SparkFun Forums

[uLuxx]

thanks Kreature, that was the info I've searched for.

[Dmitri]

Hi all!

I'd like to show you a 320x240 video done with TCM8230MD and a PIC24H and stored to SD.

Would rapidshare.com be OK for the majority?

/Dmitri

[uLuxx]

Hi all!

I'd like to show you a 320x240 video done with TCM8230MD and a PIC24H and stored to SD.

Would rapidshare.com be OK for the majority?

/Dmitri

Yes. please do so!!

[KreAture]

You could also post it on youtube? I hate the annoying "pay crap" on rapidshare...

[Dmitri]

Hello everybody!

Here we go! Choose one of the download links below (the same file!). At the site, you will be said to wait a llittle bit until the download link appears. You DO NOT have to pay.

22MBytes, XviD, 320x240, 3:48

http://hotfile.com/dl/32150588/9c32731/ ... l.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/361614756/T ... igital.avi

KreAture, I don't like YT fo this purpose because YT will re-compress the already compressed file.

/Dmitri

[KreAture]

Hello everybody!

Here we go! Choose one of the download links below (the same file!). At the site, you will be said to wait a llittle bit until the download link appears. You DO NOT have to pay.

22MBytes, XviD, 320x240, 3:48

http://hotfile.com/dl/32150588/9c32731/ ... l.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/361614756/T ... igital.avi

KreAture, I don't like YT fo this purpose because YT will re-compress the already compressed file.

/Dmitri

My camera records in youtube format (H263). It allows immediate publish and just a few seconds processing in youtubes server..

[KreAture]

Great video!
What format do you store data in? Raw?

[Dmitri]

Great video!
What format do you store data in? Raw?

Thank you

Yes, it is stored in YUV411 format (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YUV#Y.27UV411). This helped to reduce the data amount per line from 640 down to 480 bytes (4 lumina bytes vs 1 choma pair) and thus under 512 bytes limit for one block write.

The SD card is pre-formatted with FAT32 and one big file which fills almost the whole memory of the card. I make use of Microchip's FatFs File System to find the first sector of this file at the start. Then, data is written in Multiple Block Write mode with automatic sector number increment in the card.

PIC24 is run at 40MIPS (FCY = 40MHz) and the cam is clocked at 13.333 MHz resulting in appx. 16 fps. I use the output compare feature of the PIC24. So, it is just 1/3 of FCY. Just wondering if I could achieve 1/2 of FCY = 20 MHz. It did not work so far. I could use a T-flipflop to devide FCY externally. Edit: D-type 74V1G80CTR sold by Farnell can do this as well.

The DMA transfer to SPI is started right after the line scan begins and it takes appx. 150us for a block. There are only 2 external interrupts used: at line sync starting line scan and on Frame sync resetting the line counter. PIC24's programm flow is well predictable (no cache). So, I do a "blind scan" of the line whereas short delays are done with NOPs (25ns).

I redrew the PCB and achieved 23x15mm size using microSD socket and a PIC in QFN-44 housing.

regards,
Dmitri

P.S. just thinking of implementing some audio. There are 30 empty bytes in each line block. 16fps * 240 lines * 30 = 115200 bytes per second for a raw audio stream.

[artem88]

Yesterday I managed to make my TCM8230MD camera work. It was sending data. Today it doesn't work anymore. I have disconnected camera board from main board and, connected a power only and measured voltage on pins. DOUT, HD, VD, DCLK pins have precise IOVDD level, RESET is little less than IOVDD, EXTCLK is little less than DVDD, SCL and SDA pins are ok (even more, camera still receives i2c commands!). I was tested pins with multimeter (in mode with diode image) relatively to IOVSS and IOGND. Each case they have resistance and only in one way. Same results was been when it worked ok.
IOVDD, PVDD - 3.3V
DVDD - 1.5V
Are camera digital circuits (except i2c) dead ?

[Dmitri]

Yesterday I managed to make my TCM8230MD camera work. It was sending data. Today it doesn't work anymore. I have disconnected camera board from main board and, connected a power only and measured voltage on pins. DOUT, HD, VD, DCLK pins have precise IOVDD level, RESET is little less than IOVDD, EXTCLK is little less than DVDD, SCL and SDA pins are ok (even more, camera still receives i2c commands!). I was tested pins with multimeter (in mode with diode image) relatively to IOVSS and IOGND. Each case they have resistance and only in one way. Same results was been when it worked ok.
IOVDD, PVDD - 3.3V
DVDD - 1.5V
Are camera digital circuits (except i2c) dead ?

Hi Artem,

you write it still receives I2C commands. Does it mean you get ACK to what you send?

3V3 is IMHO way too much. I did not go that far. I supply the unit with 3VDC, then, I have 2 LDOs for 1.5V and 2.8VDC. I2C lines are pulled up to 3VDC, and the cam seems not to take any harm because of 3V EXTCLK.

[artem88]

Hi Artem,

you write it still receives I2C commands. Does it mean you get ACK to what you send?

3V3 is IMHO way too much. I did not go that far. I supply the unit with 3VDC, then, I have 2 LDOs for 1.5V and 2.8VDC. I2C lines are pulled up to 3VDC, and the cam seems not to take any harm because of 3V EXTCLK.

Yes, I get ACK.
I was afraid to supply it with 3.3V but some people wrote in this topic that 3.3V works fine. Thank you !

[Dmitri]

Yes, I get ACK.
I was afraid to supply it with 3.3V but some people wrote in this topic that 3.3V works fine. Thank you !

Hmmm... Make sure your cam stays on RESET long enough untill EXTCLK is stable. If I understand you right, you get no DCLK from the cam, correct?

Writing to addr 3 (see DATAHZ, page 9) switches cam's outputs from Hi-Z (floating) to normal. Can you see any change?

[artem88]

I know about these tricks about delays and I repeat, it worked yesterday. I didn't change code since that. It always was low levels after powering on. Now there are high levels immediately after power on an they holds all time regardless of I resetting camera, sending extclk or after command was send. Pay attention, there are high levels on inputs (reset and extclk) too.
I switched to HiZ state but nothing changed.

[artem88]

oops, I was wrong, i2c doesn't work too... so cam doesn't receive any command...

[Dmitri]

oops, I was wrong, i2c doesn't work too... so cam doesn't receives any command...

ok, the case is clear.

I hope you can get a replacement.