Raspberry: How to Connect two Camera Boards at the same time

[Rocis]

Hi
I'm planning a camera that takes two pictures at the same time: a normal and an IR Infrared.

So I intend to connect to my Raspberry Pi Model B:
- a NoIR Board Room - Infrared Camera-sensitive
and at the same time
- a normal Raspberry Pi Camera Board

Please, is it possible to make this connection? Can I take two photos at the same time?
If the answer is negative, please is there any trick to get around it?

Thank you best regards!!

[mikerr]

How are you going to swtch ? RPi has only one slot...

On a single Pi you could use one Pi Noir cam and a USB cam for daylight,
otherwise use 2 Pi networked together?

Compute board + IO supports 2 camera interfaces.

[ShiftPlusOne]

Such a setup is not in any way supported. You would have to use a compute module to do that.
It may be possible to make some sort of board which switches the attached camera, take a photo, switch, take another photo, but still, only one camera would be connected at a time.

[Laurens-wuyts]

You could use 2 RPi's, and connect them with a cat5 cable.

Laurens

[Rocis]

How are you going to swtch ? RPi has only one slot...

On a single Pi you could use one Pi Noir cam and a USB cam for daylight,
otherwise use 2 Pi networked together?

Compute board + IO supports 2 camera interfaces.

Hi thank s for your answer.
The USB cam solution seems to be a good solution.
What are the negative aspects of the USB Cam? A lesser quality than the Camera Board I guess.

I cannot use two PI for two reasons: costs and space.

I might consider a switch that switches from one Camera Board to another
but I doubt that it is a doable thing without plunging into a big trouble ...

What do you mean when you say: "Compute board + IO supports 2 camera interfaces".
can you explain more please?

best regards

[Rocis]

Such a setup is not in any way supported. You would have to use a compute module to do that.
It may be possible to make some sort of board which switches the attached camera, take a photo, switch, take another photo, but still, only one camera would be connected at a time.

Hi and thank you

I might consider a switch that switches from one Camera Board to another
but I doubt that it is a doable thing without plunging into a big trouble ...
If the swith between the two CameraBoards is automatic and in succession this is not a big problem to me, I don't need to take sport shots...
Can you suggest some switch solution please?

best regards

[Rocis]

You could use 2 RPi's, and connect them with a cat5 cable.

Laurens

Hi laurens
thank you, but I cannot use two PI for two reasons: costs and space.
I want to insert all the devices into a simulation of camera Body, so I have a little space.
(and also the space in my wallet is equally poor

As you can see we are evaluating the feasibility of a switch between the two cards.

best regards

[ShiftPlusOne]

Such a setup is not in any way supported. You would have to use a compute module to do that.
It may be possible to make some sort of board which switches the attached camera, take a photo, switch, take another photo, but still, only one camera would be connected at a time.

Hi and thank you

I might consider a switch that switches from one Camera Board to another
but I doubt that it is a doable thing without plunging into a big trouble ...
If the swith between the two CameraBoards is automatic and in succession this is not a big problem to me, I don't need to take sport shots...
Can you suggest some switch solution please?

best regards

I don't know, I haven't tried it. It seems a little difficult, since you have different voltages and very high speeds involved. Really, the compute module or two pis is the way to go, but if the cost is prohibitive, I don't think it can be done in any sensible way.

[triplemdw]

The following suggestion might be viable solution, however there were no returns on the work:
"From the spec here:
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F% ... npry8-qNsg

I see that the connections I have to worry about are the CSI specific CAM1D0 - CAM1CP and that seems easy enough to handle with a chip like this:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fai ... 252bj6c%3d

Apply 3.3v on that bad boy to switch the CSI lines, but there is still the matter of the I2C interface and the remaining CAM_GPIO, CAM_CLK and the 3.3v power (though my thinking is maybe i could leave power and GND running to both cameras if their idle current draw is low?)

Anyhow seems to me that an I2C switch is the way to go for the SDA and SCL lines, so maybe something like this?:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/NXP ... 9b9p4Co%3d

As for the CAM_GPIO, CAM_CLK (and maybe 3.3v power?) i am at a loss.. Would a simple DPDT switch be enough for those? Not really sure on their function."
source: http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewt ... 84#p447084

[jamesh]

The following suggestion might be viable solution, however there were no returns on the work:
"From the spec here:
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F% ... npry8-qNsg

I see that the connections I have to worry about are the CSI specific CAM1D0 - CAM1CP and that seems easy enough to handle with a chip like this:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fai ... 252bj6c%3d

Apply 3.3v on that bad boy to switch the CSI lines, but there is still the matter of the I2C interface and the remaining CAM_GPIO, CAM_CLK and the 3.3v power (though my thinking is maybe i could leave power and GND running to both cameras if their idle current draw is low?)

Anyhow seems to me that an I2C switch is the way to go for the SDA and SCL lines, so maybe something like this?:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/NXP ... 9b9p4Co%3d

As for the CAM_GPIO, CAM_CLK (and maybe 3.3v power?) i am at a loss.. Would a simple DPDT switch be enough for those? Not really sure on their function."
source: http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewt ... 84#p447084

I think its easier simply to build a compute module baseboard with two camera ports. The software does support using both camera ports on the compute module already.

[Rocis]

The following suggestion might be viable solution, however there were no returns on the work:
"From the spec here:
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F% ... npry8-qNsg
...

Hi Triplemdw
Thanks for the mountains of information!!!
Since I'm a beginner, I think I'll have to study a lot before asking for more information.

Best regards, rocis

[Rocis]

I think its easier simply to build a compute module baseboard with two camera ports. The software does support using both camera ports on the compute module already.

Jamesh, OK

please, can you tell me more about:
"to build a compute module baseboard with two camera ports"

Thanks, rocis

[Laurens-wuyts]

The compute module comes with a board where are 2 camera connections, but it's not cheap. (€200)
I think it's cheaper to buy two RPi B/B+ . (2* €35)
https://www.modmypi.com/shop/raspberry-pi-model-b-plus

Laurens

[triplemdw]

I think its easier simply to build a compute module baseboard with two camera ports. The software does support using both camera ports on the compute module already.

Jamesh, OK

please, can you tell me more about:
"to build a compute module baseboard with two camera ports"

Thanks, rocis

I believe he's talking about this little piece of hardware http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/processor ... 3431363426 which has two CSI ports rather than the standard one CSI port on the Raspberry Pi A/B/B+.

[jamesh]

The compute module comes with a board where are 2 camera connections, but it's not cheap. (€200)
I think it's cheaper to buy two RPi B/B+ . (2* €35)
https://www.modmypi.com/shop/raspberry-pi-model-b-plus

Laurens

The compute module is very cheap -$30 is quantities of 100 or more.

The IO board development kit is the expensive bit, but the intention is for people to build their own baseboards that use the CM, rather than use the IO board in product. The IO board is a development kit only - used to develop software/add on whilst your own baseboard is being designed and built.

[Laurens-wuyts]

The compute module is very cheap -$30 is quantities of 100 or more.

The IO board development kit is the expensive bit, but the intention is for people to build their own baseboards that use the CM, rather than use the IO board in product. The IO board is a development kit only - used to develop software/add on whilst your own baseboard is being designed and built.

Yeah that's true but I think till now you can only buy a kit, or are the compute modules already available separately?

Laurens

[jamesh]

The compute module is very cheap -$30 is quantities of 100 or more.

The IO board development kit is the expensive bit, but the intention is for people to build their own baseboards that use the CM, rather than use the IO board in product. The IO board is a development kit only - used to develop software/add on whilst your own baseboard is being designed and built.

Yeah that's true but I think till now you can only buy a kit, or are the compute modules already available separately?

Laurens

Not yet, month or two.