OV2640 and simple streaming

I just discovered this project and want to see if it’s a fit for my intended use. I want to create a simple solar powered security camera. I’d use an IR sensor to wake a micro controller and transmit video via Wi-Fi and/or cellular network to store on a server. I don’t need image processing except perhaps compression for sending over the cell link. I don’t need local storage unless it may be useful to act as a buffer while the network connects.

1.) I see in the docs (Quick reference for the openmvcam — MicroPython 1.15 documentation) a reference to an OV2640 sensor. Is it possible to still use this or was that only available with the older version?
2.) Assuming that sensor is usable what frame rate (roughly) could I expect at full resolution?
3.) Is it compressed JPEG already, ready to transmit?
4.) If so what bit rate, roughly?
5.) I see a night vision test on the Hackaday.io page, what do I need to use that?

I found more info searching that module on this forum with Google. (The forum search showed nothing.) Seems there was a manufacturing issue with that module and the OpenMV team switched away to a different module. If I want to use the OV2640 I would have to build it myself. That’s fine by me.

I still would like to know about resolution, frame rate, data rate, and night vision.

The specs are available on the product page: OpenMV Cam M7 | OpenMV

We also have OV2640 cameras left over… they kinda suck however. But, if you pay for shipping you can have one.We don’t offer any support but the code kinda still works for them.

The OpenMV Cam isn’t meant for video really however. It’s for computer vision.

I’d like to buy two. Where do I pay?

Email me your address, phone, etc. To openmv@openmv.io

Sent. Let me know if you didn’t get it.

Haven’t received anything…

Error in my Gmail. Your mail server thinks I’m sending spam. Will send with another address.

You send it with a private message as well.

Hi,

Apologies for hijacking this topic, the OP project is very much same of what I am planning.

Can the OpenMV Cam M7 be used for this purpose, my project needs video length of 30-sec max. grey-scale (as it has to be night vision). Video with 5 fps will be okay

My additional question is,

  1. Can OpenMV do this?

  2. As my unit will be 100% battery, I planning to put the OpenMV Cam M7 into shutdown mode and wake up when PIR detected movement, what will be the “wakeup-time” from sleep to capturing video or image.

  3. Do I need external MCU, can the Modem stack and logic handling be done within.

I already placed order for this via SeedStudio, while waiting for the shipment, hoping to get some inside from development team.

Thanks guys

Yes, we can record VGA grayscale video at over 5 fps. The video would be MJPEG compressed.

Anyway, right now our turn on from power off is not well tested, but, you can shutdown the MCU in software. I’d recommend a circuit that that supplies 3.3v to the camera when the PIR detects motion and then have the OpenMV Cam attached to an off switch so it can kill itself once it’s done recording video.

(We do have low power modes but to save you wasted time just build a circuit to turn off the MCUs power, this is easier).

Anyway, the wakeup time is less than a second and we can start recording video.

Finally, the OpenMV Cam will be able to send uart serial messages out easily. It’s quite good at this. So, just buy some comm hardware that works with async serial.

Hi,

The cam can record VGA at 10FPS if you use a fast uSD.