Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Arducam Multi-Camera Adapter V2.1

Arducam forum moderators will post the frequently asked questions and their answers on this topic. Other topics & comments in this archive might be deleted. We recommend you to read through this topic for an existing solution before you post a new topic.

Q:

I recently bought the version that is said to be not compatible with Raspbian V9.9 onwards And I am struggling to get it to work. Please assist me. I am using this module for my final project at University.

A:

If it is the camera adapter module whose frimware has not been updated, it cannot be used with Raspbian V9.9. It can just be used on the Version before V 9.8

Q:

Does this camera adapter module work with four 8MP IMX219 IR cut Camera?

A:

Yes , both V2.1 and V2.2 multi-camera adapter board can work with OV5647 and IMX219 camera modules, and the newest version V2.2 also supports other Arducam MIPI cameras like OV7251, OV9281, IMX135, IMX298, AR1820.

Q:

Are the v2.1 boards available with a thru-header with extended pins?

A:

The V2.1 can supports up to 4 cameras and does not support the stack of more cameras, so the thru-header are not the same as the original ones.

Q:

I am experiencing a problem where the /dev/video0 is not recognized.

A:

1). Please check if the hardware is connected correctly and steady.

2). Please check if the version is the new one whose frimware has been updated or not.

3). Please connect the camera to the Raspberry Pi and test one by one to see if it is the problem of the camera itself.

Q:

Can i use it for use in OpenCV as parallels both in realtime at one time?

A:

I’m afraid you cannot. The cameras connected to Multi-camera adapter board take photos in sequence, not at the same time, but the interval is very short.

Q:

I am interested in using your 4 cam multiplexer for Jetson Nano. Are there any problems or workarounds to make to get it working on Jetson Nano?

A:

Yes, it can work on Jetson Nano with some code update, and we are willing to offer you the demo as you need.

Q:

I also see that the Python program you gave me sends a different data value on the I2C bus for each camera selection: A, B, C and D.

How are the I2C commands used by the multiplexer board? (Just generally, I’m not asking for super-specific details)

A:

The I2C commands is used to enable the camera channels to make the cameras work in sequence.

Raspian version on their site is listed on date based name (2019-04-09 etc). I am not able to map V9.9 , V9.8 to the corresponding dates. How to find V9.7 or before?

 

@jagannv

Hi,

For the old image, you can visit here

http://downloads.raspberrypi.org/raspbian/images/

 

Hi,

I have a problem with camera fluctuations in opencv using V2.1. I am using Raspberry Pi 3 and VideoCapture class in Python.

This image shows a threshold in OpenCV library and it should represent a clear image. Could you tell me how I can get reset on the multi camera adapter? Or what kind of charger should I need to use?

Q:

I also see that the Python program you gave me sends a different data value on the I2C bus for each camera selection: A, B, C and D.

How are the I2C commands used by the multiplexer board? (Just generally, I’m not asking for super-specific details)

A:

The I2C commands is used to enable the camera channels to make the cameras work in sequence.

Q:

Yesterday I’ve executed the init script and i can toggle through all cameras individually, but when I connect the three cameras and try to get the data from the three cameras it throws and error that “no data received from sensor”

A:

You need to update the code, as the default demo code is for 4 cameras.

Please comment the code for the camera that would not be used.

Thank you so much. I have solved this problem by changing the resolution in the OpenCV program to a multiple of 32.

Hi Support Team,

I’m looking to get a multi-cam project created similar to the one you have on your link here: https://www.arducam.com/docs/cameras-for-raspberry-pi/multi-camera-adapter-board/multi-camera-adapter-board-v2-1/

The modificiations i need include:

  • instead of 4 cameras you have in your example, i need a total of 10 cameras all running from one board
  • i need all 10 cameras to be capable of sustaining a minimum of 30fps while filiming at the same time
  • i need all 10 cameras to be capable of sustaining the same maximum allowable resolution while keeping the 30fps framerate
  • i need all 10 cameras to be triggered to start filming at the same time
  • i need all 10 cameras to save the images taken from capture into a folder i specify on my computer
  • i need all 10 cameras to save their images in the following order (note, since the cameras are recording at 30fps, the savefiles below encapsulate just `1 second of footage across all 10 cameras:
    1st frame = camera1,camera2,camera3,camera4…camera10
    2nd frame = camera1,camera2,camera3,camera4…camera10
    3rd frame = camera1,camera2,camera3,camera4…camera10

    30th frame = camera1,camera2,camera3,camera4…camera10

 

Is this possible to achieve with arducam?
If so, do you guys still help out with custom projects and can i perhaps get it done by someone on your team?

Thanks
-O

 

Hello,

Thanks for your interested in our camera.

At present, Our cameras are not up to such high standards. We are developing four camera sync board.

Hello,

is there a way to use 5M and 8M camera on the same Multi-Camera Adapter V.2.2 ?

My need is to switch between two cameras which are 5M and 8M. I do not need to use those cameras simultaneously.

Regards.

Hello,

The Multi-Camera Adapter V2.1 just support the same type sensor.

It does not work both 5mp and 8mp at the same time.

 

Hi Arducam Support Team,

I have connected PCA9685 and Arducam Multi Camera Adapter on Raspberry Pi 3B+. I am using bus 3 for the PCA9685 connection and I have GPIO 26 for SCL and GPIO 16 for SDA connected. The problem is that when I put Arducam Multi-Camera adapter and the I2C Adafruit together there is a issue regarding on the following line
gp.setmode(gp.BOARD)
ValueError: A different mode has already been set
Could you tell me please how to solve this error?

I look forward to your reply.

Many thanks,

 

What are the number of GPIO pins that the Arducam uses on Raspberry Pi?

7 -> GPIO 4

11 ->GPIO 17

12 -> GPIO 18