Forked Repository for Experimental Modifications

This repository is a fork of the Core Electronics port of the Arducam Mega 5MP Camera for the Raspberry Pi Pico. The original project is marked as experimental, and frequent, breaking updates are expected.

I created this fork of the Arducam driver to address specific needs in my Pico and Micropython-based hydroponic garden project. Two main issues prompted these modifications:

1. Limited Storage Space on Hardware:

   • Due to the limitations of the hardware I am using, the original driver's ability to save camera pictures at high resolutions was a concern because of the restricted storage space.

2. Watchdog Timer and Image Saving Time:

   • The saveJPG function from the original driver took longer than the maximum watchdog timer duration (approximately 8 seconds). This caused a reset of the machine due to the watchdog timer expiring.
   • To overcome this, I introduced a generateJPG function that returns the camera buffer data as a generator. This allows me to process the image incrementally, avoiding triggering the watchdog timer.
   • Additionally, as I upload images to the cloud via MQTT messages, the generator function enables asynchronous message sending using the asyncio library

3. Cloud-Based Image Processing:

   • Since the purpose of my modifications are to allow sending the image data into the cloud directly from the camera buffer, I removed the filemanager functions from the original driver.

This is the Repo for the Core Electronics port of the Arducam Mega 5MP Camera for the Raspberry Pi Pico (Micropython)

Status: Experimental This driver is very much experimental at the moment. Expect frequent, breaking updates. This project is featured in the 27-July-2023 episode of The Factory - Core Electronics' Engineering and Product Development vlog.

Project Status:

• Confirmed working on 3MP Camera (ISSUE: Photos have a green hue, camera_idx identifies the two versions)
• Can set resolution
• Can set remaining filters and modes
• Class moved to separate file
• Burst read
• Confirm a micro SD card can use the same SPI bus (Micropython compatibility)
• Confirm working with latest Micropython version)
• Filemanager also handles subfolders for images
• Confirm that different file formats output correctly (RGB=BMP, YGV?)
• Confirm that pixel RGB values can be extrapolated from BMP format for machine learning applications

This project is open source - please review the LICENSE.md file for further licensing information.

If you have any technical questions, or concerns about licensing, please contact technical support on the Core Electronics forums.