E-con Systems announced a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera module designed to interconnect with the Gumstix Overo computer-on-module (COM). Aimed at handheld imaging and video devices, the e-CAM32 OMAP Gstix module is based on Omnivision's OV3640 CMOS image sensor, and plugs into the Texas Instruments (TI) OMAP35x-based Overo, E-con says.

Offering JPEG compression, image stabilization and autofocus, the e-CAM32 OMAP Gstix is designed to form the basis for consumer and industrial handheld imaging functions, says E-Con. Specific applications are said to include barcode scanning, facial recognition, text processing, and video streaming. (Earlier this year, E-Con announced support of a similar e-CAM32 OMAP35x -- using the same Omnivision sensor --  for the TI OMAP35x EVM evaluation board.)
e-CAM32 OMAP Gstix
(Click to enlarge)

The e-CAM32 OMAP Gstix connects via a 27-pin flex connector (see image below) to any of the four variants of the Gumstix Overo: the Overo Earth (OMAP3503), Overo Air (OMAP3503 with WiFi), Overo Water (OMAP3530 with OpenGL graphics), and Overo Fire (OMAP3530 with OpenGL and WiFi). All incorporate either the low-end (OMAP3503) or high-end (OMAP3530) versions of TI's Cortex-A8-based OMAP35x system-on-chips (SoCs), and are supported by Gumstix with a variety of expansion boards and development kits.

The e-CAM32 board (top) connects via a 27-pin flex connector to the Overo module (bottom), which is plugged into a Gumstix Summit expansion board

The four Overo modules are all clocked at 600MHz, and gain an extra boost from the Cortex A8 core's superscalar capabilities. In addition, the OMAP3626 and OMAP3530 offers a multimedia-accelerating TI digital signal processor (DSP), said to be fully exploited by the e-CAM32 OMAP Gstix.

The e-CAM32 camera board shares the same dimensions as the Overo modules, and the two boards can be screwed together for extra mechanical stability, says E-Con. The combined unit attaches to Gumstix's Summit expansion board for development purposes (see images above and below).


e-CAM32 with integrated black Omnivision OV3640 sensor, plugged into Overo module and Summit board (detail)
(Click to enlarge)

On the reverse side of the board, the e-CAM32 connects to the 8-bit parallel interface of the OMAP 35x processor, and "hence leverages the 130Mhz pixel clock that the OMAP35x processor can support," says E-con. The parallel interface is claimed to provide higher frame rates and resolutions than would otherwise be possible: up to QXGA (2048 x 1536 pixel) resolution, with 30fps (frames per second) capture available up to XGA, and 15fps available at higher resolutions.

The 0.67 by 2.28-inch (17 x 58mm) camera board supports the integrated Omnivision OV3640 sensor with a viewfinder option offering 30fps video preview. The 3.2-megapixel sensor supplies handheld-oriented features like autofocus and anti-shake technology, says E-con.

Offering a 65-degree diagonal view angle and 10cm-to-infinity range, the 10 x 10mm sensor has a quarter-inch lens and outputs in YUV/YcbCr 4:2:2 format, says the company. Future versions of the e-CAM32 OMAP Gstix are planned that will support LED flash, E-con adds.

No Windows CE driver yet ...

Gumstix primarily emphasizes Linux, but the Overo modules gained Windows CE 6.0 support, thanks to board support packages (BSPs) devised by Adeneo. Unfortunately, E-con does not yet provide a Windows CE driver for the e-CAM32 OMAP Gstix. "We will keep you posted," a company spokesperson told WindowsForDevices.com.

An eventual Windows driver does seem likely, since E-con has traditionally provided Windows CE support for its products, and touts its status as a Windows Embedded Gold Partner even on the e-CAM32 OMAP Gstix data sheet.

Meanwhile, the device is said to include Linux camera drivers, with full source code. The drivers include support for V4L2 (Video for Linux 2) buffer management interface, as well as close integration with TI's IVA 2.2 (Image, Video and Audio Subsystem) accelerator subsystem on the OMAP35x SoCs.

The subsystem integration enables full utilization of advanced OMAP35x features such as color correction, gamma correction, and resizing, says E-Con. The drivers also provide support for the camera sensor's white balance and autofocus features.

The Linux support package is said to include a sample application with source code for image capture at different resolutions. In addition, E-con offers related services that include OMAP ISP pipeline tuning, camera testing, driver development, and performance optimizations.

Stated Dr. W. Gordon Kruberg, president and founder of Gumstix, "The e-CAM32 camera board, which attaches to the 27-pin connector on the top of any Overo COM, puts a 3.2 megapixel camera into the next generation of tiny products for video capture, surveillance and monitoring."

Availability

The e-CAM32 OMAP Gstix is priced at $99 without the Overo module or Summit expansion board, which are available from Gumstix. More information on the camera module may be found here.

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