This week, I explored camera options that are cheap and have an evaluation board available. We need the evaluation board so Sid and I can start prototyping the imaging pipeline before the PCB is ready with the final product. Here are some options from which I will choose one to order:
Pros: Easy integration with a Jetson Nano over SPI. Lens is interchangeable on M12 mount. This could be very convenient if we change the geometry of the final product.
Resolution: Up to 120 fps at 320x240px. Price: $80
Pros: Higher quality sensor, convenient hardware interface.
Cons: must purchase a lens separately
NVIDIA also provides a list of supported camera hardware. I’m still inspecting those options, but many of them are lab-grade cameras that are far beyond our budget. Ethan is also looking at those.
I am still on schedule with the camera and hope to order a evaluation board in the coming days. After our design presentation, I pushed back some initial tasks on the Gantt chart to have a more realistic timeline.