What is this ?

[jacques]

[SN]

jacques said:






DSI Connector (Display) and CSI Connector (Camera)

[toxibunny]

They"re camera and LCD screen connection sockets, the type you"d find if you"d open up a smartphone. Nothing"s compatible with them yet, as far as I know, but smart folks from the foundation are working on it.

[jacques]

Really, oh nice.

Do you know which is which, and is there some documentation on the DSI,

could i plug in something like a Nintendo display  ?

[jamesh]

Not without appropriate adapters and software on the GPU.

[jacques]

Challenge accepted, but where can i find the tech infos to do that,

it seems that there are only 3x2 differential lines going to the left connector

[Montala]

But presumably they were included for a specific reason, or to be used for a specific purpose?

I can't really see the Foundation going to the additional expense of including these two additional connections without knowing what they had in mind for them.

[jamesh]

jacques said:


Challenge accepted, but where can i find the tech infos to do that,

it seems that there are only 3x2 differential lines going to the left connector


You can't have the information - it's not released to the public by Broadcom (the SoC maker). You also don't have the compiler, assembler or knowledge of the scaler/vector instruction set on the GPU. Sorry!

The camera port is serial out, CSI-2, with I2C input to control the sensor. LCD controller is DSI.

[jamesh]

Montala said:


But presumably they were included for a specific reason, or to be used for a specific purpose?

I can't really see the Foundation going to the additional expense of including these two additional connections without knowing what they had in mind for them.


It's always been intended to release a camera module and a LCD panel module.

[rurwin]

They are for a specific purpose: The one on the left is to allow the use of LCD panels instead of HDMI televisions. The one on the right is to connect a camera so that the GPU can encode a video stream in real-time.

However.

All LCD panels are slightly different from each other. The current GPU firmware does not support any known panel.

The GPU currently has no video encoding capabilities.

These things will be added to the firmware when someone gets the chance, and at least a Raspberry Pi camera will be sold.

You cannot use them now, since only Broadcom insiders can change the GPU firmware.

(Disclaimer: this is what I've read here. I am not a member of the Foundation nor do I work for Broadcom.)

[scep]

jacques said:


could i plug in something like a Nintendo display  ?


Just for a laugh I just plugged in a DS lite screen into both slots on my Pi (yes, I really did ). And...... nothing happened! Meh... Broadcom spoilsports.

(The Ds has about 42 (? eyes are getting bad )  connectors (top screen anyway) so even the ribbons aren't compatible, never mind the software. Would have been good - DS top screens are cheap as chips...

[scep]

Montala said:


But presumably they were included for a specific reason, or to be used for a specific purpose?

I can't really see the Foundation going to the additional expense of including these two additional connections without knowing what they had in mind for them.


The Raspberry Pi's answer to the brilliant but expensive net.gadgeteer of course!

The components will be called Drupelets. Or Pidgets. Or Pi-Pets. Or some other such thing.

[disclaimer: i'm making this up as usual, no inside knowledge ]

[jacques]

oh,

not so nice indeed.

What a mistake on their part to play the closed source game,

it's like sony and the PS3

But I really do not see their advantage here, are they planning to sell their own software ?

[scep]

jacques said:


What a mistake on their part to play the closed source game,


This has been discussed at length (and I mean at length) elsewhere on the forums. Have a search for "Broadcom kill puppies" etc ) We aren't going to start it up again here. Cheers!

[AndrewS]

There's more information about these, and other RasPi connectors, on the wiki:

http://elinux.org/RPi_Hardware

[Robert_M]

scep said:


Just for a laugh I just plugged in a DS lite screen into both slots on my Pi (yes, I really did ). And...... nothing happened! Meh... Broadcom spoilsports.


That must've got your heart pumping a bit!

[scep]

Robert_M said:


scep said:


Just for a laugh I just plugged in a DS lite screen into both slots on my Pi (yes, I really did ). And...... nothing happened! Meh... Broadcom spoilsports.


That must've got your heart pumping a bit!



I think that doing stuff like that is in the spirit of the RasPi, in fact quite possibly my statutory duty as an owner

[jamesh]

scep said:


jacques said:


What a mistake on their part to play the closed source game,


This has been discussed at length (and I mean at length) elsewhere on the forums. Have a search for "Broadcom kill puppies" etc ) We aren't going to start it up again here. Cheers!


I'd just like to say that during my career at Broadcom I have not been forced to kill any puppies at all. I came in to this job with my eyes open.

[scep]

Before James bans me, I'd like to point out that all comments I make about Broadcom being baddies etc etc are ironic/tongue in cheek!

[ceteras]

JamesH said:

It's always been intended to release a camera module and a LCD panel module.

I pray that these modules, at least, will be easy to clone and hack with.

I mean, sure I would buy an LCD panel from the foundation, but also I would like to be able to setup my own. If I'd have the display and its specs, I'd only need the proper way to configure the GPU for it (perhaps a handy /etc/dsi.cnf file would be awesome ).

[jamesh]

ceteras said:


JamesH said:


It's always been intended to release a camera module and a LCD panel module.


I pray that these modules, at least, will be easy to clone and hack with.

I mean, sure I would buy an LCD panel from the foundation, but also I would like to be able to setup my own. If I'd have the display and its specs, I'd only need the proper way to configure the GPU for it (perhaps a handy /etc/dsi.cnf file would be awesome ).


We are currently not sure. A conf file approach would seem to be best, but that requires some input from Broadcom people (Dom, me or someone). Note that the connectors to these displays are often different, so you would need some sort of PCB to convert to the correct cable format as well. It's not just a software problem.

[mole125]

JamesH said:


I'd just like to say that during my career at Broadcom I have not been forced to kill any puppies at all. I came in to this job with my eyes open.


You mean they ask for volunteers to kill the puppies just as appraisals are due?

[jamesh]

mole125 said:


JamesH said:


I'd just like to say that during my career at Broadcom I have not been forced to kill any puppies at all. I came in to this job with my eyes open.


You mean they ask for volunteers to kill the puppies just as appraisals are due?


I couldn't possibly comment.

[ceteras]

JamesH said:

[...] Note that the connectors to these displays are often different, so you would need some sort of PCB to convert to the correct cable format as well. It's not just a software problem.
That's true, but it's a lot easier to solve the physical access part (connectors, adapters) than the software part (impossible without help from Broadcom).

Perhaps there would be some business for some in this (making all sort of kits for sale), not a bad thing at all.

It's all about having options, and a proper software support from the maker of the soc is make or break.

Thank you for the answers!

[Jim Manley]

Ahhhhh, so that's how Broadcom is eventually going to "monetize" their contribution to the Pi - cornering the market on directly-connected LCD screens and cameras!  Good thing no one can connect any such devices to the USB ports with much higher resolutions and other features ... uh, oh, I can feel my IP address being sampled!  Oh, no, not the black helicopters flown by teed-off contract-pilot kittehs and puppehs - anything but that!