Sony IMX214 Linux Driver

Problems running the pipelines shown on this page? Please see our GStreamer Debugging guide for help.

Sony IMX214 Features

IMX214 is a diagonal 5.867mm(Type 1/3.06) 13 Mega-pixel CMOS active pixel type stacked image sensor with a square pixel array. It adopts Exmor RS™ technology to achieve high speed mage capturing by column parallel A/D converter circuits and high sensitivity and low noise image (comparing with conventional CMOS image sensor) through the backside illuminated imaging pixel structure. R, G, and B pigment primary color mosaic filter is employed. (Taken from Mouser webpage).

IMX214 Linux driver support

• NVIDIA Jetson Nano

IMX214 Linux driver features

Xavier NX

Feature Details SDK Support RAW10 Monochrome Capture L4T 32.5.1 / Jetpack 4.5.1 560x560@360fps 2 Lanes L4T 32.5.1 / Jetpack 4.5.1 560x560@280fps 2 Lanes L4T 32.5.1 / Jetpack 4.5.1 Gain control L4T 32.5.1 / Jetpack 4.5.1 Exposure control L4T 32.5.1 / Jetpack 4.5.1 2 simultaneous cameras L4T 32.5.1 / Jetpack 4.5.1 External trigger mode L4T 32.5.1 / Jetpack 4.5.1 V4l2 Media Controller driver L4T 32.5.1 / Jetpack 4.5.1

Enabling IMX214 Linux Driver

In order to use this driver, you have to patch and compile the kernel source using JetPack:

• Follow the instructions in (Downloading sources) to get the kernel source code.

• Once you have the source code, apply the following patch in order to add the changes required for the ARX3A0 camera at kernel and dtb level.

4.5.1_nx_arx3a0-v0.2.0.patch

• Follow the instructions in (Build Kernel) for building the kernel, and then flash the image.

Make sure to enable ARX3A0 driver support:

make menuconfig

-> Device Drivers                                                                                                                        
  -> Multimedia support                                                                                           
    -> NVIDIA overlay Encoders, decoders, sensors and other helper chips 
       -> <*> ARX3A0 camera sensor support

GStreamer Examples: Testing a ARX3A0 Linux Driver

Capture and Display

gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! video/x-raw,width=560,height=560,format=GRAY16_LE ! videoconvert ! xvimagesink

Video Encoding

RECORDING_FILE="recording.mp4"
gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! video/x-raw,width=560,height=560,format=GRAY16_LE ! videoconvert ! omxh264enc ! h264parse ! qtmux ! filesink location=$RECORDING_FILE_0 -e

The sensor will capture in the 560x560@360 mode and the pipeline will encode the video and save it into a recording.mp4 file.

Dual Capture + Encoding

RECORDING_FILE_0="recording_0.mp4"
RECORDING_FILE_1="recording_1.mp4"
gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! video/x-raw,width=560,height=560,format=GRAY16_LE ! videoconvert ! omxh264enc ! h264parse ! qtmux ! filesink location=$RECORDING_FILE_0 v4l2src device=/dev/video1 ! video/x-raw,width=560,height=560,format=GRAY16_LE ! videoconvert ! omxh264enc ! h264parse ! qtmux ! filesink location=$RECORDING_FILE_1 ! xvimagesink -e

The sensor will capture from 2 cameras in the 560x560@360 mode and the pipeline will encode the videos and save them into recording_0.mp4 and recording_1.mp4 files.

Global Gain Example

The driver allows global gain control.

v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --set-ctrl gain=$GAIN_VALUE

Exposure Example

The driver allows also exposure time control.

v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --set-ctrl exposure=$EXPOSURE_VALUE

Performance of the IMX214 Linux Driver

Using the next pipeline we were able to measure the framerate and CPU load for single capture with perf element:

gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! video/x-raw,width=560,height=560,format=GRAY16_LE ! perf print-arm-load=true ! fakesink

GST-PERF INFO: timestamp 0:03:16.383008862; bps: 1863106560,000; fps: 360,442; cpu: 14; 
GST-PERF INFO: timestamp 0:03:17.384480538; bps: 1863106560,000; fps: 360,470; cpu: 16; 
GST-PERF INFO: timestamp 0:03:18.385772573; bps: 1863106560,000; fps: 360,534; cpu: 14; 
GST-PERF INFO: timestamp 0:03:19.387378203; bps: 1863106560,000; fps: 359,423; cpu: 14; 
GST-PERF INFO: timestamp 0:03:20.388781521; bps: 1857945600,000; fps: 360,494; cpu: 15;

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