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Thermal Camera Wireling Tutorial

TinyCircuits Accelerometer Wireling product photo

This Wireling gives your project heat-vision in an 8x8 array of temperature output using the Infrared Array Grid-EYE AMG8833 Sensor! This can be used to detect the passage of humans, animals, and keep track of how hot your PC is getting.

Technical Details

AMG8833 IR Array Sensor Specs

  • Temperature detection of 2D area: 8x8 (64 pixels)
  • Digital output of temperature readings
  • Human detection up to 7m
  • Temperature accuracy:
    • High gain: Typical ± 2.5°C 
    • Low gain: Typical ± 3.0°C 
  • Setup time typical 50ms, time to stabilize typical 15s
  • Viewing angle typical 60° ± 5.6°

Power Requirements

  • Voltage: 3.0V - 5.5V 
  • Current:
    • Normal: 4.5mA
    • Sleep mode: 0.2mA
    • Stand-by mode: 0.8mA

Pins Used

  • A5/SCL - I2C Serial Clock line
  • A4/SDA - I2C Serial Data line

Dimensions

  • 15mm x 10mm (0.59 inches x 0.39 inches)
  • Max Height (from the lower bottom of Wireling to upper top Wireling Connector): 8 mm (0.31 inches)
  • Weight: 1 gram (.04 ounces)

Materials

To interface with any TinyCircuits Arduino board, you will need the Arduino IDE and a Micro USB Cable

There are multiple processor/adapter combinations that can be used with Wirelings. Use the following table to find the combination that works for you.

Processor Adapter
*TinyDuino and USB TinyShield Wireling Adapter TinyShield
*TinyZero Wireling Adapter TinyShield
*TinyScreen+ Wireling Adapter TinyShield
WirelingZero N/A
*RobotZero N/A
Arduino Wireling Arduino Shield
Raspberry Pi Wireling Pi Hat

* These processors have a 32-pin connector and can have multiple Wireling Adapter TinyShields stacked to increase the number of Wireling ports up to a maximum of 32 total Wireling ports.

In order to interface with Wirelings, you'll need the appropriate number of Wireling Cables and the Wireling.h Library (You can download this from GitHub as linked, or from the Library Manager in the Arduino IDE).

You will also need the Thermal Camera Wireling and the included example Arduino sketch.

Wireling Code
Port 1 Thermal Camera Example Sketch

Hardware Assembly

Depending on the development system you choose(TinyScreen+ is recommended), you will need to put together a TinyDuino stack using the 32-pin tan connectors, or you will just need to plug in your Wireling to Port 1 using a Wireling Cable. (You can change this port in the included Arduino Sketch using the Wireling.selectPort() function)

NOTE: This Wireling uses Port 1 unlike many other Wireling tutorials that use Port 0 by default since the program's graphic matches the direction of the thermal camera view assuming a view from top to bottom

NOTE: Be mindful when inserting Wireling Cables - the connector pins inside the 5-pin connectors on Wirelings can be bent when cables are inserted at an angle.

To make a great use out of the Thermal Camera Wireling, you can take it on the go with a battery and taping the Wireling onto the back of the unit!


Software setup

The Arduino sketch uses the Adafruit AMG88xx library. You can download it from the Arduino library manager under Tools/Manage Libraries.../

If you have not already, download the example sketch included above under the Materials section and open it in the Arduino IDE.

Make the correct Tools selections for your development board. If unsure, you can double check the Help page that mentions the Tools selections needed for any TinyCircuits processor.


Upload Program

Upload the program.

Thermal Camera Program
/****************************************************************************
 * IR Array Thermal Camera Wireling Example
 * This Arduino sketch assumes the use of a TinyScreen+ processor being used
 * with a Thermal Camera Wireling plugged into Port 1 of a Wireling Adapter 
 * TinyShield. The program will display the 8x8 thermal array of temperatures 
 * ranging from MINTEMP degC (blue) to MAXTEMP degC (red).
 * 
 * Hardware by: TinyCircuits
 * Adapted from Adafruit Example by: Hunter Hykes for TinyCircuits
 * Initiated 8/07/19
 * Last updated 10/18/19
 ****************************************************************************/

#include <Wire.h>
#include <SPI.h>
#include <TinyScreen.h>
#include <Wireling.h>
#include <Adafruit_AMG88xx.h> 

TinyScreen display = TinyScreen(TinyScreenPlus);
uint8_t buffer[96 * 64 * 2];

Adafruit_AMG88xx amg; // thermal camera object

float pixels[AMG88xx_PIXEL_ARRAY_SIZE]; // data array from thermal camera
uint16_t displayPixelWidth, displayPixelHeight;

const uint8_t xCameraRes = 8;
const uint8_t yCameraRes = 8;

float minimum = 0x7F7FFFFF; // maximum value for a float
float maximum = -273.15; // absolute zero (you won't get this cold)

//low range of the sensor (this will be blue on the screen)
#define MINTEMP 0

//high range of the sensor (this will be red on the screen)
#define MAXTEMP 34

#define backgroundColor TS_16b_Black

//the colors we will be using
const uint16_t camColors[] = {0x480F,
0x400F,0x400F,0x400F,0x4010,0x3810,0x3810,0x3810,0x3810,0x3010,0x3010,
0x3010,0x2810,0x2810,0x2810,0x2810,0x2010,0x2010,0x2010,0x1810,0x1810,
0x1811,0x1811,0x1011,0x1011,0x1011,0x0811,0x0811,0x0811,0x0011,0x0011,
0x0011,0x0011,0x0011,0x0031,0x0031,0x0051,0x0072,0x0072,0x0092,0x00B2,
0x00B2,0x00D2,0x00F2,0x00F2,0x0112,0x0132,0x0152,0x0152,0x0172,0x0192,
0x0192,0x01B2,0x01D2,0x01F3,0x01F3,0x0213,0x0233,0x0253,0x0253,0x0273,
0x0293,0x02B3,0x02D3,0x02D3,0x02F3,0x0313,0x0333,0x0333,0x0353,0x0373,
0x0394,0x03B4,0x03D4,0x03D4,0x03F4,0x0414,0x0434,0x0454,0x0474,0x0474,
0x0494,0x04B4,0x04D4,0x04F4,0x0514,0x0534,0x0534,0x0554,0x0554,0x0574,
0x0574,0x0573,0x0573,0x0573,0x0572,0x0572,0x0572,0x0571,0x0591,0x0591,
0x0590,0x0590,0x058F,0x058F,0x058F,0x058E,0x05AE,0x05AE,0x05AD,0x05AD,
0x05AD,0x05AC,0x05AC,0x05AB,0x05CB,0x05CB,0x05CA,0x05CA,0x05CA,0x05C9,
0x05C9,0x05C8,0x05E8,0x05E8,0x05E7,0x05E7,0x05E6,0x05E6,0x05E6,0x05E5,
0x05E5,0x0604,0x0604,0x0604,0x0603,0x0603,0x0602,0x0602,0x0601,0x0621,
0x0621,0x0620,0x0620,0x0620,0x0620,0x0E20,0x0E20,0x0E40,0x1640,0x1640,
0x1E40,0x1E40,0x2640,0x2640,0x2E40,0x2E60,0x3660,0x3660,0x3E60,0x3E60,
0x3E60,0x4660,0x4660,0x4E60,0x4E80,0x5680,0x5680,0x5E80,0x5E80,0x6680,
0x6680,0x6E80,0x6EA0,0x76A0,0x76A0,0x7EA0,0x7EA0,0x86A0,0x86A0,0x8EA0,
0x8EC0,0x96C0,0x96C0,0x9EC0,0x9EC0,0xA6C0,0xAEC0,0xAEC0,0xB6E0,0xB6E0,
0xBEE0,0xBEE0,0xC6E0,0xC6E0,0xCEE0,0xCEE0,0xD6E0,0xD700,0xDF00,0xDEE0,
0xDEC0,0xDEA0,0xDE80,0xDE80,0xE660,0xE640,0xE620,0xE600,0xE5E0,0xE5C0,
0xE5A0,0xE580,0xE560,0xE540,0xE520,0xE500,0xE4E0,0xE4C0,0xE4A0,0xE480,
0xE460,0xEC40,0xEC20,0xEC00,0xEBE0,0xEBC0,0xEBA0,0xEB80,0xEB60,0xEB40,
0xEB20,0xEB00,0xEAE0,0xEAC0,0xEAA0,0xEA80,0xEA60,0xEA40,0xF220,0xF200,
0xF1E0,0xF1C0,0xF1A0,0xF180,0xF160,0xF140,0xF100,0xF0E0,0xF0C0,0xF0A0,
0xF080,0xF060,0xF040,0xF020,0xF800,};

uint8_t dispColors[AMG88xx_PIXEL_ARRAY_SIZE]; // used to store 8x8 grid of colors to display (*2 since actually 16-bit)

int pixelSize;
int xMax = display.xMax;
int yMax = display.yMax;

void setup() {
  Wire.begin();
  Wireling.begin();
  display.begin();
  display.setBrightness(10);
  display.clearScreen();
  display.setFlip(0);
  display.setBitDepth(TSBitDepth16);

  displayPixelWidth = yMax / yCameraRes;
  displayPixelHeight = xMax / xCameraRes;

  pixelSize = findPixelSize(xMax, yMax);

  Wireling.selectPort(1);
  delay(100); // let sensor boot up
  amg.begin();

}

void loop() {
  amg.readPixels(pixels);
  getMinMax();
  drawBuffer();
}

void getMinMax() {
  minimum = 0x7F7FFFFF; // maximum value for a float
  maximum = -273.15; // absolute zero (you won't get this cold)

  for(int i = 0; i < AMG88xx_PIXEL_ARRAY_SIZE; i++) {
    float val = pixels[i];
    if(val > maximum)
      maximum = val;
    if(val < minimum)
      minimum = val;
  }

  float range = maximum - minimum;
  int minimumRange = 7;
  if(range < minimumRange) {
    minimum += (minimumRange - (maximum-minimum)) / 2;
    maximum += (minimumRange - (maximum-minimum)) / 2;
  }
}

// part of the color workaround
uint16_t convertColor(uint16_t original) {
  uint16_t converted = 0x0000;

  converted |= (original & 0xF800) >> 11; // RED
  converted |= (original & 0x07E0);       // GREEN
  converted |= (original & 0x001F) << 11; // BLUE

  return converted;
}

//"pixels" on display will be n by n pixels, where n is the returned value
int findPixelSize(int screenXwidth, int screenYheight) {
  if(screenXwidth == screenYheight) { // screen is a square (convenient!)
    return screenXwidth / xCameraRes; // 8 is from the 8x8 thermal camera resolution
  } else if(screenXwidth < screenYheight){
    return screenXwidth / xCameraRes;
  } else {
    return screenYheight / yCameraRes;
  }
}

void drawBuffer() {                             //populates the buffer, then writes it to the screen
  for (int i = 0; i < 64 * 96; i++) {           //For every pixel in the buffer, write the background color first
    buffer[i * 2] = backgroundColor >> 8;
    buffer[i * 2 + 1] = backgroundColor;
  }

  //puts specified string into the buffer in the font and colors specified at the given coordinates
  putImage();

  display.goTo(0, 0);
  display.startData();                          //Activates the OLED driver chip to ready it for receiving commands (drives CS line HIGH)
  display.writeBuffer(buffer, 96 * 64 * 2);     //Write all of the pixel data (saved in buffer) to the screen (update what is being displayed on screen)
  display.endTransfer();                        //Deactivate the OLED driver chip now that it has been updated (drives CS pin LOW)
}

void putImage() {
  // get adjusted origin to center image
  int xOrigin = (xMax - (pixelSize * xCameraRes)) / 2; // use 8 since camera is 8x8 resolution
  int yOrigin = (yMax - (pixelSize * yCameraRes)) / 2; // use 8 since camera is 8x8 resolution
  uint16_t color = 0x00;

  int xCamera = 0;
  int yCamera = 0;
  int xScreen = 0;
  int yScreen = 0;
  int colorIndex = 0;

  for(int i = 0; i < (xCameraRes * yCameraRes); i++) {
    xCamera = i % xCameraRes;
    yCamera = (i / yCameraRes);
    xScreen = (xCamera * pixelSize) + xOrigin;
    yScreen = yCamera * pixelSize;

    // map temperature reading to the appropriate color array index
    colorIndex = map(pixels[yCamera * yCameraRes + xCamera], minimum, maximum, 0, 255);
    //colorIndex = map(pixels[yCamera * yCameraRes + xCamera], MINTEMP, MAXTEMP, 0, 255);
    // constrain array index between 0 and 255 so we do not surpass array bounds
    colorIndex = constrain(colorIndex, 0, 255);

    // set color to the converted value from the color array at the proper index found above
    color = convertColor(camColors[colorIndex]);

    // for each color we get, we must insert a pixelSize by pixelSize square onto the screen
    for(int j = 0; j < pixelSize; j ++) {
      for(int k = 0; k < pixelSize; k ++) {
        putPixel(buffer, xScreen + j, yScreen + k, color);
      }
    }

  }
}

void putPixel(uint8_t * buff, int x0, int y0, uint16_t color) {                                 
  x0 = constrain(x0, 0, xMax);          //constrains pixel's x-coordinate to the screen bounds
  y0 = constrain(y0, 0, yMax);          //constrains pixel's y-coordinate to the screen bounds
  buff[(y0 * 96 + x0) * 2] = color >> 8;    //set the buffer at appropriate index to first 8 bits of color
  buff[(y0 * 96 + x0) * 2 + 1] = color;     //set the buffer at the following index to the last 8 bits of color
}

Once the program is uploaded to your TinyScreen+, use it to see the heat outline of objects near you!


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