Adding a new camera sensor

anttukoski · 12 May 2025, 06:33

Are there any instructions how to add a new camera sensor to the Starling 2 device? A new camera sensor driver, tunings for it and configuring it for the use of the platform etc.

I guess this would be a standard Qualcomm driver chi-cdk/oem/qcom/sensor/XXX and tunings done with Chromatix to chi-cdk/oem/qcom/tuning/XXX but what is the build environment to use and how to do the platform configuration?

Alex Kushleyev · 13 May 2025, 03:54

@anttukoski , can you please clarify your question :

Is your goal to attach an additional already supported ModalAI camera or to connect a 3rd party camera to Starling 2?

Thank you

Alex

anttukoski · 13 May 2025, 06:22

@Alex-Kushleyev It's a 3rd party camera that is not supported by ModalAI.

Alex Kushleyev · 13 May 2025, 13:19

@anttukoski , the only way, currently, to connect a third party camera to VOXL2 is using a USB interface, probably using the standard linux UVC driver (voxl-uvc-server would support this)

In order have access to the sources and tools to build the sensormodule camera drivers and tuning files, you would need a partner license from Qualcomm, since this is their terms.

Besides software integration, there is also hardware aspect to supporting the camera, making sure all the connections are properly routed to VOXL2.

Is there a specific camera that you have in mind (and a specific camera module)?

Alex

anttukoski · 14 May 2025, 06:42

@Alex-Kushleyev I have access to Qualcomm tools and code (for example the chi-cdk code repository) and need to add a MIPI camera. I already got the HW, just replacing the imx678 with some other Sony camera modules. I'm also familiar with how to do the camera driver and tuning for Qualcomm platforms.

I'm just looking for the build environment for this platform to compile those drivers and if any platform configuration is needed.

Alex Kushleyev · 14 May 2025, 13:21

Hi @anttukoski ,

The chi-cdk repository that you already have should contain the source xml files for the sensormodule and tuning files as well as the tools to build them. Additionally you would need a sensor.so (compiled from a cpp source) file for your new camera, which contains exposure and gain conversion functions for the specific camera. It seems you area already familiar with this.

VOXL2 uses the Qualcomm's standard format of camera drivers (from ubun1.0 main release), which you are already familiar, so if you build your sensormodule, tuning file and sensor.so, you should be good.

With this in mind, can you please let me know how we can help you? It seems that you already have everything you need.

Alex

anttukoski · 15 May 2025, 06:47

@Alex-Kushleyev So what I'm specifically looking is the build environment for the chi-cdk. Those sensor.so files, cameramodule.bin and tuning files are at least partly platform specific and need to be created with correct tools in the correct environment. I can create them in another Qualcomm environment for Android, but they won't work in VOXL2. There are some dependencies to linked binaries, headers, the tools that generate the bin files, HW configuration etc.

Then those files also need to end up in the correct places on the device and there might be need to adjust some configuration files. I can probably try to copy those from some existing driver, but if you have a guide for that, it would be great too.

Alex Kushleyev · 15 May 2025, 20:41

@anttukoski , yes I think you are right. I will work with your team via email to provide what you need. I believe we already have a thread.

Alex