SparkFun
SparkFun IR Array Breakout - 55 Degree FOV, MLX90640 (Qwiic)
It’s time to say hip hip array for this IR Breakout! The MLX90640 SparkFun IR Array Breakout is equipped with a 32x24 array of thermopile sensors creating, i...
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It’s time to say hip hip array for this IR Breakout! The MLX90640 SparkFun IR Array Breakout is equipped with a 32x24 array of thermopile sensors creating, in essence, a low resolution thermal imaging camera. With this breakout you can detect surface temperatures from many feet away with an accuracy of ±1.5°C (best case). To make it even easier to get your infrared image, all communication is enacted exclusively via I2C, utilizing our handy Qwiic system. However, we still have broken out 0.1"-spaced pins in case you prefer to use a breadboard.
This specific IR Array Breakout features a 55°x35° field of view with a temperature measurement range of -40°C-300°C. The MLX90640 IR Array has pull up resistors attached to the I2C bus; both can be removed by cutting the traces on the corresponding jumpers on the back of the board. Please be aware that the MLX90640 requires complex calculations by the host platform so a regular Arduino Uno (or equivalent) doesn’t have enough RAM or flash to complete the complex computations required to turn the raw pixel data into temperature data. You will need a microcontroller with 20,000 bytes or more of RAM. To achieve this, we recommend a Teensy 3.1 or above.
The SparkFun Qwiic connect system is an ecosystem of I2C sensors, actuators, shields and cables that make prototyping faster and less prone to error. All Qwiic-enabled boards use a common 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector. This reduces the amount of required PCB space, and polarized connections mean you can’t hook it up wrong.
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout board carries a small or fine-pitched component and brings its connections out to standard, breadboard- and header-friendly pins. Describing a part as a breakout means it can be wired into a project without soldering directly to the component's tiny 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 single chip that runs a stored program and controls connected inputs and outputs such as buttons, sensors, displays and communication interfaces. In a device built around one, it is the part that executes the code and coordinates the device's behaviour.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board (PCB) is a board, usually rigid, with etched copper tracks that connect electronic components together without loose wiring. Components are mounted on the board and signals route between them through the copper layout.
- 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 (random-access memory) is fast, temporary memory a device uses for working data while it is running; in its common volatile form, its contents are lost when power is removed. Some devices offer a mode that applies settings to RAM only, which is handy for testing changes temporarily because they are not stored permanently and disappear at power-off.
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Sensors & Input
SparkFun MLX90640 Qwiic Breakout Schematic
Schematic · 88.2 KB · Click any page to view full size
MLX90640 Sensor Datasheet
Datasheet · 2.8 MB · Click any page to view full size
Supplier page — sparkfun.com
Supplier Description · 640.8 KB · Click any page to view full size
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