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CMOS Camera Module - 640x480

Replacement:SEN-11745. We now carry a higher resolution model of this camera. This page is for reference only.

This is a high-quality color CMOS camera module. Power the CM-26N/P module, hook up any display, monitor, or LCD screen with an RCA input and get vivid color video at 640x480 resolution. Module is easily mountable and has a wide operating voltage (5V to 15V). Comes with high quality optics, all the on board circuitry to output RCA signal, and cable harness.

  • 5V to 15V input
  • 50mA (at 12V)
  • Switchable NTSC and PAL output using a jumper

Comments

Looking for answers to technical questions?

We welcome your comments and suggestions below. However, if you are looking for solutions to technical questions please see our Technical Assistance page.

  • Midknight5000 / about 13 years ago / 2

    when will these be back in stock?

  • qarioty / about 15 years ago / 2

    I want a video camera connected to PC via wireless for range of 250 - 500 feet.

  • mmcshmi11 / about 15 years ago / 2

    The camera is small, so I'm sure the sizings given in the above images are correct.
    I actually have an issue with mine and I'm wondering if anybody else does... I definitely have it hooked up correctly (unless a measured 12v from a power supply doesn't work...), but cannot get any image to appear on my computer screen using an EasyCAP usb capture device. Has anybody else had an issue with this and found it to be the settings used to capture?
    If I switch the jumper between NTSC and PAL it starts to show random fuzzy images on the screen for a few seconds, then goes away.

  • Fredjikrang / about 16 years ago / 2

    Sorry I didn't see your question earlier tomhak!
    You need to be sure to connect the ground in the video cable. (There are two wires in the cable. The individually shielded one is the signal, the other is ground. They must both be connected.)

  • balbson / about 16 years ago / 2

    Hi,
    I need to know the weight of this c?mera, because I really need to find one very light.
    Thanks

  • tomhak / about 16 years ago / 2

    Thank You Fredjikrang for the reply.
    i did as you said, but i don get any video all i'm getting are fuzzy lines no images. am i doing something wrong? i took an old video cable from my vcr and cut it open and coonnected the yellow wire to the camera wire and then connect the power to a 9v battery.
    thanks,

  • Member #449799 / about 11 years ago / 1

    why is this retired?!

    • MikeGrusin / about 11 years ago / 1

      As it says at the top of the page:

      Replacement: SEN-11745. We now carry a higher resolution model of this camera. This page is for reference only.

  • Member #449445 / about 11 years ago / 1

    Hola. alguien ha conectado esta camara con arduino ethernet? encontre esta informacion de una cama shield http://www.radioshack.com/graphics/uc/rsk/Support/ProductManuals/2760248_PM_ES.pdf, me gustaria hacer los mismo pero con esta camara cmos 640 x 480, les agradeceria si me ayudan con esto

    Gracias

  • Member #293976 / about 12 years ago / 1

    I just got this part in today but it looks different than the part shown in the pictures and on the datasheet. There are 20 sockets/pins, but only two are labeled. The only numbers I can read on the PCB are 2011.05.15 (a date?) and C-MOS 32. Any chance you could update the datasheet link or point me in the direction of some info for how to wire this up? thanks, amanda

  • The Crusher / about 12 years ago / 1

    When does this one get back in stock?

  • Member #197750 / about 12 years ago / 1

    Definitely would like to see these back in stock, my quadCopter is hungry for some nice cameras. Any idea on the time?

    • HelloTechie / about 12 years ago / 1

      It should be sometime this month. I don't have an exact date, but I recommend checking back the end of next week or the following week. You can also back order this part now. Hope that helps!

  • Acid1000 / about 13 years ago * / 1

    Hi there, Is this compatible with the Color LCD 128x128 Nokia Knock-Off. If so is the Nokia Knock-off compatible with the CMOS IR Camera Module - 500x582 Thanks in advance

    • MikeGrusin / about 13 years ago / 1

      Unfortunately, no, these aren't directly compatible with each other. This camera and the IR camera have an analog NTSC output, and the screen has a complex digital interface. Sorry!

  • Midknight5000 / about 13 years ago / 1

    weird... this isn't in the Light/Imaging category of sensors.

  • tristanplaysguitar / about 13 years ago / 1

    Is there another source to buy these? We're in a rush to get these for our robotics competition and need two more... Narwhal ROV

  • eddy66t6 / about 13 years ago / 1

    Are these Cameras discontinued or are they going to be restocked?

    • MikeGrusin / about 13 years ago / 1

      They're definitely not discontinued; we have more on the way. You can click the "autonotify" button above, and get an email when they're back in stock.

  • Member #292825 / about 13 years ago / 1

    Can anyone who bought one of these point me to the correct connector / cable to buy for this camera?

    Thanks.

  • Member #298688 / about 13 years ago / 1

    Hi I tried to see output wave form by a oscilloscope. but i don't able to find any thing, I want to know how this module can verify that it is working fine? somebody help me

  • Member #298688 / about 13 years ago / 1

    Hi I tried to see output wave form by a oscilloscope. but i don't able to find any thing, I want to know how this module can verify that it is working fine? somebody help me

  • SomeGuy123 / about 13 years ago * / 1

    I found an interesting document about processing RCA signals from this camera: http://cache.freescale.com/files/microcontrollers/doc/app_note/AN4245.pdf.

  • murph100 / about 13 years ago / 1

    Works great!
    Good "bang for the buck" on quality and robust voltage supply tolerance. Just make sure that the RCA cable to the display and the camera cable harness have a common ground, and use very light soldering if splicing yellow signal wire.
    "Primo" $32 analog color camera. It's a nice little honey;

  • Econaut / about 13 years ago / 1

    would it be possible to pass the video channel pin through an arduino ethernet board and broadcast the video stream on a webserver or on a configured socket?? if so, is there any documentation outlining a procedure like this?

  • Sam R. / about 13 years ago / 1

    What is the frame-rate of this camera?

  • Trevor3 / about 13 years ago / 1

    Has anyone tried to use a camera to make an absolute encoder. I was thinking of printing an encoder grey scale on a drum, then use the video out signal connected into a the RX pin on a micro UART. If the size of image and correct baud rate is selected you should get a good binary value for the current encoder location. The scale would have to have a start and stop bit added to the top and bottom.
    The 15khz vertical scan with 8 bit grey scale would be about 150k baud. The 1Vpp would also have to be amplified to 5V level. You could have 2 bytes of data printed on the drum and have 16bit position resolution!!

  • ashpot007 / about 14 years ago / 1

    Can someone tell me how would I connect this to to an lcd screen.
    Im new at electronics and I have an idea that I would like to try. I have not had any luck figuring this out. Id be willing to pay someone $20.00 ( paypal ) to tell me how to do this. Thanks! Here is a sample of the lcd screen http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8335

  • Markhanna / about 14 years ago / 1

    CMOS Camera Modules (2) are for Professor S. Ganesan.

  • BenB / about 14 years ago * / 1

    I've got this hooked up and not quite working. I'm running it off of a variable supply at 12V, and it is drawing about 40 mA. My RCA and DC Ground are tied together as well. When I scope the video out, I'm seeing a complex waveform as expected that changes when I put my hand in front of the screen, etc. However, I cannot get a picture out on any of my equipment (small TV, two different low power projectors). Am I missing something?
    (And yes, verified NTSC on the camera and output devices.)

    • sridenour / about 14 years ago / 1

      You're sending the video signal over the outer barrel, with the center being ground, right?
      Look at the RCA jack breakout: video goes over BRK, ground is BRL, and SPR can be left unconnected.
      If you use the SparkFun Eagle library (like I do) and use the RCA jack part (POWERJACK_RCA or some such) it will wire them up wrong, so that in the schematic what is the center connection winds up on the PCB as the outer connection, and vice versa.

  • Digisynth / about 14 years ago / 1

    Can one actually send an RCA signal through a cellphone connection?

  • sridenour / about 14 years ago / 1

    I just got one of these and it works great. Two things, though:
    1) The datasheet appears to be wrong. It shows the 3 wires, left to right, being video ground power, but the actual device is power ground video. Luckily the wires are colored to match the device, so red is still power, black ground, and yellow is video.
    2) To the other owners, what are you guys using for mounting the camera?

    • Digisynth / about 14 years ago / 1

      I'm going to use tape. But I'm shure you can drill holes in your pcb and use nuts and bolts, or seperators.

  • TheDon / about 14 years ago / 1

    Being said "hook up any display, monitor, or LCD screen with an RCA input".....
    Can anybody please provide and example of such LCD screen.

    • SomeGuy123 / about 13 years ago / 1

      It is mostly referring to consumer TVs, which often have RCA inputs.

  • BuyforTegra250CSI / about 14 years ago / 1

    Hi,
    I am looking for a small camera which can fit into the Tegra 250 CSI interface. Does the "CMOS Camera Module - 640x480, sku: SEN-08739" supports it?
    Please let me know your response asap, then i can buy sooner!
    Thank You!
    Regards,
    Bandara

  • ngm8662 / about 14 years ago / 1

    Will this work with a Arduino Duemilanove?

  • PresidentOfAwesomeness / about 14 years ago / 1

    To wirelessly transmit video with this, can't I use an ADC to convert the analog output signal to digital, and then transmit the signal over FM? Then I'd use a DAC on the reciever, of course, to convert the digital signal to analog and hook that up to a monitor. Would this work? I'm pretty sure it would, but not that sure...

    • NigelVH / about 14 years ago / 3

      Theoretically yes, however, you'd have to be sampling the camera, and outputting data very VERY quickly. In reality, I don't think that this is the best way to go about it.
      If you're going to be using FM anyway, transmit the analog signal over FM (make sure you keep your deviation in check) and then you don't need to deal with any of the problems with conversion to digital and back.

      • PresidentOfAwesomeness / about 14 years ago / 2

        I realized that I could transmit analog over FM a few days after I posted that, as I was transmitting music over my pirate radio station(haha... good thing it was only outputting about .2 watts in an urban environment...). Thanks for the reply though, you're at least willing to help.

        • BigHomie / about 14 years ago / 1

          Have you had any success w/ this to date? Thinking of doing this myself.

  • Sh00pus / about 15 years ago / 1

    How would you hook this up to an LCD screen?

  • stephenbuck / about 15 years ago / 1

    Is there a schematic for this camera module?

    • SomeGuy123 / about 13 years ago / 1

      I believe the module itself is closed source, but you can find a circuit to handle the NTSC signal here (page 5).

  • justarandomgeek / about 15 years ago / 1

    Just got a pair of these, and noticed the extra g/tx/rx and g/gp3 headers on the side of the board below the ntsc/pal switch. Is there anything interesting behind these? I assume it's a serial port and a spare gpio, but I'm curious what a camera might need with a serial port!

  • agy / about 15 years ago / 1

    I want to buy this item in a week. Will it be in stock soon? Or is it better to search for another product?

  • vince086 / about 15 years ago / 1

    I am thinking of getting this camera but there is one question that I would need answered before I do:
    How could I transmit the video from this camera to a computer ? Xbee, RF link transmitters, wifi ?

  • kapitan / about 15 years ago / 1

    Hi everyone! Thinking of buying this camera, but wanted to know if this one can pick up IR as well as this camera: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8773
    I need it for a project I'm working on, and the camera's small size is very important.
    Thanks!

    • Fraco / about 14 years ago / 1

      http://www.rangevideo.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=212

  • Fredjikrang / about 15 years ago / 1

    I seriously doubt that the iPod can handle analog video in. To even have a chance of it working, you will probably need to get a digital video camera.
    And not only that, but I don't see a video input on the breakout board. You are connected to a video output.

  • Merloc / about 15 years ago / 1

    Hello everylbody...
    I'm trying to connect my Ipod touch (1 generation) with a podbreak out to the camera. I understand the wires, but i cant get it to ipod to even detect the camera. on the breakout board i am using pin holes # 2, 19 and 10. if anybody has any suggestions on what to do i would really apprecaite it
    thanks

  • Cralis / about 15 years ago / 1

    Hi guys - I am wanting to use this camera on a remote controlled aircraft, with the signal being sent down to a base station. The Video transmitter, reciever and all that is sorted. The cameras they sell are very pricey though. I am thinking of getting one of these - but can't seem to find any demo video of it working. People who have used it - can you maybe tell us what the picture quality is like?
    Also, where can I locate different lenses that may fit it, as I will be starting off with a wide angle requirement.

  • Fredjikrang / about 15 years ago / 1

    That is a much more complicated question. There are a few companies that make analog video to digital video stream boxes, like this one http://oemcameras.com/products/?view=oem_components_addons . But they tend to be expensive.

  • GLaDOS / about 15 years ago / 1

    How would I get the video to stream over Wifi

  • pfos / about 15 years ago / 1

    I've tried looking in the datasheet and on google, but i'm not really sure what i'm looking for.
    I bought this camera, as well as the RCA jack, and RCA breakout board.
    I connect the red and black wires from the camera to power, and yellow to the "break" on the breakout board (the inside of the rca jack)... what do I have to connect to the "barrel" of the RCA jack to get it working?
    Thanks very much.

    • Fredjikrang / about 15 years ago / 2

      You must have a ground wire going to the RCA breakout, as well as the signal wire. I'm not sure which one goes where, but they most both be there, or it will never work.
      I would leave a question on the RCA breakout board page asking which one you connect the signal, and the ground to, in order to be compatible with common composite video.
      It might seem like I am harping a lot on the grounding issues here, but it is the most common problem with cameras like this. The RCA cable and the camera must have a common ground! If you only connect the signal line, it won't work.

  • pfos / about 15 years ago / 1

    according to the datasheet the camera is only 3.2cm x 3.2cm x 2.2cm... that seems awfly small. Can someone confirm that its infact correct?
    They are currently out of stock and i'm drawing up plans for a camera housing so i just want to confirm the dimensions.
    Also, do you know when you'll have more in stock?
    Thanks.

  • syegg / about 16 years ago / 1

    Fredjikrang: Sorry I didn't see your question earlier tomhak!
    You need to be sure to connect the ground in the video cable. (There are two wires in the cable. The individually shielded one is the signal, the other is ground. They must both be connected.)
    hi, sorry for ignorance. newbie here. I did bought this camera for a wireless project. There is 3 wires from the camera, Black and red i had soldered to a 9V battery connector, and the Yellow wire, i solder it to the bottom of my wireless transmitter(Video port), however, my receiver did not received any signal from my transmitter. Which step i had did wrongly? I don't really understand how to use the RCA cable to connect to the video wire.You need to be sure to connect the ground in the video cable. (There are two wires in the cable. The individually shielded one is the signal, the other is ground. They must both be connected.) Pls advice

    • Fredjikrang / about 15 years ago / 2

      I'm not sure in that case, but my best guess is that the camera and the transmitter need to be on a common ground. Try that and see if it fixes your problem.

  • Fredjikrang / about 16 years ago / 1

    Red wire= power
    black= ground
    yellow= signal
    The cheapest way is to get an old RCA cable, cut it open, and spice in the yellow wires and a ground. (It should be pretty obvious which goes where.) Then just plug it in.

    • malarky / about 16 years ago / 1

      For the ground connection in the RCA cable, should it be wired to the ground wire from the camera module?

  • tomhak / about 16 years ago / 1

    how do i connect this directly to a RCA video glasses?

  • Fredjikrang / about 16 years ago / 1

    Sure, video can be transmitted wirelessly, but not like serial data. The video feed is analog, so digital transmitters won't work. For some good stand alone video transmitters, check out Range Video.

  • David J Barnes / about 16 years ago / 1

    Can the RCA signal be transmitted via wireless easily like serial data?

    • SomeGuy123 / about 14 years ago * / 1

      Not easily. RCA is analog. You'd probably have to convert it into a binary stream for transmission.

      • kbfirebreather / about 14 years ago / 1

        Nike:

        No. RCA is analog.
        Would it be possible to convert the signal with ADC and then back again after transmission?

  • Sharkbits / about 16 years ago / 1

    How do you connect this one? Red +ve, Black -ve and yellow RCA?

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