Hi there,
I agree that Sparkfun should stock a decent CMOS camera module with JPEG compression (not the cheap Samsung one). There is a lot of interest in other parts of the world for IP Camera applications (home security), Webcams, Underwater cams (hint, hint!) etc.
The problem with sourcing these integrated camera solutions is that it is aimed at the cellphone markets that order 100k quantities. I think there would be a huge amount of interest if it was available in 1k quantities or less.
I got the Transchip TC5747 solution going, but the support FW is only released under NDA and was not well written and documented.
I have noticed that one of our local distributors Arrow Altech is marketing an STMicroelectronics VS6724 solution, which means that it may be available at lower volumes:
http://www.st.com/stonline/products/fam … vs6724.htm
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1600H x 1200V active pixels
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Class leading 30 fps UXGA progressive scan
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2.2 µm pixel size, 1/3.8 inch optical formate
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Quad-element plastic lens, F# 3.2, horizontal field of view
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8.0 x 8.0 x 5.55 mm ultra low profile fixed focus camera module
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Embedded hardware JPEG compression (4:2:0 or 4:2:2) delivering 30 fps streaming performance
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Embedded camera controller for automatic exposure control, automatic white balance control, black level compensation, 50/60 Hz flicker cancelling, flashgun support.
Well, that’s my 2 cents worth.
Regards,
Pieter