Arducam Promises an SPI Camera for "Any Microcontroller on the Planet" with the New Arducam Mega
Available in three megapixel fixed-focus and five megapixel autofocus, these SPI cameras claim the broadest compatibility.
Computer vision specialist Arducam has launched a crowdfunding campaign for what could be its most broadly-supported camera yet: the Arducam Mega, which communicates with "any microcontroller" over a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) bus.
"Nobody ever thought of a camera running on an MCU [Microcontroller Unit] until Arducam made this happen," claims Lee Jackson, founder, chief executive, and chief technology officer of Arducam. "Communities cheered for such a big breakthrough because a brand new door opened. Since then, we have spent 10 years making it better. It is time to celebrate our 10th anniversary with this gift: [The] world's first SPI camera that fits any microcontroller on the planet."
The Arducam Mega launches in two variants: a three-megapixel fixed-focus variant and a five-megapixel model with autofocus. Both communicate with the host microcontroller over a four-wire SPI bus and draw a claimed 55-56mA while idle and 136-154mA while active. Image data from the rolling shutter sensors can be output in RGB, YUV, and JPEG formats, and both offer a 3.3mm focal length and a 68.75 degree field of vision.
"Energy is precious to life, and power consumption is one of the keys to success," Jackson claims of one of the camera's main selling points. "Now you can completely switch off the camera when your MCU is sleeping, without worrying about loading long register settings. Arducam Mega cameras do it for you instantly (within 1 second) and automatically. In one word, auto-configuration and quick response."
For those who need more than a single camera sensor, Arducam has also designed a multi-camera adapter board. "[You can use] more than four cameras on a single MCU," Kai Cheung, research and development engineer, explains. "They capture at the same time with sequential readout then."
The Arducam Mega is currently funding on Kickstarter, with hardware priced at HK$117 for the three-megapixel fixed-focus version and HK$164 for the five-megapixel autofocus model (around $15 and $21 respectively, excluding shipping and taxes.) All hardware is expected to ship in April 2023.
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