How Does Camera Board Work?

08 Apr.,2024

 

Make memories, or just a cool camera-based project, with Adafruit's MEMENTO Camera Board. It's a development board with everything you need to create programmable camera and vision projects: with a camera module, TFT preview screen, buttons, SD card slot and driven by a powerful ESP32-S3 with 2 MB of PSRAM for buffering 5 MegaPixel camera images.

This product is just the mainboard, and does not come with an enclosure, LED ring, hardware, SD card, or battery.

CircuitPython 9.0.0-beta.2 and later provide an important fix for MEMENTO. See the "Install CircuitPython" page in this guide for more details.

The ESP32-S3 is a WiFi and Bluetooth LE capable, 240 MHz dual core Tensilica processor - much like the famous ESP32. The S3 adds native USB support so it's great for use with Arduino or CircuitPython. The S3 also has the ability to interface with raw camera modules. The cameras require 12 GPIO pins and fast data transfer in order to get images off the sensor, and then a lot of memory for storing 2560 x 1920 images - which is why we picked an S3 module with 2MB of PSRAM so that we can read JPEGs into memory for saving onto a microSD card with up to 32GB capacity.

To make the board easy to use we added a ton of supporting hardware, here's a full list of the hardware included:

  • ESP32-S3 module with 8 MB Flash, 2 MB PSRAM - dual core 240MHz Tensilica with WiFi and BTLE.
  • OV5640 camera module with 72 degree view and auto-focus motor - 5MP camera sensor with JPEG encoder built in.
  • 1.54" 240x240 Color TFT - For previewing the camera images, or user interface design.
  • MicroSD card slot - Store images or animations to any SPI-capable micro SD card.

    NOTE: You can use cards with up to 32GB capacity.

  • Two Digital/Analog Stemma Ports - JST PH-3 connectors for A0, A1 and power+ground for adding external buttons, LEDs, or sensors. Can provide 3V or 5V power.
  • I2C Stemma QT Port - Connect just about any I2C sensor you please with a Stemma QT JST SH port, provides 3.3V power and logic.
  • LIS3DH Accelerometer - Triple-access accelerometer can detect orientation, shaking or movement.
  • LiPoly battery charging support - Use a 3.7/4.2V 350mA or 420mA battery for on-the-go snaps.
  • 6 User Buttons - change modes, preview saved images, play DOOM (?). Connected through a GPIO expander.
  • Buzzer - play tones or alerts, or indicate when a photo was successfully taken.
  • Analog Microphone - Can be used as a sensor to detect loud sounds, not for recording video with audio.
  • Shutter button - Connected to GPIO 0 for entering the ROM bootloader.
  • Reset button - For entering the bootloader or starting over.
  • On/Off switch - Cut all power when using a battery.
  • USB Type C for programming the ESP32-S3, as well as REPL access in CircuitPython and charging the optional LiPoly battery.
  • Breakout pads for hardware UART - for more intense debugging needs, solder wires to the through-hole pads to connect to a console cable.
  • Four M3 standoffs for mounting or enclosure attachment.

We've got both Arduino and CircuitPython example code that lets you preview the camera, adjust settings, and take photos that are saved to disk. However, we recommend CircuitPython because the compilation time in Arduino is pretty intense due to the huge amount of code required to run the camera. CircuitPython is fast to develop for and our library will make it easy to start making custom camera projects.

Camera module / Board camera customized process insight

With hundreds of camera module application, the standard camera modules can't meet each specific requirement, so customization process comes with necessity and popularity, the hardware and firmware modification, including module dimension, lens view angle, auto/fixed focus type and lens filter, to empower the innovation.

Non-recurring engineering completely covers the research, development, design for producing a new product. For saving the developing time and cost, IADIY provides the custom camera module service based on our standard camera module solution.

Customized requirements flow

  1. You can provide drawings or samples, as well as request documentation and developed by our engineering staff.
  2. Communication
  3. We will communicate with you in detail to determine somewhat product you need and try to set the most suitable product for you according to your needs.
  4. Sample Development
  5. Determine the details of the development sample and the delivery time. Communicate at any time to ensure smooth progress.
  6. Sample Testing
  7. Test and age on your application, feedback test results, no need to modify, mass production.

Questions you should ask before customized a camera module or board camera

What are the requirements?

The USB camera module must have the following requirements. They are the most important components which add photo clarity and good working principle. The components are well specified by connecting via CMOS and CCD integrated circuit. It must work according to user requirements and acts as a user-friendly camera option. It will connect with lots of things that add a perfect solution for camera requirements for USB connection.

  • Lens
  • Sensor
  • DSP
  • PCB

What resolution do you want from a Camera Module / Board Camera?

Resolution is a parameter used to measure the amount of data in a bitmap image, usually expressed as dpi (dot per inch). Simply put, the resolution of the camera refers to the ability of the camera to analyze the image, that is, the number of pixels of the image sensor of the camera. The highest resolution is the size of the camera's ability to resolve images at the highest, the highest number of pixels in the camera. The current 30W pixel CMOS resolution is 640×480, and the resolution of 50M-pixel CMOS is 800×600. The two numbers of resolution represent the units of the number of points in the length and width of a picture. The aspect ratio of a digital picture is usually 4:3.

In practical applications, if the camera is used for web chat or video conferencing, the higher the resolution, the greater the network bandwidth required. Therefore, consumers should pay attention to this aspect, should choose a pixel suitable for their own products according to their needs.

The Field of view angle (FOV)?

The FOV angle refers to the range that the lens can cover. (The object will not be covered by the lens when it exceeds this angle.) A camera lens can cover a wide range of scenes, usually expressed by angle. This angle is called the lens FOV. The area covered by the subject through the lens on the focal plane to form a visible image is the field of view of the lens. The FOV should be decided by the application environment, The larger the lens Angle, the wider the field of view, and vice versa.

Board Camera Dimension for your application

The major parameters that have been calculated with the camera module are the dimension, which varies the most for different requirements depending on size and optical format. It has a field of view and focal length for accessing with object dimension calculation. It involves back focal length and includes a perfect lens for format. The optical size of the lens must fit your application and depend on a conventional one. Diameter varies as per larger sensors and implements with lens covers. It depends on the form of vignetting or dark on the corner of the images.

With hundreds of thousands of camera module applications, module dimensions represent the factor that varies the most. Our engineers have the power to develop the exact dimensions which will work best for your specific project. 

The EAU of the products

The cost of the price product depends on the specification. The USB board camera with small EAU is not suggesting as a customized one. with Constantly demand and personalization requirements like Lens, size, sensor, a customized camera module is your best option.

Choosing the right camera module or camera board

In general, most of the customers will be concentrated on the right camera module that one will never know what kind of lens required to use here. There an enormous number of theory has been used here to make aware of the people to pick the perfect lens and to choose the perfect camera module. The lens you are going to choose will be completely dependent on the process that you are going to make use of. Due to the different solutions of the sensor and DSP, and lens different lenses, and the imaging effects of the camera module are also very different. Some cameras can be used in different applications, but some can only be used in some specific applications to get the best imaging results. Some star-level cameras can capture images in low-light environments, but at a relatively high price.

Effective impacts:

In case you have been installed the camera module or camera in your office or small bedroom, then only 2.8mm focal length will be enough at that point in time. In case you want to install the camera module or camera in your backyard means then sure it must require 4mm to 6mm focal length. The focal length is increased since space is bigger. You will require the 8mm or 12mm focal length then you can use this in your factory or street since space will be very much high.

When you want to choose the camera module for the NIR light then the spectral response of the camera module will be majorly defined by the lens material or sensor material. The sensors will be completely silicon-based and it will show the effective response to the NIR light in a most extraordinary manner. Compared to visible light or 850nm, the sensitivity will be very much smaller for the 940nm. Even though you get this still you can able to get the image very effectively. The most important concept involved in this process will create enough light for the camera for the purpose of detection. You will never know perfectly when the camera can able to be triggered and can grab the perfect timing will be very much different. So at that time, the signal will be sent to a particular extent and one can able to choose the right camera module.

Conclusion

From the above discussion, the USB camera module has overall functions and assembles with an automatic zoom module. The fixed focus of the USB camera module has a lens, mirror base, photosensitive integrated circuit, and so on. Users must find the difference between USB and MIPI camera modules. 

A customized camera module is more suitable for the development of new applications. Because the customized camera module can be build base on the specified requirements. From the development trend of the camera we can learn:Firstly, higher pixel (13 million, 16 million), high-quality image sensor (CMOS), high transmission speed (USB2.0, USB3.0, and other fast interfaces) camera will be the future trend; Secondly customization and specialization (only used as a professional video input device), multi-functional (with other functions, such as the accompanying flash drive, the trend toward digital cameras, it is also conceivable that the camera can have the function of a scanner in the future), etc. Thirdly, user experience is crucial, more user-friendly, easier to use, and more practical application functions are the real needs of customers.

How Does Camera Board Work?

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