Single- and multi-planar APIsSome devices require data for each input or output video frame
- to be placed in discontiguous memory buffers. In such cases one
+ to be placed in discontiguous memory buffers. In such cases, one
video frame has to be addressed using more than one memory address, i.e. one
- pointer per "plane". A plane is a sub-buffer of current frame. For examples
- of such formats see .
+ pointer per "plane". A plane is a sub-buffer of the current frame. For
+ examples of such formats see .
Initially, V4L2 API did not support multi-planar buffers and a set of
extensions has been introduced to handle them. Those extensions constitute
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
Some of the V4L2 API calls and structures are interpreted differently,
depending on whether single- or multi-planar API is being used. An application
can choose whether to use one or the other by passing a corresponding buffer
- type to its ioctl calls. Multi-planar versions of buffer types are suffixed with
- an `_MPLANE' string. For a list of available multi-planar buffer types
+ type to its ioctl calls. Multi-planar versions of buffer types are suffixed
+ with an `_MPLANE' string. For a list of available multi-planar buffer types
see &v4l2-buf-type;.
@@ -24,28 +24,9 @@
Multi-planar API introduces new multi-planar formats. Those formats
use a separate set of FourCC codes. It is important to distinguish between
the multi-planar API and a multi-planar format. Multi-planar API calls can
- handle all single-planar formats as well, while the single-planar API cannot
- handle multi-planar formats. Applications do not have to switch between APIs
- when handling both single- and multi-planar devices and should use the
- multi-planar API version for both single- and multi-planar formats.
- Drivers that do not support multi-planar API can still be handled with it,
- utilizing a compatibility layer built into standard V4L2 ioctl handling.
-
-
-
-
- Single and multi-planar API compatibility layer
- In most casesThe compatibility layer does not cover
- drivers that do not use video_ioctl2() call., applications
- can use the multi-planar API with older drivers that support
- only its single-planar version and vice versa. Appropriate conversion is
- done seamlessly for both applications and drivers in the V4L2 core. The
- general rule of thumb is: as long as an application uses formats that
- a driver supports, it can use either API (although use of multi-planar
- formats is only possible with the multi-planar API). The list of formats
- supported by a driver can be obtained using the &VIDIOC-ENUM-FMT; call.
- It is possible, but discouraged, for a driver or an application to support
- and use both versions of the API.
+ handle all single-planar formats as well (as long as they are passed in
+ multi-planar API structures), while the single-planar API cannot
+ handle multi-planar formats.
diff --git a/Documentation/DocBook/v4l/vidioc-querycap.xml b/Documentation/DocBook/v4l/vidioc-querycap.xml
index 93699769cd07fc3e999ca3bc9663903f755fb6c1..f29f1b86213c68b55744420f8cb65eeaff708806 100644
--- a/Documentation/DocBook/v4l/vidioc-querycap.xml
+++ b/Documentation/DocBook/v4l/vidioc-querycap.xml
@@ -142,30 +142,28 @@ this array to zero.
V4L2_CAP_VIDEO_CAPTURE0x00000001
- The device supports single-planar formats through the Video Capture interface. An application can use either
-the single or the multi-planar API.
+ The device supports the single-planar API through the Video Capture interface.V4L2_CAP_VIDEO_CAPTURE_MPLANE0x00001000
- The device supports multi-planar formats through the Video Capture interface. An application has to use the
-multi-planar API.
+ The device supports the
+ multi-planar API through the
+ Video Capture interface.V4L2_CAP_VIDEO_OUTPUT0x00000002
- The device supports single-planar formats through the Video Output interface. An application can use either
-the single or the multi-planar API.
+ The device supports the single-planar API through the Video Output interface.V4L2_CAP_VIDEO_OUTPUT_MPLANE0x00002000
- The device supports multi-planar formats through the Video Output interface. An application has to use the
-multi-planar API.
+ The device supports the
+ multi-planar API through the
+ Video Output interface.V4L2_CAP_VIDEO_OVERLAY