FPV Thermal Camera Controller

ESP32-based FPV thermal camera controller for JS-MINI256-9 cameras.

Camera Model: JS-MINI256-9
Control Interface: UART Communication Protocol

Camera Specifications

Detector

• Type: Vanadium Oxide Uncooled Infrared Focal Plane Detector
• Resolution: 256×192 pixels
• Frame Rate: 25fps
• Pixel Pitch: 12 μm
• NETD: <40mK (@25°C, F/1.0)

Optical Specifications

• Spectral Range: 8~14 μm (Long Wave Infrared)
• Available Lenses:
  • 4.0mm F1.0 / 6.8mm F1.0
  • 9.7mm F1.0

Field of View (FOV)

• 4mm lens: 45° (H) × 33° (V)
• 6.8mm lens: 26° (H) × 20° (V)
• 9.7mm lens: 18.1° (H) × 13.6° (V)

Image Processing

• Color Palettes: 15 available palettes including White Hot, Black Hot, Iron, Rainbow, Rain, Ice Fire, Fusion, Sepia, and 7 custom color palettes
• Digital Enhancement: Adjustable detail enhancement (0-100)
• Noise Reduction: Static and dynamic denoising (0-100 each)
• Image Controls: Brightness (0-100), contrast adjustment (0-100)
• Mirror Functions: Disabled, Central, Horizontal, Vertical mirroring

Power & Interface

• Supply Voltage: 5V-16V DC
• Power Consumption: ≤0.8W
• Video Output: CVBS (Composite Video)
• Control Interface: UART (TTL level, 115200 baud)
• Secondary Output: PAL standard

Physical Specifications

• Dimensions: 20mm × 20mm
• Weight: ≤23g
• Operating Temperature: -40°C ~ +80°C
• Storage Temperature: -45°C ~ 85°C

Connector Pinout

1. POWER - DC power input (5V-16V)
2. GND - Ground
3. CVBS - Composite video output
4. UART TXD - UART transmit data
5. UART RXD - UART receive data

ESP32 Controller Features

Hardware Configuration

• ESP32 DevKit or compatible board
• UART2 Interface (GPIO16 RX, GPIO17 TX)
• Baudrate: 115200 bps, 8N1
• Primary UART: Menu control and monitoring
• Secondary UART2: Camera communication

Interactive Menu System

The controller provides a comprehensive menu-driven interface accessible via Serial Monitor:

#### Opciones del Menú Principal

• 1 - Información del Dispositivo: Leer modelo, versiones y estado del dispositivo.
• 2 - Configuración de Imagen: Ajustar brillo, contraste y mejoras de imagen.
• 3 - Control de Cámara: Calibración, correcciones y control del obturador.
• 4 - Control del Cursor: Mostrar, mover y gestionar píxeles muertos.
• 5 - Paletas de Colores: Seleccionar paletas térmicas.
• 6 - Configuración del Sistema: Guardar, restaurar y probar la conexión.

### Ejemplo de Navegación por el Menú

Cambiar Paleta de Colores

M          # Mostrar menú principal
5          # Entrar al menú de paletas de colores
4          # Seleccionar la paleta Rainbow

Ajustar Configuración de Imagen

M          # Mostrar menú principal
2          # Entrar al menú de configuración de imagen
1          # Seleccionar control de brillo
75         # Configurar brillo al 75%

Available Commands

Read Commands (Class 0x74)

1. Module Model - Read device model information
2. FPGA Version - Read FPGA firmware version
3. FPGA Build Date - Read FPGA compilation date
4. Software Version - Read software version
5. Software Build Date - Read software compilation date
6. Camera Calibration Version - Read calibration data version
7. ISP Parameters Version - Read image processing parameters version
8. Initialization Status - Read device initialization state

Write Commands (Class 0x74, 0x7C)

1. Save Configuration - Store current settings to flash
2. Factory Reset - Restore factory default settings
3. Manual FFC (Flat Field Correction) - Execute manual shutter calibration
4. Manual Background Correction - Execute background correction
5. Vignetting Correction - Execute vignetting correction

Image Control Commands (Class 0x78)

1. Brightness Control (0-100) - Adjust image brightness
2. Contrast Control (0-100) - Adjust image contrast
3. Digital Detail Enhancement (0-100) - Enhance image details
4. Static Noise Reduction (0-100) - Reduce static noise
5. Dynamic Noise Reduction (0-100) - Reduce dynamic noise
6. Thermal Palette Selection (0-14) - Choose color palette
7. Image Mirroring (0-3) - Set image orientation

Automatic Shutter Control (Class 0x7C)

1. Auto Shutter Mode (0-3):
   • 0: Disabled
   • 1: Manual
   • 2: Automatic
   • 3: Fully Automatic
2. Auto Shutter Interval (0-65535 minutes) - Set calibration interval

Color Palettes (15 Available)

1. White Hot - Default white hot palette
2. Black Hot - Inverted black hot palette
3. Iron - Iron/metal style palette
4. Rainbow - Full spectrum rainbow
5. Rain - Blue-green gradient palette
6. Ice Fire - Cold to hot gradient
7. Fusion - Multi-color fusion palette
8. Sepia - Classic brown tone palette
9. Color1-7 - Seven customizable user palettes

Cursor Control Commands (Class 0x78, Subclass 0x1A)

• Show/Hide Cursor - Toggle cursor visibility
• Basic Movement - Single pixel movement (up, down, left, right)
• Multi-pixel Movement - Move 1-15 pixels in any direction
• Center Cursor - Move cursor to center position
• Dead Pixel Management - Add/remove defective pixels

Protocol Implementation

Command Structure

[Header] [Length] [Device] [Class] [Subclass] [R/W] [Data...] [Checksum] [Footer]
  0xF0     0x05     0x36     0x7x      0xxx     0x0x    ...      CHK      0xFF

Response Interpretation

The controller automatically interprets all camera responses with human-readable format:

• Device Information - Model, versions, build dates
• Status Information - Initialization state, current settings
• Parameter Values - Current brightness, contrast, palette, etc.
• Action Confirmations - Calibration completion, settings saved

Automatic Features

• Checksum Calculation - All commands include automatic checksum
• Response Parsing - Intelligent response interpretation
• Parameter Validation - Input range checking
• Timeout Handling - 50ms byte timeout, 100ms response timeout

Usage Examples

Quick Start

1. Connect ESP32 to computer via USB
2. Connect camera UART to GPIO16(RX)/GPIO17(TX)
3. Open Serial Monitor at 115200 baud
4. Type 'M' to show main menu
5. Navigate menus using number keys

## Ejemplos de Uso del CameraController

Inicialización del Controlador

#include "CameraController.h"

HardwareSerial cameraSerial(2);
CameraController camera(&cameraSerial, 16, 17);

void setup() {
    Serial.begin(115200);
    camera.enableDebug(true);
    camera.setTimeouts(150, 75);

    if (!camera.begin()) {
        Serial.println("Error al inicializar el controlador de la cámara");
        Serial.println("Error: " + camera.getLastError());
        while (true) {
            delay(500);
        }
    }
    Serial.println("Controlador de cámara inicializado correctamente");
}

Configuración de Brillo y Contraste

void configureImageSettings() {
    if (camera.setBrightness(80)) {
        Serial.println("Brillo configurado a 80");
    } else {
        Serial.println("Error al configurar el brillo: " + camera.getLastError());
    }

    if (camera.setContrast(60)) {
        Serial.println("Contraste configurado a 60");
    } else {
        Serial.println("Error al configurar el contraste: " + camera.getLastError());
    }
}

Selección de Paleta de Colores

void changeColorPalette() {
    if (camera.setPalette(PALETTE_RAINBOW)) {
        Serial.println("Paleta de colores cambiada a Rainbow");
    } else {
        Serial.println("Error al cambiar la paleta de colores: " + camera.getLastError());
    }
}

Lectura de Información del Dispositivo

void readDeviceInfo() {
    CameraInfo info;
    if (camera.getDeviceInfo(info)) {
        Serial.println("Modelo: " + info.model);
        Serial.println("Versión FPGA: " + info.fpgaVersion);
        Serial.println("Fecha de compilación FPGA: " + info.fpgaBuildDate);
        Serial.println("Versión de software: " + info.softwareVersion);
        Serial.println("Fecha de compilación de software: " + info.softwareBuildDate);
        Serial.println("Versión de calibración: " + info.calibrationVersion);
        Serial.println("Versión ISP: " + info.ispVersion);
        Serial.println("Estado: " + String(info.status));
    } else {
        Serial.println("Error al leer la información del dispositivo: " + camera.getLastError());
    }
}

Ejecución de Corrección de Fondo

void performBackgroundCorrection() {
    if (camera.performBackgroundCorrection()) {
        Serial.println("Corrección de fondo ejecutada correctamente");
    } else {
        Serial.println("Error al ejecutar la corrección de fondo: " + camera.getLastError());
    }
}

Applications

• FPV (First Person View) systems
• Drone thermal imaging
• Security surveillance
• Search and rescue operations
• Industrial inspection
• Wildlife observation
• Remote thermal monitoring
• Automated thermal analysis

Technical Notes

Communication Protocol

• Baud Rate: 115200 bps
• Data Format: 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit
• Flow Control: None
• Command Timeout: 100ms
• Byte Timeout: 50ms

Memory Usage

• Maximum Response Size: 256 bytes
• Command Buffer: 16 bytes
• Menu States: 7 different menu contexts
• Command Arrays: Pre-compiled for efficiency

Error Handling

• Input validation for all parameters
• Range checking for numeric values
• Timeout detection for responses
• Malformed command detection
• Automatic menu recovery

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. No Response from Camera

   • Check UART connections (RX/TX crossed)
   • Verify power supply (5V-16V)
   • Confirm baud rate (115200)

2. Invalid Commands

   • Use menu system for validated commands
   • Check parameter ranges
   • Verify checksum calculation

3. Timeout Errors

   • Increase timeout values if needed
   • Check cable connections
   • Verify camera power status

Development Notes

• All commands are pre-validated with correct checksums
• Response parsing handles variable-length data
• Menu system prevents invalid command entry
• Automatic parameter range validation