Hi everyone, I’ve got an Arducam OV2640 2MP camera - it’s the Arducam Mini 2MP Plus (OV2640 SPI Camera Module) that’s meant for Arduino UNO/Mega2560 boards. I’d like to hook it up to a Raspberry Pi Pico instead and use MicroPython. I’m using Thonny on a Windows PC. I’ve spent a while searching the internet but I honestly can’t figure out whether this camera can be used with MicroPython at all. Has anyone gotten this combo working?
Thanks for posting. Just to make sure I’m looking at the right module, can you confirm the marking on the board? The Arducam Mini 2MP Plus is the SPI version, and that matters because the Pico would need to talk to it over SPI rather than the camera’s parallel/DVP interface. What interface is your specific module using?
Sorry, I should have said that earlier. It’s the Arducam Mini 2MP Plus - OV2640 SPI Camera Module, so yes, SPI. I haven’t actually tried any code yet because I couldn’t find a MicroPython driver or example for the Pico. I only have the Arduino examples it came with. I don’t have any logs or errors to share because I never got anything running.
No worries, that’s helpful. So just to document the full environment: Raspberry Pi Pico, MicroPython, Thonny on Windows, and the Arducam Mini 2MP Plus (OV2640 SPI). I searched through our available examples and I can confirm there are currently no resources for using that specific module with the Raspberry Pi Pico under MicroPython. The Arduino examples you have are for a different platform and won’t directly translate.
That’s a bit disappointing. So am I right that this particular combination - Pico + MicroPython - just isn’t supported? Is there any workaround or an older driver floating around? Where should I check to stay up to date?
Yes, that’s correct. The combination of Raspberry Pi Pico + MicroPython for the Arducam Mini 2MP Plus - OV2640 SPI Camera Module hasn’t been developed by Arducam yet, so there’s no official support or example code for it. The best thing to do is check the documentation wiki at https://docs.arducam.com. It’s maintained regularly and lists all the current examples and supported platforms/languages. If a setup isn’t listed there, that means support hasn’t been developed for it yet.
Got it. So essentially if Pico + MicroPython ever shows up on that docs page, that’s when it’ll be officially supported. For now I guess I either stick with the Arduino examples on an UNO/Mega or wait. Thanks for clearing it up.
Exactly. As of now there’s no official MicroPython support for the Arducam Mini 2MP Plus - OV2640 SPI Camera Module on the Raspberry Pi Pico. The docs wiki at https://docs.arducam.com is the authoritative source for what’s currently available, so keep an eye on it for updates. If that combination ever gets listed, examples will appear there.