This is a Video4Linux driver for the RamCam digital camera module made by Spectronix.

It has been tested with the following configuration:

• RCM-2-C Sensor (356x292, color sensor).
• SuSE Linux 6.2, updated with 2.2.13 kernel.
• The gqcam application written by Cory Lueninghoener.
• A customized version of the w3cam cgi.

Download

Here is the latest version of the ramcam driver:

• ramcam-0.4.0.tgz

• w3cam-0.6.5.ramcam.tgz

Installation

• After uncompressing the source files:
cd ramcam/driver
make
make install
• Create the corresponding devices:
MAKEDEV
• Edit the 'update' script to adapt the module options to your personal setup:
• io :        base address of the ISA card, should be set according to the card jumpers.
• color :    0 for a B&W sensor, 1 for a color sensor.
• To manually load the drivers, just use the 'update' command.

• If it doesn't work, don't forget to use "tail -f /var/log/messages" to read the messages generated by the kernel and the different modules.

• When everything's OK, you can add the following lines to your /etc/conf.modules file:
alias char-major-81     ramcam
alias char-major-81-0   ramcam
options ramcam          io=0x320 color=1
alias char-major-81     ramcam
The modules should now be automatically loaded when an applications tries to open the /dev/video device.

Examples

• A w3cam example, in a Netscape session.

• Thanks to Eric Olsen, for lending me the ramcam hardware.
• Thanks to the authors of Bttv, Video4Linux and w3cam !

History

• 0.4.0, 14-Aug-00:

Modified white balance control with the whiteness parameter of the VIDIOCSPICT ioctl. A value below 32768 minimizes the Red component (for incandescent light), a value superior to 32768 minimizes the Blue component (for fluorescent light).

• 0.3.0, 27-Jul-00:

Added a white balance control with the whiteness parameter of the VIDIOCSPICT ioctl. A value of 0 doubles the Blue component, 32768 is neutral, the maximum value 65535 doubles the Red component.
 
• 23-Jul-00:

Released w3cam-0.6.5 for ramcam.
'vidcat' application is working well. The w3cam.cgi has still a problem with the ppm format in gui mode, but jpeg and png formats are OK.
 
• 0.2.0, 22-Jul-00:

Improved automatic exposure algorithm: added gain control and improved speed of correction.
 
• 0.1.0, 21-Jul-00:

First release.

Send me a mail !