As a plug and play peripheral device, USB cameras have wide compatibility and can be applied to various operating systems and platforms. The following are the main systems and their features that support USB cameras:
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### **1. Desktop operating system**
#### **Windows**
-* * Supported version * *: Windows XP/7/8/10/11 (driver required, some free).
-* * Features * *:
-Plug and play (UVC protocol camera drive free).
-Supports frameworks such as DirectShow and Media Foundation.
-Compatible with most video conferencing software (such as Zoom, Teams), live streaming tools (OBS), etc.
#### **macOS**
-* * Supports version * *: macOS 10.4 and above (requires UVC compatibility).
-* * Features * *:
-Native support for UVC (USB Video Class) protocol cameras.
-Compatible with FaceTime, Photo Booth, Zoom and other applications.
#### **Linux**
-* * Supported versions * *: Mainstream distributions (such as Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora).
-* * Features * *:
-Support UVC cameras through the V4L2 (Video4Linux2) driver framework.
-Terminal command debugging (such as’ lsusb ‘,’ ffmpeg ‘).
-Please note that some non-standard cameras may require manual driving.
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### **2. Mobile operating system**
#### **Android**
-* * Supporting conditions * *:
-Android 5.0+supports USB Host mode (requires OTG adapter).
-The camera needs to be compatible with UVC protocol (some manufacturers require customized drivers).
-* * Application Scenarios * *:
-External cameras are used for live streaming, security monitoring, industrial testing, etc.
-Called through APIs (such as Camera2) or third-party apps (such as USB Camera).
#### **iOS/iPadOS**
-* * Restrictions * *:
-Apple’s closed ecosystem means that regular USB cameras cannot be used directly.
-A Lightning/USB-C adapter that requires MFi certification, or specialized peripherals such as conference cameras.
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### **3. Embedded system**
####Raspberry Pi**
-* * Support Method * *:
-V4L2 driver based on Linux, compatible with UVC cameras.
-Common tools: Raspistil, OpenCV, Motion (monitoring).
####* * Other embedded Linux devices**
-Such as Jetson Nano, BeagleBone, etc., are supported through V4L2 or vendor SDKs.
####RTOS (Real time Operating System)**
-For example, FreeRTOS and Zephyr require customized drivers or simplified UVC protocol stacks.
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### **4. Other special systems**
#### **ChromeOS**
-Native support for UVC cameras, suitable for online meetings/educational scenarios on Chromebooks.
####* * Game console**
-* * PlayStation/Xbox * *: Usually only supports authenticated devices (such as live streaming cameras).
####Virtual Machine (VM)**
-USB devices need to be directly connected to virtual machines (such as VirtualBox, VMware).
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### **5. No operating system (bare metal development)**
-Directly controlling the camera through a microcontroller (such as STM32) and a USB Host protocol stack (such as USBH library) requires processing the raw data stream.
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###* * Key compatibility factors**
1. * * UVC Protocol * *:
-A camera that meets the UVC (USB Video Class) standard is drive free and has the best compatibility.
2. * * Driver support * *:
-Non standard cameras require manufacturers to provide drivers (such as certain industrial cameras).
3. * * Interface and Power Supply * *:
-USB 2.0/3.0 interface and power supply capability (some cameras require external power supply).
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###* * Typical application scenarios**
-Video conferencing: Windows/macOS+Zoom/Teams.
-Live streaming promotion: OBS+UVC camera.
-Security Monitoring: Linux+Motion/OpenCV.
-Embedded development: Raspberry Pi+Python/OpenCV.
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###* * Summary**
USB cameras can be used in the vast majority of modern operating systems, but it should be noted that:
-* * Prioritize UVC compatible devices * * to ensure drive free support.
-Mobile devices (Android/iOS) need to check OTG or adapter compatibility.
-Embedded scenarios may require manual configuration of drivers or protocol stacks.
If specific system configuration methods are needed (such as debugging under Linux or Android development), further explanation can be provided!