Identifying a webcam module

Or Google USB\VID_0BDA&PID_5880.

That all seems to make sense, Dick

I can happily accept that the controller [if that’s the right word] is a Realtek device

… trouble is: what I really want to know is the exact identity of the sensor

My best guess is that it’s Sony IMX179 : **LINK**

http://www.camera-module.com/upfile/2021/10/20211007212945_257.pdf

… but it’s only a guess.

MichaelG.

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… or perhaps a Sony IMX219PQ … for which this mind-bogglingly detailed datasheet is available:

**LINK**

https://www.opensourceinstruments.com/Electronics/Data/IMX219PQ.pdf

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There are two main reasons for wishing to identify the bits inside:

• to give me a head’s start in selecting a ‘close-up’ lens for it
• to check my suspicion that, although fitted with a fancy blue lead, the thing will never achieve better than 480 Mbps … because it’s not USB3.0

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It doesn’t much matter … I got the thing for a very reasonable price, and it performs sufficiently well to be useful.

MichaelG.

A step too far for the information provided by the USB data I fear! USB is an interface, and - so far as possible - it treats whatever is connected as a black-box. The black-box identifies the type of connection, mouse, camera, memory stick, or whatever, and the type of link.

Identifying as USB3.0 means the device is potentially capable of 480Mb/s, but the actual speed is negotiated and could be considerably lower.

The Vendor and Product ID pair identify a specific device but there's no guarantee the device contains particular hardware. All that's necessary for USB is that the hardware meets the interface specification. As the product ID might be needed to attach a device driver, it's not unreasonable to infer from it what the hardware might be, but USB is only part of the puzzle, and the hardware might be different. Analysing the device driver might reveal a list of actual sensors supported, and their available functions, but that's hard work.

Looking up the manufacturing documents is the best way to find out what's inside, but manufacturers rarely make it available. Opening the box and checking component part numbers might explain, but it's not unusual for these to be obfuscated.

Results vary with this sort of reverse engineering. These days it's often cheaper to keep physical electronics simple and do most of the work in software and/or a programmable gate array, in which case the software often provides a lot of information for debugging and future expansion. Generally the more intelligent the device, the more likely it is to blab. I have some experience probing Ethernet connected devices but not USB - life is too short and I'm a slow learner!

Dave

A couple of points, Dave … although I am always grateful for your advice:

The Mac identifies the Camera and the USB connection separately … and it is pretty clear that, although it is connected to the USB 3.0 ‘tree’ on the Mac, [and the Visualiser unit has the fancy Type-B connector], this device is performing as ‘USB 2 High Speed’.

The Camera information would normally, I believe, be sufficient to identify the ‘product’ in the same level of detail that its bar-code should identify your jar of Peanut Butter.

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I will post some screenshots later

MichaelG.

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Ref. __ **LINK** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB

In easy stages:

The Mac mini has two ‘Thunderbolt’ ports [of no relevance to this discussion] and two ‘Type-A USB’ ports, which operate according to what is connected to them.

My keyboard and mouse are in one port and, for the following examples, the other port is used directly [i.e. without any external hub]

Here are the relevant panes when a common little UVC webcam is connected:

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MichaelG.

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Chapter 2 to follow

… and now with the Visualiser device connected :

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MichaelG.

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Chapter 3 to follow

… and finally … here is the USB pane for my Microscope Camera

[ which is a proper USB 3.0 device ]

Note: it does not feature in the Camera pane, because it is not UVC

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MichaelG.