The Adafruit MLX90640 Thermal Camera Breakout brings affordable heat vision to your project. This sensor features a 24x32 array of infrared thermal sensors, providing 768 individual temperature readings over I2C when connected to a microcontroller (or Raspberry Pi). It's compact and easy to integrate, perfect for adding thermal imaging capabilities to your projects.
Key Features:
-
Field of View: 110°x70° (wide angle) — Also available in a version with a narrower 55°x35° field of view.
-
Temperature Range: -40°C to 300°C with an accuracy of ±2°C (within the 0-100°C range).
-
Frame Rate: Maximum of 16 Hz (theoretical limit of 32 Hz, though practically achieved at 16 Hz).
-
Sensor Resolution: 768 individual infrared temperature readings.
-
Ideal Applications: Create a human detector, mini thermal camera, or environmental monitoring device.
-
I2C Interface: Simple integration with Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and other microcontrollers.
Technical Details:
-
Data Processing: Reads data twice per frame in a checkerboard pattern, which may cause a slight dither effect when moving the sensor rapidly (not noticeable with slow movements).
-
Compatibility:
- Use with any 3V or 5V microcontroller.
- Ideal for processors with at least 20KB of RAM (e.g., SAMD21 or SAMD51 chipsets).
- On Raspberry Pi, you can perform advanced interpolation processing with the SciPy Python library.
-
Power Supply: 3.3V regulator and level shifting are included, allowing use with both 3V and 5V systems.
Easy Integration:
-
Breakout Board: Pre-soldered with all necessary components, making it easy to use right out of the box.
-
STEMMA QT Compatibility: Includes SparkFun qwiic compatible STEMMA QT connectors for solderless connections using JST SH cables (cable not included).
-
Software Support: Includes example code and libraries for both Arduino and Python to get you started quickly.
With this thermal camera sensor, you can easily integrate heat vision into your project without the complexity of traditional thermal cameras.