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.
• M5608U
  • USB id 058f:5608 Alcor Micro Corp.
  • max. VGA (640x480 0.3MP) @30fps
  • (information from uvcdynctl -f)
• Ricoh R5U875:
  • VGA (640×480 0.3MP) @30fps
  • SXGA (1280×1024 1.3MP) @15fps
  • UXGA (1600×1200 1.9MP) @15fps
  • (information from data sheet)
• Ricoh R5U877
  • VGA (640×480 0.3MP) @30fps
  • UXGA (1600×1200 1.9MP) @30fps
  • QXGA (2048×1536 3.1MP) @15fps
  • Image Signal Processor
  • (information from data sheet)
  • 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
  • Image Signal Processor

Camera modules

perfect rectangle, 2 diagonal opposite screw holes, 5 pin connector

• connector points down
• 720p HD camera
• X140e, X131e, E330, E335, E135, E130
• FRU 04W2517
  • Chicony OV9726+VC0353
• FRU 04W2518
  • Liteon OV9726+VC0353
• FRU 04W2519
  • Bison Himax1055+VC0353

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

• its “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 ???
  • M5608U
• 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, T530i, X220, X220 Tablet, X230i, X230 Tablet
• FRU 04W1364
  • Ricoh R5U8710
• FRU 04X0277 for X230, possibly different – couldn’t find a photo
  • Chicony OV9726 + Sunplus 2082A

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
• T420s, T420i, T420, T430s, T430, T430i

board is long and covered in foil or plastic or something copper colored, 7 pin connector

• 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; 45N3028 is a microphone only
• FRU 44C0735

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
• for X240 X240s
  • 720p
  • FRU 04X0294 Chicony
    • OV9726 + SPCA2082A IPEX
  • FRU 04X0297 Bison
    • OV9726 + SPCA2082A IPEX
  • FRU 04X0299 Liteon
    • IMX188 + SPCA2082A IPEX
• for X1
  • connector on right side, pointing down
  • FRU 04W1665

ThinkPads (not) prepared to carry a camera module

For the X-series, the X60, X61, their -s models and tablets, which came out in 2006 and 2007, were not prepared for a camera module. The X200s had a camera with smaller screen resolutions, but not with the largest 1440x900 screen size

The W-series, being a relatively young line, has only models ready for cameras.

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

Known Bugs

• Cheese in Ubuntu 11.10 lp:888633