recomputer-veye-compat-fix - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: recomputer-veye-compat-fix description: Fix VEYE camera not detected on reComputer Jetson. Upgrades the USB hub chip (VL822) firmware to resolve i2c detection failure.

reComputer VEYE Camera Compatibility Fix

The reComputer carrier board uses a VL822 USB hub chip. Outdated VL822 firmware prevents the VEYE camera from appearing on the i2c bus. This procedure flashes updated firmware to the chip.

Execution model

Run steps in order. Each step must complete cleanly before proceeding.

If a step fails → stop and consult the failure decision tree.
If a step succeeds → continue to the next step.
Do not connect USB devices until Step 7 instructs you to.

Prerequisites

SSH access to the Jetson (the VEYE camera and all other USB devices must be disconnected before starting).
The vl822-fw.tar.bz2 firmware archive from Seeed/VEYE.
i2c-tools installed on the Jetson (sudo apt install i2c-tools).

Steps

Step 1 — SSH into Jetson with no USB devices connected

Disconnect the VEYE camera and any other USB peripherals. Connect via SSH only.

ssh <user>@<jetson-ip>

Confirm no USB devices are attached:

lsusb
# Expected: only the internal hub, no camera entries

Step 2 — Copy the firmware archive to the Jetson

From your host machine:

scp vl822-fw.tar.bz2 <user>@<jetson-ip>:~/

Step 3 — Extract the archive and enter the directory

On the Jetson:

tar -xjvf vl822-fw.tar.bz2
cd vl822-fw

Step 4 — Install the firmware

Follow the instructions in readme.md inside the extracted directory:

cat readme.md
# Read and follow the exact steps listed — they may vary by firmware version

The readme will instruct you to run a flash script (e.g., ./flash_vl822.sh or similar). Run it as directed.

Step 5 — Power cycle the board

A full power-off/on cycle is required for the new firmware to take effect. Do not just reboot.

sudo poweroff

Wait at least 5 seconds after the board powers off, then power it back on. Reconnect via SSH.

Step 6 — Verify the firmware version

After the board comes back up:

cd ~/vl822-fw
./run_2822_ver.sh

Confirm the output shows the updated firmware version number.

Step 7 — Verify VEYE camera i2c detection

Connect the VEYE camera, then run:

sudo i2cdetect -y -r 6

The VEYE camera should appear at address 0x3b. A -- at that address means the camera is still not detected.

Failure decision tree

Symptom	Action
`0x3b` not present after Step 7	Check that `run_2822_ver.sh` shows the updated version. If it shows the old version, the firmware flash did not complete — repeat Steps 3–5.
`0x3b` still missing after re-flash	Perform a longer power cycle: power off, disconnect power cable for 10 s, reconnect, power on. Then repeat Step 7.
`run_2822_ver.sh` errors or shows no output	Confirm you are in the `vl822-fw` directory and the script is executable (`chmod +x run_2822_ver.sh`).
`i2cdetect` command not found	Install i2c-tools: `sudo apt install i2c-tools`, then repeat Step 7.
SSH drops during firmware flash (Step 4)	Do not interrupt. Wait 2 minutes, then power cycle and check the firmware version in Step 6.
Camera detected at wrong address	Wrong camera model or cable issue — verify the VEYE camera model and CSI/USB connection type.

Reference files

references/source.body.md — original Seeed Wiki article with full background context on the VL822 chip and VEYE camera compatibility