Adafruit OV5640 Camera Breakout - 72 Degree Lens with Autofocus

The Adafruit OV5640 Camera Breakout with a 72-degree lens and autofocus offers a high-quality, 5 Megapixel sensor for hobbyists and microcontroller enthusiasts. As microcontrollers like the RP2040 and ESP32-Sx series become powerful enough to handle camera modules, this breakout simplifies the interfacing process, making it easier to capture high-resolution images for projects that once required a full computer or FPGA.

Key features of the breakout include:

• A 5MP OV5640 sensor with a 72-degree non-distorting lens, perfect for high-quality, undistorted images.
• Autofocus motor for precise focus adjustments.
• 2x9 header and a duplicated header strip 0.3" apart for breadboard and perfboard compatibility.
• Selectable external or internal 24MHz "XCLK" clock generation, saving GPIO pins and providing a stable 24 MHz signal even if your microcontroller can't generate it.
• A heat-sinking camera area with an exposed ground pad and multiple vias to improve thermal transfer, ideal for continuous encoding and reducing thermal image drift.
• An optional VMotor 3.3V power jumper on DATA1 for powering the autofocus system.
• A 3.3V power-good LED on the back, which can be disabled if desired.

To enable autofocus, you’ll need to load new firmware over I2C and enable the VM jumper on the back of the camera, which provides power to the autofocus motor. The autofocus system is controlled through I2C commands, allowing for precise focus adjustments.

This camera breakout is an excellent choice for capturing real-time, high-quality images and is perfect for microcontroller-based camera applications.