Hi, I’m having trouble getting a UC-261 camera working with my Pi Zero. When I plug the camera in with the UC-440 cable, the Pi board gets really hot and the Pi just doesn’t work at all. I already tried a different cable and it’s the same result. Any ideas?
Thanks for reaching out. Sorry to hear about the trouble. Let me get a bit more detail so I can figure out what’s going on.
Can you confirm for me:
- Which camera model exactly (UC-261)?
- Which Raspberry Pi board and OS?
- Which cable you’re using (UC-440)?
Also, when you say the Pi “doesn’t work” — does it fail to boot entirely, or does it boot but the camera isn’t detected?
Sure. It’s a UC-261 camera, Raspberry Pi Zero, and the UC-440 cable. I don’t have any code or logs to share, it doesn’t even get that far.
One thing I noticed: I have a UC-346 combo and Pi + UC-346 works ok. So it seems specific to the UC-261.
That’s a useful data point — the Pi itself and your setup are fine if the UC-346 combo works.
A few questions to narrow this down:
- When you say the board gets hot — is it the Pi’s main chip heating up, or the camera module itself?
- Does the Pi still boot (do you see it on the network / HDMI) when the UC-261 is connected, or does it fail completely?
- Which cable did you swap out — another UC-440, or a different ribbon?
Also, if you can, double check the cable orientation. The Pi Zero’s CSI connector and the camera connector both need the contacts facing the correct direction, and it’s easy to flip one end.
The Pi board gets hot. The Pi does not work when the UC-261 is plugged in. I tried a different cable and it’s the same.
Since the Pi and UC-346 work ok together, I’m pretty sure it’s not the Pi.
Thanks, that helps. Since the same Pi works fine with the UC-346, we can rule out the Pi itself for now.
Let me ask about the UC-261 a bit more. Did you connect it with the UC-440 cable only, or did you also try the cable from the UC-346 combo?
Also — did the Pi ever work with the UC-261 at all, or has it been dead from the start?
It’s been dead from the start. So I actually purchased another UC-261 Arducam (rev 2.0 sep 2016) and it has similar problems — it does not work either. Two of them behaving the same way makes me think I’m missing something obvious.
Okay, two units with the same symptom is worth investigating. Let’s go through the wiring and config before we conclude anything.
Can you confirm:
- Are you on a Pi Zero W or the original Pi Zero?
- Which OS image / kernel version?
- Is the camera interface enabled (raspi-config > Interface Options > Camera, or the config.txt settings on newer kernels)?
And about the UC-440: can you describe or send a photo of how the cable is seated at both ends? The UC-440 has a specific orientation — gold contacts on the Pi header should face toward the board, and on the camera side it depends on the module.
It’s a Pi Zero W. Same Pi Zero W and cable work ok on Arducam ov5647 mini camera modules.
Question: since the ov5647 mini camera module/cable works ok, I should not need any additional drivers for the UC-261 …right?
Good question. Short answer: for most Arducam OV-series modules on a Pi, the standard kernel driver (bcm2835-v4l2 / the built-in ov5647 driver) handles the camera, so no extra driver install is usually needed. But the UC-261 is a different sensor, so it may need its own overlay or driver depending on the exact revision. That said, a missing driver would normally mean the camera isn’t detected — it wouldn’t explain the Pi board getting hot.
That heat symptom is the part I’m most concerned about. Overheating on plug-in usually points to a power/ground issue or a short somewhere in the cable or connector orientation, not a software thing.
So can you tell me:
- When you tested the ov5647 mini camera module — was that with the same UC-440 cable, or with its own cable?
- Does the Pi boot fine when the UC-261 is fully disconnected but the UC-440 cable is still attached to the board?
The ov5647 mini camera module works with its own cable on the same Pi Zero W. I also confirmed the Pi and UC-346 work ok.
When the UC-261 is plugged in, the Pi board gets hot and the Pi does not work. Tried a different cable, still the same. Both my UC-261 units (rev 2.0 sep 2016) behave the same way.
Thanks for summarizing all of that — here’s what I’m working with:
- UC-261 camera + Pi Zero + UC-440 cable = Pi gets hot, Pi doesn’t work
- Different cable tried = same result
- Pi + UC-346 = works ok
- Same Pi Zero W + cable + Arducam OV5647 mini module = works ok
- Two separate UC-261 units (rev 2.0 Sep 2016) = both fail the same way
Based on that, the Pi, the cable, and your base setup all appear to be fine when paired with other modules. The common factor in the failures is the UC-261 itself, and the heat points to something physical rather than a driver.
I don’t want to guess at the root cause without seeing the hardware. Can you send me some photos so I can check the connector orientation and the module revision?
Specifically:
- A clear photo of the UC-261 Arducam (rev 2.0 Sep 2016) — front and back, with the connector visible.
- A photo of the UC-440 cable, especially both ends of the ribbon and how it seats into the camera.
Once I can see those I should be able to tell whether it’s a connector orientation issue, a cable mismatch, or something on the module itself.
Sure, I’ll get those photos together. Just to be clear on the driver question though — since the ov5647 mini camera module works with no extra drivers on the same Pi, is there really nothing I need to install for the UC-261?
Fair question. The OV5647 mini module works out of the box because the Pi kernel already ships with support for that sensor. The UC-261 is a different sensor, so it isn’t guaranteed to use the same built-in path — some UC-261 revisions need a specific overlay or config entry. But again, a missing driver would show up as “camera not detected,” not a hot board.
So even if there were a driver/config issue, it wouldn’t explain the heat. Let’s get the photos first and look at the physical side, then we can tackle any software config afterwards.
Go ahead and post the images when you have them and I’ll take a look.
Ok, that makes sense. I’ll upload the photos of the UC-261 (rev 2.0 sep 2016) and the UC-440 cable shortly.
Sounds good.
To summarize where we are for now:
- The Pi Zero W, the cable, and your base setup are all confirmed working with other modules (OV5647 mini, UC-346).
- Two separate UC-261 units (rev 2.0 Sep 2016) both fail, causing the Pi board to get hot and the Pi to stop working.
- The heat symptom suggests a physical/connection issue rather than a missing driver, so root cause is not confirmed yet.
- Next step: we need photos of the UC-261 module and the UC-440 cable (both ends, showing connector orientation) to inspect for a cable mismatch or connector short.
Once you post the images I’ll review them and we’ll go from there. If it helps, re-check the cable orientation before taking the photos so I can see exactly how it’s seated.