[REQUEST] Support imx296 about allsky

[EricClaeys]

@seafurymike,
Allsky doesn't support the imx296 sensor. The next release will provide a message saying that versus saying "camera not found".
Please run the following:

libcamera-still --list-cameras -v
libcamera-still -v --nopreview --timeout 1 --metadata - --shutter 1 --output /dev/null

and post the output. Also, include a URL for camera information and I can look into supporting it in the next release.

[seafurymike]

Here is the output requested::

AllSkyCam:~ $ libcamera-still --list-cameras -v
Available cameras

0 : imx296 [1456x1088 10-bit RGGB] (/base/soc/i2c0mux/i2c@1/imx296@1a)
Modes: 'SRGGB10_CSI2P' : 1456x1088 [60.38 fps - (0, 0)/1456x1088 crop]

Available controls for 1456x1088 SRGGB10_CSI2P mode:
----------------------------------------------------
AeConstraintMode : [0..3]
AeEnable : [false..true]
AeExposureMode : [0..3]
AeFlickerMode : [0..1]
AeFlickerPeriod : [100..1000000]
AeMeteringMode : [0..3]
AnalogueGain : [1.000000..251.188644]
AwbEnable : [false..true]
AwbMode : [0..7]
Brightness : [-1.000000..1.000000]
ColourGains : [0.000000..32.000000]
Contrast : [0.000000..32.000000]
ExposureTime : [29..0]
ExposureValue : [-8.000000..8.000000]
FrameDurationLimits : [16562..15534444]
HdrMode : [0..4]
NoiseReductionMode : [0..4]
Saturation : [0.000000..32.000000]
ScalerCrop : [(0, 0)/64x64..(0, 0)/1456x1088]
Sharpness : [0.000000..16.000000]
StatsOutputEnable : [false..true]

AllSkyCam:~ $ libcamera-still -v --nopreview --timeout 1 --metadata - --shutter 1 --output /dev/null
[0:01:43.688918622] [2074] INFO Camera camera_manager.cpp:284 libcamera v0.2.0+120-eb00c13d
[0:01:43.729296168] [2077] WARN RPiSdn sdn.cpp:40 Using legacy SDN tuning - please consider moving SDN inside rpi.denoise
[0:01:43.731446592] [2077] INFO RPI vc4.cpp:446 Registered camera /base/soc/i2c0mux/i2c@1/imx296@1a to Unicam device /dev/media1 and ISP device /dev/media0
[0:01:43.731544352] [2077] INFO RPI pipeline_base.cpp:1102 Using configuration file '/usr/share/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/vc4/rpi_apps.yaml'
Options:
verbose: 2
info_text:
timeout: 1ms
width: 0
height: 0
output: /dev/null
post_process_file:
preview: none
qt-preview: 0
transform: identity
roi: all
shutter: 1us
metering: centre
exposure: normal
ev: 0
awb: auto
flush: false
wrap: 0
brightness: 0
contrast: 1
saturation: 1
sharpness: 1
framerate: 30
denoise: auto
viewfinder-width: 0
viewfinder-height: 0
tuning-file: (libcamera)
lores-width: 0
lores-height: 0
autofocus-range: normal
autofocus-speed: normal
autofocus-window: all
hdr: off
mode: unspecified
viewfinder-mode: unspecified
metadata: -
metadata-format: json
encoding: jpg
quality: 93
raw: 0
restart: 0
timelapse: 0ms
framestart: 0
datetime: 0
timestamp: 0
keypress: 0
signal: 0
thumbnail width: 320
thumbnail height: 240
thumbnail quality: 70
latest:
immediate 0
AF on capture: 0
Zero shutter lag: 0
Running without preview window
Opening camera...
Acquired camera /base/soc/i2c0mux/i2c@1/imx296@1a
Configuring viewfinder...
Viewfinder size chosen is 728x544
Mode selection for 728:544:12:P
SRGGB10_CSI2P,1456x1088/0 - Score: 1318
Stream configuration adjusted
[0:01:43.733129290] [2074] INFO Camera camera.cpp:1183 configuring streams: (0) 728x544-YUV420 (1) 1456x1088-SBGGR10_CSI2P
[0:01:43.733486756] [2077] INFO RPI vc4.cpp:621 Sensor: /base/soc/i2c0mux/i2c@1/imx296@1a - Selected sensor format: 1456x1088-SBGGR10_1X10 - Selected unicam format: 1456x1088-pBAA
Camera streams configured
Available controls:
Sharpness : [0.000000..16.000000]
AwbEnable : [false..true]
Contrast : [0.000000..32.000000]
Saturation : [0.000000..32.000000]
Brightness : [-1.000000..1.000000]
AeFlickerPeriod : [100..1000000]
HdrMode : [0..4]
ExposureValue : [-8.000000..8.000000]
ColourGains : [0.000000..32.000000]
StatsOutputEnable : [false..true]
ScalerCrop : [(0, 0)/64x64..(0, 0)/1456x1088]
ExposureTime : [29..0]
AeEnable : [false..true]
NoiseReductionMode : [0..4]
AeConstraintMode : [0..3]
FrameDurationLimits : [16562..15534444]
AnalogueGain : [1.000000..251.188644]
AeFlickerMode : [0..1]
AwbMode : [0..7]
AeMeteringMode : [0..3]
AeExposureMode : [0..3]
Buffers allocated and mapped
Viewfinder setup complete
Requests created
Camera started!
Viewfinder frame 0
Camera stopped!
Tearing down requests, buffers and configuration
Configuring still capture...
Mode selection for 1456:1088:12:P
SRGGB10_CSI2P,1456x1088/0 - Score: 1000
[0:01:44.626254868] [2074] INFO Camera camera.cpp:1183 configuring streams: (0) 1456x1088-YUV420 (1) 1456x1088-SBGGR10_CSI2P
[0:01:44.628375513] [2077] INFO RPI vc4.cpp:621 Sensor: /base/soc/i2c0mux/i2c@1/imx296@1a - Selected sensor format: 1456x1088-SBGGR10_1X10 - Selected unicam format: 1456x1088-pBAA
Camera streams configured
Available controls:
Sharpness : [0.000000..16.000000]
AwbEnable : [false..true]
Contrast : [0.000000..32.000000]
Saturation : [0.000000..32.000000]
Brightness : [-1.000000..1.000000]
AeFlickerPeriod : [100..1000000]
HdrMode : [0..4]
ExposureValue : [-8.000000..8.000000]
ColourGains : [0.000000..32.000000]
StatsOutputEnable : [false..true]
ScalerCrop : [(0, 0)/64x64..(0, 0)/1456x1088]
ExposureTime : [29..15534385]
AeEnable : [false..true]
NoiseReductionMode : [0..4]
AeConstraintMode : [0..3]
FrameDurationLimits : [16562..15534444]
AnalogueGain : [1.000000..251.188644]
AeFlickerMode : [0..1]
AwbMode : [0..7]
AeMeteringMode : [0..3]
AeExposureMode : [0..3]
Buffers allocated and mapped
Still capture setup complete
Requests created
Camera started!
Camera stopped!
Still capture image received
Exposure time: 29
Ag 11.885 Dg 1.00967 Total 12
Thumbnail dimensions are 320 x 240
Thumbnail size 2108
JPEG size is 183257
EXIF data len 298
Saved image 1456 x 1088 to file /dev/null
{
"ExposureTime": 29,
"AnalogueGain": 11.885022,
"SensorBlackLevels": [ 3840, 3840, 3840, 3840 ],
"FrameDuration": 16577,
"Lux": 321.316742,
"AeLocked": true,
"DigitalGain": 1.009674,
"ColourGains": [ 2.563697, 2.082299 ],
"ColourTemperature": 4000,
"FocusFoM": 213,
"ColourCorrectionMatrix": [ 2.045146, -0.739536, -0.305616, -0.471715, 2.133571, -0.661861, -0.108284, -0.576562, 1.684846 ],
"ScalerCrop": "(0, 0)/1456x1088",
"SensorTimestamp": 104709006000
}Closing RPiCam application(frames displayed 0, dropped 0)
Camera stopped!
Tearing down requests, buffers and configuration
Camera closed

The following is a link to the datasheet for the camera I have connected::

https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/3929135.pdf

[EricClaeys]

Thanks. I think you are going to find it doesn't make a very good allsky camera since it is limited to 15 second exposures.

[seafurymike]

Damn, didnt realise. Thought using the HQ camera would be a good option. Will have to rethink what i should do for a camera then. Is there any details on good options and potentially outputs from those options?

[EricClaeys]

I always recommend the HQ camera. It's a good one and a lot less expensive than ZWO. And you can get lenses that give 180 FOV. T Module 3 and other cameras with an attached lens are 80 - 120 FOV which might be fine if you can't see a lot of the sky.

[EricClaeys]

Closing Issue.
Will not support - this sensor has a short maximum exposure so will not work as an allsky camera.