CMOS camera chip + microcontroller = Home made camera

I am studying digital electronics and I need to build a low-resolution 
camera unit which can transmit the captured frame over an RS232 comm 
channel.
I will use a CMOS camera chip and a low cost microcontroller (ATMega or PIC) 
because of limited student budget.

Can you tell me if you can see any design tricks/pitfall on this project 
that I need to be aware of?

Where can I order a low-res CMOS camera chip in Australia?

Hugo 

"Hugo Muccho" wrote
>I am studying digital electronics and I need to build a low-resolution 
>camera unit which can transmit the captured frame over an RS232 comm 
>channel.
> I will use a CMOS camera chip and a low cost microcontroller (ATMega or 
> PIC) because of limited student budget.
>
> Can you tell me if you can see any design tricks/pitfall on this project 
> that I need to be aware of?
>
> Where can I order a low-res CMOS camera chip in Australia?
>
> Hugo

Do you have to make one or use one? If the second apply, then take a look at 
the CMUCam, they have exactly what you described for an excellent price 
(less than $100 if I'm not mistaken).

"Hugo Muccho" <hm@bigpond.com> wrote in message 
news:430b38c6$0$19585$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>I am studying digital electronics and I need to build a low-resolution 
>camera unit which can transmit the captured frame over an RS232 comm 
>channel.
> I will use a CMOS camera chip and a low cost microcontroller (ATMega or 
> PIC) because of limited student budget.
>
> Can you tell me if you can see any design tricks/pitfall on this project 
> that I need to be aware of?
>
> Where can I order a low-res CMOS camera chip in Australia?
>
> Hugo

Be aware that there are two basic types of camera chip - those with analogue 
output - ie video, and those with a digital output. If you build something 
that can 'read' video signals, then you can accept input from just about any 
video source. Digital camera chips tend to be much more complex and you 
really need to understand the datasheet. If you are unsure about this kind 
of thing, go for a CMUcam or AVRcam instead.

If you can find a local distributor for eg Ovonics, you can probably get 
free chip samples - they are so cheap these days that the distributors only 
want to sell you thousands. The bare chips are not particularly easy to work 
with - you will need to be confident with surface mount. By the time you 
have the skills and equipment you need, you will have spent far more than 
simply buying the modules.

Note that you will also need to add a lens assembly to the basic chip.

On balance, unless you really want to get into this low level stuff, I'd buy 
camera modules.

Have fun !
Dave

> >I am studying digital electronics and I need to build a low-resolution
> >camera unit which can transmit the captured frame over an RS232 comm
> >channel.
> > I will use a CMOS camera chip and a low cost microcontroller (ATMega or
> > PIC) because of limited student budget.

Hi Dave,
I developed the AVRcam last year that fits this exact specification:
CMOS image sensor mated to an Atmel mega8 microcontroller.  It is
capable of tracking up to 8 objects of 8 different user-defined colors
at 30 frames/sec.  It can also spit out a complete color image over a
serial port.  Check out:

http://www.jrobot.net

for more details.  There is also a forums section there that discusses
what people are doing with the system, and what issues arise with such
as system.

Feel free to post any questions you have over at that forum (or here,
though I check this less frequently).  Embedded image processing is
certainly a fascinating topic (especially when you're trying to do it
on an 8-bit micro), and it will provide a fun and exciting challenge to
you.

Good luck,

John Orlando
www.jrobot.net

jro wrote:
>>>I am studying digital electronics and I need to build a low-resolution
>>>camera unit which can transmit the captured frame over an RS232 comm
>>>channel.
>>>I will use a CMOS camera chip and a low cost microcontroller (ATMega or
>>>PIC) because of limited student budget.
> 
> 
> Hi Dave,
> I developed the AVRcam last year that fits this exact specification:
> CMOS image sensor mated to an Atmel mega8 microcontroller.  It is
> capable of tracking up to 8 objects of 8 different user-defined colors
> at 30 frames/sec.  It can also spit out a complete color image over a
> serial port.  Check out:
> 
> http://www.jrobot.net
> 
> for more details.  There is also a forums section there that discusses
> what people are doing with the system, and what issues arise with such
> as system.
> 
Interesting !
I see you use a resolution of 88 * 144,
wouldn't then an optical mouse (I think 64*64) also bee enough ?

Stef Mientki

> Interesting !
> I see you use a resolution of 88 * 144,
> wouldn't then an optical mouse (I think 64*64) also bee enough ?
>

An optical mouse may be usable for some rudimentary vision tasks, but I
have no idea how it would actually work for capturing full-color images
that could then be processed.  The 88 x 144 is due to the fact that the
OV6620 provides a 176 x 144 output format, and then I am decimating the
data in each row so there is less to process.  

John

The old mice were 16x16x6 bits. New may be different, but possibly not as
"hackable"


"Stef Mientki" <S.Mientki-nospam@mailbox.kun.nl> wrote in message
news:85507$430b9bd4$83aef479$20905@news1.tudelft.nl...
> jro wrote:
> >>>I am studying digital electronics and I need to build a low-resolution
> >>>camera unit which can transmit the captured frame over an RS232 comm
> >>>channel.
> >>>I will use a CMOS camera chip and a low cost microcontroller (ATMega or
> >>>PIC) because of limited student budget.
> >
> >
> > Hi Dave,
> > I developed the AVRcam last year that fits this exact specification:
> > CMOS image sensor mated to an Atmel mega8 microcontroller.  It is
> > capable of tracking up to 8 objects of 8 different user-defined colors
> > at 30 frames/sec.  It can also spit out a complete color image over a
> > serial port.  Check out:
> >
> > http://www.jrobot.net
> >
> > for more details.  There is also a forums section there that discusses
> > what people are doing with the system, and what issues arise with such
> > as system.
> >
> Interesting !
> I see you use a resolution of 88 * 144,
> wouldn't then an optical mouse (I think 64*64) also bee enough ?
>
> Stef Mientki

"blueeyedpop" <blueeyedpop@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message 
news:11gnl12qnpuro0e@news.supernews.com...
> The old mice were 16x16x6 bits. New may be different, but possibly not as
> "hackable"
>
>
> "Stef Mientki" <S.Mientki-nospam@mailbox.kun.nl> wrote in message
> news:85507$430b9bd4$83aef479$20905@news1.tudelft.nl...
>> jro wrote:
>> >>>I am studying digital electronics and I need to build a low-resolution
>> >>>camera unit which can transmit the captured frame over an RS232 comm
>> >>>channel.
>> >>>I will use a CMOS camera chip and a low cost microcontroller (ATMega 
>> >>>or
>> >>>PIC) because of limited student budget.
>> >
>> >
>> > Hi Dave,
>> > I developed the AVRcam last year that fits this exact specification:
>> > CMOS image sensor mated to an Atmel mega8 microcontroller.  It is
>> > capable of tracking up to 8 objects of 8 different user-defined colors
>> > at 30 frames/sec.  It can also spit out a complete color image over a
>> > serial port.  Check out:
>> >
>> > http://www.jrobot.net
>> >
>> > for more details.  There is also a forums section there that discusses
>> > what people are doing with the system, and what issues arise with such
>> > as system.
>> >
>> Interesting !
>> I see you use a resolution of 88 * 144,
>> wouldn't then an optical mouse (I think 64*64) also bee enough ?

I was unaware of any of this .. .

Does someone have a URL?

As someone looking for ultra cheap computer connectable motion detection for 
a security camera, this may be of interest to me

-LTP

:) 

look at agilent's site, look under optical navigation.

Newer units have 30x30 pixels, larger substrate as well.


"Luc The Perverse" <sll_noSpamlicious_z_XXX_m@cc.usu.edu> wrote in message
news:430bdfbe$0$51535$3a2ecee9@news.csolutions.net...
>
>
> "blueeyedpop" <blueeyedpop@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:11gnl12qnpuro0e@news.supernews.com...
> > The old mice were 16x16x6 bits. New may be different, but possibly not
as
> > "hackable"
> >
> >
> > "Stef Mientki" <S.Mientki-nospam@mailbox.kun.nl> wrote in message
> > news:85507$430b9bd4$83aef479$20905@news1.tudelft.nl...
> >> jro wrote:
> >> >>>I am studying digital electronics and I need to build a
low-resolution
> >> >>>camera unit which can transmit the captured frame over an RS232 comm
> >> >>>channel.
> >> >>>I will use a CMOS camera chip and a low cost microcontroller (ATMega
> >> >>>or
> >> >>>PIC) because of limited student budget.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Hi Dave,
> >> > I developed the AVRcam last year that fits this exact specification:
> >> > CMOS image sensor mated to an Atmel mega8 microcontroller.  It is
> >> > capable of tracking up to 8 objects of 8 different user-defined
colors
> >> > at 30 frames/sec.  It can also spit out a complete color image over a
> >> > serial port.  Check out:
> >> >
> >> > http://www.jrobot.net
> >> >
> >> > for more details.  There is also a forums section there that
discusses
> >> > what people are doing with the system, and what issues arise with
such
> >> > as system.
> >> >
> >> Interesting !
> >> I see you use a resolution of 88 * 144,
> >> wouldn't then an optical mouse (I think 64*64) also bee enough ?
>
> I was unaware of any of this .. .
>
> Does someone have a URL?
>
> As someone looking for ultra cheap computer connectable motion detection
for
> a security camera, this may be of interest to me
>
> -LTP
>
> :)
>
>