NXP Semiconductors i.MX27 User manual

i.MX27 IP Camera
Reference Design
Reference Manual
MX27IPCRM
Rev. 1.0
8/2008

Freescale and the Freescale logo are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Windows
is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other product or
servicenamesare the propertyof their respectiveowners. IEEE 802.11 and
802.3are registeredtrademarks of the Institute ofElectrical and Electronics
Engineers, Inc. (IEEE). This product is not endorsed or approved by the
IEEE.
© Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., 2008. All rights reserved.
Information in this document is provided solely to enable system and software
implementers to use Freescale Semiconductor products. There are no express or
implied copyright licenses granted hereunder to design or fabricate any integrated
circuits or integrated circuits based on the information in this document.
Freescale Semiconductor reserves the right to make changes without further notice to
any products herein. Freescale Semiconductor makes no warranty, representation or
guarantee regarding the suitability of its products for any particular purpose, nor does
Freescale Semiconductor assume any liability arising out of the application or use of
any product or circuit, and specifically disclaims any and all liability, including without
limitation consequential or incidental damages. “Typical” parameters which may be
provided in Freescale Semiconductor data sheets and/or specifications can and do
vary in different applications and actual performance may vary over time. All operating
parameters, including “Typicals” must be validated for each customer application by
customer’s technical experts. Freescale Semiconductor does not convey any license
under its patent rights nor the rights of others. Freescale Semiconductor products are
not designed, intended, or authorized for use as components in systems intended for
surgical implant into the body, or other applications intended to support or sustain life,
or for any other application in which the failure of the Freescale Semiconductor product
could create a situation where personal injury or death may occur. Should Buyer
purchase or use Freescale Semiconductor products for any such unintended or
unauthorized application, Buyer shall indemnify and hold Freescale Semiconductor
and its officers, employees,subsidiaries,affiliates,and distributors harmless against all
claims, costs, damages, and expenses, and reasonable attorney fees arising out of,
directly or indirectly, any claim of personal injury or death associated with such
unintended or unauthorized use, even if such claim alleges that Freescale
Semiconductor was negligent regarding the design or manufacture of the part.
Document Number: MX27IPCRM
Rev. 1.0, 8/2008
How to Reach Us:
Home Page:
www.freescale.com
Web Support:
http://www.freescale.com/support
USA/Europe or Locations Not Listed:
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
Technical Information Center, EL516
2100 East Elliot Road
Tempe, Arizona 85284
+1-800-521-6274 or
+1-480-768-2130
www.freescale.com/support
Europe, Middle East, and Africa:
Freescale Halbleiter Deutschland GmbH
Technical Information Center
Schatzbogen 7
81829 Muenchen, Germany
+44 1296 380 456 (English)
+46 8 52200080 (English)
+49 89 92103 559 (German)
+33 1 69 35 48 48 (French)
www.freescale.com/support
Japan:
Freescale Semiconductor Japan Ltd.
Headquarters
ARCO Tower 15F
1-8-1, Shimo-Meguro, Meguro-ku
Tokyo 153-0064
Japan
0120 191014 or
+81 3 5437 9125
support.japan@freescale.com
Asia/Pacific:
Freescale Semiconductor Hong Kong Ltd.
Technical Information Center
2 Dai King Street
Tai Po Industrial Estate
Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong
+800 2666 8080
support.asia@freescale.com
For Literature Requests Only:
Freescale Semiconductor
Literature Distribution Center
P.O. Box 5405
Denver, Colorado 80217
+1-800 441-2447 or
+1-303-675-2140
Fax: +1-303-675-2150
LDCForFreescaleSemiconductor
@hibbertgroup.com

Contents
Paragraph
Number Title Page
Number
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
Freescale Semiconductor 1
Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Acronyms and Terms........................................................................................................ .6
1.2 Additional Documentation................................................................................................ .7
1.3 Revision History................................................................................................................ .8
Chapter 2
H/W Architecture
2.1 i.MX27.............................................................................................................................. .9
2.1.1 Core Clocks.................................................................................................................. .10
2.1.2 GPIO............................................................................................................................ .10
2.1.3 UARTs.......................................................................................................................... .12
2.1.4 Indicator LEDs..............................................................................................................12
2.2 System Memory. ............................................................................................................. .12
2.2.1 DDR SDRAM.............................................................................................................. .13
2.2.2 Flash............................................................................................................................. .13
2.2.2.1 NOR....................................................................................................................... .13
2.2.2.2 NAND.................................................................................................................... .13
2.3 Communications. ............................................................................................................ .13
2.3.1 Ethernet........................................................................................................................ .14
2.3.1.1 Clock...................................................................................................................... .14
2.3.1.2 Interface. ................................................................................................................ .14
2.3.2 SDIO............................................................................................................................ .14
2.3.3 USB.............................................................................................................................. .14
2.4 Audio. ............................................................................................................................. .15
2.5 WiFi Module................................................................................................................... .15
2.6 CMOS Sensor Interface.................................................................................................. .15
2.7 I2C. ................................................................................................................................. .16
2.8 Power Supply.................................................................................................................. .16
2.8.1 Power over Ethernet (POE). ........................................................................................ .16
2.8.2 5-V Boost..................................................................................................................... .16
2.8.3 Power Management Unit. ............................................................................................ .16
2.8.4 Required Voltages........................................................................................................ .16
2.8.5 Power Start-up Sequence............................................................................................. .17
2.9 Processor Reset............................................................................................................... .17
2.10 JTAG................................................................................................................................ .17
2.11 Board Layout Requirements........................................................................................... .18

Contents
Paragraph
Number Title Page
Number
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
2Freescale Semiconductor
Chapter 3
Camera Software
3.1 Camera Software Architecture........................................................................................ .19
3.2 Camera Software System Overview. .............................................................................. .19
3.3 Camera Software Components. ...................................................................................... .20
3.3.1 User Space Applications.............................................................................................. .20
3.3.1.1 Telnet Server. ......................................................................................................... .20
3.3.1.2 Video Server........................................................................................................... .20
3.3.1.3 Command Line Interface (CLI)............................................................................. .21
3.3.1.4 Common Gateway Interface (CGI)........................................................................ .21
3.3.1.5 Network Discovery. ............................................................................................... .21
3.3.1.6 Wireless LAN (WLAN)......................................................................................... .21
3.3.1.7 FTP Client/Server. ................................................................................................. .21
L3.3.1.8 Linux Serial ............................................................................................................21
3.3.1.9 HTTP...................................................................................................................... .21
3.3.2 User Interfaces. ............................................................................................................ .21
3.3.2.1 Video Server........................................................................................................... .21
3.3.2.2 Sensor..................................................................................................................... .23
3.3.2.3 Webpages............................................................................................................... .24
3.3.2.4 Hardware Tests....................................................................................................... .24
3.3.3 Middleware Libraries................................................................................................... .25
3.3.3.1 Image Control........................................................................................................ .25
3.3.3.2 System Config........................................................................................................ .25
3.3.3.3 V4L2. ..................................................................................................................... .26
3.3.3.4 IO. .......................................................................................................................... .26
3.3.3.5 TCP/IP.................................................................................................................... .26
3.3.3.6 USB........................................................................................................................ .26
3.3.3.7 I2C. ........................................................................................................................ .26
3.3.4 Kernel Space................................................................................................................ .26
3.3.4.1 Linux Kernel 2.6.19............................................................................................... .26
3.3.4.2 Network. ................................................................................................................ .26
3.3.4.3 USB........................................................................................................................ .26
3.3.4.4 RTC........................................................................................................................ .26
3.3.4.5 Serial...................................................................................................................... .26
3.3.4.6 Memory Technology Driver (MTD)...................................................................... .26
3.3.4.7 I2C. ........................................................................................................................ .27
3.3.4.8 CMOS Sensor Interface (CSI). .............................................................................. .27
3.3.4.9 Video Processing Unit (VPU)................................................................................ .27
3.3.4.10 SD/MMC. .............................................................................................................. .27
3.3.4.11 GPIO. ..................................................................................................................... .27

Contents
Paragraph
Number Title Page
Number
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
Freescale Semiconductor 3
3.3.4.12 WiFi. ...................................................................................................................... .27
3.3.4.13 Image Sensor (External to SoC). ........................................................................... .27
3.3.5 Linux Platform Support for i.MX27 ........................................................................... .27
3.3.6 Redboot........................................................................................................................ .27
Appendix A Troubleshooting and Support
A.1.1 What video compression methods are supported?.......................................................... .28
A.1.2 What are the supported transport protocols?. ................................................................. .28
A.1.3 What kind of host software is used to decode the various data feeds?........................... .28
A.1.4 Does the camera support still image capture?. ............................................................... .28
A.1.5 What browsers are supported?........................................................................................ .28
A.1.6 Are there any plans for supporting media servers such as RTSP in the future?............. .28
A.1.7 Are there any plans for adding support for FLV based steams?..................................... .28
A.1.8 Do you plan to support MPEG-TS in the future?........................................................... .28
A.1.9 Is there support and audio codec on the board?.............................................................. .29
A.1.10 Is there a forum or discussion group that I can query prior to phoning technical support?...
.29
A.1.11 What size image sensor is included in the reference design?......................................... .29

i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
4Freescale Semiconductor
Figures
2-1 Camera Block Diagram. ................................................................................................... .9
3-1 Camera Software Layout. ............................................................................................... .19
Figure
Number Title Page
Number

i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
Freescale Semiconductor 5
Tables
1-1 Acronyms and Terms........................................................................................................ .6
1-2 Revision History................................................................................................................ .8
2-1 GPIO Table. .................................................................................................................... .10
2-2 UART Transceiver Configuration Pins........................................................................... .12
3-1 Video Server Commands. ............................................................................................... .22
3-2 Sensor CGI Commands. ................................................................................................. .23
3-3 Hardware Test Files. ....................................................................................................... .24
3-4 Hardware Test Commands.............................................................................................. .25
Table
Number Title Page
Number

Introduction
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
6Freescale Semiconductor
Chapter 1
Introduction
This document describes the technical details of the i.MX27 IP camera reference design. It details the
hardware architecture and software system architecture, and provides information on the software
integration. An FAQ is also provided to assist with getting the system up and running.
1.1 Acronyms and Terms
Table 1-1 shows the acronyms and terms for this document.
Table 1-1. Acronyms and Terms
Term Definition
A/V Audio/Video
ALSA Advanced Linux®Sound Architecture
AP Access Point
AUDMUX Audio Multiplexer
BSP Board Support Package
CGI Common Gateway Interface
CLI Command Line Interface
CSI CMOS Sensor Interface
FS Full Speed-usage. USB-FS indicates max 12 Mbits per second data rates.
FEC Fast Ethernet Controller
FTP File Transfer Protocol
GPIO General Purpose Input/Output
GUI Graphical User Interface
HS High Speed-usage. USB-HS indicates max 480 Mbits per second data rates.
POE Power Over Ethernet
HTML Hyper Text Markup Language
HW Hardware or Hardware Design
I2CInter Integrated Circuit
LED Light Emitting Diode
I2S Inter-IC Sound
IP Internet Protocol
IPVS IP Video System
LAN Local Area Network
MMC Multi Media Card

Introduction
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
Freescale Semiconductor 7
1.2 Additional Documentation
The following documents contain additional information related to this reference manual:
•i.MX27 IP Camera Quick Start Guide (MX27IPCQSG)⎯Quick start guide to getting the camera
demo running and streaming video using Windows Internet Explorer™ and FFPLAY
MPEG Motion Pictures Experts Group
MTD Memory Technology Driver
OSD On Screen Display
OTG On The GO–usage USB-OTG
PHY Physical Interface
PCB Printed Circuit Board
PCM Pulse Code Modulation
POST Power On Self Test
PSK Pre Shared Key
RAM Random Access Memory
RTC Real Time Clock
RTCP Real Time Control Protocol
RTP Real Time Protocol
RTSP Real Time Streaming Protocol
SDIO Secure Digital Input Output
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
SOAD Sum Of Absolute Differences
SoC System on Chip
SPI Serial Peripheral Interface
SSI Synchronous Serial Interface
UI User Interface
USB Universal Serial Bus
UART Universal Asynchronous Receive Transmit
V4L2 Video For Linux version 2
VPU Video Processing Unit
WiFi Used to indicate IEEE Std 802.11™WLAN protocol
WLAN Wireless LAN
WPA WPA Protected Access
Table 1-1. Acronyms and Terms (continued)
Term Definition

Introduction
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
8Freescale Semiconductor
•i.MX27IPCameraSoftware Guide—Providesinstructionsfor installing theBSPand compilingthe
code for the Freescale i.MX27 IP camera.
1.3 Revision History
Table 1-2. Revision History
Revision
Number Date Substantive Change(s)
0 4/2008 Initial release
1 8/2008 Updated Figure 2-1, “Camera Block Diagram,”the WLAN functionality information in
Section 3.3.1.6, “Wireless LAN (WLAN)” and Section 3.3.4.12, “WiFi,” module
information in Section 2.5, “WiFi Module,” and the video compression method
question in the FAQ.

H/W Architecture
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
Freescale Semiconductor 9
Chapter 2
H/W Architecture
Figure 2-1 is a high-level block diagram of the reference design hardware. A two-board solution is
implemented, comprising a CPU board and an imager board. The imager board contains the image sensor
and lens mount only. The advantage of a separate imager board is that it allows for different sensor/lens
combinations to be used with a standard CPU module.
Figure 2-1. Camera Block Diagram
2.1 i.MX27
The basis for the IP Camera is the Freescale i.MX27 processor. The following sections describe the basic blocks
used by the processor.

H/W Architecture
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
10 Freescale Semiconductor
2.1.1 Core Clocks
The i.MX27 requires two clock inputs.
• 32.768 kHz⎯on-chip oscillator driving a crystal provides clocking for sleep modes and the RTC.
— The 32.768 kHz crystal can be used to clock all functions in the processor; however, because
this clock requires a large multiplication factor, the clock is not as stable.
— The 32.768 kHz is required to exit reset states properly and for the JTAG debug controller to
work.
• 25 MHz⎯oscillator required as the primary clock. The i.MX27 can accept a crystal of 26 MHz or
an external oscillator input between 16 and 32 MHz. Because there is already a 25 MHz oscillator
for the Ethernet PHY, it will also be used for the processor input clock.
The core can be clocked at two speeds, 400 MHz and 266 MHz. For reduced power consumption, the processor
should be operated at the lowest core speed that allows the desired functionality.
2.1.2 GPIO
Unused GPIO on the processor is used as control lines for the various external components, LED
indicators, and expansion features and alarm functions (external trigger based inputs). The majority of the
GPIO uses open peripheral blocks, such as USBH1, SSI3, SSI4, and the PCMCIA/ATA pins. Table 2-1
outlines the various GPIO used on the processor and their function.
Table 2-1. GPIO Table
Net Name GPIO Port Direction Pin Function
/USBH_EN PF20 Output W18 USB Hi-Speed PHY enable
/USBH_RES PF19 Output AC19 USB Hi-Speed PHY reset.
/OTG_RES PF18 Output Y18 USB OTG PHY reset.
/OTG_EN PF17 Output AD19 USB OTG PHY enable.
USB_GP1 PF16 I/O Y19 General purpose I/O for internal USB port. Application
and module dependent.
USB_GP2 PF14 I/O AC20 General purpose I/O for internal USB port. Application
and module dependent.
GPIO1 PF13 I/O W19 GPIO pin to expansion header.
GPIO2 PF12 I/O AD20 GPIO pin to expansion header.
GPIO3 PF11 I/O W20 GPIO pin to expansion header.
GPIO4 PF10 I/O AC21 GPIO pin to expansion header.
VCC_5_EN PF9 Output U20 Enables the 5V boost regulator. 5V is required by USB,
RS-232/RS485, Blue LEDs etc.
UART_MODE PF8 Output AD21 Sets the RS-232/RS485 transceiver mode.
/WiFi_RES PF7 Output V20 Reset for internal WiFi module on SDIO port.
/FEC_RES PB31 Output E24 FEC PHY reset signal.

H/W Architecture
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
Freescale Semiconductor 11
FEC_INT PB30 Input J20 FEC PHY Interrupt.
/SD1_WP PB29 Input D24 SDIO Port 1 Write Protect.
/SD1_DET PB28 Input F19 SDIO Port 1 Detect.
/SD2_WP PB27 Input C24 SDIO Port 2 Write Protect.
/SD2_DET PB26 Input E19 SDIO Port 2 Detect
BLUE2 PB25 Output H22 Blue LED 2
BLUE1 PB22 Output G19 Blue LED 1
UART_DXEN PE14 Output A18 Used for RS-485 half duplex direction
UART_RXEN PE15 Output C16 Used for RS-485 half duplex direction.
UART1_RXD PE13 Input F16 Receive input for RS-232/RS485 communications.
UART1_TXD PE12 Output B17 Transmit Output for RS-232/RS485 communications.
UART3_RTS PE11 Input E15 Expansion Header UART3 RTS or GPIO
UART3_CTS PE10 Output A17 Expansion Header UART3 CTS or GPIO
UART3_RXD PE9 Input F15 Expansion Header UART3 RXD or GPIO
UART3_TXD PE8 Output B16 Expansion Header UART3 TXD or GPIO
GPIO5 PE4 I/O A14 GPIO pin to expansion header.
GPIO6 PE3 I/O E12 GPIO pin to expansion header.
GPIO7 PE7 I/O E14 GPIO pin to expansion header.
GPIO8 PE6 I/O A16 GPIO pin to expansion header.
CSI_STBY PC19 Output B8 CMOS Imager standby (puts image sensor into low
power state).
/CSI_RES PC18 Output G8 CMOS Imager reset
CSI_GP1 PC17 Output A8 Imager GP output (control LED on Imager board)
CSI_GP2 PC16 Output F8 Imager GP output (control LED on Imager board)
RED1 PC28 Output E10 Debug LED 1
RED2 PC29 Output A11 Debug LED 2
RED3 PC30 Output C9 Debug LED 3
RED4 PC31 Output B11 Debug LED 4
Table 2-1. GPIO Table (continued)
Net Name GPIO Port Direction Pin Function

H/W Architecture
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
12 Freescale Semiconductor
NOTE
The default state isoutputs for some of the pins used as GPIO and is defined
as either high or low out of reset. These must be set up properly in the
Bootloader. Choosing pins to use as GPIO that default as inputs out of reset
allows pull-up/pull-down resistors to be used to set the desired state out of
reset. The i.MX27 also has internal pull-up and pull-down resistors that set
the default state of the pins out of reset. Refer to MCIMX27 Multimedia
Applications Processor Reference Manual (MCIMX27) for information on
the default configuration of the pins that are used as GPIO.
2.1.3 UARTs
UARTs are used in this design as follows.
• UART 1⎯RS-232/RS-485. This port is for use with software debug in RS-232 mode or external
interface in RS-485 mode. An onboard RS-232/RS-485 multifunction buffer is included to
minimize the overall product size, but would likely be replaced with a single function device on a
production camera.
— Depending on the desired communications method (RS-232 or RS485), the transceiver must
be set up properly.
• UART 3 is connected to the expansion headers and can be used as a communications port or
general purpose I/O. All level translation needs to be added off board for this port.
2.1.4 Indicator LEDs
Six indicator LEDs are included, which can be used as generic debug LEDs, or for indicating operating states of
the camera, such as power, network connectivity (WiFi), recording status, and more. They are grouped together in
two batches: two blue LEDs are installed near the front of the camera, and four red LEDs are located near the
processor. Refer to the GPIO Table for pin details.
2.2 System Memory
The following sections explain the system memory.
Table 2-2. UART Transceiver Configuration Pins
MODE
Config Pin RS-232 RS-485 Tx RS-485 Rx Shutdown
RXEN 1 0 1 0
DXEN 0 1 0 0
MODE 0 1 1 0

H/W Architecture
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
Freescale Semiconductor 13
2.2.1 DDR SDRAM
DDR SDRAM provides the maximum possible data throughput for the system. During the boot sequence, the
operating system and programs are copied from the non-volatile flash memory into RAM for execution. The
minimum amount of RAM must equal the amount of flash used for program and kernel storage. To satisfy the
recommendations for Linux and program store, 64 Mbytes of DDR SDRAM is available. To save part space, a
single 32-bit-wide, 512-Mbit part is implemented, with the option to populate 1-Gbit parts if required (for 128
Mbytes of memory). The Micron® MT46H16M32LFCM part is chosen for this application; it has various speed
grades and is available in an industrial temperature part.
Because all the memory components share the address bus, all parts use 1.8-V supplies.
The DDR memory uses the i.MX27 DDR memory controller, which provides dedicated data lines for the memory.
The address lines are shared with other devices on the memory bus (such as NOR flash). All devices must be either
1.8 V or appropriate voltage translation buffers must be added. Care must be taken during design to ensure the bus
loading and timing of the memory is within the manufacturer’s specifications. For this reference design, there is
only one part on the DDR bus, and no additional buffers or series resistors are added. The drive strengths for the
processor and the memory can be adjusted in software to ensure proper signal integrity. For this design, the
processor is set to normal, and the DDR is set to half drive.
2.2.2 Flash
Two types of Flash are included on the IPCAM reference design: NAND flash offers greater density at a reduced
cost over NOR flash (with shorter programming times), but can be more difficult to use due to required error
correction and NAND flash controller requirement. To provide the greatest flexibility for firmware development, a
small 32-Mbyte NOR part and a 128-Mbyte NAND part are included.
2.2.2.1 NOR
The NOR flash uses the Spansion® S29WS256 series part. This part provides 256 Mbits of storage with a 16-bit
bus. It shares the address lines with the DDR, and the 1.8-V part is used. The i.MX27 takes care of address offsets,
and the address bus of this 16-bit part starts at A0. This particular part is also available with PSRAM (S71WS
series), and unused pins on the device are connected so this part can be upgraded.
2.2.2.2 NAND
NAND flash offers a higher density storage medium than NOR, with some extra error correction requirements.
NAND offers improved programming times. The i.MX27 supports boot from NAND, which is the preferred boot
method, allowing the NOR flash to be removed from the end product, which reduces product cost.
The Samsung® K9F1G08R0A provides 1 Gbit of storage in an 8-bit interface. Because the NAND shares the data
bus with NOR, it must be a 1.8-V device as well. Control of the NAND is accomplished by using the i.MX27’s
internal NAND flash controller. An alternative ST NAND01GR series part is also available for the camera and can
be used as a second source. Unlike the NOR flash, the NAND flash package is commonly used by different
manufacturers, allowing flexibility of manufacturers and densities to be used.
2.3 Communications
Several means of communications are required, including wired Ethernet, wireless Ethernet using IEEE 802.11G,
and USB.

H/W Architecture
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
14 Freescale Semiconductor
2.3.1 Ethernet
The i.MX27 uses a fast Ethernet controller (FEC) onboard. The FEC does not include an internal PHY, and
requires an external MII-compatible transceiver and appropriate magnetics to be added.
The Micrel® KSZ8041NL includes the Auto MDI function, which auto detects if a crossover cable is required and
configures the PHY accordingly. This is connected to the Halo® HFJ11-RP48E-L12RL RJ45 with integrated
magnetics and diode bridges to provide isolation with POE power supply. Using the integrated connector greatly
reduces the board space required to implement the POE and Ethernet interface.
2.3.1.1 Clock
The KSZ8041NL requires a 25-MHz clock, and an oscillator is used to provide this. This oscillator output is level
translated to 2.75 V and provides the high frequency clock to the processor and the Audio Codec, reducing overall
system cost.
2.3.1.2 Interface
The FEC is shared with the ATA bus, which is not required for this design. Because the PHY is a 3.3-V part, all
signals from the PHY to the processor must be level translated to 2.75 V to protect the processor. However, signals
from the processor meet the minimum input voltage of the PHY. The Fairchild® FXL4245 level translators provide
the down conversion.
If an ATA device is required (such as an IDE hard disk drive), then an external Ethernet MAC/PHY is required, or
alternatively, an USB to IDE bridge could be implemented.
2.3.2 SDIO
Two SDIO connections are available: one externally for use with standard SDIO cards that could be used for
memory expansion or other functions (such as WiFi), and an internal header for use with an expansion module. The
internal connector allows for an internal WiFi module with SDIO interface to be connected. To support all SDIO
cards, a 3.3-V interface is provided, with appropriate level translation on the four data lines to protect the processor.
2.3.3 USB
The i.MX27 requires an external transceiver (PHY) for USB Hi-Speed support. Host Port 2 connected to a ULPI
transceiver gives full Hi-Speed support when using the ISP1504A USB PHY. This port is used to connect to an
internal 2 mm header, which can be used by an IEEE 802.11G USB WiFi module internally. In addition, the
i.MX27 OTG port is implemented with the ISP1504A and connected to a Mini AB USB connector to provide an
external USB connection. These parts require a 19.2-MHz crystal or oscillator as the clock source and have
provisions internally for 2.75-V to 3.3-V conversions.
A USB power switch handles the VBUS switching on both ports. A total current of 500 mA is available for both
ports combined, which limits the requirements on the boost switching supply. It is recommended the OTG port be
limited to low power devices to allow enough power for an internal WiFi module. For applications requiring higher
USB power, the boost regulator needs to be upgraded.

H/W Architecture
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
Freescale Semiconductor 15
2.4 Audio
To provide the ability for two-way audio, a Wolfson® WM8974 CODEC is added. This codec includes good
support for various microphone configurations, and includes a 900-mW speaker driver to directly drive a small
speaker. A small 16 mm x 35 mm, 1-W speaker provides the audio output. The codec’s ADC implements an
automatic level control (ALC) and up to 55.25 dB of gain, offering a wide range of microphone audio performance.
The codec connects to the CPU using SSI port 1 for audio data, and CSPI port 1 for configuration communications.
This device also provides a 2.75-V digital interface for direct connection to the processor.
The WM8974 also includes an internal PLL, and a wide range of input frequencies is allowed. This device can
share the 25-MHz clock with the processor and Ethernet PHY, reducing parts count.
Power for the speaker drive is also shared with the USB ports, and thus maximum speaker drive and USB power
may not be available.
NOTE
Although the hardware for this module is included in the reference design,
it is included for future development only. It has not been tested or had
software implemented at this time.
2.5 WiFi Module
To provision the camera for wireless operations, an IEEE 802.11 b/g module is supported on the internal SDIO port
using a daughter card. Any available module with an appropriate interface, power profile, and firmware support
could be integrated in the future.
The APM6828 SDIO system module based on CSR® WiFi is implemented in reference design for future
integration.
The CSR module requires 1.5 V to operate the analog sections of the device. This supply is generated from the
power management unit LDO. A set of jumpers is included to allow the processor AVDD to also be supplied with
this LDO in the case the CSR module is not included (the output voltage would need to be adjusted appropriately
for this application).
NOTE
Although the hardware for this module is included in the reference design,
it is included for future development only. It has not been tested or had
software implemented at this time.
2.6 CMOS Sensor Interface
The Micron MT9D131 2MP sensor is used for the sensor. This sensor connects directly to the i.MX27 CMOS
sensor interface (CSI). The CMOS sensor is located on the imager daughter board via a 2-mm header. In addition
to the CSI interface requirements, I2C connections are required for module control.
The Micron sensor includes the image processor onboard, and all electronic pan/tilt/zoom functions are
accomplished by the sensor before the data is transmitted to the processor. Clocking for the imager is provided
directly by the i.MX27, allowing a wide range of resolutions and frame rates to be used.
The image sensor requires two power supply voltages, as follows:
• 2.75 V⎯Required for analog supply and digital interface voltages

H/W Architecture
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
16 Freescale Semiconductor
•1.8V⎯Required for the sensor digital core
2.7 I2C
The i.MX27 provides two I2C ports. One port is used for configuration of the camera sensor; the second
is a general purpose bus with the following devices:
• Camera core EEPROM⎯used for camera core specific configuration parameters such as MAC
address, board revision, serial number, and others
• Future Expansion
Because the processor uses a 2.75-V interface, these I2C buses must be pulled up to 2.75 V or use a voltage
translation buffer in between.
2.8 Power Supply
In addition to POE support, the device accepts a 12-V DC supply input. This allows standard security camera 12-V
power to be used, as well as an AC adapter. The i.MX27 has several power supply voltage requirements. A
two-stage power system is used for this design.
2.8.1 Power over Ethernet (POE)
The first stage of the power system involves the Power over Ethernet (POE) solution. The National® LM5071
provides an isolated POE system as well as support for an external 12-V DC input. It also includes and internal
DC/DC converter, and using a flyback topology, provides 3.3-V output. This is the primary output voltage for the
board, and all other voltages are derived from this. The primary advantage of this part over standard POE devices is
the ability to change the under voltage protection, as well as allow the DC/DC converter to work down to 10.5 V
(measured at the DC/DC converter). This allows an external 12-V supply to be easily connected to provide power
to the system when POE is not available. 12 V is also a standard security camera voltage.
2.8.2 5-V Boost
Because the POE controller outputs 3.3 V, a 5-V boost is added to supply the USB ports, blue LEDs, and
RS-232/485 transceiver. If these features are not required, or if connecting to externally powered USB devices, the
5-V boost can be removed. The MIC2295 is a high power 1.2-MHz boost with integrated FETS, and can provide 5
V at 500 mA from the 3.3-V supply. The 1.2 MHz switching frequency allows for smaller magnetics to be used to
reduce board space, yet still maintains good efficiency.
2.8.3 Power Management Unit
To provide the remaining voltages for the system, a National LM26480 power management unit is used to step
down the 3.3-V supply. This part includes two switching regulators and two LDOs, which can be used to derive the
remaining supply voltages.
2.8.4 Required Voltages
The required voltages are as follows:
•3.3V⎯Primary logic voltage of the processor card

H/W Architecture
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
Freescale Semiconductor 17
— Switching regulator output from the POE module
— Used by the Ethernet PHY, analog Audio, USB transceiver
•CPUCore
— Provided by the power management unit Buck 1 switching regulator
— 1.2- to 1.52-V supply depending on processor operating speed. To simplify the system, this
supply is fixed at 1.4 V, which allows operation at any processor clock.
• 2.75 V
— To satisfy themaximum longterm operatingvoltages of the i.MX27 andthe peripheral devices,
an I/O voltage of 2.75 V is required.
— This also supplies the camera sensor.
— This is derived from LDO1 on the power management unit.
• Memory
— All the memory devices operate at 1.8 V. This is derived from Buck 2 from the power
management unit.
• Analog supply
— The i.MX27 requires a 1.4-V supply for the PLL and other support circuits. This is derived
from the power management unit LDO2. Alternatively, this supply can be set to 1.5 Vto power
the APM WiFi module. The analog supplies can be powered from the CPU core voltage.
2.8.5 Power Start-up Sequence
The i.MX27 requires a certain start-up sequence for the voltages to ensure the internal fuse remains intact. The
basic requirement is that FUSE_VDD goes high after VCC_CORE. This is accomplished by delaying the VCC_18
(1.8V) rail, which powers FUSE_VDD during normal operation.
2.9 Processor Reset
The power management unit includes an internal power on reset signal that monitors the two buck regulators. This
is fed to an additional reset monitor that monitors the 3.3-V supply as well as provides a manual reset signal, which
is controlled via a switch with external access.
2.10 JTAG
To save board space, a 2-mm, 10-pin header is used for the JTAG connector. This requires an external adaptor
board to provide the interface to a 3rd party debugger/programmer.
The i.MX27 JTAG port only works with the boot mode set to USB/UART (All boot pins LOW). If JTAG is to be
used in the end system, it is advised that the user include jumpers to be able to set the BOOT pins appropriately for
JTAG control. This is especially required if JTAG is to be used for initial programming of the devices.
Once initial programming is complete, the BOOT mode can be switched for normal operation.

H/W Architecture
i.MX27 IP Camera Reference Design Reference Manual, Rev. 1.0
18 Freescale Semiconductor
2.11 Board Layout Requirements
To simplify the layout and manufacturing of the PCB, traditional board layout techniques were employed. The
board design is based on excluding the need for blind/buried/micro vias, which reduces the cost and improves the
yield of the PCB design. For this reference design, a ten-layer design was implemented (six signal layers, three
ground planes, and one power plane).
To route out the i.MX27 BGA, 4-mil traces with 4-mil spacing is required, along with 14-mil vias with a 6-mil
hole. Be sure to check with the board manufacturer for their capabilities, as some prefer to reduce the annular ring
on the vias in favor of a larger hole. Alternatively, to reduce overall product size, blind, buried, or micro vias could
be used.
Other manuals for i.MX27
1
Table of contents