Can't save non-corrupted image files with imx477 camera

[ramiromagno]

raspistill -o output_filename.jpg -v

"raspistill" Camera App (commit f97b1af1b3e6 Tainted)

Camera Name imx477
Width 4056, Height 3040, filename output_filename.jpg
Using camera 0, sensor mode 0

GPS output Disabled

Quality 85, Raw no
Thumbnail enabled Yes, width 64, height 48, quality 35
Time delay 5000, Timelapse 0
Link to latest frame enabled  no
Full resolution preview No
Capture method : Single capture

Preview Yes, Full screen Yes
Preview window 0,0,1024,768
Opacity 255
Sharpness 0, Contrast 0, Brightness 50
Saturation 0, ISO 0, Video Stabilisation No, Exposure compensation 0
Exposure Mode 'auto', AWB Mode 'auto', Image Effect 'none'
Flicker Avoid Mode 'off'
Metering Mode 'average', Colour Effect Enabled No with U = 128, V = 128
Rotation 0, hflip No, vflip No
ROI x 0.000000, y 0.000000, w 1.000000 h 1.000000
Camera component done
Encoder component done
Starting component connection stage
Connecting camera preview port to video render.
Connecting camera stills port to encoder input port
Opening output file output_filename.jpg
Enabling encoder output port
Starting capture -1
Finished capture -1
Closing down
Close down completed, all components disconnected, disabled and destroyed

No matter what I try, I can't for the life of me to get image files that are not corrupted. I tried different encodings: jpg, png, gif and bmp, and the saved files are always corrupted.

Note that I can see the image preview which looks fine, and I can also see live streaming just fine, but every single export results in a corrupted image, no matter the file format. I tried to open the image files with programs like sxiv, gpicview, chromium, etc.. but to no avail.

[JamesH65]

Please update your system, and retest.

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade

[6by9]

At present the fixes for imx477 are only in apt for Pi4. For Pi0-3 you need to use sudo rpi-update.

Please also confirm that you are NOT using the 64bit kernel or OS. 64bit kernel with 32bit userspace should be OK, but MMAL is not currently supported with 64bit userspace.

[ramiromagno]

I'm using Archlinux ARM actually. So I am guessing I need to change userspace to 32bit...?

I am using Pi 4B by the way.

[6by9]

If you clone userland, revert f97b1af and e31da99, and rebuild using buildme --aarch64, then you may have a chance of things working, but particularly with video playback we saw some odd behaviour (hence the reverts).

[ramiromagno]

okay... thanks!

[ramiromagno]

I just followed your instructions: (1) I cloned userland, (2) reverted those two commits, (3) and ran ./buildme --aarch64. Everything ran smoothly, and it installed all sorts of files into /opt/vc/. Yet, the generated files with:

raspistill -o output_filename.jpg -v

are still corrupted...

[JamesH65]

Since you are not using a Raspberry PI OS, I doubt there is much else we can suggest. We know our official OS (32bit) works. I suggest moving to that.

[ramiromagno]

Okay, thanks! But does Raspberry PI OS (32bit) work with the Pi 4B 8GB RAM version?

[6by9]

Okay, thanks! But does Raspberry PI OS (32bit) work with the Pi 4B 8GB RAM version?

Yes, it works fine. A single process can only use 3GB of RAM, but that is rarely a restriction. Multiple processes can use the full 8GB.

[ramiromagno]

I see. Thank you so much. I am going to try Raspberry PI OS (32bit).

[pelwell]

Can you upload a few of the corrupted images so we can inspect them?

[ramiromagno]

I was about to dd the old image... Hang on a sec...

[ramiromagno]

[pelwell]

Thanks - that looks like 640 bytes of rubbish, followed by a JFIF header, then mostly 5MB of random memory content (Quake I save file, file utility, etc.).

[ramiromagno]

I just tried running raspicam_test from the package raspicam:

Name            : raspicam
Version         : 0.1.8-1
Description     : C++ API for using Raspberry camera (with OpenCV)
Architecture    : armv7h
URL             : http://www.uco.es/investiga/grupos/ava/node/40
Licenses        : BSD
Groups          : None
Provides        : raspicam
Depends On      : vtk
Optional Deps   : None
Required By     : None
Optional For    : None
Conflicts With  : raspicam
Replaces        : raspicam
Installed Size  : 102.38 KiB
Packager        : Unknown Packager
Build Date      : Tue 23 Jun 2020 01:48:00 AM WEST
Install Date    : Tue 23 Jun 2020 01:48:39 AM WEST
Install Reason  : Explicitly installed
Install Script  : No
Validated By    : None

and voila:

Usage (-help for help)
Connecting to camera
Connected to camera =10000000a9f0e518 bufs=3686400
Capturing....
 capturing ...30/100Saving image30.ppm
 capturing ...60/100Saving image60.ppm
 capturing ...90/100Saving image90.ppm
 capturing ...95/100
Images saved in imagexx.ppm
4.04819 seconds for 100  frames : FPS 24.7024

The image below is after conversion from ppm to png with convert from imagemagick:

Do you understand why it seems to work with raspicam but not with the other raspi* commands?

[6by9]

Architecture : armv7h

Presumably that raspicam package has been built against a 32bit version of the MMAL library, which will work. If raspivid etc have been built as 64bit, and therefore linking against a 64bit MMAL, it won't work.

[xlla]

I have build userland base on 4a57ea4
test on Pi 4 4GB, aarch64,

raspistill -o output_filename.jpg -v

the image was captured ok ,and I can view it use fim output_filename.jpg.