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+.. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
+.. document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License,
+.. Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software
+.. Foundation, with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts
+.. and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included at
+.. Documentation/media/uapi/fdl-appendix.rst.
+..
+.. TODO: replace it to GFDL-1.1-or-later WITH no-invariant-sections
+
+.. _flash-controls:
+
+***********************
+Flash Control Reference
+***********************
+
+The V4L2 flash controls are intended to provide generic access to flash
+controller devices. Flash controller devices are typically used in
+digital cameras.
+
+The interface can support both LED and xenon flash devices. As of
+writing this, there is no xenon flash driver using this interface.
+
+
+.. _flash-controls-use-cases:
+
+Supported use cases
+===================
+
+
+Unsynchronised LED flash (software strobe)
+------------------------------------------
+
+Unsynchronised LED flash is controlled directly by the host as the
+sensor. The flash must be enabled by the host before the exposure of the
+image starts and disabled once it ends. The host is fully responsible
+for the timing of the flash.
+
+Example of such device: Nokia N900.
+
+
+Synchronised LED flash (hardware strobe)
+----------------------------------------
+
+The synchronised LED flash is pre-programmed by the host (power and
+timeout) but controlled by the sensor through a strobe signal from the
+sensor to the flash.
+
+The sensor controls the flash duration and timing. This information
+typically must be made available to the sensor.
+
+
+LED flash as torch
+------------------
+
+LED flash may be used as torch in conjunction with another use case
+involving camera or individually.
+
+
+.. _flash-control-id:
+
+Flash Control IDs
+-----------------
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_CLASS (class)``
+ The FLASH class descriptor.
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_LED_MODE (menu)``
+ Defines the mode of the flash LED, the high-power white LED attached
+ to the flash controller. Setting this control may not be possible in
+ presence of some faults. See V4L2_CID_FLASH_FAULT.
+
+
+
+.. flat-table::
+ :header-rows: 0
+ :stub-columns: 0
+
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_LED_MODE_NONE``
+ - Off.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_LED_MODE_FLASH``
+ - Flash mode.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_LED_MODE_TORCH``
+ - Torch mode. See V4L2_CID_FLASH_TORCH_INTENSITY.
+
+
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_STROBE_SOURCE (menu)``
+ Defines the source of the flash LED strobe.
+
+.. tabularcolumns:: |p{7.0cm}|p{10.5cm}|
+
+.. flat-table::
+ :header-rows: 0
+ :stub-columns: 0
+
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_STROBE_SOURCE_SOFTWARE``
+ - The flash strobe is triggered by using the
+ V4L2_CID_FLASH_STROBE control.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_STROBE_SOURCE_EXTERNAL``
+ - The flash strobe is triggered by an external source. Typically
+ this is a sensor, which makes it possible to synchronises the
+ flash strobe start to exposure start.
+
+
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_STROBE (button)``
+ Strobe flash. Valid when V4L2_CID_FLASH_LED_MODE is set to
+ V4L2_FLASH_LED_MODE_FLASH and V4L2_CID_FLASH_STROBE_SOURCE
+ is set to V4L2_FLASH_STROBE_SOURCE_SOFTWARE. Setting this
+ control may not be possible in presence of some faults. See
+ V4L2_CID_FLASH_FAULT.
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_STROBE_STOP (button)``
+ Stop flash strobe immediately.
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_STROBE_STATUS (boolean)``
+ Strobe status: whether the flash is strobing at the moment or not.
+ This is a read-only control.
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_TIMEOUT (integer)``
+ Hardware timeout for flash. The flash strobe is stopped after this
+ period of time has passed from the start of the strobe.
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_INTENSITY (integer)``
+ Intensity of the flash strobe when the flash LED is in flash mode
+ (V4L2_FLASH_LED_MODE_FLASH). The unit should be milliamps (mA)
+ if possible.
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_TORCH_INTENSITY (integer)``
+ Intensity of the flash LED in torch mode
+ (V4L2_FLASH_LED_MODE_TORCH). The unit should be milliamps (mA)
+ if possible. Setting this control may not be possible in presence of
+ some faults. See V4L2_CID_FLASH_FAULT.
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_INDICATOR_INTENSITY (integer)``
+ Intensity of the indicator LED. The indicator LED may be fully
+ independent of the flash LED. The unit should be microamps (uA) if
+ possible.
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_FAULT (bitmask)``
+ Faults related to the flash. The faults tell about specific problems
+ in the flash chip itself or the LEDs attached to it. Faults may
+ prevent further use of some of the flash controls. In particular,
+ V4L2_CID_FLASH_LED_MODE is set to V4L2_FLASH_LED_MODE_NONE
+ if the fault affects the flash LED. Exactly which faults have such
+ an effect is chip dependent. Reading the faults resets the control
+ and returns the chip to a usable state if possible.
+
+.. tabularcolumns:: |p{8.0cm}|p{9.5cm}|
+
+.. flat-table::
+ :header-rows: 0
+ :stub-columns: 0
+
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_FAULT_OVER_VOLTAGE``
+ - Flash controller voltage to the flash LED has exceeded the limit
+ specific to the flash controller.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_FAULT_TIMEOUT``
+ - The flash strobe was still on when the timeout set by the user ---
+ V4L2_CID_FLASH_TIMEOUT control --- has expired. Not all flash
+ controllers may set this in all such conditions.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_FAULT_OVER_TEMPERATURE``
+ - The flash controller has overheated.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_FAULT_SHORT_CIRCUIT``
+ - The short circuit protection of the flash controller has been
+ triggered.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_FAULT_OVER_CURRENT``
+ - Current in the LED power supply has exceeded the limit specific to
+ the flash controller.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_FAULT_INDICATOR``
+ - The flash controller has detected a short or open circuit
+ condition on the indicator LED.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_FAULT_UNDER_VOLTAGE``
+ - Flash controller voltage to the flash LED has been below the
+ minimum limit specific to the flash controller.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_FAULT_INPUT_VOLTAGE``
+ - The input voltage of the flash controller is below the limit under
+ which strobing the flash at full current will not be possible.The
+ condition persists until this flag is no longer set.
+ * - ``V4L2_FLASH_FAULT_LED_OVER_TEMPERATURE``
+ - The temperature of the LED has exceeded its allowed upper limit.
+
+
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_CHARGE (boolean)``
+ Enable or disable charging of the xenon flash capacitor.
+
+``V4L2_CID_FLASH_READY (boolean)``
+ Is the flash ready to strobe? Xenon flashes require their capacitors
+ charged before strobing. LED flashes often require a cooldown period
+ after strobe during which another strobe will not be possible. This
+ is a read-only control.