Re: [PATCH 1/4] media: docs: Describe pixel array properties

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Hi Laurent,

On Wed, Aug 19, 2020 at 03:38:40PM +0300, Laurent Pinchart wrote:
> Hi Sakari,
> 
> On Wed, Aug 19, 2020 at 01:20:00PM +0300, Sakari Ailus wrote:
> > On Wed, Aug 19, 2020 at 04:06:23AM +0300, Laurent Pinchart wrote:
> > > On Tue, Aug 18, 2020 at 11:17:43AM +0300, Sakari Ailus wrote:
> > > > On Mon, Aug 10, 2020 at 10:17:57AM +0200, Jacopo Mondi wrote:
> > > > > On Sun, Aug 09, 2020 at 08:58:21PM +0300, Laurent Pinchart wrote:
> > > > > > On Wed, Aug 05, 2020 at 12:57:18PM +0200, Jacopo Mondi wrote:
> > > > > > > The V4L2 selection API are also used to access the pixel array
> > > > > > > properties of an image sensor, such as the size and position of active
> > > > > > > pixels and the cropped area of the pixel matrix used to produce images.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Currently no clear definition of the different areas that compose an
> > > > > > > image sensor pixel array matrix is provided in the specification, and
> > > > > > > the actual meaning of each selection target when applied to an image
> > > > > > > sensor was not provided.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Provide in the sub-device documentation the definition of the pixel
> > > > > > > matrix properties and the selection target associated to each of them.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Signed-off-by: Jacopo Mondi <jacopo@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > > > > ---
> > > > > > >  .../userspace-api/media/v4l/dev-subdev.rst    | 81 +++++++++++++++++++
> > > > > > >  1 file changed, 81 insertions(+)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > diff --git a/Documentation/userspace-api/media/v4l/dev-subdev.rst b/Documentation/userspace-api/media/v4l/dev-subdev.rst
> > > > > > > index 134d2fb909fa4..c47861dff9b9b 100644
> > > > > > > --- a/Documentation/userspace-api/media/v4l/dev-subdev.rst
> > > > > > > +++ b/Documentation/userspace-api/media/v4l/dev-subdev.rst
> > > > > > > @@ -386,6 +386,87 @@ requests on all selection targets, unless specifically told otherwise.
> > > > > > >  ``V4L2_SEL_FLAG_GE`` and ``V4L2_SEL_FLAG_LE`` flags may be used to round
> > > > > > >  the image size either up or down. :ref:`v4l2-selection-flags`
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > +.. _v4l2-subdev-pixel-array-properties:
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +Selection targets for image sensors properties
> > > > > > > +----------------------------------------------
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +The V4L2 selection API can be used on sub-devices that represent an image
> > > > > > > +sensor to retrieve the sensor's pixel array matrix properties by using the
> > > > > > > +:ref:`selection <VIDIOC_SUBDEV_G_SELECTION>` ioctls.
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +Sub-device drivers for image sensor usually register a single source pad, but in
> > > > > > > +the case they expose more, the pixel array properties can be accessed from
> > > > > > > +any of them.
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +The ``V4L2_SEL_TGT_NATIVE``, ``V4L2_SEL_TGT_CROP_BOUNDS``,
> > > > > > > +``V4L2_SEL_TGT_CROP_DEFAULT`` and ``V4L2_TGT_CROP`` targets are used to retrieve
> > > > > > > +the immutable properties of the several different areas that compose the sensor
> > > > > > > +pixel array matrix. Each area describes a rectangle of logically adjacent pixel
> > > > > > > +units. The logical disposition of pixels is defined by the sensor read-out
> > > > > > > +starting point and direction, and may differ from the physical disposition of
> > > > > > > +the pixel units in the pixel array matrix.
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +Each pixel matrix portion is contained in a larger rectangle, with the most
> > > > > > > +largest being the one that describes the pixel matrix physical size. This
> > > > > > > +defines a hierarchical positional system, where each rectangle is defined
> > > > > > > +relatively to the largest available one among the ones exposed by the
> > > > > > > +sub-device driver. Each selection target and the associated pixel array portion
> > > > > > > +it represents are below presented in order from the largest to the smallest one.
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +Pixel array physical size
> > > > > > > +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +The image sensor chip is composed by a number of physical pixels, not all of
> > > > > > > +them readable by the application processor. Invalid or unreadable lines might
> > > > > > > +not be transmitted on the data bus at all, or in case on CSI-2 capable sensors
> > > > > > > +they might be tagged with an invalid data type (DT) so that the receiver
> > > > > > > +automatically discard them. The size of the whole pixel matrix area is
> > > > > > > +retrieved using the V4L2_SEL_TGT_NATIVE target, which has its top-left corner
> > > > > > > +defined as position (0, 0). All the other selection targets are defined
> > > > > > > +relatively to this, larger, rectangle. The rectangle returned by
> > > > > > > +V4L2_SEL_TGT_NATIVE describes an immutable property of the image sensor, it
> > > > > > > +does not change at run-time and cannot be modified from userspace.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > As I think I've mentioned previously (not sure if it was by e-mail or on
> > > > > > IRC), we could also decide to set V4L2_SEL_TGT_NATIVE_SIZE ==
> > > > > > V4L2_SEL_TGT_CROP_BOUNDS by ignoring the non-readable pixels completely.
> > > > > > What's the advantage of exposing them in the API, when the sensors
> > > > > > doesn't provide them to the rest of the pipeline ?
> > > > > 
> > > > > I don't know :) I'm also  bit confused on what's the purpose of
> > > > > NATIVE, this commit seems to suggest it was meant to replace
> > > > > CROP_BOUNDS, but I'm not sure about that.
> > > > > 
> > > > > commit b518d86609cc066b626120fe6ec6fe3a4ccfcd54
> > > > > Author: Sakari Ailus <sakari.ailus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > > Date:   Thu Nov 6 16:54:33 2014 -0300
> > > > > 
> > > > >     [media] smiapp: Support V4L2_SEL_TGT_NATIVE_SIZE
> > > > > 
> > > > >     Add support for selection target V4L2_SEL_TGT_NATIVE_SIZE. It is equivalent
> > > > >     of what V4L2_SEL_TGT_CROP_BOUNDS used to be. Support for
> > > > >     V4L2_SEL_TGT_CROP_BOUNDS is still supported by the driver as a compatibility
> > > > >     interface.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Sakari, do you recall if that's was the original plan ?
> > > > 
> > > > That was to denote the size of the pixel array indeed. We didn't discuss
> > > > dark or invalid pixels at the time.
> > > > 
> > > > So this was just there to tell that it's the pixel array you're cropping
> > > > from.
> > > > 
> > > > But as long as it's API-wise compatible, I don't think anything prevents
> > > > re-purposing this to include other areas. The documentation (AFAIR) does
> > > > not say this has to be the same as the crop bounds rectangle.
> > > 
> > > What do you think would be best ? Should we include the non-readable
> > > pixels in V4L2_SEL_TGT_NATIVE_SIZE, with V4L2_SEL_TGT_CROP_BOUNDS then
> > > being strictly smaller, or drop them completely from the API, with
> > > V4L2_SEL_TGT_CROP_BOUNDS being equal to V4L2_SEL_TGT_NATIVE_SIZE ? It
> > > may be that we have to allow both to support existing drivers, but we
> > > should pick one of the two options and make it mandatory for new
> > > drivers.
> > 
> > That's a very good question.
> > 
> > What would be the purpose of adding pixels that cannot be read? I assume
> > they would not affect sensor timing either in that case, so there would be
> > no difference whether they are there or not.
> 
> Timings is a good point, could there be sensors that read those pixels
> but don't send them out ? Maybe to avoid edge effects ? That would be
> accounted for in the H/V blank though, wouldn't it ?

I guess we could ignore it, as it takes place during what is indeed
considered as blanking.

> 
> > The crop bounds should contain
> > everything whereas for the default crop should reflect the area of the
> > visible pixels.
> 
> I believe there are sensors that have all pixels visible, but recommend
> not using edge pixels as they are affected by edge effects, even if
> those pixels can be read out and transferred. In that case
> V4L2_SEL_TGT_CROP_BOUNDS should include the edge pixels, but maybe
> V4L2_SEL_TGT_CROP_DEFAULT shouldn't ?

I guess so. But in practice I wonder if there are such implementations.

> 
> > I guess in theory the visible pixels could not be cropped by the sensor in
> > analogue cropping step, so it might be worth having a separate rectangle
> > for those, too.
> 
> I'm not sure to follow you here.

I'm saying the sensor hardware could in theory be unable to read only the
visible pixels.

-- 
Regards,

Sakari Ailus



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