Using USB webcam on Colibri iMX8X

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Hello,

To successfully use a USB webcam with your Colibri iMX8X module and display the feed in a Python GUI, you’ll need to ensure your Docker containers are properly configured to access the webcam hardware. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you troubleshoot and set up your system:

1. Verify Webcam Recognition

  • Check Device Detection: Use dmesg to confirm that the webcam is detected when plugged in. Your logs indicate that the Logitech BRIO is recognized.
  • List Video Devices: Run ls /dev/video* to see available video devices. Your output shows multiple /dev/videoX entries, which is typical.

2. Configure Docker Containers

  • Map the Correct Device: In your docker-compose.yml, ensure you map the correct /dev/videoX device to the container. For instance, if /dev/video4 is your webcam, map it as - /dev/video4:/dev/video0 inside the container.
  • Simplify Device Mappings: Remove unnecessary device mappings to avoid confusion.

3. Set Device Permissions

  • User Permissions: Ensure the user running the container has permissions to access video devices. You might need to add the user to the video group or run the container with elevated privileges.

4. Test with GStreamer

  • GStreamer Pipeline: Use GStreamer to test the video stream:
    gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! videoconvert ! autovideosink
    This command should display the webcam feed if everything is configured correctly.

5. Integrate with Python and OpenCV

  • OpenCV Setup: Once the webcam is accessible, use OpenCV in your Python application to capture and display video. Ensure OpenCV is installed in your container and use the cv2.VideoCapture class to access the video stream.

6. Address User and Command Confusion

  • Command Availability: The v4l2-ctl command should be available if v4l-utils is installed in the container. Make sure you are executing commands in the correct environment (container vs. host).

By following these steps, you should be able to configure your setup to access and display the webcam feed in your Python GUI. If issues persist, double-check device mappings and permissions, and ensure all necessary software components are correctly installed in your containers.

Best regards,
Toradex AI Assistant

Please, also check if these links can help you solve your problem:

Display output from mipi camera.