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Getting Started: Arducam ToF Camera for Raspberry Pi

A quick step-by-step tutorial to help you jump-start your Machine Vision adventure with the Arducam ToF camera for Raspberry Pi.

Note

Raspberry Pi Bullseye/Bookworm OS is required for this camera (04/04/2022 and later releases), a fresh install is highly recommended.

How ToF Works?

"ToF" stands for "Time of Flight".

A ToF Camera emits modulated lights (CW method) and uses the time it takes for the said lights to be reflected back to measure the distance/depth info of any given object/scene, and you can obtain depth data (X, Y & Z coordinate position) in every pixel.

Light travel is calculated with d=C/2f, where C is the speed of light and f is the modulation frequency.

Hardware Connection

Hardware Connection on Pi5

Hardware Connection on Pi4

connecting raspberry tof camera to Raspberry Pi

For a more detailed graphic guide on how to connect, please find out here.


Software Guide

Next

For Raspberry Pi 4 users and Raspberry Pi 5 users who have updated the camera firmware, please refer to the following content to continue using the camera:

Step 1. Pull the repository

git clone https://github.com/ArduCAM/Arducam_tof_camera.git

Step 2. Change the directory to Arducam_tof_camera

cd Arducam_tof_camera

Step 3. Installation (Driver, Dependencies, SDK, OpenCV)

./Install_dependencies.sh

When you see the reboot prompt, enter y. Raspberry Pi will automatically reboot.

Step 4. Compile

./compile.sh

Once it’s successfully compiled, you can refer to the link below to run the demo programs.

Instructions for Safe Use

To properly use the Arudcam ToF Camera, kindly note:

  • Before connecting, you should always power the Raspberry Pi off and remove the power supply first.
  • Make sure the cable on the camera board is locked in place.
  • Make sure the cable is correctly inserted in the Raspberry Pi board’s MIPI CSI-2 connector.
  • Avoid high temperatures.
  • Avoid water, moisture, or conductive surfaces while in operation.
  • Avoid folding, or straining the flex cable.
  • Avoid cross-threading with tripods.
  • Gently push/pull the connector to avoid damaging the printed circuit board.
  • Avoid moving or handling the printed circuit board excessively while it’s in operation.
  • Handle by the edges to avoid damage from electrostatic discharge.
  • Where the camera board is stored should be cool and as dry as possible.
  • Sudden temperature/humidity changes can cause dampness in the lens and affect the image/video quality.