Webcam TURBO-X TouchCam WC9070 (ipassion iP2937 1b3b:2937) not recognized

[Konstantinos Togias]

Binary package hint: linux-image-2.6.31-15-generic

Affected system: Ubuntu 9.10, AMD64, linux 2.6.31-15-generic

I have recently purchased a web camera branded as "TURBO-X TouchCam WC9070":

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=el&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.plaisio.gr%2FPeripherals%2FMultimedia%2FWeb-Cameras%2FTurbo-X-TouchCam-WC9070-Webcamera-WC9070.htm&sl=el&tl=en .

TURBO-X is a local greek brand provided by PLAISIO stores chain but I found out by looking at the provided cd with drivers for windows and lsusb output that it is a ipassion iP2937 camera.

The camera provides an embeded microphone too that is properly recognized and functioning under ubuntu 9.10. But the device fails to be recognized as a webcam. I attach lsusb -v output about the device.

[Steve (steve-redhat-bugs)]

Description of problem:

My webcam is not recognized by Fedora 10. It is a USB connected lamp with a built-in camera and microphone and a 4-port USB hub. Unfortunately I do not know the manufacturer, but when I plug it in, I see this output in /var/log/messages

Mar 6 08:41:25 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7: new full speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 7
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: hub 2-7:1.0: USB hub found
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: hub 2-7:1.0: 4 ports detected
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7: New USB device found, idVendor=058f, idProduct=9254
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7: Product: Generic USB Hub
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7: Manufacturer: ALCOR
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7.2: new full speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 8
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: hub 2-7.2:1.0: USB hub found
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: hub 2-7.2:1.0: 4 ports detected
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7.2: New USB device found, idVendor=058f, idProduct=9254
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7.2: Product: Generic USB Hub
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7.2: Manufacturer: ALCOR
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7.2.2: new full speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 9
Mar 6 08:41:26 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7.2.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
Mar 6 08:41:27 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7.2.2: New USB device found, idVendor=1b3b, idProduct=2937
Mar 6 08:41:27 flooterbu kernel: usb 2-7.2.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=0
Mar 6 08:41:27 flooterbu pulseaudio[2750]: alsa-util.c: Device hw:0 doesn't support 44100 Hz, changed to 16000 Hz.
Mar 6 08:41:27 flooterbu pulseaudio[2750]: alsa-util.c: Device hw:0 doesn't support 2 channels, changed to 1.

No /dev/video* devices are created.

I'm assuming the vendor/product string for the webcam is 1b3b:2937. Searching Google for that string returns a link to a Spanish Ubuntu forum at http://www.ubuntu-es.org/index.php?q=node/108876 which refers to a "MSI StarCam mini".

I have the following relevant software:
kernel-2.6.27.19-170.2.35.fc10.i686
libusb-0.1.12-20.fc10.i386
libv4l-0.5.8-1.fc10.i386

[Dave (dave-redhat-bugs)]

I have one of these with an IBM logo on it. The driver disk that shipped with it contains a Windows program named iP293x.exe. A Google search based on that suggests that this web cam is based on the iPassion iP2936/37 series of chips. Given that the USB product id is 2937, I assume that this one uses the iP2397 chip. This web cam has a microphone and the iP2937 chip supports microphones. The technical brochure for this chip is http://www.ipassion.com.tw/pdf/iP2937_DSH_1.pdf. The web cam is housed in a table lamp style housing that has the model number ZUL300, China patent 200630120734.X. Searching on that finds lots of different table lamp configurations, sold as promotional items, only some of which incorporate web cams. That search also finds a couple other folks who are trying to get this web cam working under Linux, without success. Works fine in Windows though :-)

[Bug (bug-redhat-bugs)]

This message is a reminder that Fedora 10 is nearing its end of life.
Approximately 30 (thirty) days from now Fedora will stop maintaining
and issuing updates for Fedora 10. It is Fedora's policy to close all
bug reports from releases that are no longer maintained. At that time
this bug will be closed as WONTFIX if it remains open with a Fedora
'version' of '10'.

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to a later Fedora version prior to Fedora 10's end of life.

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[Konstantinos Togias (ktogias)]

The technical brochure for the chip of this camera is http://www.ipassion.com.tw/pdf/iP2937_DSH_1.pdf .

[Gary Johnston (garyeight)]

I too have an iPassion iP2937 webcam. Thought I'd mention that so do a few others and that there is a guy who may have a uvc driver patch posted here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=8402856

[Konstantinos Togias (ktogias)]

Following the instructions at the ubuntuforums thread reported by Gary I updated the usb ids on my system with the command

sudo /usr/sbin/update-usbids.sh

Now the device is reported as "ID 1b3b:2937 iPassion Technology Inc. PC Camera/Webcam controller" from lsusb. I am going to try to also test the patch proposed at the forum thread and report here the results.

[Bug (bug-redhat-bugs)]

Fedora 10 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on 2009-12-17. Fedora 10 is
no longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further
security or bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug.

If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of
Fedora please feel free to reopen this bug against that version.

Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.

[Matt Dawson (medawson)]

Has anybody else had any success with the posted workaround attempts? I've applied the patch linked in comment 3 but I never see any video devices in /dev.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug was filed against a series that is no longer supported and so is being marked as Won't Fix. If this issue still exists in a supported series, please file a new bug.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.