Use the device to connect the TimerCAM/Unit CAM through the GROVE interface to achieve command control of the camera's UART transmission of images and preview them on the M5CORE screen, or configure a timed shooting and upload to the cloud function (returning a fixed HTTP API).
Driver Installation
Baud Rate Limit
When performing the device program download operation, it is recommended to select the following serial port baud rate options. If other speeds are used, it may result in the program being unable to be downloaded properly. 1500000 bps / 750000 bps / 500000 bps / 250000 bps / 115200 bps
Connect the device to the PC and open the device manager to install the FTDI driver for the device. For Windows 10, download the driver file matching your operating system, and unzip it. Install it through the device manager. (Note: In some system environments, it may be necessary to install the driver twice for it to take effect. Unrecognized device names are usually M5Stack or USB Serial. Windows recommends using the driver files directly in the device manager for installation (custom update). The executable file installation method may not work properly.) Click here to download the FTDI driver
For MacOS users, before installation, please check System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> General -> Allow apps downloaded from: -> App Store and identified developers option.
Download the Firmware Burning Tool
Please download the M5Burner firmware burning tool according to your operating system. Unzip and open the application.
The default firmware of TimerCAM that comes out of the factory is not compatible with this application, so you need to flash the firmware that matches UIFlow for the camera before use. Note: The factory firmware of UnitCAM is default compatible with UIFlow and does not need to be re-flashed. Open M5Burner, switch to the TimerCam option, select the appropriate version and click download, then click Burn to flash, and wait for the pop-up message "successful" to indicate that the flashing is complete.
Work Mode
UIFlow supports configuring the camera to switch between UART and Wi-Fi working modes. The Wi-Fi mode supports timed shooting and automatically uploading images to the M5 cloud and returning an image call interface (URL). In UART mode, it supports users "to obtain image frames through UART communication with other main control devices" and modifying image parameters. The following will use the main control CORE as an example, connect UnitCAM, and obtain image data.
Example
Before using, you need to click the add button in the lower left corner to add the corresponding camera expansion. Operation instructions for the example: Button A activates the WiFi connection mode, connects to the specified WiFi, and the camera takes pictures and uploads them to the M5 cloud every 5 seconds. Button B obtains the camera Token and creates a QR code using the cloud image URL generated by this Token. Button C activates the UART connection mode, sets the image size to 320 x 240, and starts an image display thread to continuously refresh the image to the screen.