pico2000(connexant 878a), problem

edgar5 · Post by **edgar5** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 1:49 pm

My bttv card (connexant 878a):
http://www.zoneminder.com/wiki/index.php/Pico2000

..is recognized by linux like: bttv0 and /dev/video0.
fswebcam -d /dev/video0 --list-inputs shows:

1 composite0
2 composite1
3 composite2
4 composite3

modprobe:
options i2c-algo-bit bit_test=1
options bttv card=77 tuner=4 radio=0 triton1=0 vsfx=0 autoload=0

Why just one /dev/video0 , not 4?I have 2 cameras connected to it.
Just one program in the same time can use /dev/video0, so just 1 cam can be connected to my DVR?
Is any solution in zone minder for this?

bb99 · Post by **bb99** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 5:04 pm

I believe the card only has one chip, so only one video device but probably supports 4 channels. So your source tab for first camera would be video0, channel 0, second camera would be video0 channel 1. Don't forget about setting the frames per capture to 2 and disabling v4l in ZM options.

clipo · Post by **clipo** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:58 pm

The Pico2000 like all of the clone single BT878 chip cards can only capture one frame at a time, because there is only one A/D inside the chip that is multiplexed to 4 input channels so it will support 4 cameras at the same time but will only capture a single image from each one in turn.

edgar5's explanation is correct you address the single card with the /dev/video0 then you address the port on the card with the channel 0, 1, 2, 3 that your cameras are attached too.

note the card can only do 25fps with a single camera attached if you attach more then the fps will drop to under 5 per camera, I have a pico2000 clone with all 4 ports filled and get approximately 2fps on each camera.