Multiple cameras on a single raspberry pi board

[bernd71]

Some more information might be helpful. Do you want to capture single images or using high quality HD Stream, etc. Do you need live playback at one point or is capture into files and playback later is OK. Does all cameras should work at the same time, needs synchronisation, etc. This all has effect to the total system, don't look only at the count of cameras.

[punktea]

I have connected and used 3 logitech webcams via a powered USB hub. Since the output of the webcams are already in MJPEG format, the RPi CPU does not have to do any encoding and the CPU load is low. Since you just need to take snapshots, the bandwidth required across the USB port will also be low and I don't see any problem connecting a large number of webcams. When you do hit limits then just add another RPi. With webcam, the highest resolution is 1920x1080, not sure if that will meet your requirements.

[PiGraham]

What we know so far is that this is still image capture to jpg up to 12 cameras.
It has been pointed out more than once that multiple simultaneous cameras are not possible with a single Pi, and paddi2013 has not indicated that single camera at a time is a problem in this application.

thank you for replying, i am interested in option b, since we are looking into capturing jpegs instead of video. theoretically speaking, how many pi cameras can be multiplexed into one CSI port ? and how complicated will the custom circuit be ? Please and thank you !

i am looking to use around 6 to 12 cameras with the raspberry pi, do u guys know what is the best way to do it ? and also by minimizing the cost ? Please and thankyou

[paddi2013]

tq so much everybody ! this really helps

[gangster429]

Is it possible to use
4x rca to usb capture devices?

[ghans]

I guess it would be hard to get only one working in the
first place ..

ghans

[cyrano]

As I was just having a look at things a couple of days ago, have a peek here:

http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Easycap

It's called EasyCap. But, as with Wifi dongles, it's hard to tell what you're buying. There are four different chipsets, but at least some of these work with Linux. How hard it will be cross-compiling some libraries, I can't tell.

STK1160 based devices are supported (video and audio) under Linux by the easycap kernel module (kernel 2.6.38 and later) and further on by the stk1160 kernel module (kernel 3.7).

[jbeale]

Just to duplicate what I posted yesterday here: http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewt ... 13#p396633

"well supported under Linux" doesn't necessarily include "supported on Raspberry Pi". Note also, "easycap" is a generic name for video capture devices which may use at least three completely different chipsets internally. If you have a working video capture device on R-Pi I would be very interested to hear it! As far as I know, no one has had real success with this yet:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewt ... ap#p391648
http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewt ... it=easycap
http://easycap.blogspot.com/2013/03/ras ... vices.html

This is the most successful attempt i have seen:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewt ... ap#p389610

Yes I have had success with em28xx I had apply the patch from http://bufobufomagic.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... -sudo.html
but only at 360x288 - had it stream to ustream and udp for many hours without issue.
kernel is Linux version 3.6.11+

On April 10, 2013, Sebastien Warin posted that he got 640x480 working on a R-Pi using "STK1160 Video Capture Device". In the months since then, several other people tried and could not duplicate that result.
http://easycap.blogspot.com/2013/03/ras ... 9605719538

[kayjean]

Hi PiGraham

I have the same question for one Raspberry + CSI + two cameras. I notice gsh and you talk about lvds PHY and circuitry.
Is there any practical solutions for this issue?

[bogdancraciun]

In thread: http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/3376 its mentioned that you can use both CSI interfaces of the BCM2835

"

Mike Kopack on
March 8, 2013 at 12:32 pm said:
Wait, how/where are there 2 CSI interfaces on the Pi ???? I only remember there being the 1 CSI connector….

Or is the DSI one also able to be used for CSI if we so choose? Or does the single CSI connector allow for 2 cameras to be attached??

Comment ↓
Gert van Loo on
March 8, 2013 at 5:59 pm said:
There are two CSI interfaces on the BCM2835 but only one is brought out to a connector on the Pi. The other interface is hidden between a plethora of BGA balls underneath the chip.

Comment ↓

"

So are there any chances to get two Pi cameras via the CSI interfaces? What needs to be done to have access to the second CSI interface?

[ghans]

You need to create your very own version of the Raspberry Pi including modified schematics + BOM ,
routing (CSI is a very high-speed bus) , testing , sourcing of components (good luck with the SoC) and
then get the thing manufactured by a competent company (just think of the early RS Components boards ... )


ghans

[Vivio]

I have connected and used 3 logitech webcams via a powered USB hub. Since the output of the webcams are already in MJPEG format, the RPi CPU does not have to do any encoding and the CPU load is low. Since you just need to take snapshots, the bandwidth required across the USB port will also be low and I don't see any problem connecting a large number of webcams. When you do hit limits then just add another RPi. With webcam, the highest resolution is 1920x1080, not sure if that will meet your requirements.

You have done this with all the cameras working simultaneously or through an on/off algorithm?
Thanks!

[mikerr]

The new Raspberry Pi Compute module has 2 CSI interfaces:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/raspberry-pi ... w-product/

[aarongreenlee]

How did you make out on your project?

I am also looking to build a multi-camera system and appreciate everyone's contributions in this thread.

Respectfully,

Aaron Greenlee

[shakirabbas]

deleted; inaccurate.

[cnr437]

Hi there is a campaign for connecting more than one camera module to one raspberry pi therefore it can be solution for multiple camera systems.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ivpo ... /x/8229812

[speedplane]

Hi there is a campaign for connecting more than one camera module to one raspberry pi therefore it can be solution for multiple camera systems.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ivpo ... /x/8229812

Note that this is only a multiplexer solution, you couldn't receive multiple video feeds at once.

However, there does appear to be another solution. The pi compute module has two camera inputs, and could receive two video feeds at once.

On the compute module: http://makezine.com/2014/04/07/new-rasp ... -unveiled/
On stereo cameras: http://www.argondesign.com/case-studies ... pberry-pi/

[vinersniccel]

Up!
Now that the raspberry pi 2 is released, I would like to ask you if it is possible to connect multiple cameras to a single board?

[Gert van Loo]

Sorry to sound condescending but there are many, many ,many posts all saying
"Apart from the ARM processor nothing has changed on the Pi-2"
Why would it suddenly support two cameras?

[BAStumm]

Sorry to sound condescending but there are many, many ,many posts all saying
"Apart from the ARM processor nothing has changed on the Pi-2"
Why would it suddenly support two cameras?

That and the amount of RAM... That changed too...

[stderr]

> by Gert van Loo » Wed Feb 11, 2015 7:39 pm
>> "Apart from the ARM processor nothing has changed on the Pi-2"
>>
> Why would it suddenly support two cameras?
>
What is it specifically that is different between the CSI and DSI implementations? They both use the D-PHY physical interface but have their own protocols. The bandwidth needs are reversed, the camera is sending out massive amounts of data while the display is receiving massive amounts. Is there something in the hardware that prevents them from being generalized ports?

[ghans]

It's more a legal and business problem. You need both
documentation and GPU code to make it work , and
both is completely secret.

ghans

[Gert van Loo]

> by Gert van Loo » Wed Feb 11, 2015 7:39 pm
>> "Apart from the ARM processor nothing has changed on the Pi-2"
>>
> Why would it suddenly support two cameras?
>
What is it specifically that is different between the CSI and DSI implementations? They both use the D-PHY physical interface but have their own protocols. The bandwidth needs are reversed, the camera is sending out massive amounts of data while the display is receiving massive amounts. Is there something in the hardware that prevents them from being generalized ports?

There is the tiny problem that one is an input and the other is an output.
The port direction on the chip is NOT reversible.....

[spsider]

http://hackaday.io/project/2847-ivport- ... ultiplexer

[bryanjones]

I know its years later, but you can now get Raspberry Pi Camera multiplexers : http://www.ivmech.com/magaza/en/ivmech- ... lexer-p-90

One of these with the Pi 2 would be an awesome setup. I was actually thinking it would be awesome to be able to attach two Pi camera's so you could have a hi res day one and then switch to a hi res noir one at night. Would make an ultimate security camera setup.