Integrated camera

Integrated Camera

The Integrated camera Almost all recent ThinkPads have an integrated camera above the display. This camera (typically called a webcam) is USB attached. On some earlier ThinkPads a proprietary camera was used, but later models use a standard UVC camera which is supported by the uvcvideo driver.

Because of their location above the display the cameras all share a long and thin board layout. But the exact shape varies. Often several models share the exact same form factor, but with different resolutions. DIY upgraders can sometimes use higher resolution cameras from later models or cheaper camera modules from earlier’s.

Also their connector varies. The 4pin connector usually carries two USB data lines and two lines 3.3V power.

Video interface controllers

• Sonix SN9C201: 0.3MP (linux driver gspca_sn9c20x)
• Xenon or Xinon or sth.
• Ricoh R5U875: VGA (640×480 0.3MP) @30fps and both SXGA (1280×1024 1.3MP), UXGA (1600×1200 1.9MP) @15fps
• Ricoh R5U877: VGA (640×480 0.3MP), UXGA (1600×1200 1.9MP) @30fps and QXGA (2048×1536 3.1MP) @15fps. Has an Image Signal Processor.
  • USB id: 17ef:480d (Lenovo Integrated Webcam [R5U877])
• Ricoh R5U8710: VGA (640×480 0.3MP) @120fps, Full HD (1920×1080 2.1MP) @30fps, QXGA (2048×1536 3.1MP) @15 or 20fps, ISP

Camera modules

Some modules are made or designed by Chicony.

perfect rectangle, 2 screw holes, 5 pin connector

• connector points to the side
• X100e, X120e
• FRU 60Y5744 X100e
• FRU 04W0262 X120e

perfect rectangular board except a screw hole extending to one side, 10 pin connector

• R61, R61i, R400, R500, T61 (widescreen models only), T400, T500???
• FRU 42T3106
  • Xenon(?) controller, 1.3MP

small rectange with two extensions, one of them has the/a screw hole

• the only board I’ve seen with a half-circle cut-out in the middle, above the cut-out a little hole
• camera chip on one side next to the screw hole
• has a heat spreader of same size and shape below the module
• X300, X301
• FRU 42T3564

3.5 screw holes (but it’s fixed with double sided tape?), 4 pin connector

• it’s “half” screw hole lets the whole board look like a hook
• X200 Tablet, X201 Tablet
• probably available with 1.3 and 2.0MP
  • FRU 60Y5750 is one of them

2 diagonally placed screw holes, one of them in the middle of the board, 4 pin connector

• comes with a metal retaining bracket, which has 3 screw holes
• board is not overly long
• straight edges, but the board is not one rectangle
• X200, X200s, X201
• W700, W700ds, W701, W701ds
• FRU 42W8015
  • Ricoh R5U875
• FRU 45N2795
  • Ricoh R5U877

rectangle with another rectangular extension, USB-connected

• the shape(!) reminds of a fat USB-memory stick
• looks like having 4 screw holes (2 on one side, one on the other, the last in the “middle”)
• E431, E430, T520, W520, Template:T530I, X220, Template:X220T, Template:X230I, Template:X230T
• FRU 04W1364
  • Ricoh R5U8710

two screw holes of different size on one side, another half-open screw hole on the other side, 4 pin connector

• connector looks to the side
• connector is on the side with the open screw hole
• T410, T410i, T410s, T410si, T510, T510i, W510
• FRU 60Y9402
  • Ricoh R5U877

one big screw hole on each side, long board, narrower in the middle, 10 pin connector

• one screw hole is not perfectly round, more 0-shape
• T500, W500
• FRU 42T3633
  • 2.0MP

five (or six) sections of different width aligned on one side

• relatively long
• at least two screw holes
• camera chip is more in the middle
• Template:T420S, Template:T420I, T420, Template:T430S, T430,

board is long and covered in foil or plastic or something copper colored

• the camera module is almost in the middle of the board, while on many other boards it’s more to one side
• SL300 (at least this model has (one of) it’s microphone(s) above the display with the cam, SL400, SL500
• at least FRU 45N3024, 45N3026 also contain a microphone; 45N308 is a microphone only

of unknown shape and connection

• 0.3MP
  • Z61t, Z61m (Sonix SN9C201)
  • Edge 11", Edge 13"
• 2.0MP
  • Edge 14", Edge 15"
  • L412, L512
  • SL510, SL410
  • T400s

ThinkPads (not) prepared to carry a camera module

For the X-series, the X60, X61, their -s models and tablets, coming out in 2006 and 2007 were not prepared for a camera module yet.

The W-series, being a relatively young line, all can carry cameras.

For other series, please edit to reflect when cameras became available.

Known Bugs

• Cheese in Ubuntu 11.10 lp:888633