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RHobb's avatar
RHobb
Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
2 years ago
Solved

No User Manual for Terasic D8M-FMC (NDA) ?

I'm interfacing a Terasic D8M-FMC to a Stratix 10 Dev Board, and the problem is none of the register definitions listed in Chapter 6 of the OV8865 Rev 1D manual that Terasic supplied with the CD package are explained anywhere. I wrote Terasic Support and I informed them that they actually documented how to setup the register definitions when they confingured the camera via SCCB protocol (Omnivisions copy of the I2C protocol), and they told me to directly contact Omnivision. However they are staying silent on how to configure these registers.

I am simply inverting the image from the camera, and there are two registers to do this, 0x3820 and 0x3821, but there are other registers that are never explained anywhere, like vsub48_blc, byp_isp_o, then theres digital flip vs mirror flip and sync_hbin2. Nothing is explained. I'm ending up with a purple image with correct inversion, unless I just compile the demo code with no changes and color is fine but image is inverted.

Terasic even documents the fact they are turning off these features in the comments of the demo code or turning them on, with no explanation, so they must know more about these settings.

Can someone please point me to the supplemental manual or is there a NDA setup for mass supplies of these sensors being ordered to supply the missing details ?

Video
  • RHobb's avatar
    RHobb
    2 years ago

    So apprently, Omnivision reached out to me after I wrote them to obtain a datasheet on there website, which has a link attached to write them directly to obtain a NDA. According to Omnivision, I need to be company or corporation and must order several of there sensors, and they can provide both engineering support, in addition to providing an NDA for there sensor datasheet. The Rev. 1D datasheet is merely a pamphlet to barely even get the sensor running. There are more than 50 registers not documented in this.

    The reasoning is simple, it's there to protect the company and there IP from nefarious reasons. It doesn't make any sense to me, the end user owns the product, but yet they can keep information from you using the product to it's full potential.

    I saw nothing in the marketing material on Terasic website that they had a NDA with Omvision and I would not be given the complete register map for this product. Terasic does have this datasheet but for obvious reasons cannot disclose it.

    Apparently this is now a trend, and more companies are doing the same practices.

4 Replies

  • tehjingy_Altera's avatar
    tehjingy_Altera
    Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
    2 years ago

    Hi


    Sorry. I could not help you with the registers descriptions of the device you are looking at.

    Perhaps contacting Terasic would be a better option.


    Regards

    Jingyang, Teh


  • RHobb's avatar
    RHobb
    Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
    2 years ago

    Hello,

    Thanks for the reply.

    As stated in my posted question, Terasic claims they do not have any other manual besides the Rev 1D pdf they supplied with the product. They told me it was trial and error. I'm not sure if I believe that, given the fact there are so many hidden registers (i.e. Sensor Control (0x3700-0x37B9) and so many combinations. But the demo code is "as is" with no implied warranties or fitness of application.

    So why would they sell a product knowing it has no underlining register definitions? Regardless, I have no solution here. I contacted Omnivision numerous times and nobody will get back with me.

    I'm looking for more input from the community on this issue.

  • RHobb's avatar
    RHobb
    Icon for Occasional Contributor rankOccasional Contributor
    2 years ago

    So apprently, Omnivision reached out to me after I wrote them to obtain a datasheet on there website, which has a link attached to write them directly to obtain a NDA. According to Omnivision, I need to be company or corporation and must order several of there sensors, and they can provide both engineering support, in addition to providing an NDA for there sensor datasheet. The Rev. 1D datasheet is merely a pamphlet to barely even get the sensor running. There are more than 50 registers not documented in this.

    The reasoning is simple, it's there to protect the company and there IP from nefarious reasons. It doesn't make any sense to me, the end user owns the product, but yet they can keep information from you using the product to it's full potential.

    I saw nothing in the marketing material on Terasic website that they had a NDA with Omvision and I would not be given the complete register map for this product. Terasic does have this datasheet but for obvious reasons cannot disclose it.

    Apparently this is now a trend, and more companies are doing the same practices.

  • tehjingy_Altera's avatar
    tehjingy_Altera
    Icon for Regular Contributor rankRegular Contributor
    2 years ago

    Hi


    Since this thread been resolve, I shall set this thread to close pending. If you still need further assistance, you are welcome to reopen this thread within 20days or open a new thread, some one will be right with you. Please login to ‘https://supporttickets.intel.com’, view details of the desire request, and post a feed/response within the next 15 days to allow me to continue to support you. After 15 days, this thread will be transitioned to community support. The community users will be able to help you on your follow-up questions.


    If you happened to close this thread you might receive a survey. If you think you would rank your support experience less than 4 out of 10, please allow me to correct it before closing or if the problem can’t be corrected, please let me know the cause so that I may improve your future service experience.


    Regards

    Jingyang, Teh