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1 | <title>Raw VBI Data Interface</title> | ||
2 | |||
3 | <para>VBI is an abbreviation of Vertical Blanking Interval, a gap | ||
4 | in the sequence of lines of an analog video signal. During VBI | ||
5 | no picture information is transmitted, allowing some time while the | ||
6 | electron beam of a cathode ray tube TV returns to the top of the | ||
7 | screen. Using an oscilloscope you will find here the vertical | ||
8 | synchronization pulses and short data packages ASK | ||
9 | modulated<footnote><para>ASK: Amplitude-Shift Keying. A high signal | ||
10 | level represents a '1' bit, a low level a '0' bit.</para></footnote> | ||
11 | onto the video signal. These are transmissions of services such as | ||
12 | Teletext or Closed Caption.</para> | ||
13 | |||
14 | <para>Subject of this interface type is raw VBI data, as sampled off | ||
15 | a video signal, or to be added to a signal for output. | ||
16 | The data format is similar to uncompressed video images, a number of | ||
17 | lines times a number of samples per line, we call this a VBI image.</para> | ||
18 | |||
19 | <para>Conventionally V4L2 VBI devices are accessed through character | ||
20 | device special files named <filename>/dev/vbi</filename> and | ||
21 | <filename>/dev/vbi0</filename> to <filename>/dev/vbi31</filename> with | ||
22 | major number 81 and minor numbers 224 to 255. | ||
23 | <filename>/dev/vbi</filename> is typically a symbolic link to the | ||
24 | preferred VBI device. This convention applies to both input and output | ||
25 | devices.</para> | ||
26 | |||
27 | <para>To address the problems of finding related video and VBI | ||
28 | devices VBI capturing and output is also available as device function | ||
29 | under <filename>/dev/video</filename>. To capture or output raw VBI | ||
30 | data with these devices applications must call the &VIDIOC-S-FMT; | ||
31 | ioctl. Accessed as <filename>/dev/vbi</filename>, raw VBI capturing | ||
32 | or output is the default device function.</para> | ||
33 | |||
34 | <section> | ||
35 | <title>Querying Capabilities</title> | ||
36 | |||
37 | <para>Devices supporting the raw VBI capturing or output API set | ||
38 | the <constant>V4L2_CAP_VBI_CAPTURE</constant> or | ||
39 | <constant>V4L2_CAP_VBI_OUTPUT</constant> flags, respectively, in the | ||
40 | <structfield>capabilities</structfield> field of &v4l2-capability; | ||
41 | returned by the &VIDIOC-QUERYCAP; ioctl. At least one of the | ||
42 | read/write, streaming or asynchronous I/O methods must be | ||
43 | supported. VBI devices may or may not have a tuner or modulator.</para> | ||
44 | </section> | ||
45 | |||
46 | <section> | ||
47 | <title>Supplemental Functions</title> | ||
48 | |||
49 | <para>VBI devices shall support <link linkend="video">video | ||
50 | input or output</link>, <link linkend="tuner">tuner or | ||
51 | modulator</link>, and <link linkend="control">controls</link> ioctls | ||
52 | as needed. The <link linkend="standard">video standard</link> ioctls provide | ||
53 | information vital to program a VBI device, therefore must be | ||
54 | supported.</para> | ||
55 | </section> | ||
56 | |||
57 | <section> | ||
58 | <title>Raw VBI Format Negotiation</title> | ||
59 | |||
60 | <para>Raw VBI sampling abilities can vary, in particular the | ||
61 | sampling frequency. To properly interpret the data V4L2 specifies an | ||
62 | ioctl to query the sampling parameters. Moreover, to allow for some | ||
63 | flexibility applications can also suggest different parameters.</para> | ||
64 | |||
65 | <para>As usual these parameters are <emphasis>not</emphasis> | ||
66 | reset at &func-open; time to permit Unix tool chains, programming a | ||
67 | device and then reading from it as if it was a plain file. Well | ||
68 | written V4L2 applications should always ensure they really get what | ||
69 | they want, requesting reasonable parameters and then checking if the | ||
70 | actual parameters are suitable.</para> | ||
71 | |||
72 | <para>To query the current raw VBI capture parameters | ||
73 | applications set the <structfield>type</structfield> field of a | ||
74 | &v4l2-format; to <constant>V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VBI_CAPTURE</constant> or | ||
75 | <constant>V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VBI_OUTPUT</constant>, and call the | ||
76 | &VIDIOC-G-FMT; ioctl with a pointer to this structure. Drivers fill | ||
77 | the &v4l2-vbi-format; <structfield>vbi</structfield> member of the | ||
78 | <structfield>fmt</structfield> union.</para> | ||
79 | |||
80 | <para>To request different parameters applications set the | ||
81 | <structfield>type</structfield> field of a &v4l2-format; as above and | ||
82 | initialize all fields of the &v4l2-vbi-format; | ||
83 | <structfield>vbi</structfield> member of the | ||
84 | <structfield>fmt</structfield> union, or better just modify the | ||
85 | results of <constant>VIDIOC_G_FMT</constant>, and call the | ||
86 | &VIDIOC-S-FMT; ioctl with a pointer to this structure. Drivers return | ||
87 | an &EINVAL; only when the given parameters are ambiguous, otherwise | ||
88 | they modify the parameters according to the hardware capabilites and | ||
89 | return the actual parameters. When the driver allocates resources at | ||
90 | this point, it may return an &EBUSY; to indicate the returned | ||
91 | parameters are valid but the required resources are currently not | ||
92 | available. That may happen for instance when the video and VBI areas | ||
93 | to capture would overlap, or when the driver supports multiple opens | ||
94 | and another process already requested VBI capturing or output. Anyway, | ||
95 | applications must expect other resource allocation points which may | ||
96 | return <errorcode>EBUSY</errorcode>, at the &VIDIOC-STREAMON; ioctl | ||
97 | and the first read(), write() and select() call.</para> | ||
98 | |||
99 | <para>VBI devices must implement both the | ||
100 | <constant>VIDIOC_G_FMT</constant> and | ||
101 | <constant>VIDIOC_S_FMT</constant> ioctl, even if | ||
102 | <constant>VIDIOC_S_FMT</constant> ignores all requests and always | ||
103 | returns default parameters as <constant>VIDIOC_G_FMT</constant> does. | ||
104 | <constant>VIDIOC_TRY_FMT</constant> is optional.</para> | ||
105 | |||
106 | <table pgwide="1" frame="none" id="v4l2-vbi-format"> | ||
107 | <title>struct <structname>v4l2_vbi_format</structname></title> | ||
108 | <tgroup cols="3"> | ||
109 | &cs-str; | ||
110 | <tbody valign="top"> | ||
111 | <row> | ||
112 | <entry>__u32</entry> | ||
113 | <entry><structfield>sampling_rate</structfield></entry> | ||
114 | <entry>Samples per second, i. e. unit 1 Hz.</entry> | ||
115 | </row> | ||
116 | <row> | ||
117 | <entry>__u32</entry> | ||
118 | <entry><structfield>offset</structfield></entry> | ||
119 | <entry><para>Horizontal offset of the VBI image, | ||
120 | relative to the leading edge of the line synchronization pulse and | ||
121 | counted in samples: The first sample in the VBI image will be located | ||
122 | <structfield>offset</structfield> / | ||
123 | <structfield>sampling_rate</structfield> seconds following the leading | ||
124 | edge. See also <xref linkend="vbi-hsync" />.</para></entry> | ||
125 | </row> | ||
126 | <row> | ||
127 | <entry>__u32</entry> | ||
128 | <entry><structfield>samples_per_line</structfield></entry> | ||
129 | <entry></entry> | ||
130 | </row> | ||
131 | <row> | ||
132 | <entry>__u32</entry> | ||
133 | <entry><structfield>sample_format</structfield></entry> | ||
134 | <entry><para>Defines the sample format as in <xref | ||
135 | linkend="pixfmt" />, a four-character-code.<footnote> | ||
136 | <para>A few devices may be unable to | ||
137 | sample VBI data at all but can extend the video capture window to the | ||
138 | VBI region.</para> | ||
139 | </footnote> Usually this is | ||
140 | <constant>V4L2_PIX_FMT_GREY</constant>, i. e. each sample | ||
141 | consists of 8 bits with lower values oriented towards the black level. | ||
142 | Do not assume any other correlation of values with the signal level. | ||
143 | For example, the MSB does not necessarily indicate if the signal is | ||
144 | 'high' or 'low' because 128 may not be the mean value of the | ||
145 | signal. Drivers shall not convert the sample format by software.</para></entry> | ||
146 | </row> | ||
147 | <row> | ||
148 | <entry>__u32</entry> | ||
149 | <entry><structfield>start</structfield>[2]</entry> | ||
150 | <entry>This is the scanning system line number | ||
151 | associated with the first line of the VBI image, of the first and the | ||
152 | second field respectively. See <xref linkend="vbi-525" /> and | ||
153 | <xref linkend="vbi-625" /> for valid values. VBI input drivers can | ||
154 | return start values 0 if the hardware cannot reliable identify | ||
155 | scanning lines, VBI acquisition may not require this | ||
156 | information.</entry> | ||
157 | </row> | ||
158 | <row> | ||
159 | <entry>__u32</entry> | ||
160 | <entry><structfield>count</structfield>[2]</entry> | ||
161 | <entry>The number of lines in the first and second | ||
162 | field image, respectively.</entry> | ||
163 | </row> | ||
164 | <row> | ||
165 | <entry spanname="hspan"><para>Drivers should be as | ||
166 | flexibility as possible. For example, it may be possible to extend or | ||
167 | move the VBI capture window down to the picture area, implementing a | ||
168 | 'full field mode' to capture data service transmissions embedded in | ||
169 | the picture.</para><para>An application can set the first or second | ||
170 | <structfield>count</structfield> value to zero if no data is required | ||
171 | from the respective field; <structfield>count</structfield>[1] if the | ||
172 | scanning system is progressive, &ie; not interlaced. The | ||
173 | corresponding start value shall be ignored by the application and | ||
174 | driver. Anyway, drivers may not support single field capturing and | ||
175 | return both count values non-zero.</para><para>Both | ||
176 | <structfield>count</structfield> values set to zero, or line numbers | ||
177 | outside the bounds depicted in <xref linkend="vbi-525" /> and <xref | ||
178 | linkend="vbi-625" />, or a field image covering | ||
179 | lines of two fields, are invalid and shall not be returned by the | ||
180 | driver.</para><para>To initialize the <structfield>start</structfield> | ||
181 | and <structfield>count</structfield> fields, applications must first | ||
182 | determine the current video standard selection. The &v4l2-std-id; or | ||
183 | the <structfield>framelines</structfield> field of &v4l2-standard; can | ||
184 | be evaluated for this purpose.</para></entry> | ||
185 | </row> | ||
186 | <row> | ||
187 | <entry>__u32</entry> | ||
188 | <entry><structfield>flags</structfield></entry> | ||
189 | <entry>See <xref linkend="vbifmt-flags" /> below. Currently | ||
190 | only drivers set flags, applications must set this field to | ||
191 | zero.</entry> | ||
192 | </row> | ||
193 | <row> | ||
194 | <entry>__u32</entry> | ||
195 | <entry><structfield>reserved</structfield>[2]</entry> | ||
196 | <entry>This array is reserved for future extensions. | ||
197 | Drivers and applications must set it to zero.</entry> | ||
198 | </row> | ||
199 | </tbody> | ||
200 | </tgroup> | ||
201 | </table> | ||
202 | |||
203 | <table pgwide="1" frame="none" id="vbifmt-flags"> | ||
204 | <title>Raw VBI Format Flags</title> | ||
205 | <tgroup cols="3"> | ||
206 | &cs-def; | ||
207 | <tbody valign="top"> | ||
208 | <row> | ||
209 | <entry><constant>V4L2_VBI_UNSYNC</constant></entry> | ||
210 | <entry>0x0001</entry> | ||
211 | <entry><para>This flag indicates hardware which does not | ||
212 | properly distinguish between fields. Normally the VBI image stores the | ||
213 | first field (lower scanning line numbers) first in memory. This may be | ||
214 | a top or bottom field depending on the video standard. When this flag | ||
215 | is set the first or second field may be stored first, however the | ||
216 | fields are still in correct temporal order with the older field first | ||
217 | in memory.<footnote> | ||
218 | <para>Most VBI services transmit on both fields, but | ||
219 | some have different semantics depending on the field number. These | ||
220 | cannot be reliable decoded or encoded when | ||
221 | <constant>V4L2_VBI_UNSYNC</constant> is set.</para> | ||
222 | </footnote></para></entry> | ||
223 | </row> | ||
224 | <row> | ||
225 | <entry><constant>V4L2_VBI_INTERLACED</constant></entry> | ||
226 | <entry>0x0002</entry> | ||
227 | <entry>By default the two field images will be passed | ||
228 | sequentially; all lines of the first field followed by all lines of | ||
229 | the second field (compare <xref linkend="field-order" /> | ||
230 | <constant>V4L2_FIELD_SEQ_TB</constant> and | ||
231 | <constant>V4L2_FIELD_SEQ_BT</constant>, whether the top or bottom | ||
232 | field is first in memory depends on the video standard). When this | ||
233 | flag is set, the two fields are interlaced (cf. | ||
234 | <constant>V4L2_FIELD_INTERLACED</constant>). The first line of the | ||
235 | first field followed by the first line of the second field, then the | ||
236 | two second lines, and so on. Such a layout may be necessary when the | ||
237 | hardware has been programmed to capture or output interlaced video | ||
238 | images and is unable to separate the fields for VBI capturing at | ||
239 | the same time. For simplicity setting this flag implies that both | ||
240 | <structfield>count</structfield> values are equal and non-zero.</entry> | ||
241 | </row> | ||
242 | </tbody> | ||
243 | </tgroup> | ||
244 | </table> | ||
245 | |||
246 | <figure id="vbi-hsync"> | ||
247 | <title>Line synchronization</title> | ||
248 | <mediaobject> | ||
249 | <imageobject> | ||
250 | <imagedata fileref="vbi_hsync.pdf" format="PS" /> | ||
251 | </imageobject> | ||
252 | <imageobject> | ||
253 | <imagedata fileref="vbi_hsync.gif" format="GIF" /> | ||
254 | </imageobject> | ||
255 | <textobject> | ||
256 | <phrase>Line synchronization diagram</phrase> | ||
257 | </textobject> | ||
258 | </mediaobject> | ||
259 | </figure> | ||
260 | |||
261 | <figure id="vbi-525"> | ||
262 | <title>ITU-R 525 line numbering (M/NTSC and M/PAL)</title> | ||
263 | <mediaobject> | ||
264 | <imageobject> | ||
265 | <imagedata fileref="vbi_525.pdf" format="PS" /> | ||
266 | </imageobject> | ||
267 | <imageobject> | ||
268 | <imagedata fileref="vbi_525.gif" format="GIF" /> | ||
269 | </imageobject> | ||
270 | <textobject> | ||
271 | <phrase>NTSC field synchronization diagram</phrase> | ||
272 | </textobject> | ||
273 | <caption> | ||
274 | <para>(1) For the purpose of this specification field 2 | ||
275 | starts in line 264 and not 263.5 because half line capturing is not | ||
276 | supported.</para> | ||
277 | </caption> | ||
278 | </mediaobject> | ||
279 | </figure> | ||
280 | |||
281 | <figure id="vbi-625"> | ||
282 | <title>ITU-R 625 line numbering</title> | ||
283 | <mediaobject> | ||
284 | <imageobject> | ||
285 | <imagedata fileref="vbi_625.pdf" format="PS" /> | ||
286 | </imageobject> | ||
287 | <imageobject> | ||
288 | <imagedata fileref="vbi_625.gif" format="GIF" /> | ||
289 | </imageobject> | ||
290 | <textobject> | ||
291 | <phrase>PAL/SECAM field synchronization diagram</phrase> | ||
292 | </textobject> | ||
293 | <caption> | ||
294 | <para>(1) For the purpose of this specification field 2 | ||
295 | starts in line 314 and not 313.5 because half line capturing is not | ||
296 | supported.</para> | ||
297 | </caption> | ||
298 | </mediaobject> | ||
299 | </figure> | ||
300 | |||
301 | <para>Remember the VBI image format depends on the selected | ||
302 | video standard, therefore the application must choose a new standard or | ||
303 | query the current standard first. Attempts to read or write data ahead | ||
304 | of format negotiation, or after switching the video standard which may | ||
305 | invalidate the negotiated VBI parameters, should be refused by the | ||
306 | driver. A format change during active I/O is not permitted.</para> | ||
307 | </section> | ||
308 | |||
309 | <section> | ||
310 | <title>Reading and writing VBI images</title> | ||
311 | |||
312 | <para>To assure synchronization with the field number and easier | ||
313 | implementation, the smallest unit of data passed at a time is one | ||
314 | frame, consisting of two fields of VBI images immediately following in | ||
315 | memory.</para> | ||
316 | |||
317 | <para>The total size of a frame computes as follows:</para> | ||
318 | |||
319 | <programlisting> | ||
320 | (<structfield>count</structfield>[0] + <structfield>count</structfield>[1]) * | ||
321 | <structfield>samples_per_line</structfield> * sample size in bytes</programlisting> | ||
322 | |||
323 | <para>The sample size is most likely always one byte, | ||
324 | applications must check the <structfield>sample_format</structfield> | ||
325 | field though, to function properly with other drivers.</para> | ||
326 | |||
327 | <para>A VBI device may support <link | ||
328 | linkend="rw">read/write</link> and/or streaming (<link | ||
329 | linkend="mmap">memory mapping</link> or <link | ||
330 | linkend="userp">user pointer</link>) I/O. The latter bears the | ||
331 | possibility of synchronizing video and | ||
332 | VBI data by using buffer timestamps.</para> | ||
333 | |||
334 | <para>Remember the &VIDIOC-STREAMON; ioctl and the first read(), | ||
335 | write() and select() call can be resource allocation points returning | ||
336 | an &EBUSY; if the required hardware resources are temporarily | ||
337 | unavailable, for example the device is already in use by another | ||
338 | process.</para> | ||
339 | </section> | ||
340 | |||
341 | <!-- | ||
342 | Local Variables: | ||
343 | mode: sgml | ||
344 | sgml-parent-document: "v4l2.sgml" | ||
345 | indent-tabs-mode: nil | ||
346 | End: | ||
347 | --> | ||