MLX90640 Thermal Camera Breakout (Wide Angle)
Overview
The PIM366 is a 32x24 pixel thermal imaging camera breakout based on the Melexis MLX90640 far-infrared sensor. It provides a wide 110-degree field of view and communicates over I2C, allowing it to interface with 3V to 6V systems like the Raspberry Pi or Arduino. The board features a compact 19x19mm footprint and integrated reverse polarity protection for robust prototyping.
Why Choose This Part
This breakout provides a 1% accuracy rating and a broad operating range up to 300C, making it suitable for industrial surface monitoring. Its wide 110-degree field of view is ideal for short-range applications where a broad area must be captured in a single frame. The inclusion of reverse polarity protection and a wide 3V to 6V input range ensures compatibility with both standard logic levels and battery-powered setups.
Applications
Key Specifications
Getting Started
Connect the breakout to your Raspberry Pi or Arduino using the I2C interface and provide power between 3V and 6V. Pimoroni provides a Python library for Raspberry Pi and there are several compatible C++ libraries available for Arduino to process the 768 individual thermal pixels. Ensure you are using a high-speed I2C clock (400kHz or higher) to achieve acceptable frame rates for imaging.
