Tiramisioux · Tiramisioux · Mar 6, 2026 · Jan 16, 2026 · Jan 16, 2026 · Jan 16, 2026
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -5,24 +5,21 @@ Cinemate provides a minimal starting point that you can extend with your own con
 
 The project combines a Python UI with a custom fork of [cinepi-raw](https://github.com/Tiramisioux/cinepi-raw/tree/rpicam-apps_1.7_custom_encoder).
 
-## New features in version 3.1
-
-- fast uncompressed dng encoder, supporting both IMX 585 color and mono sensors (normal SSD's working well for HD @ 25 fps)
-- redesigned HDMI ui
-- sound recording activated
-- dual sensor support
-- punch in digital zoom of preview
-- i2c oled module and enum enhanced Redis key handling by [tevey](https://github.com/tevey)
-- selection of physical camera port cam0 or cam1
-- choose specific HDMI output port, 0 or 1
-- adapted to libcamera 0.5/rpicam-apps 1.7
+## New features in version 3.2
+
+- improved mounting mechanics for NVME and SSD drives with less drop frames
+- erase and format drives via Cinemate CLI (ext4/NTFS)
+- storage preroll to "warm up" the recording media, improving writing stability
+- improved audio sync with correction of effective fps (different resolutions/frame rates due to sensor VBLANK), available for fine tuning in `src/module/sensor_correction_factors.py`
+- option to record a fixed number of frames or seconds for user calibration of fps correction factors (run Cinemate manually for this calibration as feedback is supplied in the terminal)
+- improved recognition of attached microphones
 
 ## Compatible sensors
 
 - IMX477 (official Raspberry Pi HQ camera)
-- IMX294 (official Raspberry Pi GS camera)
-- IMX585 ([Starlight Eye](https://www.tindie.com/products/will123321/starlighteye/) by Will Whang)
+- IMX296 (official Raspberry Pi GS camera)
 - IMX283 ([OneInchEye](https://www.tindie.com/products/will123321/oneincheye-v20/) by Will Whang)
+- IMX585 ([Starlight Eye](https://www.tindie.com/products/will123321/starlighteye/) by Will Whang)
 
 ## Preinstalled hardware
 

diff --git a/docs/acknowledgments.md b/docs/acknowledgments.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Acknowledgements
 
-The [**Cinemate**](https://github.com/Tiramisioux/cinemate) stack is built on top of several open-source projects. Special thanks to all authors!
+The [**Cinemate**](https://github.com/Tiramisioux/cinemate) stack is built on of several open-source projects. Special thanks to all authors!
 
 - [**CinePi-raw**](https://github.com/cinepi/cinepi-raw) – Csaba Nagy
 - [**IMX585 and IMX283 drivers**](https://github.com/will127534) – Will Whang

diff --git a/docs/audio-recording.md b/docs/audio-recording.md
@@ -1,60 +1,54 @@
 # Audio recording (experimental)
 
-Cinemate records audio alongside the image sequence. Support is currently limited to a few USB microphones with hard coded configurations:
+Cinemate records audio alongside the image sequence. Audio is written as `.wav` files into the same folder as the `.dng` frames. The implementation is still experimental and audio/video synchronization needs further investigation.
+
+## Supported microphones
  - **RØDE VideoMic NTG** – recorded in stereo at 24‑bit/48 kHz.
  - **USB PnP microphones** – recorded in mono at 16‑bit/48 kHz.
 
-Other class‑compliant USB microphones are now detected automatically by probing the ALSA hardware devices reported by `arecord -l`. Cinemate will fall back to using the matching USB device (via `plughw:<card>,<device>`) if the `mic_24bit` or `mic_16bit` aliases are not available.
-
-Audio is written as `.wav` files into the same folder as the `.dng` frames. The implementation is still experimental and audio/video synchronization needs further investigation.
-
-### .asoundrc Setup
 
-For `dsnoop` support, create a `~/.asoundrc` in home directory:
 
-```bash
-nano ~/.asoundrc
-```
+## .asoundrc Setup
 
-Paste this into the file:
+For `dsnoop` support, create a `~/etc/asound.conf`:
 
 ```bash
 
-    pcm.dsnoop_24bit {
-        type dsnoop
-        ipc_key 2048
-        slave {
-            pcm "hw:Device,0"
-            channels 2
-            rate 48000
-            format S24_3LE
-            period_size 1024
-            buffer_size 4096
-        }
-    }
-
-    pcm.dsnoop_16bit {
-        type dsnoop
-        ipc_key 2049
-        slave {
-            pcm "hw:Device,0"
-            channels 1
-            rate 48000
-            format S16_LE
-            period_size 1024
-            buffer_size 4096
-        }
-    }
-
-    pcm.mic_24bit {
-        type plug
-        slave.pcm "dsnoop_24bit"
-    }
-
-    pcm.mic_16bit {
-        type plug
-        slave.pcm "dsnoop_16bit"
-    }
+sudo tee /etc/asound.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
+# --- Hardware handle (use stable card name; change "NTG" if your card shows a different name in `arecord -l`)
+pcm.mic_hw {
+  type hw
+  card "NTG"
+  device 0
+}
+
+# --- One shared dsnoop backend pinned to the mic's native mode (RØDE NTG: S24_3LE @ 48k, stereo)
+pcm.mic_dsnoop {
+  type dsnoop
+  ipc_key 5978
+  ipc_perm 0666
+  ipc_key_add_uid false
+  slave {
+    pcm "hw:CARD=NTG,DEV=0"
+    format S24_3LE
+    rate 48000
+    channels 2
+  }
+  bindings.0 0
+  bindings.1 1
+}
+
+# --- Front-ends: let plug adapt whatever the app asks for (stereo 24-bit or mono 16-bit)
+pcm.mic_24bit {
+  type plug
+  slave.pcm "mic_dsnoop"
+}
+
+pcm.mic_16bit {
+  type plug
+  slave.pcm "mic_dsnoop"
+}
+EOF
 
 ```
 

diff --git a/docs/backing-up-sd-card.md b/docs/backing-up-sd-card.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Backing up the SD card
 
-## To create a compressed image using PiShrink
+## Create a compressed image using PiShrink
 
 ```shell hl_lines="2 3"
 sudo bash -Eeuo pipefail -c '

diff --git a/docs/cinepi-multi.md b/docs/cinepi-multi.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # How Cinemate launches cinepi-raw
 
-`cinemate/src/module/cinepi_multi.py`  starts one `cinepi-raw` process per connected camera. It takes camera information `cinemate/src/module/sensor_detect.py` and user settings from `cinemate/src/module/settings.json` to build the command and command-line flags passed to `cinepi-raw`.
+The file `cinemate/src/module/cinepi_multi.py`  starts one `cinepi-raw` process per connected camera. It takes camera information `cinemate/src/module/sensor_detect.py` and user settings from `cinemate/src/module/settings.json` to build the command and command-line flags passed to `cinepi-raw`.
 
 
 ## Detecting Cameras

diff --git a/docs/cli-commands.md b/docs/cli-commands.md
@@ -5,9 +5,19 @@ reads simple text commands from SSH or the serial port and calls the
 corresponding controller methods.
 
 !!! note ""
+
+     Note if you have Cinemate already running, for example by running the preinstalled image file, you first need to stop the autostarted instance in order and manually start Cinemate in order to use the Cinemate CLI:
+
+     cd cinemate    # change directory to cinemate folder
+     make stop      # stop the autostarted instance
+     cinemate       # start cinemate manually
+
+!!! note ""
+
      Commands without an explicit argument will toggle the current state when possible (e.g. `set fps lock` flips the lock; `set fps lock 1` forces it on).
 
 !!! note ""
+
      All of the commands below can be easily mapped to GPIO buttons rotary encoders and other input devices. See [this section](settings-json.md) for how to configure the settings file.
 
 
@@ -67,10 +77,10 @@ If recording is not already running, the CLI starts it automatically before armi
 
 Two new commands simplify preparing removable media directly from the Cinemate CLI:
 
-- `erase` empties the mounted RAW volume without touching the filesystem structure so you can clear cards quickly between takes.【F:src/module/ssd_monitor.py†L628-L648】
-- `format [ext4|ntfs]` reformats the drive with the chosen filesystem (`ext4` by default), remounts it and refreshes the free-space monitor. The helper tolerates the common `ex4` typo and refuses unsupported targets so you do not accidentally create an unusable volume.【F:src/module/ssd_monitor.py†L650-L716】
+- `erase` empties the mounted RAW volume without touching the filesystem structure so you can clear cards quickly between takes.
+- `format [ext4|ntfs]` reformats the drive with the chosen filesystem (`ext4` by default), remounts it and refreshes the free-space monitor. The helper tolerates the common `ex4` typo and refuses unsupported targets so you do not accidentally create an unusable volume.
 
-Both actions require the RAW drive to be mounted; otherwise the CLI reports an error and leaves the media untouched.【F:src/module/ssd_monitor.py†L632-L636】【F:src/module/ssd_monitor.py†L652-L657】
+Both actions require the RAW drive to be mounted; otherwise the CLI reports an error and leaves the media untouched.
 
 ## Storage pre-roll warm-up
 

diff --git a/docs/cli-user-guide.md b/docs/cli-user-guide.md
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 # Using CinePi-RAW from the terminal
 
-Here is how you can operate **CinePi-raw** from the command line. 
-
 ## Checking available options
 
 Before running the program you can view all command‑line flags with:
@@ -14,7 +12,7 @@ This prints a long list of options supported by the application. It includes the
 
 ## Camera modes
 
-CinePi-raw uses **Libcamera** to talk to your Raspberry Pi camera module. Each sensor supports one or more *modes*, which define the resolution and bit depth of the RAW images that the sensor can produce. A mode is written as:
+CinePi-Raw uses **Libcamera** to talk to your Raspberry Pi camera module. Each sensor supports one or more *modes*, which define the resolution and bit depth of the RAW images that the sensor can produce. A mode is written as:
 
 ```
 --mode 2028:1080:12:U

diff --git a/docs/compiling-cinepi-raw.md b/docs/compiling-cinepi-raw.md
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # Recompiling cinepi-raw
-Compiling cinepi-raw
 
-For easy later rebuilding and installation of cinepi-raw you can create the file compile-raw.sh.
+For easy later rebuilding and installation of cinepi-raw you can create the file `compile-raw.sh`.
 
 ```shell
 nano compile-raw.sh

diff --git a/docs/fps-correction.md b/docs/fps-correction.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+## FPS correction factors and audio sync
+
+Some sensors report different effective frame rates than the requested FPS. This is typically caused by sensor timing details such as vertical blanking (vblank). Vblank changes the total line time the sensor needs per frame, which in turn shifts the *true* FPS even when the target FPS stays constant. Cinemate compensates for this by applying an FPS correction factor so the captured frame timing lines up with your intended rate.
+
+With the properly fine-tuned correction factor we can achieve pretty good sync to both onboard and external audio recording
+
+### Why the correction factor is per sensor, mode, and FPS
+
+Each sensor model exposes its own timing characteristics. On top of that, every sensor mode (resolution/bit depth) has different blanking and pixel-clock constraints. The requested FPS also changes how the sensor clocks out frames. Because of these combined dependencies, Cinemate stores a correction factor for every **sensor type + resolution/mode + FPS** triplet in the file `src/module/sensor_correction_factors.py`.
+
+
+### Running a fixed‑frame calibration clip
+
+To validate or tune the correction factor, you can record a clip with a fixed frame count:
+
+```
+rec f 1000
+```
+
+This records exactly 1000 frames (based on the current FPS) and stops automatically. 
+Cinemate knows exactly how many frames *should* have landed over the elapsed duration and when recording stops it performs an analysis and proposes an fps correction factor
+
+### How Cinemate analyzes the results
+
+After the recording finishes, Cinemate compares the expected frame count with the actual frames captured. When there is a mismatch, it derives a suggested correction factor and suggests it to the user. If the frame count lands on the expected number of frames (with the tolerance of +/- 1 frame), it suggests to keep the existing correction factor.
+
+!!! note ""
+     See [here](cli-commands.md) how to run Cinemate manually.
diff --git a/docs/getting-started.md b/docs/getting-started.md
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@ Connect the Pi and the camera sensor board, connect power an boot the Pi. Cinema
 - Connect your phone/tablet to the Wi‑Fi network `CinePi` (password `11111111`).
 Open a browser and go to `cinepi.local:5000` to see the interface. A clean video feed without the GUI is available at `cinepi.local:8000/stream`.
 
-!!! note ""
-     Note that by default, the Cinemate Wi-Fi hotspot is disabled. To enable it, see [this section](settings-json.md).
-
 
 ## Recording
 - Attach a high‑speed drive: an **SSD** (Samsung T7 recommended), an **NVMe drive**, or the **[CFE Hat](https://www.tindie.com/products/will123321/cfe-hat-for-raspberry-pi-5/)**. Make sure storage media is formatted as `ext4` and labeled `RAW`.

diff --git a/docs/installation-steps.md b/docs/installation-steps.md
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ sudo apt install -y libspdlog-dev libjsoncpp-dev && cd /home/pi && git clone htt
 ### CinePi-RAW <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/cinemate-fork-gren" height="12" >
 
 ```bash
-git clone https://github.com/Tiramisioux/cinepi-raw.git --branch rpicam-apps_1.7_custom_encoder
+git clone https://github.com/Tiramisioux/cinepi-raw.git
 cd cinepi-raw
 sudo rm -rf build
 sudo meson setup build
@@ -84,6 +84,52 @@ PUBLISH cp_controls cg_rb
 EOF
 ```
 
+### .asoundrc Setup
+
+For `dsnoop` support, create a `~/etc/asound.conf`:
+
+```bash
+
+    sudo tee /etc/asound.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
+# --- Hardware handle (use stable card name; change "NTG" if your card shows a different name in `arecord -l`)
+pcm.mic_hw {
+  type hw
+  card "NTG"
+  device 0
+}
+
+# --- One shared dsnoop backend pinned to the mic's native mode (RØDE NTG: S24_3LE @ 48k, stereo)
+pcm.mic_dsnoop {
+  type dsnoop
+  ipc_key 5978
+  ipc_perm 0666
+  ipc_key_add_uid false
+  slave {
+    pcm "hw:CARD=NTG,DEV=0"
+    format S24_3LE
+    rate 48000
+    channels 2
+  }
+  bindings.0 0
+  bindings.1 1
+}
+
+# --- Front-ends: let plug adapt whatever the app asks for (stereo 24-bit or mono 16-bit)
+pcm.mic_24bit {
+  type plug
+  slave.pcm "mic_dsnoop"
+}
+
+pcm.mic_16bit {
+  type plug
+  slave.pcm "mic_dsnoop"
+}
+EOF
+
+```
+
+Exit nano editor using ctrl+x.
+
 ### IMX585 driver (optional)
 
 ```shell
@@ -399,7 +445,7 @@ zoom 0 write_speed_to_drive 0 recording_time 0
 
 (See the settings guide for the full list.)
 
-### Add alias
+### Add aliases
 
 ```shell
 nano ~/.bashrc
@@ -409,6 +455,8 @@ Add to the end of the file:
 
 ```shell
 alias cinemate='python3 /home/pi/cinemate/src/main.py'
+alias editboot='sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt'
+alias editsettings='sudo nano /home/pi/cinemate/src/settings.json'
 ```
 
 Exit with Ctrl+x. System will ask you to save the file. Press "y" and then enter.

diff --git a/docs/readme.md b/docs/readme.md
@@ -10,20 +10,20 @@ The project combines a Python UI with a custom fork of [cinepi-raw](https://gith
   <p><em>Figure 1: Camera stack exploded view. Apps change settings by updating Redis keys. CinePi-RAW listens for those updates and captures frames accordingly while Cinemate provides the camera user interface.</em></p>
 </div>
 
+!!! tip ""
+    ## New features in version 3.2
 
+- improved mounting mechanics for NVME and SSD drives with less drop frames
 
-!!! tip ""
-    ## New features in version 3.1
-
-    - fast uncompressed dng encoder, supporting both IMX 585 color and mono sensors (normal SSD's working well for HD @ 25 fps)
-    - redesigned HDMI ui
-    - sound recording activated
-    - dual sensor support
-    - punch in digital zoom of preview
-    - i2c oled module and enum enhanced Redis key handling by [tevey](https://github.com/tevey)
-    - selection of physical camera port cam0 or cam1
-    - choose specific HDMI output port, 0 or 1
-    - adapted to libcamera 0.5/rpicam-apps 1.7
+- storage preroll to "warm up" the recording media, improving writing stability
+
+- improved audio sync with correction of effective fps (different resolutions/frame rates due to sensor VBLANK), available for fine tuning in `src/module/sensor_correction_factors.py`
+
+- option to record a fixed number of frames or seconds for user calibration of fps correction factors (run Cinemate manually for this calibration as feedback is supplied in the terminal)
+
+- system startup fix to have Cinemate wait for sensor to be loaded properly by the system (contribution from user Yabbo01)
+
+- simple GUI now supports different resolutions defined by the user in `setting.json` (contribution from user 0point)
 
 ## Installation
 See the [releases section](https://github.com/Tiramisioux/cinemate/releases) for preinstalled image file and [Quick Start Guide](https://tiramisioux.github.io/cinemate/getting-started/). 
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ For manual install of the camera stack on Raspberry Pi Bookworm, see the [here](
 ## Compatible sensors
 
 - IMX477 (official Raspberry Pi HQ camera)
-- IMX294 (official Raspberry Pi GS camera)
-- IMX585 ([Starlight Eye](https://www.tindie.com/products/will123321/starlighteye/) by Will Whang)
+- IMX296 (official Raspberry Pi GS camera)
 - IMX283 ([OneInchEye](https://www.tindie.com/products/will123321/oneincheye-v20/) by Will Whang)
+- IMX585 ([Starlight Eye](https://www.tindie.com/products/will123321/starlighteye/) by Will Whang)
 
 ## Preinstalled hardware