SBC GNU/Linux boards with (RPI)-CSI-2 interface? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 02:29:54 pm
content: I know the RPI and CM4 have a CSI-2 interace (camera in).I wonder if there are other SBCs with the same interace

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 02:31:20 pm
content: RPI: CSI-2: 15pin, 2 chsCM4: CSI-2: 22pin, 4 chs

author: woofy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 02:47:14 pm
content: I don't have a specific recommendation, but this guy has reviewed loads of SBC's.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2m2YvnrOYxLq2nlNjUxMaaRxUYKZSk28Maybe one of these is suitable.

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 03:09:43 pm
content: Quote from: woofy on October 19, 2023, 02:47:14 pmYup. I will check, and probably also ask on his channel.the ideal scenario would be:s/ATA port, CSI-2 port, serial port, Ethernet 1000Mbps port, without other things I don't need.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 03:40:46 pm
content: Not all MIPI CSI camera modules are compatible with all boards. Many Allwinner and Rockchip SoCs do have MIPI CSI buses.Odroid M1 (see 5MPOV5647 kit), and various Orange Pi models do have MIPI CSI connectors. I thinkOrange Pi 4(including Orange Pi CM4 with thebase board) can support two CSI cameras simultaneously.Quote from: DiTBho on October 19, 2023, 03:09:43 pmWeeeeeeell,Odroid M1has PCIe NVME M.2 2280 SSD slot, SATA + Power (but 5V only), MIPI CSI 2-lane, MIPI DSI for an LCD display, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, UART for system console, two additional UARTs onpins(one with RTS/CTS hardware handshaking if desired; all digital pins use 3.3V logic, analog pins are limited to 1.8V), NPU for camera processing via TensorFlow Lite and ONNX, <5W power consumption. For connecting to other via UART (as opposed to RS-232), I do recommend using TI ISO6721 isolators (my example board) that also acts as a level shifter. For true RS-232, you'll also want a transceiver per UART, for example theWaveshare RS232.

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 07:00:15 pm
content: Quote from: Nominal Animal on October 19, 2023, 03:40:46 pmThat's precisely the point: pin-to-pin and functionally compatibile with RPI CSI-2 modules?I am tempted to buy a CM4 + adapter for a project.Meanwhile, I am still hacking an other device. I have already mapped 40% of the USB packets, and I have to sniff stuff on Windows and then analyze it on Linux to prepar a userland-driver. It somehow already works.The other project, the CSI-2 one, would be much simpler on the software side, even if on the hw side it does not have the same quality as the other device.I think I will develop both

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2023, 05:59:37 am
content: Quote from: DiTBho on October 19, 2023, 07:00:15 pmWithwhich Raspberry Pi, though? For example, the RPi Zero camera modules tend not to be compatible with other Pis.For Raspberry Pi Zero, the most compatible non-Broadcom one I know of is probablyBanana Pi BPI-M2 Zerousing Allwinner H3.For the others, just look at the many different ways one can use the OV5640 5MP camera module in the exact same form factor.TheOrange Pi moduleis basically optimized for Allwinner H3 SoC. TheAdafruit breakoutuses a 8-bit parallel bus. TheWaveshare USB Cameraone uses USB and UVC (and is basically a webcam).It can even be used withRaspberry Pi 4via V4L.

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2023, 10:16:34 am
content: Quote from: Nominal Animal on October 20, 2023, 05:59:37 amYup,the CSI-2 interface on RPI is 15pin, 2 chsthe CSI-2 interface on CM4 is 22pin, 4 chsI can support only these two, as already both implemented on my side.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2023, 11:11:57 am
content: Quote from: DiTBho on October 20, 2023, 10:16:34 amIt isnotjust the pin count. Different models of 'Pi support a different set of camera modules –– more specifically, the exact image formats supported varies from Pi model to model ––, and it is not just the number of pins on the MIPI CSI interface exposed. Put bluntly, you can have a 15-pin MIPI CSI connector that works on some Pi models and not on others.

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2023, 12:21:36 pm
content: So, it would be better to buy a CM4 module, as it should be 100% supported.Let's check it out.