E-con unveiled a “See3CAM_24CUG” Full HD, up to 120fps color global shutter camera with a USB 3.1 Gen1 link. It follows a recent MIPI-CSI-2 camera with the same AR0234 sensor, which is also available on a Jetson kit.

We missed E-con Systems’ December announcement of its MIPI-CSI-2 connected e-CAM217_CUMI0234_MOD embedded camera module, which is based on an On Semi AR0234 CMOS image sensor. The camera became available last month in an e-CAM24_CUNX camera kit designed for Nvidia’s Jetson Xavier NX or Jetson Nano development kits. Now the company has returned with a See3CAM_24CUG camera that uses an almost identical. 2.3-megapixel, Full HD AR0234CS sensor but instead incorporates a USB 3.1 Gen1 interface. We cover the e-CAM217_CUMI0234_MOD and e-CAM24_CUNX farther below.

“Ever since we launched the MIPI interface version of the AR0234 based 2MP color global shutter camera for NVIDIA Jetson family for edge computing on Feb 3, 2021, we have witnessed the huge demand from our embedded vision customers,” stated Ashok Babu, President of E-con Systems, Inc. “Taking forward this lead, e-con launches See3CAM_24CUG the first-in-the-world USB3.0 UVC color global shutter camera using AR0234 sensor. With 120fps capability and zero motion artifacts, this camera is an ideal camera for autonomous mobile robots for marker reading, Visual SLAM, barcode scanning/object recognition for smart carts and smart checkouts, inventory management drones, Driver Management Solution etc.”

See3CAM_24CUG and resolution/frame rate chart
(click images to enlarge)

 
See3CAM_24CUG

The See3CAM_24CUG global shutter camera is designed to capture moving objects and rapid motion sequences “with superior image quality and accuracy,” says E-con. The AR0234CS sensor at the heart of the module appears to be identical to the AR0234 except for the different interface.

The AR0234CS is a 1/2.6″ color sensor with a 3μm x 3μm pixel size. The sensor has 56 Ke-/luxsec responsivity, 38 dB SNR, and 71.4 dB dynamic range.

The AR0234CS is equipped with an ISP and supports 1920 x 1200 at 58fps with uncompressed UYVY, among other UYVY and MJPEG options up to 120fps shown in the chart above. With the lens provided by E-Con, the See3CAM_24CUG supports 128.2° DFOV at 2.3MP.

The See3CAM_24CUG is a fixed focus camera with an M12 lens holder. The camera’s USB Type-C output is plug-and-play compatible with USB 3.1 Gen1 (i.e. USB 3.0) devices and offers limited backward compatibility with USB 2.0.

The 30 x 30 x 26mm, 20-gram (without lens) device supports -30 to 70°C temperatures. Other features include external trigger support. There is support for Ubuntu 14.04, 16.04, and 18.04, as well as Windows 8.1/10. Sample applications include QtCAM (Linux) and e-CAMView (Windows).

 
e-CAM217_CUMI0234_MOD and e-CAM24_CUNX

The e-CAM217_CUMI0234_MOD camera module with AR0234 has the same sensor specs as the See3CAM_24CUG, but with a MIPI-CSI-2 interface instead of USB. There is no MJPEG support, and UYVY and MIPI options include 60fps at 2.3 MP (1920 x 1200), 65fps at Full HD (1920 x 1080), and 120fps at HD (1280 x 720). The 30 x 30mm camera has an S-Mount holder.

e-CAM217_CUMI0234_MOD, front and back
(click image to enlarge)

The e-CAM217_CUMI0234_MOD powers the recently revealed e-CAM24_CUNX kit. Like the e-CAM80_CUNX kit, which features the e-CAM83_CUMI415_MOD camera module built around a 8MP Sony Starvis IMX415 sensor, the e-CAM24_CUNX is designed to work with Nvidia’s Jetson Xavier NX and Jetson Nano development kits. The system ships with a V4L2 Linux camera driver and sample applications and supports Gstreamer-1.0.


e-CAM24_CUNX (left) and with Jetson Xavier NX dev kit
(click images to enlarge)

The specs for the e-CAM24_CUNX are the same as with the e-CAM217_CUMI0234_MOD except that Full HD resolution tops out at 60fps instead of 65fps. The kit includes an adapter board for the Jetson kits and a 15cm MIPI-CSI-2 flex cable. Confusingly, the e-CAM24_CUNX product page lists AR0234CS in one place and AR0234 elsewhere, but they are essentially the same sensor.

 
Further information

The See3CAM_24CUG USB camera is available for a $149 launch price, discounted from $199. The e-CAM217_CUMI0234_MOD MIPI-CSI-2 camera module starts at $85 in volume pricing. The e-CAM24_CUNX kit for the e-CAM module sells for $149. More information may be found in the See3CAM_24CUG announcement (PDF) and product/shopping page, as well as the e-CAM217_CUMI0234_MOD and e-CAM24_CUNX product/shopping pages.