How to Connect a Camera to Raspberry Pi Pico for Smart Car Kit

Robotic kit for Raspberry Pi
1

I purchased the “Raspberry Pi Pico Smart Car Kit,” which is designed to work with Raspberry Pico. So far, I’ve implemented basic obstacle avoidance and hand-following functions using the sonar sensor.

Now, I want to add a camera to the car for basic stop sign detection, while continuing to use MicroPython similar to the provided examples. However, I couldn’t find any references on the SunFounder website regarding compatible cameras for the Pico model or how to integrate camera control with the car.

Any guidance or advice would be greatly appreciated!

2

The Pico itself does not directly support cameras, as it is a microcontroller rather than a complete computer system. The design of the Pico is primarily intended for controlling and processing simple sensors and peripherals.

3

I do not own this particular robot, and the pico does struggle with performance for a camera. It’s not ideal

However, this pico specific camera module
SPI Camera for Raspberry Pi Pico - Arducam Wiki

Requires just an i2c an SPI

There does appear to be an available QwIIC i2c port and 4 unused gpio, 6,7,8 and 9. As far as I know any GPIO pins can be used as an SPI, assigned for 6,7,8 as per code segment below

One of these JST PH 4-Pin to Female Socket Cable - I2C STEMMA Cable - 200mm | The Pi Hut

And these

Should save soldering!

So you may get some joy through researching this approach, not sure, just an idea. Others will probably know better than I!
.

Code…
from machine import Pin, SPI

Initialize SPI

spi = SPI(0, baudrate=100000, polarity=0, phase=0, sck=Pin(6), mosi=Pin(7), miso=Pin(8))

Write data to the connected device

spi.write(b’\x01\x02\x03’)

Read data from the connected device

data = bytearray(3)
spi.write_readinto(b’\x00\x00\x00’, data)
print(data)

However, i think it would be a rather frustrating route, as others have said, the pico isn’t really up to it.even if it were made to work, there wouldn’t be enough processing power left to do anything useful with the images.
In summary, I think you could, but I wouldn’t

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4

Spf650 is correct.
To communicate with a camera module (such as the OV7670) using MicroPython, you need to follow these steps. The following code example provides a simple framework; specific implementations may vary depending on the camera model.

Hardware Connections
Assuming you are using the OV7670 camera module, the connections are as follows (adjust according to the specific model):

VCC → 3.3V
GND → GND
SCL → GPIO 21 (I2C SCL)
SDA → GPIO 20 (I2C SDA)
Other control pins should be connected as needed.

MicroPython Code Example
1.Import Necessary Libraries:
from machine import Pin, I2C
import time
2.Initialize I2C:
i2c = I2C(0, scl=Pin(21), sda=Pin(20), freq=400000)
3.Camera Initialization Function:
def init_camera():
# Example: Write to camera initialization registers
# Register addresses and data need to be set according to the specific camera datasheet
camera_address = 0x30 # Assume the camera’s I2C address is 0x30

# Send initialization commands (example)
i2c.writeto(camera_address, bytearray([0x12, 0x80]))  # Reset the camera
time.sleep(0.1)
# Additional initialization steps...

4.Read Image Data:
def read_image():
# Example: Read image data from the camera
# The specific read method depends on the camera’s output format
camera_address = 0x30

# Read data (example; adjust based on camera characteristics)
image_data = i2c.readfrom(camera_address, 640 * 480)  # Assume reading a 640x480 image
return image_data

5.Main Program:
init_camera()
while True:
image = read_image()
# Process image data (store, display, etc.)
print(“Image data received:”, image)
time.sleep(1) # Wait a while before reading again

Notes
Register Configuration: Specific register configurations and initialization steps need to refer to the camera’s datasheet.
Image Format: Additional processing may be required based on the camera’s output format.
Performance Issues: The Pico has limited resources, and processing high-resolution images may be constrained.
Therefore, we do not recommend doing this.

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