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1.. -*- coding: utf-8; mode: rst -*-
2
3.. include:: <isonum.txt>
4.. _v4l2spec:
5
6############################
7Part I - Video for Linux API
8############################
9
10This part describes the Video for Linux API version 2 (V4L2 API) specification.
11
12**Revision 4.5**
13
14.. class:: toc-title
15
16        Table of Contents
17
18.. toctree::
19    :numbered:
20    :maxdepth: 5
21
22    common
23    pixfmt
24    io
25    devices
26    driver
27    libv4l
28    compat
29    user-func
30    common-defs
31    videodev
32    capture-example
33    v4l2grab-example
34    biblio
35
36
37**********************
38Revision and Copyright
39**********************
40
41Authors, in alphabetical order:
42
43- Ailus, Sakari <sakari.ailus@iki.fi>
44
45  - Subdev selections API.
46
47- Carvalho Chehab, Mauro <m.chehab@kernel.org>
48
49  - Documented libv4l, designed and added v4l2grab example, Remote Controller chapter.
50
51- Dirks, Bill
52
53  - Original author of the V4L2 API and documentation.
54
55- H Schimek, Michael <mschimek@gmx.at>
56
57  - Original author of the V4L2 API and documentation.
58
59- Karicheri, Muralidharan <m-karicheri2@ti.com>
60
61  - Documented the Digital Video timings API.
62
63- Osciak, Pawel <pawel@osciak.com>
64
65  - Designed and documented the multi-planar API.
66
67- Palosaari, Antti <crope@iki.fi>
68
69  - SDR API.
70
71- Rubli, Martin
72
73  - Designed and documented the VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMESIZES and VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMEINTERVALS ioctls.
74
75- Walls, Andy <awalls@md.metrocast.net>
76
77  - Documented the fielded V4L2_MPEG_STREAM_VBI_FMT_IVTV MPEG stream embedded, sliced VBI data format in this specification.
78
79- Verkuil, Hans <hverkuil@xs4all.nl>
80
81  - Designed and documented the VIDIOC_LOG_STATUS ioctl, the extended control ioctls, major parts of the sliced VBI API, the MPEG encoder and decoder APIs and the DV Timings API.
82
83**Copyright** |copy| 1999-2016: Bill Dirks, Michael H. Schimek, Hans Verkuil, Martin Rubli, Andy Walls, Muralidharan Karicheri, Mauro Carvalho Chehab, Pawel Osciak, Sakari Ailus & Antti Palosaari.
84
85Except when explicitly stated as GPL, programming examples within this
86part can be used and distributed without restrictions.
87
88****************
89Revision History
90****************
91
92:revision: 4.5 / 2015-10-29 (*rr*)
93
94Extend VIDIOC_G_EXT_CTRLS;. Replace ctrl_class with a new union with
95ctrl_class and which. Which is used to select the current value of the
96control or the default value.
97
98
99:revision: 4.4 / 2015-05-26 (*ap*)
100
101Renamed V4L2_TUNER_ADC to V4L2_TUNER_SDR. Added
102V4L2_CID_RF_TUNER_RF_GAIN control. Added transmitter support for
103Software Defined Radio (SDR) Interface.
104
105
106:revision: 4.1 / 2015-02-13 (*mcc*)
107
108Fix documentation for media controller device nodes and add support for
109DVB device nodes. Add support for Tuner sub-device.
110
111
112:revision: 3.19 / 2014-12-05 (*hv*)
113
114Rewrote Colorspace chapter, added new enum
115:c:type:`v4l2_ycbcr_encoding` and enum
116:c:type:`v4l2_quantization` fields to struct
117:c:type:`v4l2_pix_format`, struct
118:c:type:`v4l2_pix_format_mplane` and struct
119:c:type:`v4l2_mbus_framefmt`.
120
121
122:revision: 3.17 / 2014-08-04 (*lp, hv*)
123
124Extended struct :c:type:`v4l2_pix_format`. Added
125format flags. Added compound control types and VIDIOC_QUERY_EXT_CTRL.
126
127
128:revision: 3.15 / 2014-02-03 (*hv, ap*)
129
130Update several sections of "Common API Elements": "Opening and Closing
131Devices" "Querying Capabilities", "Application Priority", "Video Inputs
132and Outputs", "Audio Inputs and Outputs" "Tuners and Modulators", "Video
133Standards" and "Digital Video (DV) Timings". Added SDR API.
134
135
136:revision: 3.14 / 2013-11-25 (*rr*)
137
138Set width and height as unsigned on v4l2_rect.
139
140
141:revision: 3.11 / 2013-05-26 (*hv*)
142
143Remove obsolete VIDIOC_DBG_G_CHIP_IDENT ioctl.
144
145
146:revision: 3.10 / 2013-03-25 (*hv*)
147
148Remove obsolete and unused DV_PRESET ioctls: VIDIOC_G_DV_PRESET,
149VIDIOC_S_DV_PRESET, VIDIOC_QUERY_DV_PRESET and
150VIDIOC_ENUM_DV_PRESET. Remove the related v4l2_input/output
151capability flags V4L2_IN_CAP_PRESETS and V4L2_OUT_CAP_PRESETS.
152Added VIDIOC_DBG_G_CHIP_INFO.
153
154
155:revision: 3.9 / 2012-12-03 (*sa, sn*)
156
157Added timestamp types to v4l2_buffer. Added
158V4L2_EVENT_CTRL_CH_RANGE control event changes flag.
159
160
161:revision: 3.6 / 2012-07-02 (*hv*)
162
163Added VIDIOC_ENUM_FREQ_BANDS.
164
165
166:revision: 3.5 / 2012-05-07 (*sa, sn, hv*)
167
168Added V4L2_CTRL_TYPE_INTEGER_MENU and V4L2 subdev selections API.
169Improved the description of V4L2_CID_COLORFX control, added
170V4L2_CID_COLORFX_CBCR control. Added camera controls
171V4L2_CID_AUTO_EXPOSURE_BIAS,
172V4L2_CID_AUTO_N_PRESET_WHITE_BALANCE,
173V4L2_CID_IMAGE_STABILIZATION, V4L2_CID_ISO_SENSITIVITY,
174V4L2_CID_ISO_SENSITIVITY_AUTO, V4L2_CID_EXPOSURE_METERING,
175V4L2_CID_SCENE_MODE, V4L2_CID_3A_LOCK,
176V4L2_CID_AUTO_FOCUS_START, V4L2_CID_AUTO_FOCUS_STOP,
177V4L2_CID_AUTO_FOCUS_STATUS and V4L2_CID_AUTO_FOCUS_RANGE. Added
178VIDIOC_ENUM_DV_TIMINGS, VIDIOC_QUERY_DV_TIMINGS and
179VIDIOC_DV_TIMINGS_CAP.
180
181
182:revision: 3.4 / 2012-01-25 (*sn*)
183
184Added :ref:`JPEG compression control class. <jpeg-controls>`
185
186
187:revision: 3.3 / 2012-01-11 (*hv*)
188
189Added device_caps field to struct v4l2_capabilities.
190
191
192:revision: 3.2 / 2011-08-26 (*hv*)
193
194Added V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_VOLATILE.
195
196
197:revision: 3.1 / 2011-06-27 (*mcc, po, hv*)
198
199Documented that VIDIOC_QUERYCAP now returns a per-subsystem version
200instead of a per-driver one. Standardize an error code for invalid
201ioctl. Added V4L2_CTRL_TYPE_BITMASK.
202
203
204:revision: 2.6.39 / 2011-03-01 (*mcc, po*)
205
206Removed VIDIOC_*_OLD from videodev2.h header and update it to reflect
207latest changes. Added the :ref:`multi-planar API <planar-apis>`.
208
209
210:revision: 2.6.37 / 2010-08-06 (*hv*)
211
212Removed obsolete vtx (videotext) API.
213
214
215:revision: 2.6.33 / 2009-12-03 (*mk*)
216
217Added documentation for the Digital Video timings API.
218
219
220:revision: 2.6.32 / 2009-08-31 (*mcc*)
221
222Now, revisions will match the kernel version where the V4L2 API changes
223will be used by the Linux Kernel. Also added Remote Controller chapter.
224
225
226:revision: 0.29 / 2009-08-26 (*ev*)
227
228Added documentation for string controls and for FM Transmitter controls.
229
230
231:revision: 0.28 / 2009-08-26 (*gl*)
232
233Added V4L2_CID_BAND_STOP_FILTER documentation.
234
235
236:revision: 0.27 / 2009-08-15 (*mcc*)
237
238Added libv4l and Remote Controller documentation; added v4l2grab and
239keytable application examples.
240
241
242:revision: 0.26 / 2009-07-23 (*hv*)
243
244Finalized the RDS capture API. Added modulator and RDS encoder
245capabilities. Added support for string controls.
246
247
248:revision: 0.25 / 2009-01-18 (*hv*)
249
250Added pixel formats VYUY, NV16 and NV61, and changed the debug ioctls
251VIDIOC_DBG_G/S_REGISTER and VIDIOC_DBG_G_CHIP_IDENT. Added camera
252controls V4L2_CID_ZOOM_ABSOLUTE, V4L2_CID_ZOOM_RELATIVE,
253V4L2_CID_ZOOM_CONTINUOUS and V4L2_CID_PRIVACY.
254
255
256:revision: 0.24 / 2008-03-04 (*mhs*)
257
258Added pixel formats Y16 and SBGGR16, new controls and a camera controls
259class. Removed VIDIOC_G/S_MPEGCOMP.
260
261
262:revision: 0.23 / 2007-08-30 (*mhs*)
263
264Fixed a typo in VIDIOC_DBG_G/S_REGISTER. Clarified the byte order of
265packed pixel formats.
266
267
268:revision: 0.22 / 2007-08-29 (*mhs*)
269
270Added the Video Output Overlay interface, new MPEG controls,
271V4L2_FIELD_INTERLACED_TB and V4L2_FIELD_INTERLACED_BT,
272VIDIOC_DBG_G/S_REGISTER, VIDIOC\_(TRY\_)ENCODER_CMD,
273VIDIOC_G_CHIP_IDENT, VIDIOC_G_ENC_INDEX, new pixel formats.
274Clarifications in the cropping chapter, about RGB pixel formats, the
275mmap(), poll(), select(), read() and write() functions. Typographical
276fixes.
277
278
279:revision: 0.21 / 2006-12-19 (*mhs*)
280
281Fixed a link in the VIDIOC_G_EXT_CTRLS section.
282
283
284:revision: 0.20 / 2006-11-24 (*mhs*)
285
286Clarified the purpose of the audioset field in struct v4l2_input and
287v4l2_output.
288
289
290:revision: 0.19 / 2006-10-19 (*mhs*)
291
292Documented V4L2_PIX_FMT_RGB444.
293
294
295:revision: 0.18 / 2006-10-18 (*mhs*)
296
297Added the description of extended controls by Hans Verkuil. Linked
298V4L2_PIX_FMT_MPEG to V4L2_CID_MPEG_STREAM_TYPE.
299
300
301:revision: 0.17 / 2006-10-12 (*mhs*)
302
303Corrected V4L2_PIX_FMT_HM12 description.
304
305
306:revision: 0.16 / 2006-10-08 (*mhs*)
307
308VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMESIZES and VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMEINTERVALS are now part
309of the API.
310
311
312:revision: 0.15 / 2006-09-23 (*mhs*)
313
314Cleaned up the bibliography, added BT.653 and BT.1119.
315capture.c/start_capturing() for user pointer I/O did not initialize the
316buffer index. Documented the V4L MPEG and MJPEG VID_TYPEs and
317V4L2_PIX_FMT_SBGGR8. Updated the list of reserved pixel formats. See
318the history chapter for API changes.
319
320
321:revision: 0.14 / 2006-09-14 (*mr*)
322
323Added VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMESIZES and VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMEINTERVALS proposal
324for frame format enumeration of digital devices.
325
326
327:revision: 0.13 / 2006-04-07 (*mhs*)
328
329Corrected the description of struct v4l2_window clips. New V4L2_STD\_
330and V4L2_TUNER_MODE_LANG1_LANG2 defines.
331
332
333:revision: 0.12 / 2006-02-03 (*mhs*)
334
335Corrected the description of struct v4l2_captureparm and
336v4l2_outputparm.
337
338
339:revision: 0.11 / 2006-01-27 (*mhs*)
340
341Improved the description of struct v4l2_tuner.
342
343
344:revision: 0.10 / 2006-01-10 (*mhs*)
345
346VIDIOC_G_INPUT and VIDIOC_S_PARM clarifications.
347
348
349:revision: 0.9 / 2005-11-27 (*mhs*)
350
351Improved the 525 line numbering diagram. Hans Verkuil and I rewrote the
352sliced VBI section. He also contributed a VIDIOC_LOG_STATUS page.
353Fixed VIDIOC_S_STD call in the video standard selection example.
354Various updates.
355
356
357:revision: 0.8 / 2004-10-04 (*mhs*)
358
359Somehow a piece of junk slipped into the capture example, removed.
360
361
362:revision: 0.7 / 2004-09-19 (*mhs*)
363
364Fixed video standard selection, control enumeration, downscaling and
365aspect example. Added read and user pointer i/o to video capture
366example.
367
368
369:revision: 0.6 / 2004-08-01 (*mhs*)
370
371v4l2_buffer changes, added video capture example, various corrections.
372
373
374:revision: 0.5 / 2003-11-05 (*mhs*)
375
376Pixel format erratum.
377
378
379:revision: 0.4 / 2003-09-17 (*mhs*)
380
381Corrected source and Makefile to generate a PDF. SGML fixes. Added
382latest API changes. Closed gaps in the history chapter.
383
384
385:revision: 0.3 / 2003-02-05 (*mhs*)
386
387Another draft, more corrections.
388
389
390:revision: 0.2 / 2003-01-15 (*mhs*)
391
392Second draft, with corrections pointed out by Gerd Knorr.
393
394
395:revision: 0.1 / 2002-12-01 (*mhs*)
396
397First draft, based on documentation by Bill Dirks and discussions on the
398V4L mailing list.
399