Adafruit
Adafruit MLX90640 IR Thermal Camera Breakout - 55 Degree
The Adafruit MLX90640 IR Thermal Camera Breakout features a 24×32 array of infrared thermal sensors that returns 768 individual temperature readings over I2C...
The Adafruit MLX90640 IR Thermal Camera Breakout features a 24×32 array of infrared thermal sensors that returns 768 individual temperature readings over I2C. It's an affordable way to add heat-vision to any microcontroller or Raspberry Pi project — like a miniature thermal camera you can integrate into your own designs.
This is the 55°×35° narrow field-of-view version, ideal for longer-range thermal sensing where you need more detail on distant objects. Also available in a wider 110°×70° FoV version. The breakout includes a 3.3 V regulator and level shifting, so it works with both 3.3 V and 5 V systems, and features STEMMA QT / Qwiic connectors for solderless I2C wiring.
Key Features
- 24×32 Thermal Array – 768 individually readable IR temperature pixels
- 55°×35° Field of View – Narrow angle for longer-range thermal imaging with more detail
- Temperature Range – −40°C to 300°C with ±2°C accuracy (0–100°C)
- Up to 16 Hz Frame Rate – Suitable for motion detection and slow-moving thermal scenes
- I2C Interface – Works with Arduino (SAMD21/M0 or SAMD51/M4 with 20 KB+ RAM) and Raspberry Pi
- STEMMA QT / Qwiic Connectors – Solderless I2C connection with JST SH cables
- 3.3 V and 5 V Compatible – On-board regulator and level shifting
Ideal For
- Longer-range thermal detection and measurement
- Focused heat mapping of specific areas or equipment
- Human/occupancy detection at a distance
- Industrial monitoring and predictive maintenance
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit MLX90640 24×32 IR Thermal Camera Breakout – 55° FoV
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
- Motion detection
- A camera feature that checks the image for changes that suggest something has moved. It matters because your project can use movement as a trigger instead of constantly saving or processing every frame.
- Qwiic
- Qwiic is a plug-in connector system for I2C devices that uses small 4-pin cables, so you can connect compatible sensors without soldering. It matters because your controller or adapter also needs Qwiic, or you will need a cable or breakout to wire it up.
- RAM
- RAM is temporary memory used while a device is running, and its contents are lost when power is removed. A “Run in RAM” mode is useful for testing settings without permanently programming the module, but it may not support every feature.
- SAMD21
- The SAMD21 is a Microchip microcontroller used in many Arduino-compatible boards. It matters here because USB host library support can depend on the exact microcontroller on your mainboard.
- SAMD51
- A family of 32-bit microcontroller chips used to run the main program on a board. In this kit it handles the display-driving work, so it matters for performance when showing animations and graphics on an LED matrix.
- STEMMA
- A plug-and-cable connection system used on some maker electronics boards to make wiring simpler. If a product uses STEMMA, you need the matching cable or connector type to plug it in without soldering.
- STEMMA QT
- A small plug-in connector system for I2C boards that lets you connect compatible sensors and controllers without soldering. It matters because it can make wiring faster and less error-prone, especially when adding several small modules to a project.
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