USB3 camera interface project. SOM and base board questions

[joseer]

Hello,

I need to compress and log/save a footage coming from a few USB3 cameras USB Vision compatible. I've seen that the zynq ultrascale+ EV family is coming with an integrated hardware VCU which could be quite handy to achieve this task especially for high fps cameras. I saw this https://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/boards_and_kits/zcu106/2018_1/ug1250-zcu106-vcu-trd.pdf  Xilinx TRD but the image sensors interface is done through PL, instead my idea will be use petalinux to interface the USB3 camera, buffer the footage in the DDR, compress the raw frames using the VCU for later save the video file in a eMMC or SD memory.

I'm thinking to use the combination of TE0803 SOM and TEBF0808 base board to develop the prototype and eventually design a custom carrier or base board with only USB3 and ethernet ports.

Before to get this combo I wanted to double-check the next:
Is this combination suitable for this type of project? will this combination allow the connection of a few USB3 cameras  and interface the video?

Thanks.

[JH]

Hello,

instead my idea will be use petalinux to interface the USB3 camera, buffer the footage in the DDR, compress the raw frames using the VCU for later save the video file in a eMMC or SD memory.

This should be possible. You can get access to DDR form PL side with DMA controller. Instead of eMMC or SD also Hard disk over SATA will be possible.  You should also check if performance is enough for your preferred video stream.

I'm thinking to use the combination of TE0803 SOM and TEBF0808 base board to develop the prototype and eventually design a custom carrier or base board with only USB3 and ethernet ports.

Before to get this combo I wanted to double-check the next:
Is this combination suitable for this type of project? will this combination allow the connection of a few USB3 cameras  and interface the video?

You can use TE0803 (variant with VCU available), TE0807 (variant with VCU available) and TE0808 with TEBF0808. So you can increase PL side if necessary.
In this combination, one GTP lane is used for PCIe, one for DP, one for SATA and one for USB3.  USB2/3 goes to an HUB on the TEBF0808, so you has 2USB connectors on the carrier and a second connector for 2USB on enclosure.
But pay attention: You must check  camera drivers and maybe write your own one, to get your camera running and archive the performance you needed. Not everything works always out of the box, like on normal PC.
We provide only basic petalinux design with our reference design.

More documentation and downloads(schematics, reference designs...), see:

• https://wiki.trenz-electronic.de/display/PD/TE0803+Resources
• 
  https://wiki.trenz-electronic.de/display/PD/TEBF0808+TRM

Important document for ZynqMP:

• https://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/user_guides/ug1085-zynq-ultrascale-trm.pdf
• https://www.xilinx.com/html_docs/registers/ug1087/ug1087-zynq-ultrascale-registers.html

br
John

[joseer]

Hello JH,

Thanks for the reply and info.

The camera implements a standard USB3 Vision interface (https://www.ximea.com/en/usb3-vision-camera/usb3zone), also the manufacturer provides linux drivers...so in principle, it shouldn't be a big issue to work with the stream, it has to be tested though.

Also the camera provides high speed fps so it can be between 150-1000fps depending of the resolution, (being a low VGA resolution for the fastest). So I think at the end will be matter of mange the bandwidth, you mention that a SATA hard disk would be possible (with TEBF0808), can this be a SSD?

[JH]

Hi,

also the manufacturer provides linux drivers...so in principle, it shouldn't be a big issue to work with the stream, it has to be tested though.

Only a hint: linux is not always linux and this is on ARM processor with configurable periphery. It depends also what Xilinx and your camera manufacturer has implemented....

you mention that a SATA hard disk would be possible (with TEBF0808), can this be a SSD?

Normally yes.  But like hint above, it depends also on xilinx kernel/driver version. For example use SATA for rootfs does not work with vivado/petalinux 2017.1 but I heard it works with 18.1 and newer --> we plan to create the demo design with debian desktop filesystem on SATA harddisk/SSD.

I don't want to scare you right now, I would only inform you that maybe spend a little bit more time to get everything running.


br
John

[joseer]

Hi John,

Yes, but in case the standard petalinux interface for USB vision doesn't work, instead start from scratch, I guess the drivers provided by the manufactures can be a good reference to develop the ones for arm. I'm not expecting to have a plug and play system, but at least I'd like to check if with this hardware this project can be achieved.

Many thanks for the hints and info.

[JH]

Hi,

ok fine, so short answer at the end: I think idea itself should be work with TE0803 and TEBF0808, but I did not check performance (most of them depends on the configuration and third party software/driver...).

br
John