ioctl VIDIOC_ENCODER_CMD, VIDIOC_TRY_ENCODER_CMD

Name

VIDIOC_ENCODER_CMD, VIDIOC_TRY_ENCODER_CMD -- Execute an encoder command

Synopsis

int ioctl(int fd, int request, struct v4l2_encoder_cmd *argp);

Arguments

fd

File descriptor returned by open().

request

VIDIOC_ENCODER_CMD, VIDIOC_TRY_ENCODER_CMD

argp

Description

Experimental: This is an experimental interface and may change in the future.

These ioctls control an audio/video (usually MPEG-) encoder. VIDIOC_ENCODER_CMD sends a command to the encoder, VIDIOC_TRY_ENCODER_CMD can be used to try a command without actually executing it.

To send a command applications must initialize all fields of a struct v4l2_encoder_cmd and call VIDIOC_ENCODER_CMD or VIDIOC_TRY_ENCODER_CMD with a pointer to this structure.

The cmd field must contain the command code. The flags field is currently only used by the STOP command and contains one bit: If the V4L2_ENC_CMD_STOP_AT_GOP_END flag is set, encoding will continue until the end of the current Group Of Pictures, otherwise it will stop immediately.

A read() call sends a START command to the encoder if it has not been started yet. After a STOP command, read() calls will read the remaining data buffered by the driver. When the buffer is empty, read() will return zero and the next read() call will restart the encoder.

A close() call sends an immediate STOP to the encoder, and all buffered data is discarded.

These ioctls are optional, not all drivers may support them. They were introduced in Linux 2.6.21.

Table 1. struct v4l2_encoder_cmd

__u32cmdThe encoder command, see Table 2.
__u32flagsFlags to go with the command, see Table 3. If no flags are defined for this command, drivers and applications must set this field to zero.
__u32data[8]Reserved for future extensions. Drivers and applications must set the array to zero.

Table 2. Encoder Commands

V4L2_ENC_CMD_START0Start the encoder. When the encoder is already running or paused, this command does nothing. No flags are defined for this command.
V4L2_ENC_CMD_STOP1Stop the encoder. When the V4L2_ENC_CMD_STOP_AT_GOP_END flag is set, encoding will continue until the end of the current Group Of Pictures, otherwise encoding will stop immediately. When the encoder is already stopped, this command does nothing.
V4L2_ENC_CMD_PAUSE2Pause the encoder. When the encoder has not been started yet, the driver will return an EPERM error code. When the encoder is already paused, this command does nothing. No flags are defined for this command.
V4L2_ENC_CMD_RESUME3Resume encoding after a PAUSE command. When the encoder has not been started yet, the driver will return an EPERM error code. When the encoder is already running, this command does nothing. No flags are defined for this command.

Table 3. Encoder Command Flags

V4L2_ENC_CMD_STOP_AT_GOP_END0x0001Stop encoding at the end of the current Group Of Pictures, rather than immediately.

Return Value

On success 0 is returned, on error -1 and the errno variable is set appropriately:

EINVAL

The driver does not support this ioctl, or the cmd field is invalid.

EPERM

The application sent a PAUSE or RESUME command when the encoder was not running.