| .. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this |
| .. document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, |
| .. Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software |
| .. Foundation, with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts |
| .. and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included at |
| .. Documentation/userspace-api/media/fdl-appendix.rst. |
| .. |
| .. TODO: replace it to GFDL-1.1-or-later WITH no-invariant-sections |
| |
| .. _control: |
| |
| ************* |
| User Controls |
| ************* |
| |
| Devices typically have a number of user-settable controls such as |
| brightness, saturation and so on, which would be presented to the user |
| on a graphical user interface. But, different devices will have |
| different controls available, and furthermore, the range of possible |
| values, and the default value will vary from device to device. The |
| control ioctls provide the information and a mechanism to create a nice |
| user interface for these controls that will work correctly with any |
| device. |
| |
| All controls are accessed using an ID value. V4L2 defines several IDs |
| for specific purposes. Drivers can also implement their own custom |
| controls using ``V4L2_CID_PRIVATE_BASE`` [#f1]_ and higher values. The |
| pre-defined control IDs have the prefix ``V4L2_CID_``, and are listed in |
| :ref:`control-id`. The ID is used when querying the attributes of a |
| control, and when getting or setting the current value. |
| |
| Generally applications should present controls to the user without |
| assumptions about their purpose. Each control comes with a name string |
| the user is supposed to understand. When the purpose is non-intuitive |
| the driver writer should provide a user manual, a user interface plug-in |
| or a driver specific panel application. Predefined IDs were introduced |
| to change a few controls programmatically, for example to mute a device |
| during a channel switch. |
| |
| Drivers may enumerate different controls after switching the current |
| video input or output, tuner or modulator, or audio input or output. |
| Different in the sense of other bounds, another default and current |
| value, step size or other menu items. A control with a certain *custom* |
| ID can also change name and type. |
| |
| If a control is not applicable to the current configuration of the |
| device (for example, it doesn't apply to the current video input) |
| drivers set the ``V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_INACTIVE`` flag. |
| |
| Control values are stored globally, they do not change when switching |
| except to stay within the reported bounds. They also do not change e. g. |
| when the device is opened or closed, when the tuner radio frequency is |
| changed or generally never without application request. |
| |
| V4L2 specifies an event mechanism to notify applications when controls |
| change value (see |
| :ref:`VIDIOC_SUBSCRIBE_EVENT`, event |
| ``V4L2_EVENT_CTRL``), panel applications might want to make use of that |
| in order to always reflect the correct control value. |
| |
| All controls use machine endianness. |
| |
| |
| .. _control-id: |
| |
| Control IDs |
| =========== |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_BASE`` |
| First predefined ID, equal to ``V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS``. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_USER_BASE`` |
| Synonym of ``V4L2_CID_BASE``. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS`` ``(integer)`` |
| Picture brightness, or more precisely, the black level. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_CONTRAST`` ``(integer)`` |
| Picture contrast or luma gain. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_SATURATION`` ``(integer)`` |
| Picture color saturation or chroma gain. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_HUE`` ``(integer)`` |
| Hue or color balance. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_AUDIO_VOLUME`` ``(integer)`` |
| Overall audio volume. Note some drivers also provide an OSS or ALSA |
| mixer interface. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_AUDIO_BALANCE`` ``(integer)`` |
| Audio stereo balance. Minimum corresponds to all the way left, |
| maximum to right. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_AUDIO_BASS`` ``(integer)`` |
| Audio bass adjustment. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_AUDIO_TREBLE`` ``(integer)`` |
| Audio treble adjustment. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_AUDIO_MUTE`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Mute audio, i. e. set the volume to zero, however without affecting |
| ``V4L2_CID_AUDIO_VOLUME``. Like ALSA drivers, V4L2 drivers must mute |
| at load time to avoid excessive noise. Actually the entire device |
| should be reset to a low power consumption state. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_AUDIO_LOUDNESS`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Loudness mode (bass boost). |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_BLACK_LEVEL`` ``(integer)`` |
| Another name for brightness (not a synonym of |
| ``V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS``). This control is deprecated and should not |
| be used in new drivers and applications. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_AUTO_WHITE_BALANCE`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Automatic white balance (cameras). |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_DO_WHITE_BALANCE`` ``(button)`` |
| This is an action control. When set (the value is ignored), the |
| device will do a white balance and then hold the current setting. |
| Contrast this with the boolean ``V4L2_CID_AUTO_WHITE_BALANCE``, |
| which, when activated, keeps adjusting the white balance. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_RED_BALANCE`` ``(integer)`` |
| Red chroma balance. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_BLUE_BALANCE`` ``(integer)`` |
| Blue chroma balance. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_GAMMA`` ``(integer)`` |
| Gamma adjust. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_WHITENESS`` ``(integer)`` |
| Whiteness for grey-scale devices. This is a synonym for |
| ``V4L2_CID_GAMMA``. This control is deprecated and should not be |
| used in new drivers and applications. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_EXPOSURE`` ``(integer)`` |
| Exposure (cameras). [Unit?] |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_AUTOGAIN`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Automatic gain/exposure control. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_GAIN`` ``(integer)`` |
| Gain control. |
| |
| Primarily used to control gain on e.g. TV tuners but also on |
| webcams. Most devices control only digital gain with this control |
| but on some this could include analogue gain as well. Devices that |
| recognise the difference between digital and analogue gain use |
| controls ``V4L2_CID_DIGITAL_GAIN`` and ``V4L2_CID_ANALOGUE_GAIN``. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_HFLIP`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Mirror the picture horizontally. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_VFLIP`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Mirror the picture vertically. |
| |
| .. _v4l2-power-line-frequency: |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_POWER_LINE_FREQUENCY`` ``(enum)`` |
| Enables a power line frequency filter to avoid flicker. Possible |
| values for ``enum v4l2_power_line_frequency`` are: |
| ``V4L2_CID_POWER_LINE_FREQUENCY_DISABLED`` (0), |
| ``V4L2_CID_POWER_LINE_FREQUENCY_50HZ`` (1), |
| ``V4L2_CID_POWER_LINE_FREQUENCY_60HZ`` (2) and |
| ``V4L2_CID_POWER_LINE_FREQUENCY_AUTO`` (3). |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_HUE_AUTO`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Enables automatic hue control by the device. The effect of setting |
| ``V4L2_CID_HUE`` while automatic hue control is enabled is |
| undefined, drivers should ignore such request. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_WHITE_BALANCE_TEMPERATURE`` ``(integer)`` |
| This control specifies the white balance settings as a color |
| temperature in Kelvin. A driver should have a minimum of 2800 |
| (incandescent) to 6500 (daylight). For more information about color |
| temperature see |
| `Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature>`__. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_SHARPNESS`` ``(integer)`` |
| Adjusts the sharpness filters in a camera. The minimum value |
| disables the filters, higher values give a sharper picture. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_BACKLIGHT_COMPENSATION`` ``(integer)`` |
| Adjusts the backlight compensation in a camera. The minimum value |
| disables backlight compensation. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_CHROMA_AGC`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Chroma automatic gain control. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_CHROMA_GAIN`` ``(integer)`` |
| Adjusts the Chroma gain control (for use when chroma AGC is |
| disabled). |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_COLOR_KILLER`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Enable the color killer (i. e. force a black & white image in case |
| of a weak video signal). |
| |
| .. _v4l2-colorfx: |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_COLORFX`` ``(enum)`` |
| Selects a color effect. The following values are defined: |
| |
| |
| |
| .. tabularcolumns:: |p{5.5cm}|p{12cm}| |
| |
| .. flat-table:: |
| :header-rows: 0 |
| :stub-columns: 0 |
| :widths: 11 24 |
| |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_NONE`` |
| - Color effect is disabled. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_ANTIQUE`` |
| - An aging (old photo) effect. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_ART_FREEZE`` |
| - Frost color effect. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_AQUA`` |
| - Water color, cool tone. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_BW`` |
| - Black and white. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_EMBOSS`` |
| - Emboss, the highlights and shadows replace light/dark boundaries |
| and low contrast areas are set to a gray background. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_GRASS_GREEN`` |
| - Grass green. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_NEGATIVE`` |
| - Negative. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_SEPIA`` |
| - Sepia tone. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_SKETCH`` |
| - Sketch. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_SKIN_WHITEN`` |
| - Skin whiten. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_SKY_BLUE`` |
| - Sky blue. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_SOLARIZATION`` |
| - Solarization, the image is partially reversed in tone, only color |
| values above or below a certain threshold are inverted. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_SILHOUETTE`` |
| - Silhouette (outline). |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_VIVID`` |
| - Vivid colors. |
| * - ``V4L2_COLORFX_SET_CBCR`` |
| - The Cb and Cr chroma components are replaced by fixed coefficients |
| determined by ``V4L2_CID_COLORFX_CBCR`` control. |
| |
| |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_COLORFX_CBCR`` ``(integer)`` |
| Determines the Cb and Cr coefficients for ``V4L2_COLORFX_SET_CBCR`` |
| color effect. Bits [7:0] of the supplied 32 bit value are |
| interpreted as Cr component, bits [15:8] as Cb component and bits |
| [31:16] must be zero. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_AUTOBRIGHTNESS`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Enable Automatic Brightness. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_ROTATE`` ``(integer)`` |
| Rotates the image by specified angle. Common angles are 90, 270 and |
| 180. Rotating the image to 90 and 270 will reverse the height and |
| width of the display window. It is necessary to set the new height |
| and width of the picture using the |
| :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>` ioctl according to the |
| rotation angle selected. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_BG_COLOR`` ``(integer)`` |
| Sets the background color on the current output device. Background |
| color needs to be specified in the RGB24 format. The supplied 32 bit |
| value is interpreted as bits 0-7 Red color information, bits 8-15 |
| Green color information, bits 16-23 Blue color information and bits |
| 24-31 must be zero. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_ILLUMINATORS_1 V4L2_CID_ILLUMINATORS_2`` ``(boolean)`` |
| Switch on or off the illuminator 1 or 2 of the device (usually a |
| microscope). |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_MIN_BUFFERS_FOR_CAPTURE`` ``(integer)`` |
| This is a read-only control that can be read by the application and |
| used as a hint to determine the number of CAPTURE buffers to pass to |
| REQBUFS. The value is the minimum number of CAPTURE buffers that is |
| necessary for hardware to work. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_MIN_BUFFERS_FOR_OUTPUT`` ``(integer)`` |
| This is a read-only control that can be read by the application and |
| used as a hint to determine the number of OUTPUT buffers to pass to |
| REQBUFS. The value is the minimum number of OUTPUT buffers that is |
| necessary for hardware to work. |
| |
| .. _v4l2-alpha-component: |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_ALPHA_COMPONENT`` ``(integer)`` |
| Sets the alpha color component. When a capture device (or capture |
| queue of a mem-to-mem device) produces a frame format that includes |
| an alpha component (e.g. |
| :ref:`packed RGB image formats <pixfmt-rgb>`) and the alpha value |
| is not defined by the device or the mem-to-mem input data this |
| control lets you select the alpha component value of all pixels. |
| When an output device (or output queue of a mem-to-mem device) |
| consumes a frame format that doesn't include an alpha component and |
| the device supports alpha channel processing this control lets you |
| set the alpha component value of all pixels for further processing |
| in the device. |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_LASTP1`` |
| End of the predefined control IDs (currently |
| ``V4L2_CID_ALPHA_COMPONENT`` + 1). |
| |
| ``V4L2_CID_PRIVATE_BASE`` |
| ID of the first custom (driver specific) control. Applications |
| depending on particular custom controls should check the driver name |
| and version, see :ref:`querycap`. |
| |
| Applications can enumerate the available controls with the |
| :ref:`VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL` and |
| :ref:`VIDIOC_QUERYMENU <VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL>` ioctls, get and set a |
| control value with the :ref:`VIDIOC_G_CTRL <VIDIOC_G_CTRL>` and |
| :ref:`VIDIOC_S_CTRL <VIDIOC_G_CTRL>` ioctls. Drivers must implement |
| ``VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL``, ``VIDIOC_G_CTRL`` and ``VIDIOC_S_CTRL`` when the |
| device has one or more controls, ``VIDIOC_QUERYMENU`` when it has one or |
| more menu type controls. |
| |
| |
| .. _enum_all_controls: |
| |
| Example: Enumerating all controls |
| ================================= |
| |
| .. code-block:: c |
| |
| struct v4l2_queryctrl queryctrl; |
| struct v4l2_querymenu querymenu; |
| |
| static void enumerate_menu(__u32 id) |
| { |
| printf(" Menu items:\\n"); |
| |
| memset(&querymenu, 0, sizeof(querymenu)); |
| querymenu.id = id; |
| |
| for (querymenu.index = queryctrl.minimum; |
| querymenu.index <= queryctrl.maximum; |
| querymenu.index++) { |
| if (0 == ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_QUERYMENU, &querymenu)) { |
| printf(" %s\\n", querymenu.name); |
| } |
| } |
| } |
| |
| memset(&queryctrl, 0, sizeof(queryctrl)); |
| |
| queryctrl.id = V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_NEXT_CTRL; |
| while (0 == ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL, &queryctrl)) { |
| if (!(queryctrl.flags & V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_DISABLED)) { |
| printf("Control %s\\n", queryctrl.name); |
| |
| if (queryctrl.type == V4L2_CTRL_TYPE_MENU) |
| enumerate_menu(queryctrl.id); |
| } |
| |
| queryctrl.id |= V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_NEXT_CTRL; |
| } |
| if (errno != EINVAL) { |
| perror("VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL"); |
| exit(EXIT_FAILURE); |
| } |
| |
| Example: Enumerating all controls including compound controls |
| ============================================================= |
| |
| .. code-block:: c |
| |
| struct v4l2_query_ext_ctrl query_ext_ctrl; |
| |
| memset(&query_ext_ctrl, 0, sizeof(query_ext_ctrl)); |
| |
| query_ext_ctrl.id = V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_NEXT_CTRL | V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_NEXT_COMPOUND; |
| while (0 == ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_QUERY_EXT_CTRL, &query_ext_ctrl)) { |
| if (!(query_ext_ctrl.flags & V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_DISABLED)) { |
| printf("Control %s\\n", query_ext_ctrl.name); |
| |
| if (query_ext_ctrl.type == V4L2_CTRL_TYPE_MENU) |
| enumerate_menu(query_ext_ctrl.id); |
| } |
| |
| query_ext_ctrl.id |= V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_NEXT_CTRL | V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_NEXT_COMPOUND; |
| } |
| if (errno != EINVAL) { |
| perror("VIDIOC_QUERY_EXT_CTRL"); |
| exit(EXIT_FAILURE); |
| } |
| |
| Example: Enumerating all user controls (old style) |
| ================================================== |
| |
| .. code-block:: c |
| |
| |
| memset(&queryctrl, 0, sizeof(queryctrl)); |
| |
| for (queryctrl.id = V4L2_CID_BASE; |
| queryctrl.id < V4L2_CID_LASTP1; |
| queryctrl.id++) { |
| if (0 == ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL, &queryctrl)) { |
| if (queryctrl.flags & V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_DISABLED) |
| continue; |
| |
| printf("Control %s\\n", queryctrl.name); |
| |
| if (queryctrl.type == V4L2_CTRL_TYPE_MENU) |
| enumerate_menu(queryctrl.id); |
| } else { |
| if (errno == EINVAL) |
| continue; |
| |
| perror("VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL"); |
| exit(EXIT_FAILURE); |
| } |
| } |
| |
| for (queryctrl.id = V4L2_CID_PRIVATE_BASE;; |
| queryctrl.id++) { |
| if (0 == ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL, &queryctrl)) { |
| if (queryctrl.flags & V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_DISABLED) |
| continue; |
| |
| printf("Control %s\\n", queryctrl.name); |
| |
| if (queryctrl.type == V4L2_CTRL_TYPE_MENU) |
| enumerate_menu(queryctrl.id); |
| } else { |
| if (errno == EINVAL) |
| break; |
| |
| perror("VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL"); |
| exit(EXIT_FAILURE); |
| } |
| } |
| |
| |
| Example: Changing controls |
| ========================== |
| |
| .. code-block:: c |
| |
| struct v4l2_queryctrl queryctrl; |
| struct v4l2_control control; |
| |
| memset(&queryctrl, 0, sizeof(queryctrl)); |
| queryctrl.id = V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS; |
| |
| if (-1 == ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL, &queryctrl)) { |
| if (errno != EINVAL) { |
| perror("VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL"); |
| exit(EXIT_FAILURE); |
| } else { |
| printf("V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS is not supportedn"); |
| } |
| } else if (queryctrl.flags & V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_DISABLED) { |
| printf("V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS is not supportedn"); |
| } else { |
| memset(&control, 0, sizeof (control)); |
| control.id = V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS; |
| control.value = queryctrl.default_value; |
| |
| if (-1 == ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_S_CTRL, &control)) { |
| perror("VIDIOC_S_CTRL"); |
| exit(EXIT_FAILURE); |
| } |
| } |
| |
| memset(&control, 0, sizeof(control)); |
| control.id = V4L2_CID_CONTRAST; |
| |
| if (0 == ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_G_CTRL, &control)) { |
| control.value += 1; |
| |
| /* The driver may clamp the value or return ERANGE, ignored here */ |
| |
| if (-1 == ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_S_CTRL, &control) |
| && errno != ERANGE) { |
| perror("VIDIOC_S_CTRL"); |
| exit(EXIT_FAILURE); |
| } |
| /* Ignore if V4L2_CID_CONTRAST is unsupported */ |
| } else if (errno != EINVAL) { |
| perror("VIDIOC_G_CTRL"); |
| exit(EXIT_FAILURE); |
| } |
| |
| control.id = V4L2_CID_AUDIO_MUTE; |
| control.value = 1; /* silence */ |
| |
| /* Errors ignored */ |
| ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_S_CTRL, &control); |
| |
| .. [#f1] |
| The use of ``V4L2_CID_PRIVATE_BASE`` is problematic because different |
| drivers may use the same ``V4L2_CID_PRIVATE_BASE`` ID for different |
| controls. This makes it hard to programmatically set such controls |
| since the meaning of the control with that ID is driver dependent. In |
| order to resolve this drivers use unique IDs and the |
| ``V4L2_CID_PRIVATE_BASE`` IDs are mapped to those unique IDs by the |
| kernel. Consider these ``V4L2_CID_PRIVATE_BASE`` IDs as aliases to |
| the real IDs. |
| |
| Many applications today still use the ``V4L2_CID_PRIVATE_BASE`` IDs |
| instead of using :ref:`VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL` with |
| the ``V4L2_CTRL_FLAG_NEXT_CTRL`` flag to enumerate all IDs, so |
| support for ``V4L2_CID_PRIVATE_BASE`` is still around. |