Connect USB Webcam - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

I am trying to connect my usb webcam to my Transformer Prime. The webcam uses a generic Realtek chipset, which should be supported by the linux kernel. When I connect the webcam via usb I can see the device when executing the lsusb command in the terminal. I can also see that the file /dev/video0 is created after I plug in the webcam, but I cannot find an application that is able to display the stream from the webcam. Is is possible to open this stream using an app under Android?

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The problem is probably more that apps like Skype don't expect this to happen and will not provide an option for the webcam and instead rely on the in-built ones.

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You might be able to access /dev/video0 from within ubuntu/BT5 on the TFP. I doubt the video performance would be stellar though.

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I now found a way to access the webcam. I found an eclipse project under this url: http://brain.cc.kogakuin.ac.jp/research/usb-e.html
The application works and displays the picture from my webcam, but before running the app I had to execute the command "chmod 777 /dev/video0" in the terminal and every time I reconnected the device again.

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Thenetstriker said:
I now found a way to access the webcam. I found an eclipse project under this url: http://brain.cc.kogakuin.ac.jp/research/usb-e.html
The application works and displays the picture from my webcam, but before running the app I had to execute the command "chmod 777 /dev/video0" in the terminal and every time I reconnected the device again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nice find
so do you know what app allows you to use those cameras?
or is his app the only once that works atm?

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I too am trying to get this to work, I have downloaded and compiled the kogakuin app but how do I compile/load the v4l2_camera_v2.patch? and/or make the necessary kernel mods?
Please Help.

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lil-devil said:
nice find
so do you know what app allows you to use those cameras?
or is his app the only once that works atm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This app is the only one I found that works. But so far it works only on my Transformer Prime. On my Samsung Galaxy S2 (Cyanogenmod 9) it crashes the phone when using /dev/video0 and when using /dev/bus/usb/002/003 it just doesn't work. (Maybe I have to compile a custom kernel using the settings the developer describes on his BitBucket page, I will try this tonight)
pjames1972 said:
I too am trying to get this to work, I have downloaded and compiled the kogakuin app but how do I compile/load the v4l2_camera_v2.patch? and/or make the necessary kernel mods?
Please Help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On my Transformer Prime the app just works, I did not make any modifications to the kernel. Just compile the app and upload it to your TF201 and it should work.

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Thanks Thenetstriker,
I failed to mention that i am using Iconia A500 rooted stock 3.2 not the TF201.
Today I bought a UVC compliant webcam and I now have the kogakuin eclipse project working on my device.
have you tried putting "chmod 777 /dev/video0" in your ueventd.xxxx.rc script?
Paul

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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22884164&postcount=3

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Thenetstriker said:
This app is the only one I found that works. But so far it works only on my Transformer Prime. On my Samsung Galaxy S2 (Cyanogenmod 9) it crashes the phone when using /dev/video0 and when using /dev/bus/usb/002/003 it just doesn't work. (Maybe I have to compile a custom kernel using the settings the developer describes on his BitBucket page, I will try this tonight)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to compile my own Kernel with video 4 linux enabled and the app still doesn't work on my Samsung Galaxy S2. But the device shows up on android. Using the app "USB Device Info" I was able to get the following information about my Logitech webcam USB interfaces, but I don't have the knowledge on how to communicate with USB devices over these interfaces. I think someone who has this knowledge could write an application using the USB Host feature from Android 4.0 to show the webcam picture even without root access.
Code:
Device Info
Device Path: /dev/bus/usb/002/002
Device Class: Miscellaneous (0xef)
Vendor ID: 046d
Vendor Name: Logitech, Inc.
Product ID: 07d2
Product Name: not in db
Interfaces
Interface #0
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 135 (10000111)
Number : 7
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Intrrupt (0x3)
Poll Interval : 8
Max Packet Size: 16
Attributes : 000000011
Interface #1
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoints: none
Interface #2
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 192
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #3
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 384
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #4
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 512
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #5
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 640
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #6
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 800
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #7
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 944
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #8
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 2688
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #9
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 2848
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #10
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 3040
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #11
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 4992
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #12
Class: Video Device (0xe)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 129 (10000001)
Number : 1
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 1
Max Packet Size: 5116
Attributes : 0000000101
Interface #13
Class: Audio Device (0x1)
Endpoints: none
Interface #14
Class: Audio Device (0x1)
Endpoints: none
Interface #15
Class: Audio Device (0x1)
Endpoint: #0
Address : 134 (10000110)
Number : 6
Direction : Inbound (0x80)
Type : Isochronous (0x1)
Poll Interval : 4
Max Packet Size: 68
Attributes : 0000000101

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I've just found a video on YouTube which shows an "UVC Player" which seams to be able to access UVC compatible webcams, but the website that is mentioned on this thread is written in japanese and I didn't find any source code or a sample application:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aieJMBFLEdA
http://www.infinitegra.co.jp/technology/rd_android_uvc1.htm

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And another link here:Google crimsonwoods UVCCapture (Sorry not enough posts yet)
Have compiled just need to work out what to do with it

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Thenetstriker said:
I now found a way to access the webcam. I found an eclipse project under this url: http://brain.cc.kogakuin.ac.jp/research/usb-e.html
The application works and displays the picture from my webcam, but before running the app I had to execute the command "chmod 777 /dev/video0" in the terminal and every time I reconnected the device again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you rooted?

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jazzcat007 said:
Are you rooted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the device has to be rooted for this application, The Android API does not seam to support the isochronous USB interfaces, so no non rooted access possible at the moment.

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Thenetstriker said:
Yes, the device has to be rooted for this application, The Android API does not seam to support the isochronous USB interfaces, so no non rooted access possible at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check this out
someone has already created an app for it .. we just need to cook a new kernel for it

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josh_m said:
Check this out
someone has already created an app for it .. we just need to cook a new kernel for it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, where do I find this app?

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this is a good find, what's the image quality like? is it substantially better than the front facing camera of the Prime?

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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22884164&postcount=3

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josh_m said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22884164&postcount=3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has anyone tried the files in that link? The thread is for the Xoom, so would the "Development Overlay" and "Tiamat Kernel" work with the other tablets ( I have the Acer A500, but I realize this is a transformer thread) ?

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tried to compile my own Kernel with video 4 linux enabled and the app still doesn't work on my Samsung Galaxy S2. But the device shows up on android. Using the app "USB Device Info" I was able to get the following information about my Logitech webcam USB interfaces, but I don't have the knowledge on how to communicate with USB devices over these interfaces. I think someone who has this knowledge could write an application using the USB Host feature from Android 4.0 to show the webcam picture even without root access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thenetstriker,
Your USB Device info looks OK to mine and it looks like the USB stub is being created OK but my first non UVC compliant cam did the same and it just did not work.
Make sure your device is listed in http://www.ideasonboard.org/uvc/, if not you may need to buy a new cam.
For some reason I have to occasionally reboot my A500 with the webcam inserted, unplug it, start the app and then reinsert the webcam to get mine to work.
Normally though, mine works if I start the app first before plugging in.
Paul,