
Here are two scans of the PCB, the HP-sensor HDCS1000, and the ASIC STV0600.
The Photobit version looks different: Photobit PB-0100 sensor (28 pins!) and the ASIC STV0600.
There exists also a "LEGO-Cam" made by Logitech, using an VV6410 sensor (note the 36 pins!) by ST-VVL and the STV610 ASIC. The LEGO-Cam has also a microphone, a LED and a button built-in. This camera is not supported now, since it delivers compressed data in an unknown format!
The sensors are controlled via an I2C-bus from the STV0600, which gets the data from the PC.
Both sensors are NOT compatible (hardware and software), so the I2C control stuff in my "driver" works for the HDCS1000-sensor only!
The HDCS1000-sensor is so low-cost, that it even has no exposure control, this has to be done in software. The Photobit sensor has this capability.
SETUP:
40 04 LL HH 00 00 SS SS (DATA)
Writes SSSS bytes of data to register HHLL. SSSS is usually 1 or 2
SETUP:
C0 04 LL HH 00 00 SS SS ->(DATA)
Reads SSSS bytes of data of register HHLL.
The (guessed) meanings of the registers:
| Address | Function |
| 0x0423 | ? |
| 0x1410 | I2C read value |
| 0x1440 | Enable ISO-streaming (1) |
| 0x1443 | Sort of scan rate... |
| 0x1500 | |
| 0x1501 | Value seems to be ignored, but set by Windows |
| 0x1502 | Value seems to be ignored, but set by Windows |
| 0x1503 | ? |
| 0x1504 | ? |
| 0x15c1/0x15c2 | Max. ISO packet size L/H |
| 0x15c3 | Y-Control, 1: 288 lines, 2: 144 lines |
| 0x1680 | X-Control, 0xa: 352 columns, 6: 176 columns |
SETUP:
40 04 00 04 00 00 23 00 (35 Bytes of Data)
DATA:
16 Bytes of I2C-Registers
16 Bytes of Values
(I2C-Address) (Number of values-1) (CMD)
CMD: 01 for I2C-write, 03 for I2C Read
For I2C-Read the lowest bit of the I2C-address has to be set and the read value seems to be located in STV0600-register 0x1410.
The write command allows multiple registers to be written with on control transfer. For accessing the gain and shutter controls this feature is necessary, otherwise the stream gets out of sync...
The (guessed) meanings of the HDCS1000-registers:
| Address | Function |
| 01 | |
| 06 | ? !!!!!!!! |
| 08 | ? -------- |
| 0a | ? m-1-R--- |
| 0c | ? ------x- |
| 10 | ? -------- |
| 12 | ADC precision mask(1-10Bit) ----bbbb |
| 14 | Starty *4, sensor window to be read out |
| 16 | Startx *4 |
| 18 | Height *4 |
| 1a | Width *4 |
| 1c | frame rate/integration time? |
| 1e | Gain Green1 |
| 20 | Gain Red |
| 22 | Gain Blue |
| 24 | Gain Green2 |
| 26 | Shutter L (larger->longer) |
| 28 | Shutter H |
| 2a | Exposure L? |
| 2c | Exposure H? increasing causes "stripes" |
| 2e | ? --mmx-we |
| 30 | ? Enable (4) -----x!! |
| 32 | contrast/colour? !!!!!!!! |
| 34 | ? 0------- |
| 36 | ? ---mm!!! |
| 38 | ? -----!!! |
quickcamex.o: The kernel driver, it depends on USB support (>2.2.14 with USB-Backport or >2.3.99). After insmoding, install the device with "mknod /dev/quick c 180 80". The driver just outputs the data stream to /dev/quick and allows control messages to be sent to the device.
quickcam: The viewer. Without any option, the resolution is 352*288, with option "1" it displays 176*144. Only 24Bit/16Bit displays are supported, for 16Bit you may have to fiddle with the RGB ordering before set_pixel16().
Version history:
V0.23: Now the init for both sensors really works...
V0.22: Fixed reset problems
V0.21: PB0100 support by Mark, 16bit, Legocam detection, cleanups
V0.11: Fixed Photobit detection...
V0.1: Control messages that read are now implemented. They are used
to discern the both sensors (I2C-address BA vs. AA) and abort if no
HDCS1000 sensor is found.
Fix for 2.2.x (owner field).
Register naming now based on the HP data sheet.
V0.0: Start
You can have a look at the init code and some pre-decoded prictures: quickcam-experimental.tgz.

Me and my creative chaos:

LINKS:
USB project at the TU München
Main page for Linux-USB
| Georg Acher |
Last Update: 2002-01-20
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