Steampunk PyPortal Thermal Camera

prusaprinters

A Thermal camera with a steampunk aesthetic!Electronics:MLX90640 Thermal Camera module from Pimoroni (Any MLX90640 should do, although the supports are lined up for the Pimoroni module).Adafruit PyPortal TytanoAdafruit PowerBoost 1000C (You could probably use a smaller LiIon charger/PowerPath, this is what I had on hand, and what the supports fit).Small Lithium Ion battery (mine is used, don't know strict capacity. ~800mAh?) (Please be very careful with Lithium Ion batteries, even small ones. They can cause fires when used improperly).5mm Power SwitchWire (mine is 30 AWG) and a soldering iron.Hardware:Required: 4 M3x~16mm bolts (up to 18mm should work)Optional: 2-6 M2x~6mm bolts (up to 8mm should work)I say “2-6” because while the design includes 6 bolt holes for securing the internals, I ended up friction-fitting the thermal camera module and only using two exterior bolts to secure the PowerboostRequired: Hot Glue for securing battery, power switch, and anything else you want to glue.Design:The aesthetic is based off old-fashioned cameras with a bit of a steampunk flair. The device is stored vertically, and has loops for a wrist strap or lanyard connections to be worn around the neck. It's used horizontally more or less like a traditional point-and-shoot, with the controls are all done through the touchscreen. I left the side peripherals as well as the ambient light snesor exposed, so you could still use the device with other peripherals.I started with the premise of more-or-less plug-and-play case for the PyPortal Tytano, with the electronics all using crimped connectors. As the design progressed, I dropped the crimped connectors in favour of sturdier soldered wires and a more compact design. I really enjoy how old-fashioned it looks.Caveats:This design is based around my PyPortal, which I got on sale since it was damaged, so it may not immediately fit your PyPortal without an adapted design. Mine is missing one of the I2C ports, and I didn't leave space for large wires or connectors.Also, the PyPortal has a very slow screen, especially in Python. My firmware uses the Arduino Framework for speed. I achieve something like 2fps with checkerboard indexing to avoid a ‘wipe’ transition update, and I believe the limiting factor isn't the MLX90640.How to Print:FrontCase.stl and BackCase.stl are both printed face-up on the build plate with supports. How to Assemble:Inside there are supports/bolt paths for the PowerBoost and MLX90640, and a pad for the switch to sit on. I soldered everything using unecessarily long thin wires before installing anything, and then laid stuff out, bolted down the PowerBoost, glued the switch, and added some glue to the barrel of the MLX90640 to friction-fit it in the barrel.I'd like to add a wiring diagram soon, but:Switch joins EN and GND on the PowerBoostPowerBoost output connects to +5V and GND on the PyPortalI connected LBO to the analog input on the PyPortal through a resistor.the MLX90640 connects to the I2C pins on the PyPortalHow to Use:The Switch turns on the camera.There are two USB ports exposed, the PyPortal's USB-C and the PowerBoost's MicroUSB. The MicroUSB charges the battery, the PyPortal's USB-C bypasses the battery and allows for programming. Please don't plug them in simultaneously.In lieu of saving files, pressing on the screen anywhere will ‘freeze frame’ and lock the current image so you can move the camera around and show people (also good for selfies).The Firmware can be found on Github. I'm still working on file saving.For a bit more on the why and how, check my blog.